- Volume 67 (2022)
- Vol. 67 (2022)
- >
- Issue 2
- No. 2
- >
- Pages 145 - 162
- pp. 145 - 162
Graphic Agency: The Powers of Heroines
Pages 145 - 162
DOI https://doi.org/10.33675/AMST/2022/2/6
open-access
This publication is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivatives 4.0.
This article considers a selection of contemporary U.S. comics featuring young female Black protagonists, written and drawn by Black female creators, and the particular resources for fandom extended by this combination. Taken as a loose grouping, these comics demand attention to issues of textual representation and the creative industries contexts alike, and highlight questions pertaining to both race and gender. Framed by the #BlackGirlMagic online phenomenon and located in a broader popular cultural context, including the 2018 blockbuster movie release of "Black Panther", the discussion adopts a tri-part approach. First, it will involve attention to the central characters, bringing into view transpacific popular culture influences, certain aspects of the superhero genre, and affinities with Black feminist speculative fiction. Following these textual concerns, attention turns to creators and, after that, to considerations related to readerships and reception. The article posits that these comics perform a re-visioning that challenges dominant representational repertoires. Moreover, they contest entrenched racialized and gendered assumptions regarding comics creators and readerships.
1 Abdurraquib, Samaa. “‘Just Another Monster’: Michonne and the Trope of the Angry Black Woman.” Bad Girls and Transgressive Women in Popular Television, Fiction, and Film. Ed. Julie A. Chappell and Mallory Young. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. 227-51. Print.
2 Anderson, Reynaldo. “Critical Afrofuturism: A Case Study in Visual Rhetoric, Sequential Art, and Postapocalyptic Black Identity.” The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art. Ed. Frances Gateward and John Jennings. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 2015. 171-92. Print.
3 Bailey, Moya, and Trudy. “On Misogynoir: Citation, Erasure, and Plagiarism.” Feminist Media Studies 18.4 (2018): 762-68. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1447395.
4 Bernardin, Marc. “Commentary: A Comic Book I Wrote Imagined Snipers Shooting at Police. Now That Frightening Reality Haunts Me.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-genius-comic-black-lives-matter-20160709-snap-htmlstory.html.
5 Bernardin, Marc, Adam Freeman, and Afua Richardson. Genius. Los Angeles: Top Cow Productions, 2008-14. Print.
6 Black Panther. Dir. Ryan Coogler. Perf. Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, and Lupita Nyong’o. Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, 2018. Film.
7 Brickler, Alexander Dumas J., IV. “Black Mecha Is Built for This: Black Masculine Identity in Firedance and Afro Samurai.” TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies 39 (2018): 70-88. Web. 29 Mar. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3138/topia.39.02.
8 Brienza, Casey. Manga in America: Transnational Book Publishing and the Domestication of Japanese Comics. London: Bloomsbury, 2016. Print.
9 Brinkhurst-Cuff, Charlie. “How #BlackGirlMagic Became a Rallying Cry for Women of Colour.” The Guardian. Guardian Media Group, 11 Apr. 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2016/apr/11/how-blackgirlmagic-became-a-rallying-cry-for-women-of-colour.
10 Brothers, David. “Welcome to the Terrordome: Genius Fights the Power [Review].” Comics Alliance, 9 Aug. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://comicsalliance.com/genius-bernardin-top-cow/.
11 Brown, Jeffrey A. Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans. Jackson: U of Mississippi P, 2001. Print.
12 Carrington, André M. Speculative Blackness: The Future of Race in Science Fiction. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2016. Print.
13 Condry, Ian. Hip-Hop Japan: Rap and the Paths of Cultural Globalization. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 2006. Print.
14 Crenshaw, Kimberlé. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color.” Stanford Law Review 43.6 (1990): 1241-99. JSTOR. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.
15 Darabont, Frank, and Angela Kang, creators. The Walking Dead. American Movie Classics, 2010-2022.
16 Davis, Jalondra A. “Power and Vulnerability: Black Girl’s Magic in Black Women’s Science Fiction.” Journal of Science Fiction 2.2 (2018): 13-30. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://publish.lib.umd.edu/?journal=scifi&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=382.
