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Black Superheroes, Sidekicks, and Characters Comic Book Collection
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Black Superheroes, Sidekicks, and Characters Comic Book Collection

  • US TxAM-C C000561
  • Collection

These comics were created in countries that were ruled by colonial powers in Africa, namely Italy, France, Belgium, and Spain. The comics are both individual copies and bound volumes with numerous copies. They date from around 1926 to 1973.

Comic Books

Mandrake.  This is an Italian comic book featuring Mandrake and his black sidekick, Lothar.  They are a cross between secret agents and adventurers, with most of the issues dealing with fantasy.  The series dates from the 1960’s and 1970’s.
I Tre Boy-Scouts.  This is an Italian comic book about three Boy Scouts and their sidekick Zemba.  Zemba is another derivative of ‘Sambo’.  Zemba is a French Senegalese Trailleur and is over seven feet tall.  Zemba is always getting the three Boy Scouts either into or out of trouble.  The comic, like Tabu, is mostly text.  The comic is undated but appears from the 1940’s.

Comic Books

Scari, Il Piccolo Somalio is an Italian comic book that came out after the Italian War in Abyssinia in 1935-36. Translated as ‘Scar, the Little Somali’, Scari is an abbreviation of ‘Ascari’, the name given to colonial troops employed by the colonial powers at the time. Scari is fighting the evil Abyssinians and gets help from people that look like American cowboys and the setting for the stories can easily be confused with the American West. In fact, the comic shares space with another comic book hero called ‘Alan’ who is an American cowboy. The notion of pairing stories in Africa and the Wild American West is not uncommon and is seen even in the USA with Aunt Hannah’s Bread issuing 200 bread labels devoted to the theme of the American West and Africa. (on offer to TAMU as well). Like the Italian Empire, this comic book series had a limited run. This collection includes 8 out of perhaps 15 of the comics ever issued.
Tabu, El Vengador de los Esclavos. This is a Spanish comic book but without much in the way of cartoons inside. There are 2 or 3 pieces of artwork inside and the balance is all text. Tabu is the ‘avenger of the slaves’ as the comic book title states. Each comic shows him fighting to protect blacks and stand on the side of justice. The entire series takes place in America at the time of the Civil War. The comic is undated but appears from 1940’s.
Zembla, is a comic book that was published in both France and Italy and distributed in those countries as well as Switzerland, Canada, Morocco and Tunisia. The main hero is Zembla, a European version of the American Tarzan. He has a sidekick named YeYe (pronounced ‘YayYay’) who was a mascot of the US army in Africa. His unit was massacred in Kenya by Masai tribesmen. In the 4th issue Zembla finds YeYe injured and nurses him back to health and they become best friends. YeYe appears in all of the issues except for a final run, where Zembla takes on a new sidekick. YeYe continues to wear the MP helmet of a US military policeman and is always wearing a clock around his neck to remind him what time it is. In most issues Zembla is usually getting YeYe out of trouble, but in some cases it is YeYe who saves the day. The series ran during the 1960’s to 1970’s
Batouk, Le Roi de la Foret Vierge, is a French comic book that translates into Batouk, the King of the Virgin Forest. He is an African hero, fighting evil and dispensing justice. Each issue takes place in a different French colonial region of Africa, so in one issue he is with the Sultan of Sokoto, another with the Ashantis, another in Niger, Porto Novo and so on. This series, like Tabu and Zambo, underwent different makeovers of the main hero.
Zambo. This is an Italian comic book that ran from 1946-1947. ‘Zambo’ is an offshoot of ‘Sambo’. Zambo dispenses justice, along with his young son ‘Zimbi’, all over the world. Some of it is in real places (like Brooklyn) and some of it is fantasy. I have 20 issues, from 1946-1947. Interesting for researchers is that Zambo had three makeovers during this time. This collection encompasses all three manifestations of Zambo.

