Lion Man was meant to inspire black people's pride in their African heritage.

The feature starred characters that included the Lion Man, a young African scientist sent by the United Nations to oversee a massive uranium deposit at the African Gold Coast, whose main enemy was Doctor Blut Sangro. Īll-Negro Comics (June 1947) was a 15-cent omnibus written and drawn solely by African-American writers and artists. Lothar was modernized in 1965 to dress in suits and speak standard English. Initially an illiterate exotic garbed in animal skins, he provided the muscle to complement Mandrake's brain on their adventures.

He was a former 'Prince of the Seven Nations', a federation of jungle tribes, but passed on the chance to become king and instead followed Mandrake on his world travels, fighting crime. Main article: African characters in comicsĬartoonist Lee Falk's adventure comic strip Mandrake the Magician featured the African supporting character Lothar from its 1934 debut. In recent years, with the integration of more Black people in mainstream comic writing rooms as well as the creation of comics on digital platforms has changed the representation and portrayals of Black people in comics and has started to reflect the complexities of Black people across the diaspora. Occiasionally, comic book creators would lampshade stereotypes, lack of representation and emphasize social injustices. Critics have noted that black men and women have historically often been portrayed as jungle or ghetto stereotypes, and as sidekicks as opposed to primary characters. The integration of black characters in mainstream and superhero comics has endured various obstacles and challenges. Mainstream comic publishing companies have had a historical trend of being predominantly white and male, reflecting the lack of representation and inaccurate depictions of Black people in comics. Within our ‘Fiction’ section, you’ll find Black voices represented in a huge range of genres and we’ve devoted additional sections to nonfiction, poetry, and Young Adult fiction (we know how important it is for young people to be represented in the books they read).Black people have been portrayed in comics since the medium's beginning, with their portrayals often the subject of controversy. Our hand-picked list includes several famous black authors you might recognize - Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin - as well as some of the most promising up-and-coming names. For lots of readers, this moment provided fresh inspiration to seek out new Black authors and to explore the rich variety of Black literature, whose stories span both borders and generations, illuminating a huge variety of experiences.įrom 20th century classics that crystallized pivotal moments in the fight for civil rights, to hilarious novels, gripping fantasy, and 2020 bestsellers that continue to navigate complex social tensions - we’ve gathered together seventy of the best books by Black authors that belong on your ‘TBR’. The re-energized efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 shone a light on many corners of Black culture. 70 Must-Read Books by Black Authors in 2023

Black book characters