When the coffee shop clerk excitedly asked me “Have you seen it?” on Sunday morning, there was no question what she was talking about. No I haven’t seen Black Panther yet, preserving my long standing tradition of avoiding blockbuster movies for a few weeks until the rowdiness is reduced to a minimum. It’s hard to do while viewing the Spoiler-net, but it can be done. It is great, however, to see so many people attend the film on it’s opening weekend, encouraging the studios to make more Afro/African-themed movies with Black casts.
The above comic is part of my childhood memory of the character, though it isn’t the earliest appearance of the hero. Yeah, it was 30 cents instead of the current mortgage of $3.99. This was done by renowned artist Jack Kirby, born Jacob Kurtzberg, co-creator of the Fantastic Four, X-men, Hulk, and the Black Panther. He grew up on New York’s tough Lower East Side when gangs ruled and the fighting was constant. Kirby describes getting jumped after school, chasing and being chased over rooftops and down fire escapes, while dreaming of escaping the neighborhood.
Of course, the character has been through many hands since then, now being written by well known author Ta-Nehisi Coates. Wesley Snipes, who tried to create a Panther movie in the ’90s, has voiced his support for the present film. Snipes’ failed attempt gave him the knowledge to make the Blade films, the FIRST successful movies based upon a Marvel Comics character.
