I just wanted to share with all of you this advertisement for Jaguar Jackson’s B.A.M.F. Combat Academy. This is an ad that will appear in the upcoming one-shot comic The Monster of Blackenstyne (not to be confused with Blackenstein). That’s right…this comic will be more than just a comic, it will be an immersive experience that will forever change your life!
At long last, I am pleased to share the not-quite-final design for the cover of The Monster of Blackenstyne (not to be confused with Blackenstein). This amazing work of art is by the one and only Joe Jusko, and I am honored to have him be a part of this creative journey. I knew that this comic needed an incredibly iconic image for the cover, but I never really thought that it would have something this monumentally badass.
The Monster of Blackenstyne (not to be confused with Blackenstein) is a one-shot comic that will serve as an introduction to your new favorite monster. The comic includes a full-color, 24-page story drawn by Marcelo Di Chiara and colored by Pedro Estouco (see sample page above), as well as a bonus pin-up gallery. There will be a crowdfunding campaign starting next month, as well as an art contest to find artists to include in the pin-up gallery (details on the Kickstarter campaign and the art contest coming soon).
Founded by Richard Norman, and based out of Jacksonville, Florida, the Norman Film Manufactuting Company was one of the first while-owned production companies to start making race films following the release of DW Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation in 1915. Also known as Norman Studios, the production company made several notable race films between 1916 and 1928, including The Crimson Skull and The Flying Ace. Norman is perhaps best remembered for the 1921 film The Bull-Dogger, which featured world famous cowboy and rodeo star Bill Pickett.
We’re one day away from debuting the cover of the one-shot comic book The The Monster of Blackenstyne (not to be confused with Blackenstein), but for now, I want to share a few other special images. In addition to the 24-page story, the comic book will feature a bonus gallery of pin-ups by an incredible line-up of artists.
BUT WAIT!!! THERE’S MORE!!! I’m going to be hosting an art contest to find more pin-ups to include in the comic. And yes, there will also be cash prizes. Look for more about the art contest as well as the crowdfunding campaign for The Monster of Blackenstyne (not to be confused with Blackenstein) in the coming weeks.
History has not been kind to actor Mantan Moreland, who is mostly remembered for the many roles he played that were steeped in negative tropes and racial stereotypes. But the truth is that Moreland, a former vaudeville performer that broke into the films in the 1930s, was one of the greatest comedic actors of all time. He was also incredibly popular, with both white audiences and Black. With more than 131 roles to his credit, Moreland was arguably one of the biggest Black stars of the 1940s, working as a leading man in race films such as Professor Creeps, Mr. Washington Goes to Town, and Mantan Messes Up. Moreland also regularly appeared in low-budget movies produced by Monogram Pictures. He was paired with white actor Frankie Darro in nine films, where he often received co-star billing (an uncommon status for Black actors in the 1940s). Moreland also appeared in fifteen of Monogram’s Charlie Chan movies, where he co-starred as Chan’s chauffeur, Birmingham Brown. One of his best roles was in the 1941 film King of the Zombies, which also featured Madame Sul-Te-Wan. No other Black actor worked as regularly in both race films and mainstream Hollywood movies as Mantan Moreland. He was a star in both the all-Black race films of the 1940s, as well as a key supporting actor in mainstream (though low-budget) Hollywood movies.
To learn more about actors like Mantan Moreland and companies like Monogram Pictures, check out my new book Black Film: A History of Black Representation and Participation in the Movies will be released by Ten Speed Press on March 24, 2026. You can pre-order the book here.
