Lin Lucas

Sobre el Proceso

As a comics creator, I generally write and draw my own stories. I work with very traditional tools of the medium: Pencils, Micron pens, brushes, and India ink. Finished work is done on 2-ply Bristol Board at either 11 X 14" or 11 X 17". My stories reflect a preoccupation with reclaiming the past—with trying to affirm my place in a history that has washed away all traces of my African ancestors' existence. I am obsessed with weaving African presence into popular genres of the past and imagining inclusive futures. I write in a variety of forms: short stories, screenplays, poetry, and comics. Whatever the medium, my stories always reflect an effort to fulfill a longing for repair. Through stories, I trace a path home. My workspace is open, warm with natural light; the walls are filled with framed original pages by cartoonists who have inspired my love and approach to visual storytelling—artist like Jack Kirby, Gene Colan, Jim Holdaway, Guy Davis, and Gilbert Hernandez. My recently completed 2nd graphic novel, The Black Flame Society, is set in an alternate historical setting between the end of World War I and the eve of the Great Depression. It is a mash-up of mystery, adventure, and speculative fiction in the pulp tradition of the 1930s and 40s. The novel is my effort to address the absence of Black representation in genre fiction of that period. The Black Flame Society is an affirmative reimagining of the popular fiction from the golden age; it depicts African Americans and other marginalized groups as empowered citizens on a global stage, capable of actively challenging the oppressive systems that seek to inhibit their potential. The story addresses enduring social issues and invites critical exploration of cultural representation.