'The living are not done with you yet'
This week's writing ...
The Black Panther first appeared 60 years ago in Fantastic Four No. 52. Jack Kirby created the character because he realized that “I had a lot of Black readers and here I am, a leading cartoonist and I wasn’t [drawing] a Black man.” The Black Panther was originally the Coal Tiger, which is not a great name. The outfit wasn’t much better.
Kirby’s inspiration for the hero was prominent Black boxers Jack Johnson, Joe Lewis, and Muhammad Ali, so the Coal Tiger didn’t hide his handsome face behind a mask. This obviously wouldn’t fly in the Southern U.S., where distributors wouldn’t stock a comic that featured a Black man’s face. So, the Coal Tiger eventually became the Black Panther, whose entire face is covered. In fact, we don’t see him unmasked until the final panel of FF No. 52.
Similar racist thinking would delay an actual Black Panther movie for years after the Marvel Cinematic Universe became a multi-billion dollar franchise.
Finally, though, it was announced that the Black Panther would debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Chadwick Boseman, who’d previously played both Jackie Robinson and James Brown, was cast as T’Challa, future king of Wakanda. His first appearance on screen as the Black Panther is epic.
Released on May 6, 2016, Captain America: Civil War was the first in Boseman’s five-picture deal with Marvel. Boseman practically leaps from a Kirby-drawn page as T’Challa, who is driven to avenge the assassination of his father. He thinks Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Shaw) is responsible, but the true mastermind is Baron Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl), who is playing both men as pawns in his larger scheme against the Avengers.
My favorite moment in the film is when T’Challa confronts Zemo in his moment of “triumph.” Zemo blamed the Avengers for his family’s death, and perhaps he was right. Nonetheless, while he might have temporarily defeated the Avengers, his family remains dead. Vengeance offers no true comfort.
“Vengeance has consumed you,” T’Challa tells Zemo. “It’s consuming them. I am done letting it consume me. Justice will come soon enough.”
“Tell that to the dead,” Zemo says, preparing to shoot himself, but T’Challa prevents him from taking his own life. That would not serve justice.
“The living are not done with you yet,” T’Challa says. Those are words someone must tell every member of the Trump administration when their judgement finally comes. (Watch below.)
The same year Boseman gave life to the Black Panther on screen, he was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer. He kept his illness private and continued to work, despite multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. The Black Panther movie premiered in 2018, when Boseman was briefly in remission. The Ryan Coogler-directed film was more than just a box-office smash. It was a cultural event. Boseman’s career prospects seemed limitless, but unfortunately his cancer would return, this time progressing to Stage IV. He died on August 28, 2020. His considerable legacy will endure.
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Previously on the Play Typer Guy:
I reject all conspiracy theories unless I’m watching The X-Files.
It has finally occurred to David French that racism might exist in America. People seemed to have appreciated this one, and others think I’m an unforgiving jerk. That’s show biz, kid.
After Maine, Chuck Schumer might try to save face as a party “leader” with the Michigan Senate primary. Let’s see what happens!
David Sirota took issue with an observation I made about Bernie Sanders. He then compared Sanders to Ronald Reagan (in a flattering way). Here’s my response.
That’s it for this week. See you on Monday.
Yeah I don’t want someone to martyr Rump. I want him to stroke out on live TV.
As far as Black Panther movie, it’s funny how it was touted as a “Black movie” just because all the leads were Black. Its theme is universal: the fight for good over evil. It made a lot of money because it appealed to most everyone. Heroes come in all colors and for once, most weren’t vilified or “magical negroes”. They were strong characters and the women were vaulted in their roles to that society.
THESE are the stories that inspire and what people want. And sometimes movies can change the (your) world.
"'The living are not done with you yet,' T’Challa says. Those are words someone must tell every member of the Trump administration when their judgement finally comes." HUZZAH!