The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) is the Philadelphia region's first

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

comic book convention A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at con ...

, bringing together hundreds of comic book, science fiction, and fantasy creators, their colleagues, and their fans. The ECBACC is a

501 (c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

non-profit community-based organization focused on education, literacy and the arts. ECBACC, Inc. was founded in 2002 by Yumy Odom, a multidisciplinary educator, scientist and researcher affiliated with

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

,Broussard, Meredith
"In Full Color: The 2nd Annual East Coast Black Age Of Comics Convention,"
''Sun Reporter'' (26 June 2003), p. 4. and Maurice Waters."Motor City Black Age of Comics: creators and fans urged to learn together," ''Michigan Citizen'' (18 Jan 2009), p. A8. ECBACC is an outgrowth of the "Black Age of Comics", a movement (ca. 1981–present) and era (ca. 1990–1997) dedicated to people of African descent creating a plethora and range of Black (Pan-African/Africentric/Afrocentric/African-centered) characters in the U.S. comic book industry. (The earliest documented "Black Age" comic book character is NOG: Protector of the Pyramids,Caruthers, Chrystal
"Blacks Bring Own Reality to Comics,"
''Chicago Tribune'' (13 Sep 1993), p. 3. introduced in 1981 by Chicago-based artist

Turtel Onli Turtel Onli (born January 25, 1952 in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois) is an Citizenship in the United States, American artist, entrepreneur, author, art therapist, educator, and publisher. Over Onli's career, his work has touched upon a variety of di ...

NOG" is an acronym for "Nubian of Greatness." ECBACC is generally held on a May weekend in Philadelphia, with festivities kicking off on Friday evening for the

Glyph Comics Awards The Glyph Comics Awards is for the best comics made by people of color from the last calendar year. The goal is to award the People of Color for their awesome work in the comics industry and also to inspire young writers from diverse backgrounds t ...

ceremonies (often held at the

African American Museum in Philadelphia The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) is notable as the first museum funded and built by a municipality to help preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. Opened during the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, th ...

),Peters, Monica
"Celebrating blacks' work with comics: Two-day convention in Philly,"
''Philadelphia Inquirer'' (18 May 2012), p. W.28. followed by a full-day convention on Saturday. The ECBACC STARS Workshop (an acronym for Storytelling That Advances Reading Skills) is an ECBACC initiative designed to use comic book art and imagery as a vehicle to foster creativity and promote literacy, with a secondary focus on introducing participants to the various career options that exist within the comic book industry. ECBACC STARS participants learn what it is like to be comic book creators via the "Create Your Own Hero" exercises while they put their imaginations to work as they pen their own stories for the characters they create. Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, ECBACC now features a

costume contest "Costume Contest" is the sixth episode of the The Office (U.S. season 7), seventh season of the American comedy television program, television series ''The Office (U.S. TV series), The Office'', and the show's 132nd episode overall. Written by Jus ...

History

Originally slated to be called the Pan-African Comic Convention (PAC-Con) or First World Komix Con (1st World Con), and after over a decade of deliberations, networking and consortium-building (from 1990 to 2001), the first convention was held in Temple University's Ritter Hall, in the Walk Auditorium, on May 11, 2002. Guests at the inaugural show included

Arvell Jones Arvell Jones (whose earliest work is billed Arvell Malcolm Jones) is an American comics artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for DC Comics and its imprint Milestone Media. Biography Jones and his brother, Desmond, were raised i ...

William H. Foster, III William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Eng ...

, Lance Tooks, and

Jerry Craft Jerry Craft (born January 22, 1963)
''Lambiek's Comiclopedia''. Accessed Jan. 22, 2014. is an

became part of the annual ECBACC convention. The 2007 show featured guests

Dwayne McDuffie Dwayne Glenn McDuffie (February 20, 1962February 21, 2011) was an American writer of comic books and television, known for producing and writing the animated series ''Static Shock'', '' Damage Control'', ''Justice League Unlimited'' and ''Ben 10 ...

Kyle Baker Kyle John Baker (born 1965) is an American cartoonist, comic book writer-artist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series ''Plastic Man''. Baker has won numerous Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards for his wor ...

, and

Taimak Taimak Guarriello (born June 27, 1964), known mononymously as Taimak (), is an American martial artist, actor, and stuntman, known for his lead role as Leroy Green ("Bruce Leroy") in the 1985 martial arts film ''The Last Dragon''. Personal life ...

.Maida, Jerome
"They're drawn to Philly: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention meets here this weekend,"
''Philadelphia Daily News'' (18 May 2007), p. 53. The 2008 show was dedicated to celebrating black women in comics; guests included

Jerry Craft Jerry Craft (born January 22, 1963)
''Lambiek's Comiclopedia''. Accessed Jan. 22, 2014. is an

Nichelle Nichols Nichelle Nichols (, born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress, singer, and dancer best known for her portrayal of Nyota Uhura in ''Star Trek'' and its film sequels. Nichols' portrayal of Uhura was gr ...

