What do you think?
Rate this book
The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art
Winner of the 2016 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Academic/Scholarly Work
Winner of the 2016 Ray and Pat Browne Award for Best Edited Collection in Popular Culture and American Culture by the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association
Winner of the 2016 PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature
When many think of comic books the first thing that comes to mind are caped crusaders and spandex-wearing super-heroes. Perhaps, inevitably, these images are of white men (and more rarely, women). It was not until the 1970s that African American superheroes such as Luke Cage, Blade, and others emerged. But as this exciting new collection reveals, these superhero comics are only one small component in a wealth of representations of black characters within comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels over the past century.
The Blacker the Ink is the first book to explore not only the diverse range of black characters in comics, but also the multitude of ways that black artists, writers, and publishers have made a mark on the industry. Organized thematically into “panels” in tribute to sequential art published in the funny pages of newspapers, the fifteen original essays take us on a journey that reaches from the African American newspaper comics of the 1930s to the Francophone graphic novels of the 2000s. Even as it demonstrates the wide spectrum of images of African Americans in comics and sequential art, the collection also identifies common character types and themes running through everything from the strip The Boondocks to the graphic novel Nat Turner .
Though it does not shy away from examining the legacy of racial stereotypes in comics and racial biases in the industry, The Blacker the Ink also offers inspiring stories of trailblazing African American artists and writers. Whether you are a diehard comic book fan or a casual reader of the funny pages, these essays will give you a new appreciation for how black characters and creators have brought a vibrant splash of color to the world of comics.
Winner of the 2016 Ray and Pat Browne Award for Best Edited Collection in Popular Culture and American Culture by the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association
Winner of the 2016 PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature
When many think of comic books the first thing that comes to mind are caped crusaders and spandex-wearing super-heroes. Perhaps, inevitably, these images are of white men (and more rarely, women). It was not until the 1970s that African American superheroes such as Luke Cage, Blade, and others emerged. But as this exciting new collection reveals, these superhero comics are only one small component in a wealth of representations of black characters within comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels over the past century.
The Blacker the Ink is the first book to explore not only the diverse range of black characters in comics, but also the multitude of ways that black artists, writers, and publishers have made a mark on the industry. Organized thematically into “panels” in tribute to sequential art published in the funny pages of newspapers, the fifteen original essays take us on a journey that reaches from the African American newspaper comics of the 1930s to the Francophone graphic novels of the 2000s. Even as it demonstrates the wide spectrum of images of African Americans in comics and sequential art, the collection also identifies common character types and themes running through everything from the strip The Boondocks to the graphic novel Nat Turner .
Though it does not shy away from examining the legacy of racial stereotypes in comics and racial biases in the industry, The Blacker the Ink also offers inspiring stories of trailblazing African American artists and writers. Whether you are a diehard comic book fan or a casual reader of the funny pages, these essays will give you a new appreciation for how black characters and creators have brought a vibrant splash of color to the world of comics.
356 pages, Paperback
First published July 16, 2015
12 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 7, 2015
‘The Blacker the Ink,’ edited by Professor Frances Gateward and John Jennings, is a collection of essays critiquing a diverse selection of significant sequential art works created by Black artists (and those sympathetic to their causes). This book has the distinction of being the first African-American Literature I’ve read since finishing Charles Mills potent book, “The Racial Contract” a few weeks ago. As some of The Blacker the Ink’s scholars broke down the dynamics of multilayered socio-political tissue that composed each subject, I was able to see which of these writers -- both creators and critics -- accepted the exploiter class in their self-appointed role as signatories of the West’s racial social contract or not.
Of course this side diversion was only a tiny part of the reader’s enjoyment, and this book absolutely provided a lot to enjoy. A solid, high-level academic work, my favorite parts of ‘The Blacker the Ink’ involved those socio-politically conscious scholars who would take the time to explain the source-cited details of a real life historical backdrop used by a given work, as well as the sections that introduced gifted talent I had previously been unaware of. The depth of my Wish List expanded continuously in leaps & bounds as fascinating new works were described/analyzed, often forcing me to skim and dodge to prevent spoilers from ruining a newly-anticipated reading experience. Highly recommended, this should be on the shelf of any serious fan of the cartooning medium.
Of course this side diversion was only a tiny part of the reader’s enjoyment, and this book absolutely provided a lot to enjoy. A solid, high-level academic work, my favorite parts of ‘The Blacker the Ink’ involved those socio-politically conscious scholars who would take the time to explain the source-cited details of a real life historical backdrop used by a given work, as well as the sections that introduced gifted talent I had previously been unaware of. The depth of my Wish List expanded continuously in leaps & bounds as fascinating new works were described/analyzed, often forcing me to skim and dodge to prevent spoilers from ruining a newly-anticipated reading experience. Highly recommended, this should be on the shelf of any serious fan of the cartooning medium.
January 1, 2024
Very challenging if you’re not a hardcore academic (which I’m not) but absolutely worth working through !
September 18, 2021
2016 Eisner Award Winner "BEST COMIC BOOK EDITORIAL " "BLACK THE INK"
Ghettostone Publications Company editor/chief Michael R. Brown is also the leader of
"The BEST SELLERS BOOK CLUB" review of author/editor John Jenkins "BLACKER THE INK"!
A book about the psychological personas of African American Superheroes in comic books
produced by African American writers and creators from across America and over the years.
Well written and editorially outstanding this book won the "OSCAR" of comic book awards
in 2016. And covers topics like a masters class in investigative journalism and is used in academic
universities as a teaching tool in developing deeper understanding of how stories are produced
and in what terms they are limited. The main topics are centered around terms like "Afrofuturism"
and "Afrocentric" to explain the mind-set of the creators listed in it's pages...! I noticed this title
because of my personal background in operating one of the few Black owned comic book production companies in America- Ghettostone Publications Company est, 1996 and was pleasantly surprised to find out my company, my artists, and myself are mentioned multiple times in many chapters of the book "BLACKER THE INK"! The descriptions are intellectual and detailed and I may not agree with all it's analysis I found it's reading very thought provoking! I'm siting this one out for personal reason, so please excuse the spoilers in the review, but I hope it finds it's way into your lists anyway! Enjoy...!
Highly recommended by the group- "THE BEST SELLERS BOOK CLUB"
For all book lovers...
Michael R. Brown, editor/chief
Ghettostone Publications Company
ghettostone/Facebook
ghettostone/amazon digital comics
ghettostone twitter
Ghettostone Publications Company editor/chief Michael R. Brown is also the leader of
"The BEST SELLERS BOOK CLUB" review of author/editor John Jenkins "BLACKER THE INK"!
A book about the psychological personas of African American Superheroes in comic books
produced by African American writers and creators from across America and over the years.
Well written and editorially outstanding this book won the "OSCAR" of comic book awards
in 2016. And covers topics like a masters class in investigative journalism and is used in academic
universities as a teaching tool in developing deeper understanding of how stories are produced
and in what terms they are limited. The main topics are centered around terms like "Afrofuturism"
and "Afrocentric" to explain the mind-set of the creators listed in it's pages...! I noticed this title
because of my personal background in operating one of the few Black owned comic book production companies in America- Ghettostone Publications Company est, 1996 and was pleasantly surprised to find out my company, my artists, and myself are mentioned multiple times in many chapters of the book "BLACKER THE INK"! The descriptions are intellectual and detailed and I may not agree with all it's analysis I found it's reading very thought provoking! I'm siting this one out for personal reason, so please excuse the spoilers in the review, but I hope it finds it's way into your lists anyway! Enjoy...!
Highly recommended by the group- "THE BEST SELLERS BOOK CLUB"
For all book lovers...
Michael R. Brown, editor/chief
Ghettostone Publications Company
ghettostone/Facebook
ghettostone/amazon digital comics
ghettostone twitter
Read
September 4, 2015741.5973 B6286 2015
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews