Julian Chambliss: Black Panther Brought to Life
[Julian Chambliss is an associate professor of history at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla.]
The online premiere last month of a Black Panther animated series was an exciting event for diehard comic geeks. The Panther, the first black superhero from Marvel, inspired me as a young comic fan. Now, all grown up with academic credentials to justify my comic habit, I can see the good and the bad in the new "motion comic" (a 21st century way to say cartoon). Moving it off the printed page and into animation is an important benchmark, but I'm concerned about its solely digital presentation.
In the 1960s, the Panther's debut — in Fantastic Four comics — marked a historic push for diversity. Marvel always courted diverse readers with its hip, inclusive style, but African Americans were largely absent from its pages until 1966, when the Black Panther changed everything. T'Challa (the Panther's real name), king of Wakanda and defender of its people, was for many African Americans the first positive depiction of a black person they remember in comics (not the first African American but the first black person)....
I know that a digital release maximizes potential benefits for Marvel. No DVDs to manufacture, ship or store, and minimal profit-sharing with a distributor. Yet, given the symbolism a black hero can have, let's hope Marvel pushes for wider release so that everyone gets the chance to be inspired by his deeds.
Read entire article at LA Times
The online premiere last month of a Black Panther animated series was an exciting event for diehard comic geeks. The Panther, the first black superhero from Marvel, inspired me as a young comic fan. Now, all grown up with academic credentials to justify my comic habit, I can see the good and the bad in the new "motion comic" (a 21st century way to say cartoon). Moving it off the printed page and into animation is an important benchmark, but I'm concerned about its solely digital presentation.
In the 1960s, the Panther's debut — in Fantastic Four comics — marked a historic push for diversity. Marvel always courted diverse readers with its hip, inclusive style, but African Americans were largely absent from its pages until 1966, when the Black Panther changed everything. T'Challa (the Panther's real name), king of Wakanda and defender of its people, was for many African Americans the first positive depiction of a black person they remember in comics (not the first African American but the first black person)....
I know that a digital release maximizes potential benefits for Marvel. No DVDs to manufacture, ship or store, and minimal profit-sharing with a distributor. Yet, given the symbolism a black hero can have, let's hope Marvel pushes for wider release so that everyone gets the chance to be inspired by his deeds.