Mr. Gregory Brooks Gets Candid about 20th Century Comics and Superhero Pop-Culture of His Childhood
This month, the BSAD was fortunate enough to conduct an interview with Mr. Gregory Brooks, a lifelong fan of the speculative arts. Now retired, a reflective Mr. Brooks was forthcoming with his speculative reading and viewing history, particularly focusing on the superhero genre. Mr. Brooks’ interview shows a lifelong love of the speculative arts, one that he has passed forward to his own children, including our own Dr. Kinitra Brooks.
Our interview with Mr. Brooks was provocative and inspirational for multiple reasons. Firstly, Mr. Brooks candidly discusses his youthful acquisitions of comic books, usually those discarded and unsold, left in the refuse behind booksellers, etc. Although Mr. Brooks’ story, the details of which (his friends, reading interests, etc.) are uniquely his, is briefly mentioned here, the full conversation can be seen on our “interviews” page. There is no doubt a certain population of readers and enthusiasts will share similar experiences with Mr. Brooks’ reading histories. The process of stripping a book is a well-known publishing practice wherein a bookseller tears the cover off of a book or magazine and then returns the cover to the publisher as proof of the book’s destruction or recycling. Fortunately, as Mr. Brooks will describe, these discarded books and comics do not always make it to the pulper but instead become cherished reading materials. Though heavily discouraged by the publishing industry, it can be safely said that the books which avoided pulping, these coverless, stripped books, have had an important effect on a population who would have previously unattainable access thus providing us with cherished glimpse into alternative comic and Black Speculative Art culture.
Besides his discussion on stripped books, Mr. Brooks also frankly relates the importance comics to his development as a young reader, particularly the way comics engaged him as an active reader. For many young readers, there is a strong appeal to the superhero genre, whether it is escapism or something otherwise, and the language in comics can be challenging for younger readers. That challenge, however, was unremitting to connect and press the imagination and cognitive understanding. But, at least in cases like Mr. Brooks,’ the drive to continue reading and fully understand the work brings the young comic reader to be a more active learner and aware of other educational tools.
This May blog is dedicated to Mr. Gregory Brooks’ interview, which you can watch in full, who provided this archive with invaluable insights. We thank Mr. Brooks for being very generous with his time and perspectives. His story is uniquely his and provides a fascinating, educational, and generational journey.
Stay tuned for more to come!
