Regular readers of WoM will know that sometimes I will diverge from that which the masthead title implies by featuring something else I feel that is important and/or interesting in the larger sphere of popular culture. This weekend I'll be discussing a landmark publication in comic book history: ALL-NEGRO COMICS, conceived and published by Orrin C. Evans.
 |
| Orrin C. Evans (1947). |
Orrin Cromwell Evans (1902–1971) was born in the small town of Steelton, a borough in Pennsylvania. He pursued journalism as an occupation and as a teenager was hired on at the African-American newspaper, THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE. In 1930, he became the first African-American on the staff of THE PHILADELPHIA RECORD and during World War II wrote about segregation in the U.S. military. During this period he was subjected to bigotry and death threats, not unheard of and quite common at the time. He also worked for several other publications, including THE CRISIS, the journal of the NAACP.
In 1947, a lengthy strike forced the RECORD to cease publishing, After a short period of being unemployed, Evans founded founded All-Negro Comics, Inc. in Philadelphia for the purpose of advancing racial equality in a format he thought would be accessible to a larger audience. His partners in the venture were Harry T. Saylor, Bill Driscoll and two others from the recently-defunct RECORD.
In an article in TIME ("Ace Harlem to the Rescue", July, 1947), the uncredited author wrote: "As he walked the picket line, he thought hard about a complaint frequently heard among his people: Negroes are usually ridiculed and their way of life distorted in comics drawn by white men."
In his 2002 article in THE COMIC BUYER'S GUIDE, Tom Christopher elaborated: "He had always loved cartoons. His daughter Hope, a teacher like her grandmother, mother, and aunt remembers her father reading the comics to her, and particularly enjoying The Katzenjammer Kids and Lil' Abner. At work he liked to walk through the art department and watch the staff cartoonists work. In later life he enjoyed the civil rights cartoons of his friend Jerry Doyle, and went out of his way to meet Morrie Turner, the first syndicated black cartoonist. He was always impressed with the way a well executed cartoon could simplify and clarify complex issues, and, noting the high illiteracy rate in the black community, began to consider the possibility that he could reach a wider audience with a comic book than through his other writings."
Philadelphia journalist Claude Lewis later said in an interview: "We weren’t very conscious about being left out [of comics], it was just the way things were. We identified with Superman, Batman, Submariner and the rest of them without giving much thought to it. If you’ve never seen a black hero you don’t spend a lot of time wondering where they are. Today you would, but back then, there were no blacks in ads. It just didn’t happen".
On sale in July 1947 with a June cover date the first issue of ALL-NEGRO COMICS hit the stands. While no evidence seems to exist, it is presumed to have been distributed in outlets outside Philadelphia, but was not likely distributed nationally.
Like many others at the time, the book was an anthology, with a mix of crime, humor and a jungle story, notable because the staff was comprised entirely of African-Americans, including Evans' brother, George J. Evan's, Jr, who has been more than once been confused in listings with George R. Evans, the EC Comics artist.
The artwork is fairly simple and the dialogue is heavy with inner-city African-American vernacular and slang. While obviously marketed to African-Americans, it's hard to imagine what white readers' reactions were, if there were any.
The aforementioned TIME article commented the week the comic hit the stands, with it's opinion of the best story: "'Ace Harlem,' a Dick Tracy-like detective. The villains were a couple of zoot-suited, jive-talking Negro muggers, whose presence in anyone else's comics might have brought up complaints of racial 'distortion'. Since it was all in the family, Evans thought no Negro readers would mind."
The Ace Harlem story contains scenes of violence (strangulation with a zoot suit watch chain) and the opening scene takes place in a "rib joint", a stereotypical African-American establishment.
Overall, I find this book to be quite entertaining. It mimics the types of stories that appeared in "white" comics of the day and I believe they all successfully merge an African-American sensibility to them, along with the jargon that makes them authentic.
Evans had a second issue prepared but his plans were sabotaged by his suppliers refusing to sell him the paper to print it with. Even distributors turned their backs on him, not surprising, but nevertheless typical.
Thankfully, much (but not all) of this prejudicial nonsense is a thing of the past and the pioneering African-Americans of the comic book industry have been recognized for their contributions to the medium.
Singular and significant, ALL-NEGRO COMICS represents a hallmark in the evolution of comic book history,
ALL-NEGRO COMICS
No. 1
June 1947
All-Negro Comics, Inc.
Editor: Orrin C. Evans; Bill Driscoll
Cover: John Terrell?
Pages: 36
Cover price: 15 cents
CONTENTS
"Ace Harlem"
Script: John Terrell?
Art: John Terrell
"Dew Dillies"
Script: Leonard Cooper?
Art: Leonard Cooper
"Lion Man"
Script: George J. Evans, Jr.?
Art: George J. Evans, Jr.
"Hip Chicks on Parade"
Script: Len
Art: Len
"Lil' Eggie"
Script: John Terrell?
Art: John Terrell
"Sugarfoot:
Script: Cravat
Art: Cravat
Fascinating stuff. Look forward to part two.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly appeared that bigotry was the culprit in preventing him from printing further issues. I wonder if the pages from the second issue it still exist.
ReplyDelete