Comic Books

Black Face. This is a Belgian comic about the (mis)adventures of a black union soldier in the American Civil War. The series ran during 1983.
Bamboula. This is a french comic about a black boy named Bamboula who spreads mischief. The series ran throughout 1953.
Safari, is a comic book issued in Spain about the adventures of Alex Martin, a hunter, and two young boys. In issue #11, one of the boys, George, meets a young African boy named Balu, who lives in the trees, and is then adopted by the family. The three boys are constantly getting into troubleas they stop crime and experience the joys of youth. The setting is in Africa, hence the name 'Safari.' The series appeared to run for 2 years, from 1966 to 1968.
Volto Nascosto, is a limited Italian comic series that takes place in Rome and Eritrea. The main character is "Volto Nascosto", a mysterious Islamic warrior and prophet whose face is covered with a silver mask and who, in the story, leads the resistance of the Ethiopian people against the Italians. The story begins in Massua in 1889 and carries through the defeat of the Italians at Adua in 1896. The comic lasted for 14 issues.
El Club de Los Cincos, or The Club of Five, is a Spanish comic book produced in the 1950's. Five children of different nationalities become friends during an ocean voyage and together get involved in different circumstances and become heroes. There is one black boy in the group and his name is Tommy.
Les Aventures de Neron et Cie: Les Nouvelles:Aventures de Boulette et Bambou. This is french comic about a black boy, Bambou, and his white female friend Boulette. Each issue is devoted to one of their adventures. The series dates from 1980.
Le Journal de Bebe. This is an interesting French journal/comic that ran from 1936-1938. There are two black characters that form the central focus of most of the issues. One is a black female named Bizouk and her pelican named Pelik. The other is a story named ‘Les Mesaventures de Polydor’ which is a recurring story about about two male friends, one white and one black. Most of the covers feature either Bizouk et Pelik or the Mesaventures de Polydor. All issues contain both stories.
El Corsario Sin Rostro, or The Faceless Privateer, is a Spanish comic book of a masked corsair and his sidekick Cara Cortada, which means 'Scarface'. He is black and has a long scar from his forehead to chin. Together they operate in the West Indies, attacking slave ships and freeing slaves, rescuing women and helping the local Indian populations (when they are not trying to fend off their attacks). The series lasted for only 42 issues, in 1959.
La Cuadrilla, or The Gang, is a Spanish comic book from 1961 about the adventures of 5 kids: Guty, Tito, Bomba, Lili and a black boy named 'Ebano', which translates as 'Ebony'.
Pantera Negra, or Black Panther, was a Spanish comic produced in Valencia in the late 1950's. The Black Panther is white and a Tarzan-type. Accompanying him is his faithful servant Bambo, a man of African origin, who wears western clothing as well as a Fez.
Jungla, or Jungle, is a Spanish comic book produced in 1958. It features three main characters who are a team and form the nucleus of every issue. There is the leader Jungla Salvage ('Wild Jungle'), Cabezadura ('Headstrong') and a black boy named Agustinilli. The setting is global for this trio of do-gooders.
Mosaik, was a childrens comic book produced in erlin, East Germany during the 1960's. The story revolves around 3 boys: Dig, Dag and Digedag and their black friend Ben. The setting is in the Southern US during the Civil War. Ben is identified as 'the slave boy with the banjo' and he is constantly escaping from being caught by the white authorities. An interesting communist view on slavery in America through popular culture.
Mi Tio y Yo, or My Uncle and I, was a spanish comic book from 1964. It is the story of the jungle adventures of a boy and his uncle and their faithful black servant Benito. Another member of the team is Sambo, an almost human-like chimpanzee. Benito is dressed in western clothing and is intelligent. At some point, he is reunited with his son, Bimbo, who is not westernized at all. Benito is often the hero of the story. One interesting feature of this comic is that it all takes place in Africa and very often they are battling sinister African native leaders.
Rayo de la Selva, or Ray of the Jungle, was a comic book produced in Valencia, Spain in 1960. It featured a white Tarzan-type, called the Ray of the Jungle, and his black sidekick', 'Sanson' who curiously has hair like a Ukranian cossack but is clearly an African native. Together they dispense justice and make the jungle safe and very often it is Sanson who saves the day.

Comic Books

Ardan Tim L’Audace. This is a french comic book dated from 1949-1958. Tim and his black sidekick, Salam, are ‘do-good’ adventurers who travel the earth from one adventure to the next.
Bill Kraker. Bill Kraker, is a comic book of a Spanish version of Tarzan, accompanied by his two black sidekicks, Togui and Dringo. The comic appears to date from the 1950’ and only ran for less than a year.
Bibi Fricotin. This is a french comic book originally produced after World War II and then reproduced in the 1970’s. The comic features a white boy, Bibi Fricotin, and his black friend, Razibus Zouzou. They are constantly getting into and out of trouble as they experience adventures together all over the world. The earlier issues are dedicated to 68 issues ranging from the 1940’s to the 1970’s.

Comic Books

-Sjors & Sjimmie is a Dutch adaptation of the US-comic Perry Winkle. The difference is Sjors (Perry) forms a duo with African born Sjimmie. They're raised by Sally and the Colonel. The Colonel regularly finds himself on the receiving end of their pranks. In return Sjors & Sjimmie are outsmarted by their scheming classmate Dikkie, although they manage to stay the best of friends. In the original version, Sjimmie had stereotyped features, including broken language, but this changes later on as the pair grew into teenagers and civil rights awareness increased.

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