Vintage Black Heroes – A Panel Exhibition Featuring Vintage Black Comic Strips From The 1950’s
The Museum Of UnCut Funk has acquired exclusive licensing rights to four Vintage Black comic strips published by the Smith-Mann Syndicate during the 1950’s: Guy Fortune, Mark Hunt, Neil Knight and The Chisholm Kid.
These characters were the first Black heroes to ever appear in a comic strip. They were featured in a first time ever color comic newspaper insert featuring Black comic strips in the Pittsburgh Courier, the only Black newspaper to carry the insert, from 1950 through 1954.
The first Black U.S. Secret Agent to appear in a comic strip.
The first Black Private Investigator to appear in a comic strip.
The first Black Astronaut / Space Adventurer to appear in a comic strip.
The first Black Cowboy to appear in a comic strip.
As the original art and newspapers were not preserved, very few copies of these comics, if any at all, currently exist. We believe we have access to the largest collection of, and for some of these comics, the only color copies that remain. These comics have not been seen since the 1950’s.
The Museum Of UnCut Funk has curated an exhibition featuring these Vintage Black comic strips to commemorate the 65th anniversary of their introduction.
The 100 panel exhibition features reproductions of the original full, three quarter and half page comics from all four comic strips on artist grade canvas. Additional panel materials are also available.
You can learn more and see some of these vintage comic strips on the following pages our website:
- Guy Fortune – http://museumofuncutfunk.com/2013/12/14/comics-of-the-smith-manb-syndicate-part-i-guy-fortune/
- Mark Hunt – http://museumofuncutfunk.com/2013/12/15/comics-of-the-smith-mann-syndicate-part-v-mark-hunt/
- Total Vintage Black Heroes Exhibition – All Four Comic Strips – 59 – Full Page Strips (36×24), 2 – 3/4 Page Strips (28×24), 18 – Half Page Strips (18×24), 21 – Text / Character Panels
- Guy Fortune – 25 Panels – 21 – Full Page Strips (36×24), 4 – Text / Character Panels
- Mark Hunt – 20 Panels – 15 – Full Page Strips (36×24), 1 – Half Page Strip, 4 – Text / Character Panels
- Neil Knight – 26 Panels – 6 – Full Page Strips (36×24), 2 – 3/4 Page Strips (28×24), 14 – Half Page Strips, 4 – Text / Character Panels
- The Chisholm Kid – 25 Panels – 17 – Full Page Strips (36×24), 3 – Half Page Strips, 5 – Text / Character Panels
Estimated space required for the 100 panel exhibition is 240 running feet.
Solo comic strip exhibitions are also available for rental.
For more information and rental fees or to book the any of our Vintage Black Heroes exhibitions please contact the Curator, Sista ToFunky.