Newly released from Fabrice Sapolsky’s FairSquare Comics, its first offering Noir Is The New Black is an old-school comics anthology that delves into the inner and outer reaches of some of the best African American creators in comics today. The anthology is a collection showcasing 16 tales of shadowy, psychologically-gripping drama in the vein of classic urban mystery. Featuring an impressive roster of some 40 top creators, Noir Is The New Black provides an incredibly diverse compendium of stories set in time periods as disparate as the 1700s and the far-flung future, encompassing genres as different as true crime and science fiction. What unites them, according to artist Shawn Martinbrough’s foreword, is “a distinct visual approach to storytelling,” and it is an eclectic journey like no other.
Taking a purist’s approach to the headspace of the African American experience, this penetrative series of stories range from tales of rollicking adventure, such as the opener “Vera’s List” by Tyrone Finch and Todd Harris, as well as more cerebral sci-fi in “Igbo Landing” by Melody Cooper and Eder Messias, while occasionally treading into controversial territory. In totality, it is a daring approach, asking difficult questions of its audience throughout the journey through time and tempestuous circumstance. “The unfortunate reality for many of our lives, and it's something I've said from the start, is that we've lived and breathed noir our whole lives and I feel that comes through in many of our stories,” said editor TC Harris. “My philosophy has always been that within all of us, there is a story begging to be free. As creators of Noir Is The New Black, we were able to see our stories come to fruition.
Writer David F. Walker, creator of the hit DC character Naomi who contributed the story “Hart of the Matter,” said he was particularly inspired by the often dismal experience he had during the height of the pandemic. “I wrote the actual story at a time when I was struggling both creatively and emotionally. The pandemic was in full swing, life had been altered, and I was in a deep depression,” he said. To that end, he wrote the tale of Bobby Hart (skillfully illustrated by Mark M.D. Bright and Toyin Ajetunmobi), a writer of escapist fiction who finds himself on the wrong end of the kinds of crime stories he writes about. Based on the tragic true story of ‘70s writer Donald Goines, Walker said:
It’s not just African Americans that love escapism. Escapism is America’s favorite pastime. But different people use escapism for different reasons, and while I don’t want to speak for all Black folks, I often prefer my escapism to be violent, and provide a cathartic release for the anger that builds up inside of me. The problem, however, is that film and comics and music can only provide so much escapism from a reality in which the police kill unarmed Black folks for no reason, or the cycle of poverty is crushing your family. Escapist entertainment isn’t a cure, and if we treat it as such – whether it is as consumers or creators – we’re screwed. In this story, Bobby Hart is a master of escaping reality – he does it through drugs and through the creative process, but what we never show you is what has led him down this path. At some point, that’s the bigger story to be told.
As both editor and writer, Harris said he had “entirely too much love” for the talented pool of Black comic creators who contributed to the anthology, particularly bringing to attention Nick Allen and Mervyn McCoy for “The Black Constable,” a story of the titular constable exploring a conspiracy amongst a group of nobles during a series of armed uprisings in 17th century Jamaica, calling it “a story that transcends entertainment, while encouraging readers to explore the validity of the world they've introduced.” Of his own story in the anthology, “The Circuit,” (illustrated by David Brame) Harris said he was influenced by African American entertainers of the ‘50s and ‘60s living in Jim Crow conditions of the south. “I also wanted to tackle themes of loss, while showing how we're often weaponized against our own.”
Packing a wallop from start to finish, Noir Is The New Black is a riveting exploration of the African American creative spark in the 21st Century, and a promising debut for FairSquare Comics. On sale now wherever books are sold.