Books, Comics, Manga, Articles - Bleek seeks out the written word
Marlon James to fulfil all our Afrofuturist dreams
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Did you read 'A Brief History of Seven Killings' by Man Booker prize winning author Marlon James? No? What they hell are you waiting for? Go and get it immediately, its fantastic!!
Once you've finished you will be begging for more from this writer, he is truly talented! And what is he turning his literary gymnastic skills to next? - An Afrofuturist Trilogy, think African Lord of the Rings!! He is certainly setting himself a task with the first of the trilogy expected in 2018, he has a tall order ahead of him! But you know what? If anyone can do it, he can, he has already shown us he can weave a story together through history, across countries and cultures to make a captivating and gripping story that you can't put down. His characters are visceral, three dimensional and complex, his story telling has you walking their paths and sharing their emotions, so I am stoked he is turning his attention to sci-fiction, because we need some new stories! N K Jemisin and Octavia Butler only have two writing hands between them and we Bleeks are insatiable. Who knew that Marlon James is a massive Bleek?! Apparently he loves Lord of the Rings and the way Tolkein designed an entire world, including culture and languages for his characters and he hopes to do the same by immersing himself in African mythology for inspiration, creating an African inspired Afrofuturist world. |
Marlon James
In an interview he describes the basic plot of the trilogy
“The very, very basic plot is [that] this slave trader hires a bunch of mercenaries to track down a kid who may have been kidnapped,” He's not giving anything away is he? So we'll have to wait until 2018, but that’s not too far away now. |
`The Underground Railroad' by Colson Whitehead
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A science fiction novel based around a steam punk underground railroad! I am sold! And guess what? the author Colson Whitehead is up for the much coveted Arthur C Clarke award (ACC) this year! Awesome!
Well he may not be news to you, having already won the Pulitzer prize this year for the same novel, 'The Underground Railroad' but I am still pleased to see him nominated in a genre that seems at times to do its best to exclude POC. This year's ACC Award looks to be the most diverse to date, with an impressive number of ladies as well. The shortlist includes transgender Korean-American writer Yoon Ha Lee for their debut 'Ninefox Gambit', and Israeli-born Lavie Tidhar for 'Central Station'. Rounding off with Becky Chambers with 'A Closed and Common Orbit' the sequel to her much praised 'The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet' and Emma Newman with 'After Atlas' and Tricia Sullivan with 'Occupy me' - Ah... so many books, so little time... |
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'Mystery Girl' - Dark Horse Comics
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Meet Trine, what she doesn’t know about you probably isn't worth knowing, or at least you wouldn’t be paying her to tell you anyway.
What she doesn’t know about herself is anything from the last ten years of her life. 'Mystery Girl' is published by Dark Horse comics and is billed as a comedy, mystery and crime adventure comic. The main protagonist is a black female and from the preview issue she seems equal parts badass and humanitarian. The artwork has a slight VIZ comics feel to it, and is brought to you by the Eisner-winning co-creator of Bandette! Published since December 2015 and available online and in print. |
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Ms Marvel(ous)!
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So I've finally gotten round to reading Ms Marvel volume 1 and I have to say it had me a little emotional. It's the kind of comic I wish I'd had when I was growing up, a confused mixed race, mixed religion nerd girl with no one to represent her, well, anywhere, is how it felt like.
Ms Marvel doesn't hold back, it's straight in there in the first episode laying bare the protagonists, Kamala Khan's, insecurities about her looks, her style and her religion on a back drop of the usual teen anxieties that we've all been through. It even held up a few middle fingers to the cheer leader and jocks that made our lives hell, but this time also engaging with the racism and religious intolerance that also accompanied the bullying in many of our stories growing up. It's a bullying dynamic that's not often told in stories of teen rebellion, and it's an important facet of the children of immigrant families that the media has had little time for. Its this juxtaposition with so called normal western teen hood, with the challenges faced by the children of immigrant families that had me relating to this comic, so many of her struggles in the first volume had me reliving memories of my own, that it was like reading a transcript of my thoughts as a teenager. The first volume forces her to question her desires for 'normality' and appreciate herself more. It forces the reader to accept her or leave, and we didn't, unlike the predictions of Marvel Comics, who thought Ms Marvel would totally bomb, but instead it sold out and the character is still going strong. |
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I was also pleased to see her parents feature significantly in this volume, and not be portrayed as some sort of backward, suffocating authoritarian figures, instead they could be anyone's parents, its just their rules are informed of their religion and culture, and they behave in the same way that just about any responsible parents would behave. That being said, I hope that there will be other positive Muslim characters in the story, as so far there are her parents, which I don't think count, as the 'parent figures' in comics are often a source of mild oppression that the main character feels doesn't understand them and restricts their freedom, so I don't see them as very different to the usual parental trope, they're there to provide a back drop for the protagonist to 'rebel' against. However the other Muslim characters are a little stereotypical, in my experience a girl like Kamala would have other Muslim friends who share similar difficulties with their identity and religion in Western society, as well as those who are more strict in their practices and dogmatic in their beliefs, so I hope we'll get to see them too.
