Unsung Ink: The Legacy of Black Writers and Artists in Comics | SIDEBAR FOREVER

For every hero soaring overhead, there’s a creator behind the scenes who deserves their shine.

This Black History Month, we’re giving flowers to the Black writers and artists who helped define comics as we know it. From Matt Baker and Billy Graham, to Denys Cowan and Christopher Priest, to Stephanie Williams and Khary Randolph, we follow a creative throughline across generations. We also highlight pioneering cartoonists like Jay Jackson and Jackie Ormes—the first African American woman cartoonist.

We talk about the first Black creators we encountered as readers—and what that meant. Did they change the way we saw the page? Or were they just doing what great creators do: making unforgettable, good-ass comics?

This is Unsung Ink—a celebration of the names and faces behind the comics we love.