Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books

Praise

“A compelling eye-opener about boundary-breaking stories behind the stories, and winner of a 2021 Eisner Award.” —Library Journal

“[Invisible Men] examines the lives of these trailblazers, who paved the way for subsequent generations of illustrators but were invisible to the mainstream in their own time… The stories Mr. Quattro finds aren’t always pretty, but the book never shies away from the truth.” —The New York Times

“An indispensable contribution to the history of American comics, for fans and scholars alike.”
—Qiana Whitted, PhD, Professor of English and African American Studies
Editor, Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society
Director, African American Studies Program, University of South Carolina
Author of EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest

“A long neglected chapter of comic book history brought to light by a master scribe!”
—Prof. William H. Foster III, Comic Book Historian and author of Looking For A Face Like Mine

“Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books by Ken Quattro is both a revelation as well as a memorial to another generation of ‘Invisible Men,’ in Ralph Ellison’s telling phrase: the book documents an era of talented black creators whose names have been lost to history. The book is a revelation because of the sheer number of talented artists Quattro has discovered, and it’s a memorial because of his meticulous research, which he has used to document the lives and accomplishments of a generation of barely to completely unknown black comics artists working in superhero, horror, and romance comics in an overwhelmingly white industry.”
—Calvin Reid

“Dogged research and choice archival reprints make this volume an essential reference for pop culture history. Eighteen African American comics creators receive overdue hero treatment in this collection that documents their essential roles in the rise of graphic pulp literature within the struggle for Black equality in postwar America.” 
—Publishers Weekly

“This is the most complete list of Black Golden Age artists I’ve ever seen, complete with photos and examples of their work.  This is a crucial historical document and I’m glad to have it.”  
—Reginald Hudlin, Producer/Director
 
”A timely and information-packed book giving tribute to a host of unsung Black creators of fabulous four-color art and comics.”
—Karen Green, Curator for Comics and Cartoons, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University

“Invisible Men highlights forgotten yet essential figures in our industry. Bravo to Mr. Quattro for finally giving them their due.”
—Keith Knight, Creator of “the K Chronicles” and “Woke”