Michael Davis: The Rise Of The Super Nigga
This year, the San Diego Comic Con celebrated 20 years of my company. Milestone Media. There was standing room only for the 20th Anniversary panel, the Milestone party was off the chain and to top off one of the best times of my life, Derek Dingle, Denys Cowan and I received Inkpot awards!
The biggest and the best pop culture event in the world thought enough of our work to honor us during the convention. That work focuses largely on Milestone’s mission to include more people of color in the media arts.
We’ve been very successful doing so in comics and television and there is more to come.
So, I’m feeling pretty damn good when I get back to my humble abode.
So good in fact I had a brainstorm, and I’m going to share that brainstorm here at ComicMix.
The Rise Of The Super Nigga
Based on a true story until the end.
Michael at 10 years old wanted to be an artist.
A cartoonist, to be exact. That was the good news; the bad news was Michael lived in what is now as was then one of the worst housing projects in New York City.
The years were tough but Michael somehow survived. Two members of his immediate family were murdered, as were two cousins. Michael survived being stabbed twice and having a gun placed to his forehead. The assailant pulled the trigger, the gun jammed.
Michael attended prestigious universities and became a professional artist. Then he co-founded a company that changed the way comic books are published. Then he became President & CEO of three entertainment companies, TV creator, mentor, writer, power broker, deal maker, all around very successful.
How successful? The Gordon Parks Academy named its auditorium after him.
That successful.
One day Michael was thinking: “I’m a very formidable person with far reaching influence. What should I do now that I have all this power?”
All day Michael pondered that thought. Finally he drifted off to sleep…
Crash!!!!!!
Michael awoke with a start. What was that that? Silently he headed to the source of the disturbance. There on his floor was not just the cause of the commotion but the answer this intelligent, successful, influential black man had sort.
Crack.
Somehow a bag of crack was tossed trough his window. Michael picked up the bag held it up and pronounced as loud as he could. “I will become a drug dealer!!”
“I am no longer Michael Davis PhD!” I am now Super Nigga!!!
Yeah, I know, that’s just stupid. Surviving the hood becoming a success then deciding out of the blue to become a drug dealer.
Besides a character named Super Nigga would never see print…unless you changed the name to Tyrone Cash and a hotshot writer named Mark Millar creates it.
Then… it’s all-good.
Tyrone Cash was a brilliant black scientist who gets the power of the Hulk yet retains his intellect. I’ll say that again – retains – his intellect. So what does this brilliant black man do with his new power?
He becomes a drug dealer.
A brilliant black scientist gets the power of the Hulk yet retains his intellect and then decides to become a goddamn drug dealer???
In my opinion that would be the textbook definition of a Super Nigga.
“Oh, no Michael! You don’t want to call out Mark Millar! He’s got to much clout!” That was the response from a concerned fan when I mentioned I was thinking of writing this article.
What the fuck can Mark Millar do to me? The streets are littered with the crushed dreams of motherfuckers who tried to fuck with me. You know why that is? Because I don’t give a fuck what bridge I burn, what’s right is right.
Here’s the kicker, I love this guys work. He’s written some of my favorite comics and Kick Ass is just brilliant, so that makes this even worst. When a talented guy with a HUGE fan base creates some shit like Tyrone Cash it has to be addressed or it becomes OK to do so.
All in all this makes me sad. Sad because Millar’s star is so bright, and rightfully so, sad because if just one black kid thinks Tyrone Cash is cool that that helps no one and if just one white kid thinks Tyrone Cash is accurate that hurts many.
WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike Gold Gets Real Small
THURSDAY MORNING: Dennis O’Neil and The Seven Basic Plots
If the character was white, what would your reaction be?
Millar reminds me of Frank Miller, he may be smart but he’s only comic-book smart, you know? And that’s kind of sad, cause there’s a big, wide world out there that finds their lack of insight corny. (see also this month’s Millar-uses-rape-of-female-characters-solely-as-motivation-for-his-male-characters-to-kick-ass controversy). Fuck this Tyrone cash business.
Mike,
If the character were white he’d be Doc Samson. If Doc Samson decided to become a drug dealer I wouldn’t give a fuck. Hell-that would be very Interesting now that I think about it.
Gotta agree with most of that.
Mike Gold : There is that.