I was invited to write something for The MNT when it first started and at first, I had pitched something that was very different from the finished product. It was a very difficult process. I had hit an intense writer’s block and the deadline was fast approaching.
Around this time, I had already started to feel jaded and defeated over the comics space. DC Comics rebooted in May 2016 which would say goodbye to DC You and hello to Rebirth. They hadn’t given DC You the chance to thrive and speak to a diverse audience that was shut out of their world. Instead, they doubled down in the “good old days” of DC storytelling that only spoke to their existing audience which continues to shrink as time passes.
November of that year was also when Trump got elected. Then comics entered a period of time where rightwing comics trolls would harass and attack marginalized critics and creators. Oh and of course, there was the reaction to the Cover Girl roundtable. It was…a lot. This essay was a result of feelings that I hadn’t taken the time to explore.
I’m sharing this because of the ongoing protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality. I’m sharing this because the comics industry can’t pretend that it doesn’t enable anti-Black racism. You can also read it on The MNT. Enjoy.
Thank you to Megan Purdy for the edits and support. Thanks to The MNT team overall for the space and platform to write this.
Ardo Omer 