White Scripts and Black Supermen: Black Masculinities in Comic Books 2012
Distributed by California Newsreel, Order Dept., PO Box 2284, South Burlington, VT 05407; 877-811-7495 (toll free)
Produced by Jonathan Gayles
Directed by Jonathan Gayles
DVD , color, 52 min.
Sr. High - General Adult
African American Studies, Gender Studies, Popular Culture, Media Studies
Date Entered: 03/15/2013
Reviewed by Michael R. Lavin, University Libraries, University at BuffaloWriter/Director/Producer Jonathan Gayles is an Associate Professor of African-American Studies and an Associate Dean at Georgia State University. With a PhD in anthropology, one of Gayles’ research interests is black masculinity as depicted in mass media. The documentary opens with Gayles speaking of his love of superhero comics as a young boy, but his frustration at the lack of black role models in those comics, which left him “dreaming someone else’s dream.”
The focus of the film is on the emergence of black heroic characters in comics from 1965 through 1977. Such characters as Luke Cage, the Falcon, and Tyroc, written and drawn almost exclusively by white creators, represented problematic stereotypes for comic readers during that time. In a wide-ranging series of interviews with modern-day black artists, writers, filmmakers and academics, as well as several of the early white creators, the film explores the meaning and impact of those stereotypes of black masculinity. One of the most interesting aspects of the film is its analysis of the subtler limitations of (seemingly) more positive black role models (e.g., The Black Panther, Black Lightning). Gayles is largely self-taught as a documentarian, which shows in the occasional rough cuts and pauses between scenes, but this is a minor complaint. “White Scripts and Black Supermen” is a well-constructed, engrossing and important film for anyone interested in comic book history or the portrayal of black masculinity in popular media.
The DVD includes a Bonus Feature, also by Gayles, entitled The Black Age of Comics. This shorter piece introduces a variety of independent, black comic book artists, writers, and publishers working today. It includes interviews with Yumy Odom, Turtel Onli, and other pioneers striving to promote the black comics movement via national and regional trade shows, conferences, and web sites. Gayles also maintains a website which provides links to other resources and an instructor’s discussion guide suitable for undergraduate courses.
Awards Received:
- Peter C. Rollins Award for Best Documentary Film, Popular Culture Association/American Culture AssociationM/ul>