17 Denison, Rayna. Anime: A Critical Introduction. London: Bloomsbury, 2015. Print.
18 Duffy, Damian, and John Jennings, eds. Black Comix: African American Independent Comics, Art and Culture. New York: Mark Batty, 2010. Print.
19 Duffy, Damian, and John Jennings, eds. Black Comix Returns. St. Louis, MO: Lion Forge: 2018. Print.
20 Everett, Anna. “The Revolution Will Be Digitized.” Social Text 20.2 (2002): 125-46. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/31928.
21 Gipson, Grace D. “The Power of a Black Superheroine: Exploring Black Female Identities in Comics and Fandom Culture.” Doctoral Thesis. Berkeley: U of California P, 2019. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7d89f0h8.
22 Grayson, Devin, Alitha E. Martinez, Bryan Valenza, and Mike McKone. OMNI 1. Los Angeles, CA: Humanoids, 14 Aug. 2019. Print.
23 Guillaume, Isabelle L. “Women W.a.R.P.ing Gender in Comics: Wendy Pini’s Elfquest as Mixed Power Fantasy.” Revue de Recherche en Civilisation Américaine 6 (2016). Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://journals.openedition.org/rrca/755.
24 Gay, Roxane, et al. Black Panther: World of Wakanda. New York: Marvel, 2016-2017. Print.
25 Hay, Kellie D., Rebekah Farrugia, and Deirdre Smith. “DS Sense’s ‘On My Detroit Everything’: Self-Articulating Black Girl Magic.” Arts 7.2 (2018). Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts7020017.
26 Horne, Karama. “Indie Comics Spotlight: Alitha Martinez Made Two Comics About Genius Black Women.” SyFy Wire. SyFy Media, 3 Sept. 2019. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/indie-comics-spotlight-alitha-martinez-made-two-comics-about-genius-black-women.
27 Howe, Brian. “At NC Comicon, Rising Star Afua Richardson Represents the Changing Face of Comics.” Indy Week. Indy Week, 12 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2021. https://indyweek.com/culture/art/nc-comicon-rising-star-afua-richardson-represents-changing-face-comics/.
28 Hurford, Emily M. “Gender and Sexuality in Shoujo Manga: Undoing Heteronormative Expectations in Utena, Pet Shop of Horrors, and Angel Sanctuary.” Master’s Thesis. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State UP, 2009. Web. 28. Mar. 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1250882984.
29 Iwabuchi, Koichi. Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Transnationalism. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 2002. Print.
30 Johnson, Dominique Deirdre. “Misogynoir and AntiBlack Racism: What the Walking Dead Teaches Us About the Limits of Speculative Fiction Fandom.” The Journal of Fandom Studies 3.3 (2015): 259-75. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1386/jfs.3.3.259_1.
31 Jones, Sebastian A., et al. Niobe: She Is Death. Los Angeles, CA: Stranger Comics, 2017. Print.
32 Jones, Sebastian A., et al. Niobe: She Is Life. Los Angeles, CA: Stranger Comics, 2015. Print.
33 Jordan-Zachery, Julia S. Shadow Bodies: Black Women, Ideology, Representation, and Politics. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 2017. Print.
34 Jordan-Zachery, Julia S., and Duchess Harris. “We are Magic.” Introduction. Black Girl Magic Beyond the Hashtag: Twenty-First-Century Acts of Self-Definition. Ed. Jordan-Zachery and Harris. Tucson: U of Arizona P, 2019. 3-40. Print.
35 Lackaff, Derek, and Michael Sales. “Black Comics and Social Media Economics: New Media, New Production Models.” Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation. Ed. Sheena Howard and Ronald L. Jackson II. New York: Continuum, 2013. 65-78. Print.
36 Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions, 2016. Print.
37 Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell, and L. Fury. Run: Book One. New York: Abrams Comic Art, 2021. Print.
38 Louis, Mildred. Agents of the Realm. Vol. 1. Astrea’s Nexus, 2018. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://agentsoftherealm.com.
39 ---. Art of MLouis. N. pag., n. d. Web. 30 Jan. 2021. https://artofmlouis.com.
