Sometimes it’s easy to forget nothing happens in a vacuum. Easy to overlook that we got “here” from “there”, and tomorrow always belongs to where we want to go.
This Black History Month, Team Narazu showcases the magnificence and significance of past, present and future via works not meant to be appreciated for only 28 days out of a year, but all days, all times, by everyone.
So sit back and learn, reminisce, and fire up that anticipation of discovery we need to feel alive!
Black Future History Month is about to make Time go wibbly wobbly in all the best ways.
Team Narazu
All Indie. All Awesome.
Film: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
by Leo Faierman
It’s Black History Month in this troubling timeline, and I wanted to shine a historic spotlight on a topic that isn’t really brought up enough: Black voice actors. Specifically, though, the ones that we don’t speak about enough—Cree Summer and Phil LaMarr are both national treasures, but we know them extremely well. Voice acting has always been a curious industry full of ghostly presences, of voices that manifest and set themselves deep into your soul and imagination, then mysteriously vanish. One of my favorite animated series of all time—Chris Prynoski’s Downtown, nominated for an Emmy in 2000 yet still criminally under-seen—was populated by a diverse mix of newcomer voices, all of whom never worked in the industry again (and I would still love to know why). That’s why, this February, I’d like to speak about three special individuals who have greatly impacted pop culture, and myself in particular. Our first voice is one I’m fairly sure everyone knows to some extent, though his lesser-known VO portfolio continues to surprise me in my research. The second best fits the bill of those aforementioned mirages, and one who I hope is doing well, wherever she is. And the third? The third, I think, is the future, a new pioneering voice and inspiration to young women in gaming all over the world.
The IMDB page for Brock Peters is longer than a half-dozen CVS receipts. Most everyone is immediately familiar with the iconic actor from his role as Tom Robinson in To Kill A Mockingbird, but his career would span four decades and over 100 screen credits, not even counting his theatrical stage roles. By the 80s, Peters was well into his career but began accruing voiceover work, many of which were breakthrough performances. For instance, 1981’s Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope radio drama cast him in the Darth Vader role, and he played General Newcastle in the Challenge of the Gobots cartoon (could this be the earliest African-American NASA official in an animated series? Discuss…). Peters continued to appear in on-screen roles as well, including Captain Benjamin Sisko’s father Joseph in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (distinguishing him on the shortlist of actors who’ve appeared in both Trek and Wars, though I don’t think I’ve ever seen this mentioned on any listicles), but his voice credits offer no shortage of delightful surprises. How about the lead villain Dark Kat from SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron? Morris Grant (a/k/a Soul Power) in Static Shock? Lucius friggin’ Fox in Batman: The Animated Series!? I mean, really, this man’s career was absolutely wild, and his VO work reads like a voice actor’s wishlist.
Show of hands as to who remembers the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon. While its original airing was a little before my time, I caught it in syndication and completely fell in love with the characters and depictions of the OG fantasy RPG (forevermore, the cartoon’s rendition of Tiamat is canonical to me). And, well, I myself, along with countless others, also fell in love with Diana the Acrobat, who I’d venture to say was a breakthrough animated Black woman on television in 1983 (sidenote: I’m not even certain that the Dungeons & Dragons game began specifically accounting for WOC in their rulebooks by this point). The voice actor who played Diana was Tonia Gayle Smith, and if you’d like to learn more about her, I wish you the absolute best of luck in your search. A mere two credits exist to her name so far as I can tell, the first of which was as an extra with one line in an episode of The Facts of Life. She garnered a 1984 Youth in Film Award for her performance (and was the show’s only cast member to receive one), but that’s where her paper trail completely ends. There is no info online about any other TV or film roles, almost no photographs of her to be found, and no information about where she is now. I think the character of Diana and her performance were both absolutely vital, and we hope she’s doing just fine in 2020.
I never get to talk about gaming in this column, let alone one of my favorite games: Blizzard’s class-based FPS Overwatch. Way back when I was writing for an outlet which shall not be named, I did whatever I could to try and reach out to Evelyn Duah, to no avail (I even, no lie, went so far as to email her son, actor Aaron Shosanya). As a prominent audio presence in every single round played of Overwatch, it struck me how unusually rare it was to hear a Black woman as an announcer in a competitive video game. Sure, it’s in-line with Overwatch’s diverse cast and global concept, but I also find it strange that Duah herself never seems to manifest at any VO panels, whereas nearly every other member of the cast have basically evolved busy careers and sought-after convention appearances primarily based on their work in the game. Google Evelyn’s name and her most prominent credit is always listed as Sliding Doors, the Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle in which she played *checks notes* “Receptionist.” Right. With Overwatch 2 presumably coming out later this year, there is still no confirmation that Evelyn Duah stands to reprise her role as the AI Athena and announcer, which is troubling, as Blizzard would be foolish not to double-down on one of the most integral performances in their massively popular game. If I could choose one member of that voice cast to meet, interview, and hear more from overall, it would most assuredly be her. “Prepare…to attack!”
Comics: HISTORY IN PEN AND INK
By George Carmona, III
As I generally pick from the haul I get at the Schomburg’s Annual Black Comic Book Fest, this year’s mandate to find new interpretations of Black History had me rethink comics and Black History. In my “digging through the crates” for ideas to share, I thought about the inexact comparison that always comes up when discussing Marvel’s Professor X and Magneto, comparing them to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X respectively. And my two graphic picks for Black History Month will show how these two legends were more than the iconic figures of the peace prize winner and the “angry” Black man.
Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography
Writer: Andrew Helfer / Artist: Randy DuBurke
First off, this isn’t a graphic novel version of Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, this is a well-researched graphic novel that has the space to tell this important story. The black and white artwork lends a heavy tone to DuBurke’s dramatic stylings and gritty storytelling. Pulling from several different sources to piece together this important figure in American history, Helfer creates a compelling recount of Malcolm‘s life–warts and all–including his complicated relationship with other historical figures like Louis Farrakhan and Muhammad Ali, the personal cost of these relationships, a clearer view of his stance on protecting one’s self, the transition of his world view and the assassination of his character, influence, and life.
King: A Comics Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Writer/Artist: Ho Che Anderson
Released in the ’90s, I had to rebuy this book as my copy “disappeared”. Being forced to replace it, it was great to re-read this important piece of literary work because of its craftsmanship and its subject, giving me a fresh take on this amazing graphic novel. Punches are not held in this graphic biography; Anderson pulls us in using every trick in the book to tell Dr. King’s story. In avoiding the traps of a subject who has been extensively covered in various formats, he frames the graphic novel like a documentary, intercutting first-person statements with Martin’s life and the events of that time, like Emmett Till and Rosa Parks. A masterclass in graphic storytelling, in the beginning, his use of black and white, with random splashes of color to emphasize the targeted violence of the times, keeps us off-balance. Anderson shifts his art styles, jumping from photo-realistic depictions to grainy, almost woodcut- like images to pastel mixed panels in the later parts of the book, all giving King a visceral feel. The dialog is always frank, never flinching away from the foul language that people had to endure fighting for their basic rights. King takes us from his early childhood to his days in the seminary, meeting Coretta, his soon to be wife and their budding relationship, his many encounters with evil, and to the very instant of his murder. The version I got included Anderson’s Black Dogs work which was the world after King, his lessons and legacy.
I wanted to focus primarily on those previous two, but for more Black History with a twist keep your eyes out for Box of Bones by Ayize Jama-Everett and John Jennings, plus issue 3 of Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer (pictured) by David Crownson and Courtland L. Ellis!
Books: BRIGHT FUTURE, NO SHADE
What’s the best way to assure a bright future? Support the lights of today! As we said, history is future, future is past, present used to be future. Wibbly wobbly timey wimey. The best time lords know that the good timelines come from a willingness to seek the brightest stars. Probably some kind of gravitational thing pulling us all together.
With that in mind, here are 4 Kickstarters you can support right now to make sure you keep receiving the most interesting, diverse, innovative, and challenging works you deserve.
From the Kickstarter page:
MVmedia, LLC and 133art have joined forces to publish Changa and the Jade Obelisk, a graphic novel based on the amazing Sword and Soul book series by Milton Davis. We chose to do this project because of the need for more illustrated stories based on African/African Diaspora culture and traditions, and also because it’s fun! For years readers have enjoyed the tales of Changa and his crew, so now we’re bringing it to you fully illustrated.
Jason Reeves, owner of 133art, has assembled a talented team to bring the first story of Changa’s adventures to life. Written by Robert Jeffrey, Illustrated by Matteo Illuminati with Letters and Color Art by Loris Ravina, the story of Changa and his crew’s search to find the secrets of the Jade obelisk jumps to life in the pages below!
Changa and the Jade Obelisk #1 will be a 20-page, full color comic.
From the Kickstarter page:
It is 1872, and the war between the North and South is over. Neither side won. After years of bloody conflict, both sides entered into a truce, resulting in the formation of two nations, the Union States of America, where blacks are free, and the Confederate States of America, where blacks are still enslaved. Araminta Free is a former slave turned bounty hunter. She specializes in crossing the border into the Confederacy, and liberating slaves. She also tracks down Confederate war criminals, which has made her a woman with a price on her head in the southern nation. When a group of Confederate Raiders illegally ventures deep into the Union to kidnap free blacks and sell them into slavery, the stage is set for a deadly showdown between Araminta and the men who want her dead.
Imagine if director Sergio Corbucci (DJANGO, THE GREAT SILENCE) made a western starring Pam Grier as a badass, gun-slinging bounty hunter. Now imagine the story takes place in a world where the Civil War ended differently – instead of a victory for the North, there is a truce, and what had been one country is now two. This is THE HATED.
The first issue of THE HATED is 100% drawn and inked, and is currently being colored.
From the Kickstarter page:
FROM THE MINDS OF AYIZE JAMA-EVERETT
AND JOHN JENNINGS!
When Black graduate student, Lyndsey, begins her dissertation work on a mysterious box that pops up during the most violent and troubled time in Africana history, she has no idea that her research will lead her on a phantasmagorical journey from West Philadelphia riots to Haitian slave uprisings. Wherever Lyndsey finds someone who has seen the Box, chaos ensues. Soon, even her own sanity falls into question. In the end, Lyndsey will have to decide if she really wants to see what’s inside the Box of Bones.
Described as “Tales from the Crypt Meets Black History,” Box of Bones is a supernatural nightmare tour through some of the most violent and horrific episodes in the African Diaspora.
Volume 1 contains art from John Jennings, Sole Rebel, Damian Duffy, Frances Olivia Liddell-Rodriguez, Tommy Nguyen, Jarmel and Jamal Williams, and Bryan Christopher Moss with covers by Stacey Robinson!
(edited by Narazu’s own commander-in-chief Cerece Rennie Murphy, and featuring a stellar roster of today’s top fantasy authors!)
From the Kickstarter page:
Around the world, there are tales of creatures that live in mist or shadow, hidden from humans by only the slightest veil. In Where the Veil Is Thin, these creatures step into the light. Some are small and harmless. Some are bizarre mirrors of this world. Some have hidden motives, while others seek justice against humans who have wronged them.
In these pages, you will meet blood-sucking tooth fairies and gentle boo hags, souls who find new shapes after death and changelings seeking a way to fit into either world. You will cross the veil—but be careful that you remember the way back.