On Sunday I attended The second annual Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) Black Comix Expo!!! Co-presented by BAM and the Black Comics Collective this free day-long event featured over 20 comic exhibitors, an immersive AfroFeminism VR experience, an Afrofuturista panel discussion featuring black women in sci-fi, workshops, and a cosplay showcase!

The expo continues to bring together comic book artists, writers, creators, and fans for a program that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and representation.

Whether you like mainstream comics, indie comics, or children’s books there was something for everyone to enjoy! The Expo features a great line-up of the latest work by local and national comic exhibitors of color and a full day of activities and excitement. I had the chance to chat with so many talented creators about their work and upcoming projects. Check out my feature of COMICS TO CHECK OUT below!!

The entire event was Jam-packed all day with lines of super excited fans anxiously waiting to get inside. This free event was held on February 10th, 2019 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building.

Prior to the event I had the opportunity to chat with the founder and creator of The Black Comics Collective Deirdre Hollman.

Check out our full interview HERE.

COMICS TO CHECK OUT

Livewire
Writer: Vita Ayala

Vita Ayala and Women in Comics Collective (WinC) Founder Regine Sawyer

http://valiantentertainment.com/comics/livewire/

ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES!

Accomplice. Mentor. Savior. And now, Enemy of the State. Seeking to protect other vulnerable super-powered psiots like herself, Livewire plunged the United States into a nationwide blackout with her technopathic abilities, causing untold devastation. After choosing the few over the many, she must now outrun the government she served – and those she once called allies. With the whole world hunting her, what kind of hero will Livewire be…or will she be one at all?

From rising star Vita Ayala (Supergirl) and astounding artists Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín (SECRET WEAPONS) comes an electrifying new series that will launch the Valiant Universe into a new age of champions! –Valiant Comics

LIVEWIRE_001_COVER-A_POLLINA-640x983 — Valiant Comics

Livewire is a fictional character and Superhero that appears in comic books published by Valiant Comics. Created by Bob Layton and Joe St. Pierre. Livewire first appeared in Harbinger #15 (March 1993).^[1] She later played a major role in the Secret Weapons (1993) series.

In the relaunched Valiant Universe, Livewire first appears in Harbinger’s first arc. Livewire has been featured in Unity as a founding member since 2013.

Kid Buster
Written and Illustrated by Anthony Pugh

https://www.logikone.com/

So, the bare knuckle basics of this story is; an orphan misfit that gets superpowers. Set in the 90’s, this kid living on the street with a gang of other street kids, disrupting the peace and getting into mischief. With no parents or adult guidance these kids are left to survive in the urban wild. A freak intergalactic explosion causes a small percentage of humans on earth to have superpowers, including Buster. A crop of superhumans emerge, some heroes, some villains the lines are blurred and chaos erupts. Buster is already wrestling with his own identity and now newfound powers is at the crossroads of whose side to take, “Adults think they know everything but they keep making the same mistake over and over again.” Many stories have been told about an orphan becoming a superhero, this is a story about orphan taking fate into his own hands and throwing it right back at the world. Introducing, KID BUSTER…A lost street kid due to circumstance and at the mercy of his misdemeanor life on his way to having the power of super destruction at his fingertips.- KID BUSTER

*This comic book is for mature readers.
-!!!WARNING!!!
This book is full of profanity and graphic
violence. Its NOT for kids!

https://www.logikone.com/

Black/ Black AF
Created by Kwanza Osajyefo & Tim Smith 3

http://blackmaskstudios.com/black-americas-sweetheart/

From the team that brought you the smash hit Black: Comes Black AF America’s Sweetheart

AMERICA’S SWEETHEART
A story in the BLACK universe.
Created by Kwanza Osajyefo & Tim Smith 3
Written by Kwanza Osajyefo
Illustrated by Jennifer Johnson
Cover by Sho Murase

Synopsis: Can a black woman be America’s first superhero? Eli Franklin is a 15-year-old girl living in rural Montana–and she just happens to be the most powerful person on the planet. In the aftermath of the world learning that only black people have superpowers, Eli makes her debut as the superhero Good Girl, on a mission to help people and quell the fear of empowered blacks. When a super-terrorist threatens to take away everything Eli has worked toward, will donning a patriotic costume be enough for her to find acceptance?

America’s Sweetheart expands BLACK into a universe of heroes. -Black Mask Studios

Also Check out from the expanding universe of Black:

BLACK AF Devil’s Dye

Vita Ayala (A) Liana Kangas (CA) Maika Sozo

A brand new BLACK [AF] mini-series by breakout star Vita Ayala (The Wilds, Supergirl, Bitch Planet, Livewire, Marvel Knights) and your next favorite artist Liana Kangas.

Bounce
Created by Chuck Collins

http://bouncethecomic.com/

Bounce comic is a hilarious satire, originally started as a web comic strip created by Chuck Collins.

Welcome to the world of The Bouncer and his childhood friend Yemaya. Two sci-fi and movie geek bouncers that deal with New York’s craziest bar patrons.

Genre

Comedy / Satire

E.X.O. (YouNeek Studios)
Created by Roye Okupe

https://youneekstudios.com/

E.X.O. – THE LEGEND OF WALE WILLIAMS SAGA ONE BUNDLE

E.X.O. The Legend of Wale Williams Part One is a science fiction superhero story about redemption, set in a futuristic, 2025 Africa! Parts One & Two (total of 290 pages) of the graphic novel follows the journey of Wale Williams, an impetuous young adult who inherits a suit with superpowers after his father goes missing. Tricked into returning home to Lagoon City, Nigeria following a five-year absence, Wale embarks on a journey to investigate his father s mysterious disappearance. As he comes to understand the suit s powers, Wale realizes he must restore hope to his city by preventing catastrophic attacks from the sociopathic, Oniku, leader of an extremist group called The CREED. -YouNeek Studios

Rated – T (Teen)

PANELS

From L-R: Actress Erika Alexander; Panelist: Sheeba Maya; Ashley A. Woods; Melanie Marie Goodreaux; Ashley Baccus Clark

The festival featured a fantastic panel discussion—Afrofuturista: Representations of Black Women in Sci-Fi—centered on the social impact of the Black female presence in speculative fiction. The panel includes Brooklyn-based neuroscientist and creative director Ashley Baccus Clark, Brooklyn-based Afrofuturistic artist Sheeba Maya, Chicago-based artist and illustrator Ashley A. Woods, and New Orleans native, poet, and Afrofuturistic playwright Melanie Marie Goodreaux as moderator.