The long history of comic books has seen many artists rise to stardom. Now, Kenn Quattro and IDW Publishing have explored an often-overlooked aspect of history by exploring the Black artists who helped to create the worlds of superheroes.
Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books is a culmination of Quattro’s research into the history of Black comic book creators. He summarizes the stars highlighted in the book by saying they "lived and worked among the white population but remained unseen and unknown to those same people." Whilst names such as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby have become very familiar to superhero fans, Quattro highlights pioneers of the industry who were not provided with the same stardom. He says, "I hope that by sharing these revelations, others will be inspired."
Published by Yoe Books and an IDW imprint, the product of Quattro’s research was released Dec. 15 and is available for order in hardcover form from booksellers and comic book retailers. It has already begun to receive praise for its coverage of an important pillar that helped to found the industry, with comments from figures such as Reginald Hudlin, who called it "a crucial historical document."
Some of the vital contributors to the industry include the likes of E.C. Stoner and Matt Baker. Elmer Cecil Stoner is considered to be one of the earliest examples of an African-American comic book artist, with contributions to works such as the first issue of the acclaimed Detective Comics in 1937. Baker was also a crucial figure due to drawing the very first Black comic book hero in Voodah. His work can be viewed as an example of the difficulties faced when depicting a Black hero in those early comics. Despite Voodah being a Black man who saves his tribe, the covers featuring his character in Crown Comics were whitewashed, depicting him as a white man. This is just one of many examples of the unique obstacles these artists had to overcome, for as Quattro puts it, "they broke through into an industry formerly occupied only by whites."
It is the stories of these trailblazers and more that Quattro has dedicated over two decades of research towards, shining an overdue spotlight on their careers. He achieved this by not only telling their stories but also providing reprints of their historic works. The book also includes illustrations from the artists as well as unpublished artist’s photos to show the unsung heroes behind the scenes.
Source: IDW