40 Magruder, Nilah. M. F. K. San Rafael: Insight Comics, 2017. Print.
41 Martin, Alfred L., Jr. “Fandom While Black: Misty Copeland, Black Panther, Tyler Perry and the Contours of US Black Fandoms.” International Journal of Cultural Studies 22.6 (2019): 737-53. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1367877919854155.
42 Martinez, Alitha E. Foreign. New York: Ariotstorm, 2014. Print.
43 ---. Yume and Ever. New York: Ariotstorm, 2006. Print.
44 McLeod, Ken. “Afro-Samurai: Techno-Orientalism and Contemporary Hip Hop.” Popular Music 32.2 (2013): 259-75. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24736760.
45 McMillan, Graeme. “Omni Lets Artist Alitha E. Martinez Create the Future of Comics.” Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Aug. 2019. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/omni-lets-artist-alitha-e-martinez-create-future-comics-1230630.
46 Miller, Frank, and Dave Gibbons. Give Me Liberty. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse, 1990. Print.
47 Okorafor, Nnedi. Introduction. Octavia Butler’s Kindred: A Graphic Adaptation. By Damian Duffy and John Jennings. New York: Abrams Comic Arts, 2017. iv-vi. Print.
48 Okwodu, Janelle. “First Look at Amandla Stenberg’s New Comic Book, Niobe: She Is Death.” Vogue, Vogue.com. 22 May 2017. Web. 31 Jan. 2021. https://www.vogue.com/article/first-look-at-amandla-stenbergs-new-comic.
49 Pough, Gwendolyn D., and Yolanda Hood. “Speculative Black Women: Magic, Fantasy, and the Supernatural.” Femspec 6.1 (2005): ix-xiv. Print.
50 Richardson, Afua. “Get to Know Afua: The Jane of All Trades.” Afuarichardson.com, n. d. Web. 30 Jan. 2021. https://www.afuarichardson.com/aboutafua/?v=400b9db48e62.
51 Rutledge, Gregory E. “Futurist Fiction & Fantasy: The Racial Establishment.” Callaloo 24.1 (2001): 236-52. Web. 31 Jan. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1353/cal.2001.0060.
52 Sandvoss, Cornel, Jonathan Gray, and C. Lee Harrington. “Why Still Study Fans?” Introduction. Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World. 2nd ed. New York: U of New York P, 2017. 1-26. Print.
53 Singer, Marc. “‘Black Skins’ and White Masks: Comic Books and the Secret of Race.” African American Review 36.1 (2002): 107-19. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://doi.org/10.2307/2903369.
54 Sobel, Marc. “Give Me Liberty.” The Comics Journal. Fantagraphic Books, 8 Oct. 2018. Web. 28. Mar. 2022. http://www.tcj.com/give-me-liberty/.
55 Spirer, Alexandra. “Interview with Afua Richardson.” Authority Magazine, 30 July 2020. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://medium.com/authority-magazine/artist-afua-richardson-practice-does-not-make-perfect-bdad8594ea51.
56 Sugawa, Akiko. “Children of Sailor Moon: The Evolution of Magical Girls in Japanese Anime.” Nippon.com. Nippon Communications Foundation, 26 Feb. 2015. Web. 28. Mar. 2022. https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a03904/.
57 Taylor, Shawn. “Genius from Top Cow: An Endorsement.” nerdsofcolor.org, 5 Aug. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2014/08/05/genius-1-5-an-endorsement/.
58 Whaley, Deborah E. Black Women in Sequence: Re-Inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime. Seattle: U of Washington P, 2016. Print.
59 Willis, Joseph. “Unmaking the Apocalypse: Pain, Violence, Torture and Weaponising the Black, Female Body.” Representing Acts of Violence in Comics. Ed. Nina Mickwitz, Ian Horton, and Ian Hague. New York: Routledge, 2019. 159-69. Print.
60 Womack, Ytasha L. Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture. Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill Books, 2013. Print.
61 Yohannes, Bezawit. “Black Girl Magic: Intersectional Self-Definition in Young Adult Afrocentric Fantasy.” Undergraduate Honors Thesis. Williamsburgh, VA: College of William & Mary. W&M Scholar Works, Paper 1202. 2018. Web. 28 Mar. 2022. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1202/.