, who received the ECBACC Pioneer /Lifetime Achievement Award in-person. The 2009 convention featured such guests as

Kevin Grevioux Kevin Grevioux (; born September 9, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and comic book writer. He is best known for his role as Raze in the ''Underworld'' film series, which he co-created, as well as his voicework in the cartoon '' ...

Jamal Igle Jamal Yaseem Igle
. jamaligle.com. Retrieved November 28, 2012. is an American

Reggie Byers Reggie is a given name, usually a short form of the name Reginald. It may refer to: People * Reggie Bonnafon (born 1996), American football player * Reggie Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Reggie Bush (born 1985), National Football ...

Leslie Esdaile Banks Leslie Esdaile Banks ( Peterson; December 11, 1959 – August 2, 2011) was an American writer under the pen names of Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks and L. A. Banks. She wrote in various genres, including Afri ...

, and

Eric Battle Eric Battle is an American illustrator. Battle's body of work consists mainly of contemporary American-style comic illustrations and fully painted illustration for publishing. He has illustrated numerous iconic characters for DC Comics and Marve ...

. The 2010 show included

Shawn Martinbrough Shawn C. Martinbrough is an American comic book artist. The long-time artist for Robert Kirkman's ''Thief of Thieves'', Martinbrough is known for his film noir-influenced drawing style.Younger, Briana. "Washington, DC: Shawn Martinbrough," ''Visual ...

, and

Larry Stroman Larry Stroman is an American comic book artist and writer. After first gaining attention illustrating the Epic Comics series ''Alien Legion'' (vol. 2), he went on to illustrate various Marvel Comics books such as ''The Uncanny X-Men'', ''X-Factor ...

. The 2011 ECBACC featured guests

Jerry Craft Jerry Craft (born January 22, 1963)
''Lambiek's Comiclopedia''. Accessed Jan. 22, 2014. is an

Alex Simmons Alexandria Patrice Simmons (; born July 7, 1986) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head women's basketball coach at the University of Memphis. From 2018 to 2023, she coached at Gardner–Webb University. Pl ...

, and

. And was celebrated as the event's 10th anniversary. The 2012 show featured ECBACC's first annual costume contest, dubbed "AfriCoz", was held on Saturday, May 19th. Guests at the show included

, and

. The 2013 ECBACC included the screening of the documentary film ''White Scripts and Black Supermen''. And the second annual costume contest and aJordan, Chri
"Comics convention representing black superheroes opens this weekend,"
''Metro'' (May 16, 2013). The 2014 show featured ECBACC's second celebration of Black women in he comic book and sci-fi industry. The 2015 show was billed as ECBACC AT THE MOVIES, which highlighted up and coming filmmakers of Black Sci-Fi content. The 2016 show was held on May 21st, and included guests;

Milton Davis Milton Davis is an American musician, songwriter and producer from Birmingham, Alabama, who is based in the California Bay Area. He recalls being introduced to gospel music by his grandfather at the age of seven and playing and singing in gospel g ...

Tony Isabella Tony Isabella (born December 22, 1951) is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath; DC Comics' first major African-American superhero, Black Lightning; and as ...

, Bashea Imana,

Balogun Ojetade Balogun may refer to: * Balogun (name) *Balogun Market in Lagos, Nigeria *Teslim Balogun Stadium The Teslim Balogun Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria. It is used mostly for football matches and serves as a home grou ...

and international cartoonist

Tayo Fatunla Tayo or TAYO may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Tayo The Little Bus ''Tayo the Little Bus'' () is a South Korean computer-animated television series created by Iconix Entertainment, Educational Broadcasting System and the Metropo ...

. The 2017 show was held on May 20th, and featured guests such as: Naseed Gifted, N. Steven Harris, Karama Horne, Kurenai Kiba,

Don McGregor Donald Francis McGregor (born June 15, 1945) is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics; he is the author of one of the first graphic novels. Early life Don McGregor was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where he w ...

, and

Uraeus The Uraeus (), or Ouraeus (Ancient Greek: , ; Egyptian: ', "rearing cobra"), ''(plural: Uraei)'' is the stylized, upright form of an Egyptian cobra, used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, deity and divine authority in ancient Egypt. Sym ...

. The 2018 show was held on May 19th, and included guests;

, Mshindo Kuumba I, Sheeba Maya, and Regine Sawyer. The 2019 show was held on May 18th, and featured guests such as: Aaron Beatty. The 2020 ECBACC had to be cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

; as an alternative, a one-day virtual event, entitled, ECBACC's first "E-Convention", was held on July 11, 2020. The 2021 ECBACC was cancelled due to the

. The 2022 show, which marked the organization's return to a physical event, was billed as ECBACC IN THE PARK, and featured guests as: Kaloni Davis, Nakia Dillard, Ariell Johnson, and Javier Winnik.

