Black Comics
It’s been a little while since the last Famous! Fear not, the next one will be done very soon. What have I been up to? Drawing for Urban Image Magazine.
How did this happen? I was contacted on our Facebook page and told they were looking for comics, and I never pass up an opportunity. So just like that, Black Snow Comics started making black comics. Sort of fitting given our name, which I believe may be part of the reason we were contacted in the first place. Black Snow is also fitting when you consider we are two white guys making these black comics, with the calibration of the black Daddy Rich of course (a very interesting man, look him up to see why). If you really want to know, I am half Italian (One of the darker white ethnicities, but white none the less) and Alex is half Japanese (Though you probably couldn’t tell by looking at him. To see us you’d just think “white”.
Does any of this race stuff matter? I don’t think so. Who says you can’t draw a comic about any race you want and target it to whomever you want? Is that inherently racist? No, of course not. We’ve handled these comics like we would any other. Comics are about making fun of people (in our case characters) and situations. Is it racist when we make white people look foolish all the time in I’m Famous! No, and no one would argue it, so I really don’t see the difference here.
Lets look at what we’ve done so far.
This was the strip we were asked to create, based on a premise from Daddy Rich. The way I see it this is more about the innocence of children, even ones that think they are tough and cool, than anything else. And yes, it was embarrassing to draw a dildo. Not a place I’d normally go, that’s for sure. But I do think it’s funny.
Why the pseudonyms? We felt more comfortable doing it that way since it is a project we do not have full creative control over, as Daddy Rich and his people have input. We were also hoping to avoid some controversy.
This is a comic that was created to go along with a written piece about how hard it is for convicted felons to get a job after they get out of jail.
I think that one is pretty funny. It is also one of the most traditionally formatted comics I’ve ever done, since the days of the Black Snow strip I did at junior college. I take some real pleasure in being able to do something classic like this.
This is an illustration I did to go along with a written piece about recipes for having the munchies.
A pretty funny characterization I’d say. No, I don’t condone getting high, but I often draw things I don’t condone. I don’t draw to preach my message. I draw to entertain.
Our comics have always dealt with the gritty and urban to an extent, particularly Black Snow and Day Camp, and I really don’t see how these are any different. I also don’t really see why I need to justify myself, so I’ll just end it here with this:
