Comix & Culture

Taken from our 2021 Comic-Con@Home Panel, in this episode, I discuss the origins and practical application of Afrofuturism with five leaders in this space: Afrofuturist scholar and cultural critic, Ytasha Womack; critically acclaimed illustrator and author Tim Fielder; Award winning, best selling graphic novelist and scholar, John Jennings; and Loreen Williamson and Pamela Thomas, the co-founders...

n this episode, we remember our historic discussion with Emmy Award-winning artist Dawud Anyabwile, and colorist Brian McGee, of the cult classic and record-breaking comic book "Brother Man”. The discussion centers on the history, philosophy, and resurgence of "Brother Man", a comic first introduced in 1990 that is celebrated for its commitment to diverse and conscious storytelling...

In this episode, distinguished professor and comix scholar, Dr. Frederick Luis Aldama, introduces three distinguished scholars and creators: Dr. Jennifer Caroccio Maldonado, Dr. Deborah Whaley, and Dr. Fernanda Diaz Basteris, and together they discuss their personal and academic journeys into comic studies, frequently noting the lack of existing scholarship on Black, Indigenous, and People of Colo...

In this episode, we dig into the BCAF vaults for our 2015 conversation entitled "From Selma to Ferguson," which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The conversation, moderated by Emmy Award-winning news personality Barbara Rogers, features Dr. Dwight Hopkins of the University of Chicago, Dr. James Peterson, and Andrew Aydin, then-aide to the late Congressman...

In this episode, scholars Dr. Yvonne Chireau and Dr. Rita Lucarelli, along with author Ayize Jama-Everett, explore the portrayal of Black religion and spirituality across history, noting that words like "religion" and "magic" are often colonial or Western impositions that misrepresent African and ancient Egyptian traditions. The speakers address topics such as the concept of th...

In this episode, Dr. Frances Gateward, professor and director of the School of Theatre, Film & Television at the University of Arizona, sits down with author Rebecca Roanhorse to discuss her 2018 novel, "Trail of Lightning," and her writing philosophy. Roanhorse explains that her background in religious studies, law, and social justice influenced her boundary-breaking speculative fic...

In this episode, the Hugo and Eisner Award-winning artist, publisher, and cultural studies professor John Jennings moderates a fascinating discussion with three ‘goddesses’ of Black speculative fiction, award-winning, best selling writers Nalo Hopkinson, Nnedi Okorafor, and Jewelle Gomez. The conversation focuses on the inspiration and creative process behind their work, exploring the "truths" the...

This BCAF discussion explores the relevance of Martin Luther King Jr. in contemporary popular culture, particularly through the lens of comics and Afrofuturism. I moderate a panel of scholars, including the Reverend Dr. Sakena Young Scaggs of Stanford University, Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Juan Floyd-Thomas, and Dr. Montague Williams of Point Loma Nazarene University, who share their personal con...

Our guests are discussing Media Production and Representation in the Age of AI. Moderated by Dr. Stanford Carpenter and featuring award-winning syndicated cartoonist and writer Keith Knight, media attorney Britton Payne, and animation executive Sean Brown, the panel explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on media creation, particularly within animation. The discussion highli...