Comic-Con@Home presents a very special program commemorating the first Hip-Hop comic book, premiering online July 23rd at 10AM Pacific/1PM Eastern
In the summer of 1986, a young graffiti artist and graphic designer from the South Bronx, Eric Orr, took the stylized robot character he had developed as his visual signature and assembled the first issue of a black-and-white pamphlet entitled Rappin’ Max Robot. This was a work that grew out of Hip-Hop culture and was created for that culture – self-published (with the assistance of Eric’s friend and collaborator Keith Haring), self-distributed, directed toward a community of graffiti artists, DJs, MCs, and b-boys/b-girls – and now, 35 years later, has become recognized as the first true Hip-Hop comic book.
So to mark the anniversary of this milestone, Depth Of Field is proud to present a very special iteration of “Hip-Hop And Comics: Cultures Combining” as part of Comic-Con International’s Comic-Con@Home 2021 programming. Featuring an in-depth discussion with Eric Orr himself, as well as commentary by special guests Chali 2na, Karen Green, James Reitano, Vita Ayala, Dart Adams, Hannibal Tabu, and Professor Ben Saunders, this program recounts the story behind Rappin’ Max Robot, gives a look inside the vibrant artistic environment of 1980s New York, and recognizes the ongoing impact of Eric’s creation on both comics and Hip-Hop cultures.
‘Hip-Hop And Comics: Cultures Combining for Comic-Con@Home 2021’ will premiere on Friday, July 23rd at 10AM PDT/1PM EDT – the official program description and permanent video link can be found here, as part of Comic-Con 2021’s schedule listings. (And you can always follow @HipHopComicsCC and @djpatrickareed on twitter and check for the #SDCCHipHop hashtag for the latest updates on this subject!)