I spent the morning talking to elementary school students and their teachers. Here's what I posted on that when I got home a little while ago...
BLACK LIGHTNING! This morning, I spoke to grades 5-8 at the East
Clark Elementary School on the east side of Cleveland. What an amazing
bunch of engaged students and teachers. My experience there reinforced
something I have been thinking about a lot of late.
Black
Lightning isn't your typical super-hero. Like the Black Panther, he
means so much to so many people. We owe it to the new generation of fans
to present them with contemporary versions of these characters. Taking
several steps back to present the 1970s
version of Black Lightning to indulge the nostalgic whims of older
readers or creators are the wrong steps to take.
If I do more Black Lightning comics - and I certainly would like to - I'll do my best to present the contemporary hero you see in Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands and on the TV series. On my watch, you will never again see a Black Lightning who asks "how high" when a Batman tells him to jump. Making him subservient to Batman or other characters is a disservice to Black Lightning and his contemporary fans.
And if I don't do more Black Lightning comics, I'll do my best to find another way to continue the work I started over four decades ago.
As a wise man once said to Luke Cage, "Always forward."
I'll be speaking more on the above subjects soon.
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I'm going to take the next couple days off to think deep thoughts, figure out my plans going forward and goofing off. I'll be back soon with more bloggy things.
Tony Isabella
Goofing off is a VITAL component of the creative process.
ReplyDeleteHave at it!