The artwork style is quirky and has the feel of Matsumuto Tayo's 'Ping pong' and the brilliant Tatami Galaxy by Masaaki Yuasa. I'm really enjoying Ms Marvel and hope that next issues don't disappoint!
The artwork style is quirky and has the feel of Matsumuto Tayo's 'Ping pong' and the brilliant Tatami Galaxy by Masaaki Yuasa. I'm really enjoying Ms Marvel and hope that next issues don't disappoint!
LOVE! LOVE! FIGHTING! - Sharean Morishita (aka S-morishita)
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Now Shoujo Manga isn’t really my thing, but when the protagonist - yes the protagonist!!! - is a Black Female, well that changes things, that makes me take the time to read the first offerings and decide to give it a big thumbs up!!
While the style and language may be aimed at a teenage audience the themes of racial identity, mixed heritage and seeking knowledge of your roots is something many of us can relate to, you just have to get through the schmalzty romance stuff to see it, but believe me it’s there!! It's charming, funny and the artwork is on point!! 'Oriana' the lead character is a beautiful dark skinned, natural haired girl with a more normal body shape than most cartoons in this genre, it’s a breathe of fresh air and yes, more cosplay ideas!! Visit S. Morishta's website here Check it out and support the artist - you can order it on Amazon |
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'DayBlack' - Keef Cross
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"DayBlack is the story of Merce, a former slave who was bitten by a vampire in the cotton fields. Four hundred years later, he works as a tatto artist in the small town of DayBlack"
Aaaand I'm hooked, that was literally all it took to get me to download the first issue, that and the wonderful illustration, which felt like a fusion of 60's psychedelic cartoons, Soviet art of the Stalin era and Nigerian Batik. The story's main protagonist is 'Merce' a former slave who has had many jobs over the centuries, searching for something to give his life meaning. We meet him in 'DayBlack' a town who's sky has been turned black from pollution, hence the name, where he has settled as a Tattoo artist. From the first issue, we learn that 'Merce' is bored with life, or death - he explains his "heart hasn't beat for over 400years". There's something about the prose that has a 'tired of life' feel to it, that's part of its beauty, you connect with the emotion of the character straight away. Merce, says it himself, he's waiting to 'die' and you definitely get the sense that he's ready for something to happen, good or bad. DayBlack is a fresh take on the Vampire theme, less violent predator, more ancient creature surviving in the modern world. Merce is a character observing humanity, almost like he was never human, but as a former slave, in a way he wasn't; He wants to return to society and be part of it despite his condition. It's a vampire comic, but he seems less of a monster and more a victim of his fate. |
I've only read the first issue, and we know very little yet of his history so far; maybe his current presentation of self is the result of centuries of life experience and will-power to overcome his vampire urges? Perhaps he was once more depraved in the way we are used to Vampires being depicted and he has mellowed? Or maybe he was always like this?
I really like DayBlack as a comic series & I hope it is going to continue in this vein (no pun intended!). I am definitely going to keep reading to find out. |
Popular Afrofuturism books - Goodreads.com
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I found this list a while ago when I signed up for Goodreads.com, it contains a list of around 60 books that have been labelled as 'Afrofuturism' by readers.
It's a great list to wet your Afrofuturist toes on and it has reviews and ratings to help you decide where to start. I read Octavia Butler’s ‘Kindred’ after reading the comments from this site and it was a pleasure to delve into the antebellum south. I’m not sure where I’m headed next on the list, I’ve been hijacked by David Mitchell’s ‘The Bone Clocks’ - so many good books, so little time… See the full list Here |
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Concrete Park - Tony Puryear and Erika Alexander
I know I know I know, I'm about a year too late for this one, but it's never too late to give a shout out to an awesome comic series - and that series is Concrete Park. Set on a dystopian planet that's been transfromed into a penal colony, the story follows several characters who's narratives cross in 'Scare City’.
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'Virgil' - Steve Orlando
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Now I love the land of my father, beautiful people, beautiful culture, Rastafarianism and the wonderfully poetic patois that gives it's people an expressiveness that I find hard to match in the other languages I know. But what's not so great, like many places around the world sadly, is the homophobia. Jamaica has a long way to go in terms of its tolerance and acceptance of its gay/lesbian communities, and this is probably why I was interested in this comic, because the main protagonist is gay and it's set in Jamaica.
It can be positively dangerous to be gay in Jamaica and there is very little in place to protect you, the police often complicit in your abuse and sadly often murder. So in this respect, 'Virgil' is fresh, the protagonist is a gay Jamaican police man, who is outed and his boyfriend kidnapped as a way of punishment. Sadly though, this is where the interest ends, as 'Virgil' is your pretty standard revenge comic. The writer himself describes it is as 'queersploitation' - so deep it is not, as Virgil violently rampages his way across the island in search of his captive love. If you read it with the 'queersploitation' narrative in mind, it makes it a lot more enjoyable. The exploitation genre is not known for its deep and meaningful prose and imagery. The genre is about story telling, over the top and entertaining story telling, often with some far fetched revenge involved and in this respect, 'Virgil' delivers. What is nice about this comic book though, are the memories we see depicted of the relationship between Virgil and his partner, interspersed between the violence and the clichés. You really start to understand why he has to go half way across the island to rescue him, it's almost as if he is rescuing the better part of himself. I love the bizarre 70's sci-fi graphics on the cover, I like the bright colours and the over top action scenes, it just works in this comic & that is no easy feat. And you know what? at the same time as I write this, I think, who cares if it isn't 'original'? |
There are always ways comics etc could be better, but as far as I'm concerned, we need fresh perspectives, themes and heroes in comics, and I support it for this reason. If I was a gay boy living in Jamaica, this comic book might make me feel less like an outlier in a society that is repressive and violent towards its gay/lesbian community - and that has to be a good thing.
I love the bizarre 70's sci-fi graphics on the cover, I like the bright colours and the over top action scenes, it just works in this comic & that is no easy feat. And you know what? at the same time as I write this, I think, who cares if it isn't 'original'? There are always ways comics etc could be better, but as far as I'm concerned, we need fresh perspectives, themes and heroes in comics, and I support it for this reason. If I was a gay boy living in Jamaica, this comic book might make me feel less like an outlier in a society that is repressive and violent towards its gay/lesbian community - and that has to be a good thing. |
'Wizard of the Crow' - Ngũgĩ wa Thiongơo
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"Commencing in "our times" and set in the "Free Republic of Aburlria," the novel dramatizes with corrosive humor and keenness of observation a battle for control of the souls of the Aburlrian people. Among the contenders: His High Mighty Excellency; the eponymous Wizard, an avatar of folklore and wisdom; the corrupt Christian Ministry; and the nefarious Global Bank. Fashioning the stories of the powerful and the ordinary into a dazzling mosaic,Wizard of the Crowreveals humanity in all its endlessly surprising complexity. Informed by richly enigmatic traditional African storytelling,Wizard of the Crowis a masterpiece, the crowning achievement in Ngugl wa Thiong'o's career thus far".(Taken from the Hardcover)
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'Genius' - Marc Bernardin & Adam Freeman
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Written by Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman, 'Genius' is the story of gifted teenager, Destiny, staging a people's revolution in South Central L.A. It follows her while she orchestrates strategic defence of her neighbourhood from the ensuing corrupt L.A police. Uniting rival gangs, using her intellect and innate tactical abilities she is able to bring the force to its knees. The story is illustrated by comic artist Afua Richardson and can be sourced online and in some comic book stores.
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'TEPHLON FUNK' - Stephane Metayer
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"A series created by Stephane Metayer about a young girl from Queensbridge who's life turns upside down. It's heavily inspired by both Hip Hop & Japanese Anime. The words "Tephlon Funk!" is a state of mind which means to be strong and stand out." (Taken from the Website)
I've not got round to reading this yet, but have been checking out the website which is beautifully presented, contains character info, images from the series and news about the progress of the comic. The artwork on the site is excellent, it reminds me of Cowboy Beebop and Samurai Champloo - if you haven't seen these anime series, check them out, you won't be disappointed! This series combines a few things I love, Hip-Hop, Japan and Female leads! I just need to convince work that reading it is directly related to my job…. |
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'The Inheritance Trilogy' - N.K. Jemisin
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"The Inheritance Trilogy Gods and mortals. Power and love. Death and revenge. In the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, gods dwell among mortals and one powerful corrupt family rules the earth. Three extraordinary people may be the key to humanity’s salvation." (Taken from the website) |
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N.K. Jemisin
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