Anyway, I know that a lot of people here on tumblr do not actually buy comics, but I do want to encourage people to think about what you can do to support DCBlackout. I know that I am not a person who's purchases drive metrics at DC comics. I only put in a preorder for comics once in a blue moon, I read digitally, and I buy collected editions, but yesterday I canceled my dcui subscription and while the boycott continues, I'm not going to renew it. While I'll probably still get dc comics through second hand sources here and there, I'm not going to buy any new comics from them either.
There should be more opportunities for black creators at DC and there should be more stories for characters like Nubia, Steel, Vixen, The Signal, Mr Terrific, everyone from Milestone and more.
Even if you're not a comics buyer, you can still sign the petition and you can share your favorite independent comics from black creators. I'll start: Everyone should read Prince of Cats by Ronald Wimberly.
Try and seek out new works and expand your horizons. That's what I'll be doing.
Black Comic Alliance Announces Stage 2: DCBlackout, Escalating Calls for Structural Change at DC Comics
The Black Comic Alliance, the collective of content creators behind the viral #DCSoWhite campaign, has officially announced Stage 2 of its advocacy movement: DCBlackout, a coordinated protest calling on readers, supporters, and content creators to withhold financial support and pause content creation tied to DC Comics publishing initiatives until meaningful structural changes are made around…
The longest reoccurring modern day super without an ongoing.
Over 500 appearances but less than 10 center focused stories.
Nat has existed since 1994, why is it that I can finish her entire chronology in a week or less? Nat has an established origin, family, strong principals and reasons for being a hero, friendships and relationships; All waiting to be told to new and old audiences. It’s more of a world than even some popular characters get. So much to work with but none of it is ever largely expanded on. Natasha deserves a new story; one that highlights her as a black woman, an inventor, and an amazing form of queer representation. Not just now but for years to come.
She is so much more than the background character dc uses to fill in their superfamily spread.
hey everypony !! since i’m supporting the DCblackout boycott, i figured i’d make a small info post with links and summaries !!
DCblackout:
DCblackout is the second stage of the DCsowhite discussion that took place earlier this year, which pointed out that DC hasn’t publtished a solo, on-going black title in over 1200 days
DCblackout has 3 main goals: 1. establish and announce 1-3 black on-going titles (with black creative teams) that have cancellation immunity for a minimum of 2 years, 2. educate fans on how sales work so they can accurately support the titles they love, & 3. greenlight a power company book if the titles do well (which would help a fanbase grow)
the goal of DCblackout is to raise awareness of the lack of black DC stories and give fans heroes they can relate to and see themselves in.
blackgirlnerds.com
their official public statement is as follows:
bleedingcool.com
DCsowhite and why now:
DCsowhite brought attention to the fact that there has been no black on-going title in over 1200 days. the last title was ‘I Am Batman’, which ran from 2021-2023 and ended on its #18 issue.
dc heavily relies on mini-runs or one shots for black characters, and black female characters receive even less.
james portis III (aka JPenumbra) posted a piece to comicsbeat.com focusing on the issue.
comicbeats.com
this has been an issue for a long time, but it doesn’t have to continue this way !! below is a link to the DCblackout petition, and blow that are links to JPenumbra’s original piece, the DCblackout website, and blackgirlnerds.com and bleedingcool.com’s pieces (in that order).
#DCSoWhite: End the Black Superhero Drought
It has now been 1171 days since the last time DC published an ongoing series for a Black character in their mainline continuity
DCBlackout - a DC Comics boyocott.
Following the viral #DCSoWhite conversation, creators demand sustained investment, visibility, and accountability for Black representation
DC Blackout: a DC Comics fan boycott launches after 1200 days without an ongoing DC Universe comic book series with a black lead character
did u know it has been over 1200 days since there has been a DC mainline ongoing series led by a black main character? because of this there is an ongoing boycott of DC comics, heres a screenshot of the official statement:
heres the petition mentioned in the statement:
#DCSoWhite: End the Black Superhero Drought
and for more info on the boycott check out this site:
DCBlackout - a DC Comics boyocott.
because of this, i wont be promoting/supporting any DC runs from made by non-black creatives and i encourage others to do the same. use ur voice and show DC that we want black creatives and black stories!!
Man, you know, seeing the energy people are putting into pushing back against the boycott has been pretty illuminating. You can pull as a bunch of different threads, qualify things, split hairs about what does and doesn't count. But at the end of the day, the point is that the publisher does not have a vested interest in varied, multicultural representation.
And that sucks, as a long time comic reader.
My entire life I've enjoyed stories about people that in no way reflect me or my experience, because that's most of what there was to pull from. If I want to see myself, I have a couple options every now and again, and I better hope I like the writing and characters enough. There will always be comics about White men. Always. One getting cancelled or selling poorly will not change that reality, nor will the conclusion be "Well, nobody wants to buy books about White characters."
But the implication that it's on *me as the consumer* to buy every Black led-book ever to make sure they try again in 5-7 years maybe is insane. DC caters to a certain demographic because they want them to buy their books. Why would a demographic that is not consistently, meaningfully included, keep showing up?
Really, what bothers me the most is the reminder the fanbase they've cultivated isn't simply not one that resembles me, but actively doesn't want to see me present. You can only be reminded of that so many times before you decide it's time to move on. I'm stubborn for personal reasons, ideas I'm invested in and the like. But I think I've become pretty sour on this whole slice of the hobby.
"We didn't cook anything for you" is different than "we don't want you here" and both in the same sentence is hard to come back from.
Whiel i do agree with the message of the blackout boycott i find its management odd
Boycotting dc right before the pride special could send a dangerous message that fans are uninterested in queer characters and stories
I understand your concern anon but the timing of the boycott is simply because it hit 1200 days without a Black-led ongoing (an already inexcusable amount of days) - I've seen this concern about timing in other places but it worries me that people see this as 'Black-led ongoings' versus 'queer stories' when we all know there are Black queer characters (Jo comes to mind) who could be honoured with a mainline ongoing during Pride Month as well!
I totally get people being hesitant about this, but the fact is there is no good time to do a boycott & that's the point. The idea that we should wait until a more convenient time to boycott is antithetical to the purpose of the protest. I truly truly understand it will be hard for some people - I just cancelled my subscription to Batgirl and I am genuinely worried about the comic's longevity as well as if DC will invest in her later - but the issue at hand is Black fans, creatives, and characters, whom DC has failed again and again. A Black-led ongoing will be a victory for us all because it shows the power of collective action and solidarity, and that is worth sacrificing some things to me personally.
But I cannot tell you or anyone else how to participate in this protest! While I do think everyone should at least try to boycott, there are other things you can do including calling for Black-led ongoings on social media platforms, cutting down your pull list as much as possible, using #DCSoWhite and #DCBlackout to discuss the underrepresentation of Black characters, purchasing Black creatives' non-DC books, and signing the petition!!!
Organizers of the DCBlackout boycott have announced the boycott’s end, citing discourse overshadowing the goal of the campaign, and acknowledging that some calls to action were limiting support of black, lgbt+, and female creatives.
While no longer calling for a boycott, they are still encouraging others to boost comics and media made by black creatives and about black characters to bring awareness to the lack of representation and to let publishers know that these stories are sought out and wanted.
from @jpenumbra on tiktok
here is a link to the campaign’s petition: change.org/dcsowhitecampaign
image text under cut:
“First and foremost, we want to thank everyone who has supported the DCSoWhite campaign. Since the beginning of this year, thousands of comic readers, retailers, creators, and fans have joined us in advocating for greater investment in Black characters and opportunities for Black creators within the comic book industry.
Today, we are announcing the end of the DCBlackout boycott.
This decision comes after a lot of reflection and conversations with members of the comic book community. While the boycott was launched to draw attention to an issue we believe remains important, it became clear that the conversation surrounding the boycott was often overshadowing the larger goal of the campaign.
The fact remains that it has been more than 1200 days since a Black character has headlined a solo title in DC Comics' mainline continuity. We continue to believe this is an issue worth discussing and addressing. However, we also recognize that many fans and creators we care about felt the boycott unintentionally minimized books, characters, and creators whose work provides meaningful representation for women, LGBTQIA+ readers, people of color, and other marginalized communities. That was never our intention, and we apologize for that impact. We heard those concerns, and they played a major role in our decision to reevaluate the boycott.
Our goal has never been to take representation away from anyone else in oursuit
of our own. We believe that Black characters deserve greater support, and inat the creators and books currently providing representation across the industry deserve to be celebrated and supported
As a result, DCSoWhite will continue as an awareness and advocacy campaign rather than a boycott effort.
One of the most effective ways readers can support creators and influence publisher decision-making is through preorders before a book's Final Order Cutoff (FOC) date. Pre-orders are one of the clearest indicators of reader interest and help publishers and retailers determine future investments in characters, titles, and creative teams. We encourage fans to support the books and creators they want to see succeed, particularly those from underrepresented communities. If you are unsure of a title's FOC date, contact your local comic shop or consult publicly available retailer resources.
DCBlackout grew into something much larger than we originally anticipated
While we appreciate the conversations it sparked, we recognize that the focus often shifted away from the concerns that inspired the campaign in the first place. Moving forward, we want the conversation to center on solutions, support, and meaningful opportunities for Black characters and creators.
The DCSoWhite campaign is not ending. The petition remains active. We will continue to highlight Black creators, promote Black independent comics, document industry trends, and advocate for greater investment in Black characters across mainstream comics.
We don't know what the future holds for DC in the coming weeks, months, or years. What we do know is that Black characters deserve the same opportunities, promotion, and great stories as everyone else. That's what this campaign has always been about, and that's what we will continue fighting for. And when DC finally announces a Black ongoing in the mainline continuity, we will be there for phase 3 of this campaign like we originally intended.”
