''All-Negro Comics'', published in 1947, was a single-issue, small-press

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comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

that represents the first known comics magazine written and drawn solely by

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

writers and artists.

Publication history

journalist Orrin Cromwell Evans was "the first black writer to cover general assignments for a mainstream white newspaper in the United States" when he joined the staff of the ''

Philadelphia Record ''The Philadelphia Record'' was a daily newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1877 until 1947. It became among the most circulated papers in the city and was at some points the circulation leader. History ''The Public Record'' ...

''. Evans was a member of the

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and a strong proponent of

racial equality Racial equality is a situation in which people of all races and ethnicities are treated in an egalitarian/equal manner. Racial equality occurs when institutions give individuals legal, moral, and political rights. In present-day Western society, ...

. After the ''Record'' closed in 1947, Evans thought he could use the comic-book medium to further highlight "the splendid history of Negro journalism". Reprinted at Evans partnered with former ''Record'' editor Harry T. Saylor, ''Record'' sports editor Bill Driscoll, and two others to found the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

publishing company All-Negro Comics, Inc., with himself as president. Reprinted from ''

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'' February 28, 1997, pp. 32, 34, 37-38. Article includes reprinted editorial page "All-Negro Comics: Presenting Another First in Negro History" from ''All-Negro Comics'' #1 In mid-1947, the company published one issue of ''All-Negro Comics'', a 48-page, standard-sized comic book with a typical glossy color cover and newsprint interior. It was

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...

ed July 15, 1947, with a June 1947 issue date, and its press run and distribution are unknown. Unlike other comic books of the time, it sold for 15 cents rather than 10 cents.''All-Negro Comics'' #1
at the

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As writer Tom Christopher described, Evans As one cultural historian notes of the era, " ile there were a few heroic images of blacks created by blacks, such as the ''Jive Gray''

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

and ''All-Negro Comics'', these images did not circulate outside of pre-

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segregated black communities." Evans attempted to publish a second issue but was unable to purchase the newsprint required. One writer believes Evans was blocked from doing so by prejudiced distributors, as well as from competing, white-owned publishers (such as Parents Magazine Press and

Fawcett Comics Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel, the alter ego of radio reporter Billy Bats ...

) which began producing their own black-themed titles. ''The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide'', a standard reference, considers the single issue "rare" and notes, "Seldom found in fine or mint condition; many copies have brown pages."

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'' magazine in 1947 called ''All-Negro Comics'' "the first to be drawn by Negro artists and peopled entirely by Negro characters." In describing lead feature "Ace Harlem", it said, "The villains were a couple of zoot-suited, jive-talking Negro muggers, whose presence in anyone else's comics might have brought up complaints of racial 'distortion.' Since it was all in the family, Evans thought no Negro readers would mind." The protagonist "Ace Harlem" was an African-American

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; the characters in the "Lion Man and Bubba" feature were meant to inspire black people's pride in their African heritage.

Stories

* One-page introductory editorial, "All-Negro Comics: Presenting Another First in Negro History" * "Ace Harlem", a

private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

feature drawn by John Terrell * "The Little Dew Dillies", a children's feature starring cherub-like creatures only babies can see and talk to, drawn by Cooper * "Ezekiel's Manhunt", a two-page boy's-adventure text story * "Lion Man and Bubba", starring a college-educated African American sent by the

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on a mission to a

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deposit on Africa's Gold Coast, where he adopted the mischievous orphan Bubba. Drawn by George J. Evans, Jr. (no relation to

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comic-book and comic-strip artist George Evans). One modern-day writer said Lion Man "wore the obligatory leotard costume of the comic hero", Cripps, Thomas. ''Making Movies Black: The Hollywood Message Movie from World War II to the Civil Rights Era '', (

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, 1993), p. 154. though the comic's cover and interior pages depict him in loin cloth. * "Hep Chicks on Parade", spot-illustration gags with highly stylized women wearing exaggerated fashions, signed "Len" * "Lil' Eggie", by Terrell, about henpecked husband Egbert and his wife * "Sugarfoot", a humor feature, drawn by Cravat, starring traveling musicians Sugarfoot and Snake Oil, who try to woo a farmer's daughter. Evans' editorial said the feature's creators hoped "to recapture the almost lost humor of the loveable wandering Negro minstrel of the past." * "Remember — Crime Doesn't Pay, Kids!", a one-page public service announcement and next-issue promo, with Ace Harlem

References

External links

* * {{cite web, authorlink=Scott Shaw , last=Shaw , first=Scott , url=http://www.oddball-comics.com/article.php?story=2007-02-26 , title=''All-Negro Comics'', No. 1 , publisher=Oddball Comics (column) #1148 , date=February 25, 2007 , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520173646/http://www.oddballcomics.com/article.php?story=2007-02-26 , archivedate=May 20, 2007 , url-status=dead , accessdate=July 1, 2011
''All-Negro Comics'' scans
Comics magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1947 Magazines disestablished in 1947 Fictional African-American people African-American magazines 1947 comics debuts One-shot comic titles Defunct American comics Black people in comics African-American comics

Publication history

Contents

Stories

See also

References

External links