CCI: The Black Panel Welcomes Shaq to Comics

[CBR News]

Michael Davis moderated a star-studded panel highlighted by the announcement of a new comic from Shaquille O'Neal, whom Davis called the most important thing to happen in black comics since Milestone.


Full article here.

[RolandJP]

Let me get this out the way.

" Hey Shaq, you and your characters are forced down our throats"


There.

That being said welcome to comics..hope you survive the experience.

But seriously.

Good panel.

This quote im gonna run with.

Next, a suburban black woman asked why there weren't more comics and characters who represented her experience as opposed to urban or Hip Hop culture. Davis fielded that question by suggesting that she write her own comics to represent her experiences. The attendee tried to duck the suggestion by saying that she couldn't write, but Davis kept her on the hook, saying that anyone can learn to write and that her articulation of a common, but difficult-to-describe problem showed that she's ahead of the curve. Van Lowe agreed by telling her that she's the only one who can write her experiences.

[dupont2005]

Wasn't Shaq involved in comics quite a while ago? Maybe with a short lived indy publisher? I know he's been a comic fan for a long time

[skyvolt2000]

Wasn't Shaq involved in comics quite a while ago? Maybe with a short lived indy publisher? I know he's been a comic fan for a long time

There were a few Shaq bio comics but I don't think there was anything else. Unless he was planned to be a part of Milestone's celebrity comics that only gave us the Lost Boys in Static.

[Overhazard]

Good panel, but that was a pretty harsh remark on Davis's part.

[rasx]

I'm a little disappointed, I was expecting to see and hear more info about current and upcoming "black" comics.

[KurtW95]

Worst thing to happen to Milestone.

[Steve Broome]

We need more very well done black comics, not just black comics, although I'm not sure that the comics audience is interested in black fiction anyway. The stuff they continue to support in the tens of thousands often has no favorable qualities other than familiarity IMO. After all, how are all the people on CBR for example complaining about the mainstream books they supposedly hate unless they keep buying them anyway?

[doordoor123]

That art is actually pretty terrible... Maybe there just aren't enough "good" black artists that want to get into comics. Comics DO sell predominately to white people. Its the reason characters of minority have a hard time selling books.

[Mr_Wayne]

Not enough Fanboys care to read about Blacks. Or maybe not enough creative effort is put towards quality Black comics.

[RolandJP]

Not enough Fanboys care to read about Blacks. Or maybe not enough creative effort is put towards quality Black comics.

A little bit of both actually.

I think its more culture than creativity. Look at Hip hop.. Gangsta rap or Drug rap usually sells well. Will Smith, KRS-1, The Roots style not as well.
And this is my opinion, but Minority comics have greater hurdles to jump than others (low retailer ordering and promotion, profile of character, etc.)--that being said all it would take is one minority hit book (with a following like Walking Dead)..and the industry would change over-night.

Nothing sells like success.

[Steve Broome]

A little bit of both actually.

I think its more culture than creativity. Look at Hip hop.. Gangsta rap or Drug rap usually sells well. Will Smith, KRS-1, The Roots style not as well.
And this is my opinion, but Minority comics have greater hurdles to jump than others (low retailer ordering and promotion, profile of character, etc.)--that being said all it would take is one minority hit book (with a following like Walking Dead)..and the industry would change over-night.

Nothing sells like success.

True other than Will Smith, who not only doesn't belong with KRS or The Roots in any way, but has one of the top 10 selling solo hip hop albums of all time. He also was successful enough with Jazzy Jeff(Parents just don't understand, etc.) to get the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire show.

[worstblogever]

I wonder how long it will be before Shaq will battle-rap and ask a colleague in the industry "how's my *** taste?"

[RolandJP]

I wonder how long it will be before Shaq will battle-rap and ask a colleague in the industry "how's my *** taste?"

I always thought Shaq Diesel's line about a person getting jur'ass kicked in a park was a doper line

[The Once And Forever]

I wonder how long it will be before Shaq will battle-rap and ask a colleague in the industry "how's my *** taste?"

Has to win an Eisner first though.