Rankins, Michael :: "Common Elements" Commissions : Volume 10

"The Ink Is Black, The Page Is White" : Derec Donovan

Artist: Derec Donovan (All)

4 Comments - 284 Views - 3 Likes

The Ink Is Black, The Page Is White : Derec Donovan Comic Art

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Artwork Details

Title:	"The Ink Is Black, The Page Is White" : Derec Donovan
Artist:	Derec Donovan (All)
Media Type:	Mixed Media
Art Type:	Commission
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	284
Likes on CAF:	3 4
Comments:	4
Added to Site:	5/23/2021
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Those of you of a certain age will recall a time when if you were a superhero and happened to be Black, it was almost de rigueur that your codename include the word "Black." This period of history gave us the Black Panther, which actually made sense, because his costume was modeled after the animal of the same name. But it also gave us Black Lightning, Black Vulcan, Black Goliath, Black Racer, Vykin the Black... on and on it went. (I'm convinced that the only reason John Stewart didn't become Black Lantern was that there was already a color in his well-established codename.)

Anyone with eyesight could observe that these characters were men of color. There was no valid reason to tack on the adjective -- after all, there was no White Superman, White Spider-Man, or White Flash... although I could see that last one working, with just a quick costume recoloring.

One of the rare exceptions to this now-quaint nomenclatural oddity was The Falcon, Marvel's first African-American hero. (I presume that by now everyone is clear that Black Panther is African, but not American. Wakanda forever!) Sam Wilson escaped being tagged "Black Falcon," opening the field for many other heroes of various shades to simply be titled as they were, without calling attention to their skin color.

Sam makes his second Common Elements appearance in this eye-catching mixed-media creation by Derec Donovan, opposite his fellow high-flier from the Golden Age, the Black Condor. Unlike many of the heroes already mentioned, the Black Condor -- despite his codename -- was quite obviously (especially so, thanks to the skin-baring scantness of his fighting outfit) of the Caucasian persuasion. Not even his costume was black, with the exception of his Sam Browne belt. Everything else -- what there was of it -- was blue.

In the words of the classic rock song by Three Dog Night:
"The ink is black, the page is white --
Together we learn to read and write...
A child is black, a child is white --
Together they grow to see the light... to see the light."

This is Common Elements #173.

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About the Owner

	Michael Rankins Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	September 2004
Last Login:	August 2025
Ebay Id:	swanshadow1
Website:	http://swanshadowblog.com/
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Michael's Classifieds Michael's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Gal Schwartz
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/23/2021

Great depiction of these classic characters ! Derec Donovan never disappoints !

F M
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/23/2021

Great color work and staging.

Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/23/2021

Putting the Golden Age and Silver Age contrast is quite clever and much needed if we in the current generation are to understand and reevaluate the ideals of heroism for our time!

Will K
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 6/3/2021

Great art, great character selection, great theme and great song !!

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