Deemed the “cultural appropriator” sixteen year-old Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg took social media by storm when she presented her thoughts on the lessening and watering-down of black culture’s fashion and style that (in the pop culture) when taken/adopted by non black; is considered “in” and fashionable.
Rather than the young trendsetter spending useless energy trying to fight for inclusion into already established legends of the 007 kind, in the comic world, rather than trying to recreate the first black Wonder Woman (published by Los Angeles based company: Stranger Comics, co-written with Sebastian A. Jones. Layout by Darrell May, and illustrated by Ashley A. Woods); Amandla Stenberg is exhibiting her artistic talents into exalting powerful and positive images of people of color in comics by having creating her very own comic book franchise titled “NIOBE: She Is Life.”
The publisher [of the comic book]’s aim is distribute a variety of artist mediums that narrate the experiences of people of color-comic books is just one of the mediums Stranger Comics is producing.
Stranger Comic’s founder Jones and Amandla met at the Mixed Remix Festival-an annual cultural arts festival celebrating persons of mixed heritage where Amandla first became involved with the project.
“NIOBE: She Is Life” is described as a coming of age tale of love and betrayal whose synopsis reads:
“Niobe Ayutami is an orphaned wild elf teenager and also the would-be savior of the vast and volatile fantasy world of Asunda. She is running from a past where the Devil himself would see her damned… toward an epic future that patiently waits for her to bind nations against the hordes of hell. The weight of prophecy is heavy upon her shoulders and the wolf is close on her heels.”
Amandla told The Huffington Post “I was drawn to give voice to Niobe and co-write her story because her journey is my journey. I connect to her mixed racial background and quest to discover her innate powers and strengths, to learn who she truly is.”
“It did not take long for me to know she was the person I needed to develop; she’s the most beloved character in a franchise I have been brewing for more than two decades – a hero that has the weight of the world on her winged shoulders, a woman who will bind nations,” said Jones [of the character].
“Niobe” was originally a character in Jones’ The Untamed series that followed a protagonists (“The Stranger”)’s quest to seek revenge for the deaths of his wife and daughter.
Stenberg says of Niobe: She is on a path to a destiny that will test her faith and her will, something we can all relate to. But there’s never been a character quite like her, one who shatters the traditional ideal of what a hero is. We need more badass girls!”
It’s no wonder that (coincidentally?) Jada Pinkett Smith’s bad-a$$ character’s name in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
As well, the video game “Enter The Matrix” ’s protagonists name was Niobe as well!.
“NIOBE: She Is Life” is slated for a November release along with The Untamed comic book’s release.
