201811.23
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New Riverside art exhibit explores impact of black super hero Luke Cage

by in News

There’s more to a superhero than punching out the bad guys.

The depiction of Luke Cage — Marvel‘s first black hero to have his own comic book — raises questions about race, poverty, stereotypes about black men, the prison system and many other social issues.

  • “DOUBLECAGED” is based on a sketch by Denys Cowan, with colors and art direction by John Jennings and Stacey Robinson, who work under the name of Black Kirby. (Photo courtesy of Black Kirby)

  • “Black Harlem Matters” shows the hero with the famed Apollo Theater in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Black Kirby)

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  • “Hooded Up” depicts Luke Cage in his trademark hoodie that Mike Colter wears while portraying the hero in the Netflix series. (Photo courtesy of Black Kirby)

  • “Funkage” shows Cage as he appears as a Funko figurine, which was actually produced. (Photo courtesy of Black Kirby)

  • “Harlem Savior” portrays Mike Colter’s version of the character from the Netflix series with a glow around him. (Photo courtesy of Black Kirby)

  • “CruSCI-FIction of Black Joy” mixes photos with illustrations. (Photo courtesy of Black Kirby)

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These topics and others are explored in a new exhibit in downtown Riverside that features vivid artwork and its own Spotify playlist. The illustrations examine Cage from several angles, from protecting residents as the “savior” of the Harlem neighborhood to the way he looks as a Funko figurine.

The show, dubbed “Uncaged: Hero for Higher,” features the artwork of John Jennings, a professor of media and cultural studies at UC Riverside; and Stacey Robinson, an assistant professor of graphic design and illustration at the University of Illinois. The duo calls itself Black Kirby, after legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby.

The display explores the presentation of Cage, from his first comic-book appearance in 1972 to the recent Netflix TV series, and tackles how the character addresses black masculinity and how the black male body is seen.

The star of Marvel’s 2018 blockbuster film “Black Panther” may be more popular than Cage and preceded the character’s comic book debut by 11 years. But the character of Cage, who gained super strength and bulletproof skin after a prison experiment went wrong, is among the best known black heroes.

Those abilities alone raise an immediate question to ponder, Jennings said.

“How do you show that he’s bulletproof?” Jennings said in a UCR news release. “You have to shoot him. You have to have a black man during the Black Lives Matter movement shot every episode to prove that he’s bulletproof. And that’s problematic.”

Jennings also notes how Cage’s powerful skin echoes tales once told about blacks during slavery and that, unlike altruistic and more affluent white comic heroes, he uses his powers for profits.

Visitors can see the display until March 31 at UCR ARTS, in the Culver Center of the Arts, 3824 Main St., Riverside.

“I hope that they leave with the show itself as a teachable moment and they start to understand that comics have a lot more to offer than just cheap thrills,” Jennings said in the release. “There’s a lot of work to be done in how comics represent race, class, and other intersections. I want people to understand that these characters have meaning for a diverse array of people and they can teach a lot about our society.”

5 THING TO KNOW ABOUT LUKE CAGE

The character of Luke Cage has a long history that began in Marvel comics and extends to Netflix superhero shows.

  1. Origin: He first appeared in the 1972 comic book, “Luke Cage, Hero for Hire.” Creators Archie Goodwin and John Romita Sr. introduced him during the Blaxploitation era of the 1970s.
  2. What’s his name?: Cage’s real  name is Carl Lucas. He got his powers — bulletproof skin and super strength — when a prison experiment went awry.
  3. Another name: He adopted the hero name Power Man, which was the title of a comic book series starring Cage.
  4. Famous saying: His catch phrase — in the comics and on the Netflix series — is “Sweet Christmas!”
  5. Foes and friends: In the comics, Cage once battled Spider-Man and Iron Fist but also joined the Defenders superhero group and was a “hero for hire” along with Iron Fist. The character appears in Netflix’s “The Defenders” series, and teams up with Iron Fist in season two of Netflix’s “Luke Cage.”

Source: Marvel.com

Mike Colter plays the title character in Marvel’s “Luke Cage” Netflix series. (Photo courtesy of Myles Aronowitz, Netflix)

IF YOU GO

What: “Uncaged: Hero for Higher,” an exhibit on black super hero Luke Cage, uses art to examine the character’s history in comics and television since 1972.

Who: The exhibit was created by Black Kirby, which is comprised of John Jennings, a UC Riverside professor; and Stacey Robinson, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

Where: UCR ARTS, Culver Center of the Arts, 3824 Main St., Riverside

When: Until March 31.

Information: 951-827-4787 or https://ucrarts.ucr.edu/Exhibition/uncaged