Black superheroes take center stage at new Penn exhibit
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The cover of a graphic novel about Emmett Till. Photo: Courtesy of Eric Battle
Just like every great superhero, Philly's newest Black comic exhibition has an origin story: Some comic lovers, one with serious illustration chops, got together and said, "Let's make this happen."
Why it matters: Philly has its own place in comic book history: Influential Black cartoonist George Herriman, the creator of "Krazy Kat," had his first comic strip published in a Philly newspaper.
The big picture: Movies like the box-office hit "Black Panther" have introduced younger audiences to comic books, which are often viewed as nostalgic collectibles.
Driving the news: "The Black Hero's Journey" opened this month at Penn's Goldstein Gallery and runs through May 15, highlighting the struggles of Black comics and their creators to be taken seriously while challenging harmful stereotypes about how Black characters have been portrayed.
- The exhibit features dozens of rare and lesser-known comics: characters like Lion Man, Black Panther and the X-Men's Storm, along with a 1940s-style newsstand and drafting station.
- Workshops and other events, including a Halloween costume party, are planned.
Zoom in: The exhibit is meant to get people thinking about the qualities that make a hero, whether real or fictional.
- Comic book illustrators often spend "too many" hours perfecting their characters — from bulging muscles and dramatic facial expressions to explosive movements that make them leap off the page, exhibit co-curator Eric Battle tells Axios.
Friction point: Black comic illustrators have often struggled to be taken seriously.
Flashback: Battle knows that firsthand.
- He fell in love with comics as a boy, picking his first Daredevil comic off the spinner rack at a Philly corner store.
- He taught himself how to draw and attended the now-shuttered University of the Arts, where he was surprised to learn that some professors didn't have a "high opinion" of comic books.
- Some discouraged him from pursuing that career path.
Yes, but: He was undeterred, finding that comic books blended the best of several art forms — anatomy, geometry and imagination.
- He booked countless appointments with editors to review his portfolio until he landed his first gig with Dark Horse Comics.
Flash forward: He's now illustrated for a who's who of comic book publishers, including Marvel and DC.
What they're saying: Comics and graphic novels have "really become an important part of just, you know, culture at this point," Battle, who has also illustrated books about Philly jazz and Black Lives Matter, tells Axios.
Case in point: Battle teamed up with lawyer and author Christopher Benson on a graphic novel about Emmett Till.
- Their collaboration shows how comics can explore difficult chapters of American history and bring those stories to new audiences.
1 cool thing: Visitors are greeted by a giant comic book cover called "Super Hero City" that uses Philly's City Hall as a backdrop.
The bottom line: Through graphic novels and exhibitions, Battle is exploring the art of advocacy.
- "As an artist, sometimes you ask yourself, 'What's the purpose of what I'm doing?' Making pretty pictures or whatever."
If you go: The exhibition is open on the sixth floor of Penn's Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center.
- Hours: 10am–5pm