Super. Black. celebrates Black superheroes and fandoms in pop culture. It’s a creative platform built to explore ideas and opinions on the state of Black characters who are generally unknown to the public. It started as a passion project in 2015, when I came across a Black superhero, I knew very little about. His name was Icon, part of the Milestone Comics cabal of heroes.
As I read up on the hero, I began to wonder. How many kids grew up like me, starved for representation in a medium they loved? I had no real superheroes growing up that looked like me. Hell, my father didn’t quite look like me (now I see it in the mirror every day). I wanted to change that. I needed to. Little brown kids deserve heroes that they can look up to. Super. Black. is built to facilitate the joy of representation.
The Super. Black. brand
The brand has changed throughout these past seven years but remains influenced by 70s Blaxploitation films and comic book culture. The logo is a bold wordmark reminiscent of movie posters and graphic novel typography. Recently, the branding has evolved to evoke a more pop art feel, incorporating halftone patterns, minimalist shapes, and grainy paper textures to give the assets a unique, gritty feel.
The podcast: Super. Black.
The main attraction of the site is the flagship podcast Super. Black. In it, I discuss a variety of Black superheroes and Black Fandom topics. My co-host, illustrator Dan O’Brien, lends his time and talents to various episodes, including a new upcoming podcast devoted to the amazing animated series Craig of the Creek. We love feedback and want to tailor the show to what fans love to hear. So make sure to like, subscribe, review, and let us know who you’d like featured on the show. I’d love to interview the legend, Phil Lamarr.
The future of Super. Black.
I keep Super. Black. alive for the love of the game. I have a duty to young Black nerds everywhere to continue to shine a light on cool heroes and villains, amazing stories, and interesting facts in Black fandom. It’s definitely a slow process, but one I cherish. And hopefully, my kids will use this platform one day to explore the vast history of Black characters in pop culture.
