A D.I.Y. aesthetic pervaded the BAM Black Comix Expo, which brought together independent black artists, cosplayers and fans in Brooklyn on Sunday. The event was billed as a celebration of comics of color.
And yet, there was no doubt that a Hollywood behemoth was on everyone's minds: Black Panther, the $200 million production that could permanently alter black representation.
The movie comes out this week, and according to one expo attendee, Phillip Crews, the overall mood among his friends was "Oh snap! We're actually getting a movie! Let's get hyped."
Brian Fleurantin, who works at a nonprofit, said, "Everything I've read says it's going to be an incredible movie."
The film's big budget, he argued, could "really open up doors" for other black actors and creators in the years to come.
Kadiatou Coulibaly, an attendee originally from Mali, came dressed as the Suicide Squad character Harley Quinn, complete with lollipop. She said she intends to show up at Black Panther in traditional Malian dress, "and instead of giving me stares, people will appreciate what I'm wearing."
