Race in cartoons and drawing

News reaches Bloghorn from the USA where a group of African-American cartoonists are making a "comic crossover" about how their work is treated and published.

The group believe that "many editors and readers consider different 'black comics' to be interchangeable". This, they say, is among the reasons why many papers run only one or two comics by African-Americans and other creators of colour - no matter how many strips and panels are in their comics sections. And of course, the size of the drawn sections of US newspapers are vastly larger than any published here in the UK.

Speaking to Bloghorn, cartoonist and organiser of the "crossover" Darrin Bell said:

"It's natural to limit the number of themes or genres on the comics page. Two boy-and-his-dog strips is enough of that theme. Two soap opera strips are enough of that genre. But 'black strip' is no more a theme or a genre than 'white strip'."

Full details of the event, which is scheduled for February 10th, can be read here, courtesy of Dave Astor at Editor and Publisher or at Darrin's website.

British cartoon talent