BCALA and the ALA Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table: Good Trouble

Criteria for Inclusion in BCALA x GNCRT #BLM Comics Reading List

Title must be published sequential art, with one or more of the following elements:

Members of BCALA and GNCRT may have contributed to the items listed here and may have done so on a voluntary or paid basis.

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“You must find a way to get in trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble.” – John Lewis

Inspired by the indomitable Congressman John Lewis, this list comprises the history of Black folks who advocated for the disenfranchised, the invisible, and the voiceless. It speaks on those who caused necessary trouble to ensure that culture lives on, despite severe consequences. Good Trouble emphasizes that history cannot be told without the inclusion of Black history.

Angola Janga: Kingdom of Runaway Slaves (A)
Marcelo D’Salete, writer and artist
2019, Fantagraphics Books
Fiction. This epic graphic novel dramatizes real events in seventeenth-century Brazil, where kidnapped Africans and their descendents escaped Portuguese slavery and founded an independent nation that resisted, fought, and occasionally negotiated with the local European population for the right to self-determination without interference.
Publisher site: https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/angola-janga
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1041890903

The Be-Bop Barbarians (A)
Gary Phillips, writer; Dale Berry, artist
2019, Pegasus Books
Fiction. The start of the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s New York City, as told through the stories of three Black cartoonists. The Be-Bop Barbarians tackles the concept of passing, police brutality, the Red Scare, and other subjects that feel relevant in the 1950s and today.
Publisher site: http://pegasusbooks.com/books/the-be-bop-barbarians-9781681777764-hardcover
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1197913425

The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History (A)
David F. Walker, writer; Marcus Kwame Anderson, artist
2021, Penguin Random House / Ten Speed Press
A comprehensive history of the Black Panther Party’s rise and fall – and its lasting impact in modern society.
Publisher site: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/621144/the-black-panther-party-by-david-f-walker-illustrated-by-marcus-kwame-anderson
WorldCat: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1140352080

The Harlem Hellfighters (YA)
Max Brooks, writer; Caanan White, artist
2014, Broadway Books
A fictionalized story of the all-Black 369th Infantry Regiment in World War I, which details their history from the discrimination they experienced in training camps to their heroic fighting in Europe.
Publisher site: https://www.broadwaybooks.net/book/9780307464972
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/904260843

It’s Life as I See It: Black Cartoonists in Chicago, 1940-1980 (A)
Dan Nadal, editor; Charles Johnson, editor; Ronald Wimberly, editor, Kerry James Marshall, artist
2021, New York Review Comics
This anthology features the works of Black cartoonists during the mid-twentieth century and the ways in which it centers Black lives.
Publisher site: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/673414/its-life-as-i-see-it-by-edited-by-dan-nadel-essays-by-charles-johnson-and-ronald-wimberly-cover-design–by-kerry-james-marshall
WorldCat: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1226074498

Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History (J)
Dan Nadal, editor; Charles Johnson, editor; Ronald Wimberly, editor, Kerry James Marshall, artist
2021, New York Review Comics
This anthology features the works of Black cartoonists during the mid-twentieth century and the ways in which it centers Black lives.
Publisher site: https://www.lbyr.com/titles/vashti-harrison/little-legends-exceptional-men-in-black-history/9780316475167
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1100448557

March (YA)
John Lewis, writer; Andrew Aydin, writer; Nate Powell, artist
2013 – 2016, Top Shelf Productions
A history of the Civil Rights Movement, as experienced by civil rights leader and U.S. congressman, John Lewis.
Publisher site: http://www.topshelfcomix.com/march
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1090612794

Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana (YA)
Brian K. Mitchell, writer; Barrington S. Edwards, artist, Nick Weldon, editor
2021, University of Virginia Press / Historic New Orleans
Before there was P.B. S. Pinchback, there was Oscar Dunn, America’s first Black lieutenant governor and acting governor. A supporter of civil rights during Reconstruction in Louisiana, a colleague of President Grant, and a political powerhouse, Dunn pushed through massive change during this era, and yet, his accomplishments have been lost to time. This comprehensive history tells his story through the words of his descendent.
Publisher site: https://www.hnoc.org/publications/books/monumental
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1193558932

Robert Smalls: Tales of the Talented Tenth (J)
Joel Christian Gill, writer and artist
2021, Fulcrum
The true story of Robert Smalls, who commandeered a Confederate ship and sailed it to Union-controlled waters and liberated thirteen enslaved people.
Publisher site: https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/robert-smalls-products-9781682750667.php
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1153896665

Strange Fruit, Volume 1: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History (YA)
Joel Christian Gill, writer and artist
2014, Fulcrum
Joel Christian Gill brings to light nine previously overlooked stories in Black history – from Henry “Box” Brown’s escape to freedom to Major Taylor’s accomplishments as the fastest cyclist in the world.
Publisher site: https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/strange-fruit–volume-i-products-9781938486296.php
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/883786987

Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts (A)
Rebecca Hall, writer; Hugo Martínez, artist
2021, Simon & Schuster
The history of the erasure of Black women in the slave trade comes to life in this genre blend of novel and memoir. Dr. Hall’s mission to tell the stories of Black women and their resistance emphasizes the hidden history that is often used to hold down a culture.
Publisher site: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Wake/Rebecca-Hall/9781982115180
WorldCat: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1201298682

Supplementary

Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books
Ken Quattro, writer
2020, Penguin Random House / Yoe Books
Profiles the unseen Black artists and creators of comics who paved the way for Black contemporary artists and stories. This includes the comics and art created by the artists and provides historical context.
Publisher site: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/609355/invisible-men-the-trailblazing-black-artists-of-comic-books-by-ken-quattro/9781684055869
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1098341960

John Lewis: Good Trouble (film)
2020, Dawn Porter
A documentary that details over sixty years of John Lewis’s life getting into good trouble, which includes featured footage of Lewis himself, interviews with politicians and activists, and archival footage.
Publisher site: https://www.johnlewisgoodtrouble.com
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1198688244

Black-Owned Publisher Spotlight

Lion Forge Comics
2011-Lion Forge Comics was founded in 2011 by David Steward II and Carl Reed to highlight diverse creators and characters in the comics industry. In 2019, Lion Forge merged with Oni Press, and David Steward II became the CEO of Polarity, a media company that continues to publish diverse comics through Oni, diverse animation through Lion Forge Animation, and more.
Polarity: https://polarityltd.com/
Lion Forge Animation: https://www.lionforgeanimation.com
Oni Press: https://onipress.com

Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation
Sheena C. Howard and Ronald L. Jackson II, editors.
2013, Bloomsbury USA Academic
“Bringing together contributors from a wide range of critical perspectives, Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation is an analytic history of the diverse contributions of Black artists to the medium of comics. Covering comic books, superhero comics, graphic novels, and cartoon strips from the early 20th century to the present, the book explores the ways in which Black comic artists have grappled with themes, such as the Black experience, gender identity, politics, and social media.”-Publisher
Publisher site: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/black-comics-9781441135285
WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/title/black-comics-politics-of-race-and-representation/oclc/927273836/editions?editionsView=true&referer=br

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