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[Slayven]

http://www.leisurelyhistorian.net/the-black-bomber

Tony Isbella is the creator of Black Lightening, Misty Knight, and Tigra, so he knows ethnic heroes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lightning

The original candidate for DC Comics' first headlining black superhero was a character called the Black Bomber, a white racist who would turn into a black superhero under stress,[4] and be later described by comics historian Don Markstein as "an insult to practically everybody with any point of view at all."[5] When the editor who had approved the Black Bomber left the company before the character had seen print, Tony Isabella (whose previous writing experience included Luke Cage, Marvel Comics' first black superhero with his own title) was asked to salvage the character. Isabella managed to convince editors of his Black Lightning character which he had been working on for some time, mentioning that his characters along the way were merely stepping stones.[6]

I will say that I created Black Lightning after convincing DC not to publish another “black” super-hero on which they had started work. The Black Bomber was a white bigot who, in times of stress, turned into a black super-hero. This was the result of chemical camouflage experiments he’d taken part in as a soldier in Vietnam. The object of these experiments was to allow our [white] troops to blend into the jungle.

In each of the two completed Black Bomber scripts, the white bigot risks his own life to save another person whom he can’t see clearly (in one case, a baby in a stroller) and then reacts in racial slur disgust when he discovers that he risked his life to save a black person. He wasn’t aware that he had two identities, but each identity had a girlfriend and the ladies were aware of the change. To add final insult, the Bomber’s costume was little more than a glorified basketball uniform.

DC had wanted me to take over writing the book with the third issue. I convinced them to eat the two scripts and let me start over. To paraphrase my arguments…

“Do you REALLY want DC’s first black super-hero to be a white bigot?”

The God Dwayne Mcduffie creator of Static and Milestone would later use the Brown Bomber as a joke

 

[Shaanyboi]

 

[Kurdel]

That's amazing!

With all the wacky shit that gets through in comics, it's crazy to see what actually get's cut.

 

[SomedayTheFire]

I... um... what

 

[TheBlackMarvel]

http://www.leisurelyhistorian.net/the-black-bomber

Tony Isbella is the creator of Black Lightening, Misty Knight, and Tigra, so he knows ethnic heroes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lightning






The God Dwayne Mcduffie creator of Static and Milestone would later use the Brown Bomber as a joke

If I recall correctly, the joke in that panel was altered (which is why Vixen's response makes no sense.)

 

[Slayven]

If I recall correctly, the joke in that panel was altered (which is why Vixen's response makes no sense.)

Google Colored People Time
It does and it is hilarious

 

[Malyse]

I remember seeing this online somewhere.

Prolly Cracked.

 

[number47]

Gotta love the rope belt.

 

[Gentle Rodriguez]

Did he really say "black power"

Tell me he did not

 

[Shuggananas]

Had to google CPT
Lmao what the fuck

 

[TheYanger]

Did he really say "black power"

Tell me he did not

That page is a joke referencing the original that never saw print, none of that is what the actual comic would have been. "Black power" is supposed to be funny in that context.

 

[FelixOrion]

that's one seriously fucked up that name in conjunction with the proposed design. The Black Bomber and his secret identity is a white supremacist? Lemme guess his alter ego's name, Robby Berry, maybe? Oh, or maybe Johnny Move?

Fucking hell, DC.

 

[Slayven]

Did he really say "black power"

Tell me he did not

Yeah, see in that arc the world had been twisted and Vixen is meeting remixed versions of characters. He is a combination of Captain Marvel and Hourman who's power is to have an "Hour of power" once a day

 

[Hard]

Oh my god, that is hilarious. As an black man, I lost it at C.P.T. People would probably get pissed in droves, but man if that went through XD

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I want to know who the editor in question was...

 

[TheYanger]

I mean...I think I understand where someone would be coming from in that context, like "Oh this is going to be about a racist guy forced to see how stupid racism is through his inability to not be black"...but that's the kind of premise only someone that is completely out of touch with how other people will see that can think of. The message of using it to show racism is stupid (which, let's be real, that seems obviously like what it would be moving towards over time) is fine, but the notion that you have ONE black super hero with his own title and it's that? that's some ridiculous shit. It's like, a one off hokey script you could use with an actual black super hero involved, not "the guy" you are betting on to make you seem diverse.

Kind of like how RDJ in Tropic Thunder works as a joke, but Soul Man as an actual movie does not.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Let this shit sink in, not only did someone thing this was a good idea but others approved this idea.

Let.that.sink.in.

 

[TheBlackMarvel]

Google Colored People Time
It does and it is hilarious

They did alter it, he was supposed to ask if he could say N****r.

They really should have altered Vixen's response too, she's answering a question that's never asked...

 

[JordanN]

Would this still fall under blackface?

 

[Penguin]

I mean... at least it shows some improvement on how minority characters are handled that I hope no one would think this is a good idea in this day and age

though what ever happened to the new Brown Bomber?

 

[Slayven]

Let this shit sink in, not only did someone thing this was a good idea but others approved this idea.

Let.that.sink.in.

Gods of Egypt.jpg

They did alter it, he was supposed to ask if he could say N****r

They really should have altered Vixen's response too, she's answering a question that's never asked...

Did not know that, sounds like Duffie.

I mean... at least it shows some improvement on how minority characters are handled that I hope no one would think this is a good idea in this day and age

though what ever happened to the new Brown Bomber?

Him, Punisher Batman and the others got erased when Anasazi corrected the universe.

 

[number47]

Easily would of been one of the best vertigo comics.

 

[Htown]

They did alter it, he was supposed to ask if he could say N****r.

They really should have altered Vixen's response too, she's answering a question that's never asked...

I got what she was referring to, even though he never asked it.

 

[Apathy]

Lol, it's funny the inner workings of comics and how such a terrible idea could make it so far before someone stepped in and said something about it.

As an aside, every time a black super hero has the word black as a descriptor in their name I can't help but think about this https://youtube.com/watch?v=wKbGnzmidsw . I find it so dumb that they needed to add that.

 

[Johndoey]

God I love that Duffie spent his career trolling people until they shaped up.

 

[Slayven]

Lol, it's funny the inner workings of comics and how such a terrible idea could make it so far before someone stepped in and said something about it.

As an aside, every time a black super hero has the word black as a descriptor in their name I can't help but think about this https://youtube.com/watch?v=wKbGnzmidsw . I find it so dumb that they needed to add that.

 

[Angelus Errare]

 

[Garlador]

Oh DC...

It was a very special time.

 

[Johndoey]

And thus racism was cured

But SNAP Wilson don't believe that post-racial jive talk.

 

[injurai]

This almost sounds like a satire that Aaron McGruder would make.

Except that this isn't a satire and was seriously proposed.

 

[Himynameischris]

Oh DC...


It was a very special time.

WELL DID HE SAY YES!??!

Spoiler

This is horrible smh

 

[jackissocool]

DC was really trying but they just had no fucking clue what the hell they were doing

 

[Coffee Dog]

I, too, am here to act shocked that elderly white men in the 1970's had no idea how to tackle race relations.

 

[Bleepey]

I mean...I think I understand where someone would be coming from in that context, like "Oh this is going to be about a racist guy forced to see how stupid racism is through his inability to not be black"...but that's the kind of premise only someone that is completely out of touch with how other people will see that can think of. The message of using it to show racism is stupid (which, let's be real, that seems obviously like what it would be moving towards over time) is fine, but the notion that you have ONE black super hero with his own title and it's that? that's some ridiculous shit. It's like, a one off hokey script you could use with an actual black super hero involved, not "the guy" you are betting on to make you seem diverse.

Kind of like how RDJ in Tropic Thunder works as a joke, but Soul Man as an actual movie does not.

Am I the only black person not greatly offended by Soul Man? I remember on a Fatman on Batman episode they talked about how DC wanted to call the first Black Green Lantern Lincoln Washington until one of the writers or artists said that's really fucking stupid.

 

[Dabanton]

DC is wild, lol. Malyse posted this link yesterday in this thread discussing the kickstarter for that graphic novel 'BLACK' it was an article from late last year by Kwanza Osajyefo who is a former digital editor at Marvel and DC Comics

https://medium.com/@kwanzer/is-blac...-bull-in-a-china-shop-8aed9ea55caf#.6thxnfvlc

The whole article is incredibly interesting and is worth 5 mins of your time, but in terms of this thread this quote stood out.

When I entered the comics industry in 1999, being one of very few Black people at Marvel seemed normal. It irked me that Milestone Media had existed yet no Black people edited comics at Marvel.

Connections through work meant 90% of my friends were White. I’d been raised to achieve and taught to love, so while solitary in ethnicity, I surrounded myself with good people. Race didn’t matter.

Until I worked at DC Comics...

 

[Apathy]

DC is wild, lol. Malyse posted this link yesterday in this thread discussing the kickstarter for that graphic novel 'BLACK' it was an article from late last year by Kwanza Osajyefo who is a former digital editor at Marvel and DC Comics

https://medium.com/@kwanzer/is-blac...-bull-in-a-china-shop-8aed9ea55caf#.6thxnfvlc

The whole article is incredibly interesting and is worth 5 mins of your time, but in terms of this thread this quote stood out.

Good read, and just wow, wtf

 

[TalonJH]

I didn't know there was any past for the Brown Bomber joke until reading this. I'm actually interested in the rest of those two scripts and design.

Also, WTF...blend into the Jungle.

 

[SlaughterX]

Lol, sounds like a skit from the Chappelle show.

 

[Captin Quacker]

I loved to hear how the they would have justified this

Were talking gymnastics from another plain of existence

 

[PSqueak]

They really should have altered Vixen's response too, she's answering a question that's never asked...

I always assumed it was like:

"No. You absolutely can't [call it CPT]"

 

[Johndoey]

DC is wild, lol. Malyse posted this link yesterday in this thread discussing the kickstarter for that graphic novel 'BLACK' it was an article from late last year by Kwanza Osajyefo who is a former digital editor at Marvel and DC Comics

https://medium.com/@kwanzer/is-blac...-bull-in-a-china-shop-8aed9ea55caf#.6thxnfvlc

The whole article is incredibly interesting and is worth 5 mins of your time, but in terms of this thread this quote stood out.

Christ, I knew shit was off didn't know it was that bad.

 

[MHWilliams]

Realize: Every major hero of color we currently have is a "token', to use the current parlance.

That's why I hate the term. Execution is everything.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

Gods of Egypt.jpg


Did not know that, sounds like Duffie.

I find it weird that you didn't know that when I learned it from a link you gave me when I asked for the panel of this last year.

Yeah that last panel should've been edited since they omitted that line.

 

[Johndoey]

Bomber’s costume was little more than a glorified basketball uniform.

Heh.

 

[Malyse]

DC is wild, lol. Malyse posted this link yesterday in this thread discussing the kickstarter for that graphic novel 'BLACK' it was an article from late last year by Kwanza Osajyefo who is a former digital editor at Marvel and DC Comics

https://medium.com/@kwanzer/is-blac...-bull-in-a-china-shop-8aed9ea55caf#.6thxnfvlc

The whole article is incredibly interesting and is worth 5 mins of your time, but in terms of this thread this quote stood out.

Good read, and just wow, wtf

Christ, I knew shit was off didn't know it was that bad.

It's why BLACK making its funding is so important to me.

 

[Slayven]

Realize: Every major hero of color we currently have is a "token', to use the current parlance.

That's why I hate the term. Execution is everything.

Not just heroes of color

 

[Angelus Errare]

Not just heroes of color

Still don't understand what's going on with her left hand/waist.

 

[Slayven]

Still don't understand what's going on with her left hand/waist.

She is part kree

 

[MHWilliams]

Not just heroes of color

Truth spoken.

 

[Pau]

After reading Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, really not surprised despite it being a different company. Although I'd like a DC version too that covers stuff like this.