Tag: Human Torch

Comics, Guest Post1 Comment

All of Our Tomorrow: Ending “Racial Apologia”

Guest N.O.C.

by Jules

Comic books, throughout their long history, have often existed as a playground for subversive and counter-cultural concepts. Famously, “Judgement Day” — the last story published by EC Comics — featured a socially stratified world of blue and orange robots set in the far future vying for entry into the “Great Galactic Republic.” Their inspector, an astronaut from Earth, tells them that their planet isn’t ready but that one day it might be. In the last panel he’s revealed to be a black man, something scandalous enough that the Comics Code Authority demanded he be changed to white or the comic couldn’t go to print. This was 1953.

Since then comics, specifically superhero comics, have continued to make attempts to grapple with social issues.

Continue reading “All of Our Tomorrow: Ending “Racial Apologia””

Marvel, Movies49 Comments

Why an African American Human Torch is Important, or Comic Fans are Kinda Racist

David F. Walker

Originally posted at BadAzz Mofo

Wake up world, Black actor Michael B. Jordan has been cast as Johnny Storm (a.k.a. the Human Torch) in the upcoming reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise. The hurricane of controversy, and all the requisite ridiculous and racist comments have begun, and will keep flowing, until, or course, the movie comes out, at which point people will go see it no matter how incensed or infuriated they are. And you know what? I don’t care if anyone is incensed, infuriated, or inconsolable about a Black actor being cast in a fictional role of a character that is known to be White. Really, honestly, and truly, I don’t care at all. That is not, however, going to stop me from addressing a few issues.

Continue reading “Why an African American Human Torch is Important, or Comic Fans are Kinda Racist”

Marvel, Movies19 Comments

The Human Torch is Being Played by a Black Guy. So What?!?

David F. Walker

Originally posted at BadAzzMofo

Now that Black actor Michael B. Jordan has been officially cast as Johnny Storm (a.k.a. Human Torch) in the new Fantastic Four movie, all the negative crap has started to spew (again). We’ve all heard the crap before: “Johnny Storm is white!!! That’s Like casting a white actor as Martin Luther King, Jr!” Well, dumbass racist, it’s actually nothing like that. Johnny Storm is a fictional character. Martin Luther King Jr. being played by a white actor would like… well… it would be kind of like this…

Continue reading “The Human Torch is Being Played by a Black Guy. So What?!?”

DC Comics, Marvel, Movies38 Comments

Stretching Spandex Over Melanin Won’t Make Comics More Diverse

J. Lamb (Snoopy Jenkins)

Sometimes being a Nerd of Color is difficult. Often, the sci-fi you watch marries awesome next-gen splatterpunk visuals with horrid White Man’s Burden political sentiments, or the games you play offer wickedly fun three-dimensional gameplay with healthy servings of amoral misogyny and racial epithets. But often it’s pretty easy – each and every Wednesday new worlds reveal the secrets of earthbound metahumans and iron-masked despots and immortal ronin and sentient bacteria and techno-organic telepaths and rubber geniuses and fighter pilots with imagination rings. The comic industry may not accurately render tomorrow, but it can always take you somewhere you never thought you could go.

Continue reading “Stretching Spandex Over Melanin Won’t Make Comics More Diverse”
Comics, Marvel, Movies38 Comments

I’m Sick of White Dudes

Keith Chow

Back in May, when the news broke that Michael B. Jordan (star of The Wire and Fruitvale Station) was being considered for the role of Johnny Storm in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, let’s just say the internet wasn’t too happy about it. At the time, my friend and former editor Justin Aclin tweeted about it and then wrote about it on his blog. I’ve cross-posted the rest of Justin’s thoughts after the jump.

And come back later in the day as Justin will be my special guest on Hard N.O.C. Life where we’ll discuss his latest book for Dark Horse, S.H.O.O.T. First.

Continue reading “I’m Sick of White Dudes”