The Michigan State University Museum has launched a new virtual exhibit that you can enjoy free from home. “Beyond the Black Panther: Visions of Afrofuturism in American Comics,” curated by MSU English Professor Julian Chambliss, the Val Berryman Curator of History at the MSU Museum, takes its viewers on a deep dive into the world of Black comics and their overarching themes — ranging from aesthetics, feminism, metaphysics and community.
Afrofuturism is a term coined by culture writer Mark Dery in his 1994 essay “Black to the Future.” Comic books that are categorized under the Afrofuturism subgenre stand out by taking typical science fiction tropes, such as otherworldly advanced technology and utopia-like societies, and centralizing them around Black characters and narratives. The most famous example, “Black Panther,” was created in 1966 by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and received a film adaption in 2018 that was one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest blockbusters.
Curator Chambliss explains that one of the most important aspects of Afrofuturism is its rejection of European standards of beauty. Afrofuturist comics are recognized to utilize forms, shapes and textures directly linked to African culture in order “to create envision worlds that embrace an inclusive vision of bodies, fashion and architecture.”
Support City Pulse - Donate Today!
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here