WORD BALLOONS `Spawn' creator pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman
The creator of “Spawn” plans a tribute to “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman on an upcoming cover.
Todd McFarlane, the president of Image Comics President and “Spawn” creator, has created a cover for “Spawn” #311 paying tribute to the actor, who played the Black Panther in Marvel's “Avengers” films and in the “Black Panther” feature.
Black Panther is considered the first black superhero character in mainstream superhero comics, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966. McFarlane's “Spawn” is likely the best-selling black character in superhero comics, with his first issue in 1992 selling a reported 1.2 million copies.
“Given the limited amount of minority characters in the comic industry today that are considered major superheroes, I thought it appropriate for one of those well-known heroes ... to pay tribute to a man who made a lasting impact on helping shape such a strong superhero of color,” McFarlane said in a news release. “Chadwick Boseman is a person who honed his skills and then made a career using them. Then he fought a fight against his own body that showed the true spirit of this man. We should all admire the traits Chadwick shared with us. And the inspiration he gave to millions of children around the globe who got to see a strong, meaningful and proud hero that looked like themselves.”
Boseman died Aug. 28 at age 43 after a four-year private battle with colon cancer. Marvel has provided its own tribute in the pages of Marvel comics, with art by Brian Stelfreeze and words from Ta-Nehisi Coates.
“Spawn” #311 will be available at comic book shops Oct. 28. A black-and-white version of this tribute cover will be available in limited numbers at qualifying retailers.
In “Spawn,” the former military assassin Al Simmons returns to life as an undead “Spawn,” intended to do the bidding of Hell, who at times becomes a reluctant hero. The series, originally launched by McFarlane in 1992, reached issue #300 in 2019.
McFarlane was part of a consortium of artists who left Marvel Comics in the early 1990s after setting sales records there. They went on to form Image Comics, which has been both a home for the
founders' creations and for creator-owned properties by some of comics' best-known names in the 27 years since.