Ebon: Fear of a Black Planet

A project by Black Kirby

Culver Center of the Arts

March 19 - June 19, 2022

Black Kirby, the collaborative moniker of John Jennings and Stacey Robinson, returns to UCR ARTS in the winter of 2022 for the exhibition Fear of a Black Planet. The exhibition will explore Larry Fuller's pioneering yet short lived comic book character, Ebon. Written, pencilled, inked and lettered by Larry Fuller, the first and only issue of Ebon was published in 1970 by Spearhead Comics. Ebon is the first African American superhero to have his own comic book. There were other black comic book heroes that preceded Ebon. For instance, Lobo (Dell Publishing, 1965) was a very human gunslinger in the Old West, and not a superhero with superpowers. Black Panther (Marvel) appeared in 1966 but was a supporting character to the Fantastic Four, not getting his own features until well into the 1970s. John Jennings and Stacey Robinson, with the blessing and support of Larry Fuller, will build, expand, and re-imagine the world of Ebon. 

Image: Cover of Ebon#1, Written, pencilled, inked and lettered by Larry Fuller. Published in 1970 by Spearhead Comics. Courtesy of the artist.