In honor of Black History Month, Creator Talks is joined by Ken Quattro, long-time comic book reader, collector and writer of history.
Ken discusses his recent published work Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books.
Researched over two decades using original source materials, including official documents, contemporaneous newspaper articles and comics, Ken examines the lives of black men who worked in comic art shops during the Golden Age of Comics.
Ken writes in his book:
"One thing they shared was for too long they lingered, out of mine and out of sight of their light-skinned peers, evading the scrutiny of historians and the eyes that looked past them, to everyone who saw only their skin color and then saw nothing more. Without body or substance. As if they were invisible."
We learn how some of these artists denied their heritage, while others embraced it. Most led two professional lives, one working in comics and the other outside of the medium.
After discussing his book, we turn to the subject of his life long passion, comic books. We cover:
The dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics in 1961, and Ken was there.
What is the difference between writing and story telling?
What issue explains the greatness of comics in just five pages?
Why are we both vehemently opposed to "slabbing" comics?
Why has there never been a highly successful Fantastic Four movie? Ken has the answer, and it lies in embracing the FF's Silver Age roots.
All this and more packed into this 45-minute interview, commercial free!
Creator Talks Theme Song: "Jazz Relax" from LoopsLab
Creator Talks logo by The Design Punk
Please rate and review Creator Talks on Apple Podcasts
Now available Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artist of Comic Books
Ken Quattro's companion Invisible Men Blog
Derek Hunter and Jason Young on getting Pretty Violent
John Ward on String Theory, Spec Scripts & Scratcher
J. K. Woodward in Las Vegas on Star Trek Mirrors & Smoke
Carlos Giffoni and John Doe on Strayed (Dark Horse)
Liana Kangas on She Said Destroy
John Morrow on American Comic Book Chronicals - The 1980s
Jeremy Lambert on the return of Doom Patrol
Cameron DeOrdio Presents: Charlie's Angles vs The Bionic Woman
Karl Kesel on Superboy, Section Zero and Impossible Jones
Artist Dean Kotz on Warlord of Mars Attacks!!
Grace & Guts: Trekker and Geek-Girl Kickstarters
Sean Lewis and Hayden Sherman on Thumbs (Image Comics)
Caitlin Major & Kelly Bastow - Manfried The Man Saves The Day
Adam Glass and Olivia Cuartero-Briggs creation Mary Shelley: Monster Hunter
Rags Morales: Unexpurgated and on Valiant's Bloodshot!
Tom Sacchi on his Belgian-Style Crime Noir Offbeats and 1960s Manga Homage Ultrabot Go Go Go
Andrea Mutti on DC Vertigo's Untold WWII Story: Six Days
G is for Go-Go and Greg Paprocki
Steam-Punk-O-Rama with Stephanie Cannon & Matt Knowles
Julius Ohta: Dynamite's "Secret Weapon" on Bettie Page
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Spider-Man Crawlspace Podcast
The Week in Art
Art Sense
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Art Angle
Harlem Is Everywhere: The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism