Make This Happen! Purge: Past Unspoken is On Kickstarter

Yes, yes, y’all! Nothing better than finding that hot new mixtape or that comic on Kickstarter that looks like fire. This is about the latter (but if you know a hot new mixtape let me know, fam – I need some new music) as Purge is coming back to bring an encore performance of Black excellence on panels. Does the name sound familiar? Purge began in the 90s as one of the building blocks of the Black indie comics movement and sold over 20,000 copies. It’s set to return now in Purge: Past Unspoken being funded through Kickstarter, meaning not only can you reserve your copy now, but take a small part in bringing more exposure to Black heroes and creators. Check out this USA Today headline from 1993. It makes me think of how far representation and diversity has come over the past 2 decades – from publishers like Milestone and their recent return, to the wonderfully diverse cast of CW’s The Flash – but it’s also strikingly familiar. After over twenty years, would that headline seem surprising if it were published today? When it comes to diversity, the comics industry – and media at large – is still in the midst of a conversation that should be over.

Yet with the sales and rising popularity of Black leads in both nerddom and mainstream TV and movies, that conversation becomes less empty talk and more actual progress and action. My favorite thing about Kickstarter is being a clear and direct means to prove an audience exists for unique and creative properties. Even more profound is f…