# Jay Jackson and the first Black Superhero **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga\ **Created:** [January 9, 2021, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148 "2021-01-09T23:29:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/1 "2021-01-09T23:29:37Z")
Here’s some history that has been forgotten by virtually everyone including comics historians. In 1942, Jay Jackson, head cartoonist of the historic black newspaper _The Chicago Defender_, revived the moribund _Bungleton Green_, the oldest continuously running black comic strip. He turned it into, of all things, a science fiction adventure strip, having his characters travel through time and space. They died at the hands of Nazis, got revived and sent back through time to endure slavery in 1778 America, were whisked into the future of 2043 where America was a colorblind utopia but a new continent full of green people oppressed whites, and finally saw future scientists turn the title character into a super man. Bungleton Green returned to the Chicago of 1945 and fought racism and gangsters preying on the black community. The entire length of the strip was one long condemnation of the way the black community endured endless prejudice and oppression even while they were being asked to help the war effort in the cause of freedom. Nothing in the Golden Age of comics is remotely comparable to this strip, to my knowledge, especially in the searingly critical denunciation of American racism. Interestingly, Jackson probably learned how to use science-fiction tropes to safely put that criticism into the remove of an alternative future because he was also the first black pulp artist to draw for the science fiction magazines, with four years of illustrations in Amazing Stories and Fantastic Adventures. I’m proud to announce that I’m the author of the first article to put the pieces of this story together and attempt to call attention to this milestone in American cultural history, not just comics history. It ran in three parts on the Chicago Defender website, with the finale today. It’s free and unpaywalled. I hope that you read it and share the story with others. It’s an amazing story of fantastic adventures. (Sorry. Had to say that.) Please share it with others. > **[Op-Ed: Chicago Defender Cartoonist, Jay Jackson and the First Black...](https://chicagodefender.com/op-ed-chicago-defender-cartoonist-jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero-pt-1/)** > > In 1933, Chicago Defender Cartoonist, Jay Jackson created comic strips with social commentary that are still relevant today. > **[Op-Ed: Chicago Defender Cartoonist, Jay Jackson and the First Black...](https://chicagodefender.com/op-ed-chicago-defender-cartoonist-jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero-pt-2/)** > > The Chicago Defender is pleased to feature part 2 in our 3 part series, “Jay Jackson and The First Black Superhero” by Steve Carper. > **[Op-Ed: Chicago Defender Cartoonist, Jay Jackson and the First Black...](https://chicagodefender.com/op-ed-chicago-defender-cartoonist-jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero-finale/)** > > Steve Carper is a historian of popular culture. He researched Jay Jackson and compiled a unique commentary on Bungleton Green. The commentary uses illustrations from Jay Jackson, originally published in the Chicago Defender. January 6 was the... ---
**Author:** ![Kadmos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@Kadmos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kadmos1)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/2 "2021-01-10T01:09:07Z")
Admittedly I have not read all 3 articles yet, but these stories need to go viral on a grand scale. Any idea when this Jay Jackson guy died? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/3 "2021-01-10T01:16:26Z")
Thank you. If anybody has the number of DIAL-A-VIRAL let me know. Jackson died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1954. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/4 "2021-01-10T01:47:48Z")
Vintage comic books have been getting me through these times, and I just read a two-part article on how insane newspaper and pulp comics were back in the 40s (by Seanbaby, so plenty of insanity there too). Compared to _Kay McKay, Air Hostess_ [in Part 1](https://www.cracked.com/blog/3-bizarrely-era-specific-comic-book-heroes-part-1/) or _Dick Cole_ [in Part 2](https://www.cracked.com/blog/forget-captain-america-3-real-golden-age-superheroes-part-2/), Bungleton Green seems rational and restrained by comparison. And since “Vintage Racism” was one of the categories that Seambaby used to score the old comics, Jay Jackson was a superhero himself… Thanks so much for all your research! Can’t wait to finish these… I’ll pass on the good word. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/5 "2021-01-10T02:31:49Z")
Thanks. You might also be interested in this brand new book by Ken Quattro. I just got my copy today. Interestingly, he has a section on Jay Jackson but doesn’t realize that Bungleton Green became a superhero, albeit in comic strips not books. > **[Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books: Quattro, Ken:...](https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Men-Artists-Golden-Comics/dp/1684055865)** > > Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books \[Quattro, Ken\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/6 "2021-01-10T13:38:11Z")
Out of curiosity, how did you learn about this? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/7 "2021-01-10T17:50:25Z")
When I was working on my robot book, _Robots in American Popular Culture_, I searched for every use of the term in all popular media. Putting robot together with comics gave me enough to fill a chapter. And it brought up a reference to _Bungleton Green_. I hunted it down in an historical black newspaper database. Turned out that Jackson did say that the process of providing superstrength turned Bun into a robot, but it was clear that after that first use he didn’t mean it literally. Bun was no more a robot than Superman. So I put it aside and returned to it when I had more time. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/8 "2021-01-10T20:55:48Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Thank you. If anybody has the number of DIAL-A-VIRAL let me know. Try the [Great Job Internet](https://www.avclub.com/c/great-job-internet) section of the AV Club? (email address for reader submissions is at the bottom of each article - I sent a submission once a few years ago and they did use it). There’s also The Root but their submissions page only seems to cover pitches for articles. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/9 "2021-01-11T00:44:34Z")
How do you submit a suggestion? I don’t see anything there to click on. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/10 "2021-01-11T01:47:35Z")
It’s gji at theonion dot com. I was trying to avoid putting that in my post because I thought posting email addresses might trigger spam filters here or something. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jay-jackson-and-the-first-black-superhero/930148/11 "2021-01-11T02:14:33Z")
Thank you.