#WakandaForever! Really, movie people?!
#WakandaForever! Really, movie people?!
Bibliophile’s guide to ‘Black Panther’ and #WakandaStyle
Let’s get straight to it. Yes, I am surprised by all the hype around the Black Panther movie…within the comic community (galaxy), within Black media, throughout mainstream media as a culturally epic production, and swooning out of the pores of everything entertainment this month.
Yes, I am surprised to know that Black Panther has been a part of the Marvel Comic Universe since the 1960s and can be regarded as one of Stan Lee’s most influential characters with a significant backstory.
Surely, I’m not the only one surprised. Even though I lavish a great story line and adore passionate followers in any creative space, this is pretty…well, it’s outrageous!
Wakanda University shirts? Wakanda currency? Fan Art? Wakanda citizenship? Dressing like royalty — not cosplay — to attend the movie?
And yes, the #WakandaForever! is baffling.
@NajjaNotes tweeted:
#BlackPanther is so incredible and black. My pride is gigantic. How do I gain citizenship in #Wakanda?!.
Is that “pride” the same as being #BRProud or part of the #JaguarNation or #CajunNavy? Or is this obsession going a bit too far? I mean Alvin called it “cinematic liquid cocaine”!
I began trying to connect loose dots that were all extreme hype around another fast-paced movie. (Surely, I’m not the only one.) Then, this tweet fluttered in from writer @DanSlott:
#BlackPanther (SPOILER ALERT) Believe the hype. One of the BEST Marvel movies for: having a structured story that builds, plays fair, & pays off a killer ensemble cast a well-developed lead villain world-building & design having a unique voice soundtrack & score.
One of the BEST? Really now?
I looked for validation and clarity among the #WakandaForever, #BlackPantherSoLit, and a dozen of other hash tags to find reason.
Hype. Click
Hype. Click
Hype. Click
Clarity only came when the daily blog posted in my email from afrofuturism novelist Steven Barnes. “You want to understand the reaction to Black Panther, all you have to do is look at the Star Wars phenomenon which is about the power of myth and family identity and the Roots phenomenon which is about the power of myth and social identity, add or multiply them times each other, and BANG, you have the explosion of joy!”
Barnes wrote. “Star Wars X Roots = Black Panther”
Woooow. JimmyDeCrickets! Light bulbs on. Hype cloud electrified!
I knew I wasn’t alone and clarity is here! Sooo, for those of us non-comic, anti-Big Screen, virtually sci-fi-less, superhero deprived bibliophiles who are the Johnnies-come-lately to appreciate the enormity of Black Panther. This one’s for us.
Bibliophile’s guide to ‘Black Panther’ and #WakandaStyle
Character: T’Challa, King of Wakanda
Abilities: Genius-level intellect, stamina, durability, tracker, healing.
Villian / Nemesis: Erik Killmonger
Backstory: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_(comics).
Historical accuracy: Kingdom of Wakanda was built on the idea of the Mutapa and Mali empires (https://t.co/zhjd0GKZ44 and https://t.co/zx0W3ly5x6).
African language spoken: IsiXhosa, which is spoken by 7.6 million people in South Africa.
Map of Wakanda: https://t.co/nS08HUIqkh .
#WakandaStyle: African attire not character costumes.
Learn the Characters and Storyline
- History of Marvel’s Black Panther aka T’Challa: http://marvel.com/universe/Black_Panther_(T%27Challa)#axzz56jtzZ9bk.
- ‘Black Lightning’ strikes with the perfect mix of super-heroics and social responsibility.
- Cast of Marvel’s Black Panther http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/fullcredits.
- Family tree. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1924728327538606&id=124007047610752&_rdr.
- 15 Overpowered Beings Black Panther Has Destroyed https://www.cbr.com/impossible-black-panther-victories/?view=list.
- Who Is the Villain in ‘Black Panther’? Take a Look at These Three | https://www.inverse.com/article/37451-black-panther-movie-villains.
About the director: Ryan Coogler
For Time.com, Ta-nehisi Coates wrote: ”Ryan Coogler is so necessary right now. On the biggest screen, he confers humanity and beauty on people told they are innately without it.” That was stated before Coogler took on the reigns of Black Panther. And now? The accolades, expectations, and responses are stronger.
- https://screenrant.com/filming-black-panther-was-emotionally-moving-for-ryan-coogler/
- What ‘Creed’ and ‘Fruitvale Station’ Tell Us About ‘Black Panther’ https://www.theringer.com/movies/2018/2/13/17008248/ryan-coogler-black-panther-creed
The Music:
- Black Panther director Ryan Coogler had his “mind blown” by Kendrick Lamar’s all-star soundtrack http://factm.ag/bw6cnq.
#WakandaStyle
Cosplay is common, but why will people be wearing authentic African attire to the movie?
A quick email to and from fashion designer Oonarissa Brown-Bernard, explained that the desire to wear traditional African attire is not only attributed to the heightened culture consciousness but also to the timing of the movie’s release: on the heels of Kwanzaa, MLK holiday, and dead center of Black History month. This excitement “can be maintained if people actually learn and research the tradition and the meaning behind these colors, fabrics, designs, and prints. Each element has its own meaning “ she said. “If you understand the meaning, the garment you choose can actually speak for who you are at the exact moment in your life. The meanings are infinite.”
Wearing African colors, patterns, and outfits to see the Black Panther (#WakandaStyle) brings a culturally connectedness or symbolism akin to cosplaying but, she said, “it’s going to have different meanings to those who understand.”
- Black Panther Premier: Stars and fans wear African attire. www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-43000052.
Significance of Black Panther
- For Black audiences, Black Panther poses the existential question: “What could we be if we’d never been put in chains?” nyti.ms/2EnYCV5.
- Time magazine discusses the value of producing a superhero movie that features a hero of African descent in its article “The Revolutionary Power of Black Panther — Marvel’s new movie marks a major milestone.” http://time.com/black-panther/.
- Why ‘Black Panther’ will mean so much to so many — The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2018/02/09/its-going-to-change-hollywood-why-black-panther-will-mean-so-much-to-so-many/?utm_term=.bad92ff708c7
- ‘Black Panther’ actor: Kids are finally getting the black superhero they deserve: https://nypost.com/2018/02/08/boseman-kids-are-finally-getting-the-black-superhero-they-deserve/
Impact on the Industry
According to VICE, the movie Black Panther could be a major game changer for the industry. ‘Black Panther’ reviewers say it’s a ‘landmark,’ ‘classic’ and basically every other superlative. ‘Black Panther’s early buzz is hailing the movie as a defining cinematic moment.
- ‘Black Panther’ Could Change the Black Film Narrative”. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ywz5dm/black-panther-is-going-to-be-an-important-movie.
- Rolling Stone questions what does it truly mean to be African? “Black Superheroes Matter: Why a ‘Black Panther’ Movie Is Revolutionary”. https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/black-superheroes-matter-why-black-panther-is-revolutionary-w509105.
- ‘Black Panther’ marks milestone in Black culture’s impact on Hollywood ift.tt/2BTE31d.
- For the Stars of ‘Black Panther,’ Superpowers and Responsibility — The New York Times https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/movies/black-panther-marvel-chadwick-boseman-ryan-coogler-lupita-nyongo.html?smid=fb-share&referer=https://m.facebook.com/home.php.
Cheat Sheet
Lastly, here’s a cheat sheet article which is helpful for those of you who will head to the Big Screens: thegrio.com
Happy Black Panther Day to you all. Clap back and tell us all about the movie.
The Jozef Syndicate