Events

Awards

ECBACC Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award

The ECBACC Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award honors those men and women, many unsung, who have made innovative, dynamic, and lasting contributions to the comic book and science-fiction industry, and who have paved the way for others. * 2004:

Samuel Joyner Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...

— political cartoonist of ''

Philadelphia Tribune ''The Philadelphia Tribune'' is the oldest continuously published African-American newspaper in the United States. The paper began in 1884 when Christopher J. Perry published its first copy. Throughout its history, ''The Philadelphia Tribune' ...

'' fame * 2005:

Bertram Fitzgerald ''Golden Legacy'' was the umbrella title for a line of educational black history comic books published by Fitzgerald Publishing Co. from 1966 to 1976. ''Golden Legacy'' published comic book biographies of such notable figures as Toussaint Louvert ...

— creator of ''

Golden Legacy ''Golden Legacy'' was the umbrella title for a line of educational black history comic books published by Fitzgerald Publishing Co. from 1966 to 1976. ''Golden Legacy'' published comic book biographies of such notable figures as Toussaint Louvert ...

'' comics * 2006: **

Tony Tallarico Anthony F. Tallarico (September 20, 1933 – January 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist, and children's book illustrator and author. Often paired in a team with his generally uncredited penciler, Bill Fraccio, Tallarico drew primarily fo ...

— creator of Lobo, the first African-American character to headline his own comic **

, the "Father of the Black Age" concept * 2007: Larry Fuller — "One of the Kings of

Underground Comix Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...

" * 2008:

— ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

s Lt.

Nyota Uhura Nyota Uhura () is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. In the Star Trek: The Original Series, original television series, the character was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols, who reprised the role for the first six List of Star Trek ...

* 2009: No ECBACC PLA Award honoree * 2010: No ECBACC PLA Award honoree * 2011, three posthumous ECBACC PLA Awards: ** Orrin Cromwell Evans & George J. Evans, Jr. — creators of ''

All-Negro Comics ''All-Negro Comics'', published in 1947, was a single-issue, small-press American comic book that represents the first known comics magazine written and drawn solely by African-American writers and artists. Publication history African-American jo ...

'' (1947), the U.S.'s first independent black comic book **

— co-founder of

Milestone Media Milestone Media is a company best known for creating Milestone Comics, which were published and distributed by DC Comics and the ''Static Shock'' animated series. It was founded in 1993 by a coalition of African-American artists and writers, con ...

(1993), a subsidiary of

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

, which created a numerous multicultural characters, among them: Hardware,

Icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

Static Static may refer to: Places *Static Nunatak, a nunatak in Antarctica United States * Static, Kentucky and Tennessee *Static Peak, a mountain in Wyoming **Static Peak Divide, a mountain pass near the peak Science and technology Physics *Static el ...

Blood Syndicate The Blood Syndicate is a fictional multicultural vigilante gang of superhumans created by Milestone Media, Milestone Comics and published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''Blood Syndicate'' #1 (April 1993), and was created by Dwayne McDu ...

, and Shadow Cabinet

Glyph Comics Awards

The

, recognizing the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year, are generally held on the Friday evening before the convention at the

AFRICOZ and AFRICOZPLAY

ECBACC's AFRICOZPLAY costume contest is a new way in which ECBACC can fulfill its mission of celebrating positive images of Blacks (African-descended people) in the comic book and sci-fi industry. "AfriCoz" cosplay is defined as pop-culture

cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

with a cultural or aesthetic focus on portrayals of Black characters. "AfriCoz" not only celebrates Black characters but also allows costumers and cosplayers of African descent to fully engage the recreation of fantasy costuming without the cultural biases that brand Black characters as second-rate, inferior, and/or unpopular. A costumer who costumes as a character of Black or African descent is described as an Africozer or and Africosplayer. Side note: Some Black cosplayers have felt they had few options but to dress as White (European-descended) superheroes and science-fiction characters, or even as Asian or

Manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

-styled characters, although doing so afforded them very little positive feedback, little notoriety, and a great lack of support from cosplayers at-large.

Similar conventions

Other ongoing conventions with an Afrocentric theme include Onyxcon (Atlanta, GA), Motor City Black Age of Comics (Detroit) and the

Schomburg Center The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a research library of the New York Public Library (NYPL) and an archive repository for information on people of African descent worldwide. Located at 515 Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) b ...

's Black Comic Book Festival (New York City).

References

External links

* {{Comic festivals and alternative comics conventions, state=collapsed Charities based in Pennsylvania Comics conventions in the United States Science fiction conventions in the United States Recurring events established in 2002 Culture of Philadelphia Tourist attractions in Philadelphia 2002 establishments in Pennsylvania Conventions in Pennsylvania African-American comics

History

Events

Awards

ECBACC Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award

Glyph Comics Awards

AFRICOZ and AFRICOZPLAY

Similar conventions

See also

References

External links