BLACK CONDOR, THE 59
World” neglect of his community—to declare East St. Louis’ independence from the
United States. As president of the newly-christened “Blackland,” Fredericks is supported
fi nancially in his eff orts by an old college classmate and billionaire, John Roberts. Inter-
national investments allow Blackland to provide social services, such as regular garbage
pickup, while local gangsters are placed in charge of the military and law enforcement.
As an outraged U.S. Government prepares to invade Blackland, Fredericks becomes
torn between Roberts’s entrepreneurial opportunism and the revolutionary idealism of
a Black Nationalist organization called New African People’s Party (N.A.P.P). Assas-
sination threats come from auto manufacturers as well as Middle East oil suppliers who
disagree with Blackland’s use of alternative energy sources. Yet once the dangers sub-
side, Presidents Caldwell and Fredericks sign a treaty, suggesting both the recognition
of Blackland’s sovereignty and the unexpected triumph of their revolution.
In its humorous consideration of an African American nation within a nation, Birth
of a Nation satirizes American politics and religion, modern consumerism, and popular
culture through slapstick comedy and caricature that is reminiscent of McGruder’s
popular comic strip (and animated television series) Th e Boondocks and Baker’s comic
parody Th e Cowboy Wally Show. Th e writers portray Blackland’s residents in constant
disagreement over their country’s new fl ag (a white Jesus against Afrocentric red, black,
and green colors); the national anthem (Prince’s version is rejected in favor of words
sung to the tune of the theme song from Good Times ); and, the faces that will be printed
on the country’s currency (among those chosen are Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet
Tubman, James Brown, and Will Smith). McGruder and Hudlin originally conceived
of Birth of a Nation as a screenplay, but lacking an interested movie studio, the writers
turned their script over to Baker to illustrate in his characteristic loose, cartoony style.
As a result, the small, brightly-colored panels of the comic progress like storyboards
above the dialogue and narration, with cameo appearances by Al Sharpton, Shaquille
O’Neal, and martial arts actor Jim Kelly.
Qiana J. Whitted
BLACK CONDOR, THE. First appearing in Quality Comics’ Crack Comics 1 (May 1940)
in a story written by Will Eisner and drawn by Lou Fine (under the pseudonym
“Kenneth Lewis”), the Black Condor began life as Richard Grey, Jr., an infant raised
by super-intelligent condors in Mongolia after his archaeologist parents were killed by
raiders while on a safari. Grey grows to young adulthood in the care of the birds, and he
eventually learns how to fl y at their instruction. He is later taken in by a hermit named
“Father Pierre,” who names him “Black Condor” and teaches him human language and
customs.
Black Condor’s Ta r z a n -like origin, which features strong Orientalist imagery and
attitudes, is preposterous even by Golden Age standards, made even more so by the
fact that condors are not native to Mongolia. In addition to the power of fl ight, Black
Condor also commands birds in their own language and occasionally carries a “black
ray” gun.
