“DiasporaCon” Brings Black Heroes To Life

A justice league of comics creators, collectors, and historians were all signaled to gather for a first annual African DiasporaCon. 

The comic and graphic novel conference took place on Saturday at Quinnipiac University, bringing comic makers together with comic consumers and a few comic newbies. 

It was organized by the Elm City LIT Festival to ​“enlighten and cultivate awareness around the significance of Black stories,” LIT festival founder IfeMichelle Gardin said.

No visitor went home without a comic, as a complementary selection was offered upon entry. 

The conference offered space to six vendors, including T.C. Ford, Javon Stokes, Joe Young Media, Reggie Augustine, Noel ​“Back Collector,” and Robert Sodaro. They sold original comics and graphic novels, T‑shirts, collectable superhero figurines, and posters, and re-sold comics from their personal collections. 

The lineup of speakers included professor, author, graphic novelist John Jennings, publisher and artist Ford, educator and artist Augustine (who teaches at Hillhouse High School) cartoonist and filmmaker Joe Young, New Haven artist Raheem Nelson, and Michael Jai White, who was the first Black actor to portray a comic book super hero. 

Each presenter told their personal stories of falling in love with comics and animated art. Most described the art form as a reading and literacy savior when they were growing up. They agreed that Black representation, although late, in comics was ​“life saving” for them as artists who strived to find their place in not only alternate universes but also in their everyday lives. 

“Comics has allowed for me to create a universe within a universe that I know,” Augustine said. 

Augustine said he has created characters in his books who are Black, Jewish, Egyptian, Puerto Rican, Zimbabwean, and Native American. 

Each special guest presented to a group of about 40, as visitors wandered back and forth between the presentations and the vendors. 

William H. Foster III, a professor and comic book collector and historian, hosted the Saturday event. He led a virtual conversation around diversity in the film and comic industries with White and Jennings at the conclusion of the event. 

Comic Lovers Find Their Home

New Haven native Wesley Frasier, 32, was one of dozens of comic fans who joined the Saturday event. Frasier was excited to introduce himself to Augustine, who as a Wexler-Grant teacher motivated his younger brother to draw.

Frasier later taught his brother to read with comic books from his collection. 

From the presentations Saturday, Frasier said, he gained motivation to continue creating stories through his art. After a recent hiatus from art due to sorting out his mental health and moving homes, Frasier said, he was inspired to ​“pick his pens and pencils up again.” 

Frasier, who works full time at Stop & Shop, makes art on the side, hoping one day to make that his full-time career. 

Although he’s been drawing since a child, Frasier said, it wasn’t until he was 13 years old that he created a character that looked like him. ​“I made him with a bandana, dark skin, and corn rows,” he recalled. 

Frasier attended the event with two of his best friends, his drawing pad and pen. Inside were drawings of vampires, werewolves, and a tarot card-reading superhero that he plans to use as characters for future animated stories. 

Cousins Joseph Roman and Cameron Covington, both 18, picked up some of their first comic books Saturday. 

The duo agreed that comic books are more interesting to read because ​“they’re not just words.” 

They said they prefer to read comics created since 2000 because the older books have ​“weird plots” and aren’t representative. 

Roman and Covington, who both attend Gateway Community College, said representation is a huge factor in what they decide to read because seeing Black characters and authors inspires them. 

“When I see all the artists here and read about a Black superhero, it’s like no matter who you are or what you do, you can be a symbol,” Roman said. 

Mohamed Seck, 25, a computer coder with an interest in writing, picked up comic books and cards from each vendor in hopes of meeting new mentors for his future with writing.

“It’s inspirational to see people that look like me who are minorities in their field but are making such a huge impact,” he said. ​“That’s how it is with tech for me.” 

Best friends and moms Angelica Cruz and Renee, also known as ​“Lady Obsidian Rain,” picked up comics for themselves and to introduce to their kids. 

With a $3 budget, Cruz picked up Black Widow and Powers of X for her first comics along with Frozen and Looney Tunes comics for her kids. 

As a mom of four, Cruz works hard to keep her kids, aged 11, 9, 4, and 3, interested in reading.

Angelina found the flyer for the event while visiting the Stetson Library and immediately told herself, ​“I got to be there.” 

Angelina too picked up comics for her family Saturday. ​“I was bullied for reading comics in school,” she recalled. 

Since she was young, her favorite hero has been Storm, who ​“has the capacity to destroy our everything, but she tempers herself for others.” 

Angelina has since sought to emulate Storm. That has helped her to be a strong, compassionate, and invincible mother and artist, she said. 

She said the conference ​“felt like home” and highlighted stories where ​“Black characters aren’t only villains.”

She hopes her 11-year-old daughter and 5‑year-old son can also gain a positive sense of identity from the increased representation in comics. ​“Storm taught me how to hold my own and show up for others,” she said. 

She added that she hopes to inspire her kids to follow their dreams with art rather than being told ​“art is not a practical career.” 

Brennan Rogers Family Resource Center Coordinator Lensley Gay filled her car with four of her students to attend Saturday’s conference. She sought to introduce the students to career opportunities in art and media. 

“It’s about them learning that they’re talented enough to be creators,” she said. 

The students agreed they most enjoyed learning about Non-fungible tokens (NFT) from Nelson. 

Owner of Hartford Key Bookstore Khamani Harrison joined the Saturday event to connect with comics makers to bring offerings to her store in the near future. 

After Saturday’s event, she said, she plans to add comics to her current selection of 30 million book titles offered through the bookstore. ​“That is our responsibility as a Afro-futurist book storeowner,” she said.