Through interviews with prominent artists, scholars and cultural critics along with images from the comic books themselves, this film examines the degree to which early Black superheroes generally adhered to common stereotypes about Black men. From the humorous, to the offensive, early Black superheroes are critically considered.
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Looking forward to it Professor Gayles.
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It seems very interesting and I am happy that you took the initiative to tackle an issue that had been a thorn in your side obviously for quite some time. Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing the entire documentary. This is great information for our children.
Good Brother, so this is what you were up to with all of the comics in your office. Good stuff! We look forward to owning a DVD of our own. Kudos!!!
All I can say is WOW! Jonathan Gayles is in the midst of creating a classic in black documentary cinema. Seeing is believing people and this piece is going to knock your socks off–for real. Please check out this trailer and share. Finally, great analysis of black popular culture that promises to “f*ck with the greys” (to quote writer extraordinaire Joan Morgan). I can’t wait for the finished product.
Amazing.
Is this only shown at screening?
There are About 1,450,000 results for Comic Books in Chicago; if you ask most adults about comic books, the reply would be, “…oh I read them when I was little…” Comic books have influenced all our lives way beyond childhood. “Superman, Spiderman, IronMan, to name a few,all have been POWed and ZOOMed beyond the pages of a 29 cent book to a big screens of movie theaters and the flat screens of home entertainment centers. Why the fascination with duel identities, with men who can fly, with Wonder women? Is it all about power, salvation, security, protection from evil?… A few Superheros in the field of Art and Literature have embarked on a journery to answer these questions and more. Among them are many of prolific authors in your documentary, a long awaited examination of what make a Hero, who embodies the character/characteristics and why some struggle to break the mental/monery barriers in mainstream minds and pockets. Interviewed into this world of Flight/Fight time by artist/author Turtel Onli, I will be examining many of the elements of Comicology.
Peace
Marian Hayes
Equal parts heart, humor, content and passion. Gayles has produced honest, raw and gritty piece on the history of black male characters in comic books. The honesty is unvarnished and the diversity of experts is refreshing. What impressed me most is that I was never a comic book collector, nor do I have a wealth of background knowledge on the subject, and it HELD my attention. Gayles has awakened a curiosity within that moves me to learn more. Kudos.
Can’t wait to see it, Jonathan! Congrats on all of the attention your film is getting, and let me know where we can check it out.
Hey, when is this out or how can I get a copy? Email me!
The documentary is still in post-production and is being screened in festivals. With any luck, dvd’s will be available soon. Stay tuned because I will be posting some additional videos in the next week or so. Happy New Year and thanks for your interest.
[...] more information about the documentary, including a trailer, see the film’s [...]
[...] more information about the documentary, including a trailer, see the film’s [...]