The Angry Black Panel, by Michael Davis – Straight No Chaser #180

August 13, 2010 Michael Davis 12 Comments

Keith Knight, a wonderful cartoonist by the way, stated in the Washington Post when asked about his Comic Con panel, “I call it the Nappy Hour Panel of Black Cartoonists where no one is a rapper just releasing a comic book and trying to break into comics. I wanted to get together folks you’d never see on the Angry Black Panel. I want to transfer that kind of casual talk about the industry that we do at the bar into a panel at Comic-Con — well, without the booze.”

I’m going to assume that Keith is not talking about MY Black Panel. OK, MY Black Panel is the only panel called ‘The Black Panel’ and I in fact own the name ‘The Black Panel’ with regards to all things entertainment and such and certainly within the Comic Book Convention arena. OK, I’ll assume that Keith is NOT talking about my Black Panel that has (as Reggie Hudlin points out so well) a ‘no whining policy.’ In other words, no angry niggas allowed.

MY Black Panel is and has always been about empowerment, inclusion and access to the people that want it from the people that have it. MY Black Panel is about all black entertainment it features but is NOT limited to comics.

Those ‘rappers’ on the panels join CEO’s, directors, artists, writers and new talent from various entertainment mediums.  Those ‘rappers’ by the way reach MILLIONS of people with their music and some of them such as Ludacris are invited and attend the panel because they have an eye towards the world, not just their world.

I’m going to assume that Keith is not talking about MY Black Panel because MY Black panel starts with an introduction of the panelists then immediately becomes an Q & A allowing the audience to ask whatever they want, thus the only agenda is one the audience sets. MY Black Panel does not try and sell anyone anything, nor does it pretend to be the voice of all Black people.

I attended the Nappy Hour. I enjoyed it. I’ll make the assumption that those people on the panel were not angry. Wait a sec, I don’t have to assume, I was THERE. Duh. So I won’t be making any statements to the Washington Post about not attending the ANGRY Nappy panel. I assume there is only ONE ‘Nappy Panel’ so if I say ANGRY NAPPY PANEL I may piss Keith off. And pissed off he should be because there is only one Nappy Panel. Wait a sec, there’s only ONE Black Panel also. But because I hate to see black people go at it in the media (or on the corner) I’m going to assume that Keith (great cartoonist by the way) meant some OTHER Black Panel, which does not exist because if it did my lawyers would be on them like black guys in the army stationed in Japan are on Japanese women.

By the way, Keith’s book ‘ Knight Life: Chivalry Ain’t Dead’ is Bad Ass! The more I read the more I like it…but it’s making me angry.