Performer Wayne Brady, well known for his work on “Whose Line is it Anyway,” and as host of “Let’s Make a Deal” since 2009, made appearances at the Javits Center in Manhattan for ReedPop’s annual New York Comic Con that took place Oct 9-12. The actor and writer, who has appeared on “Chappelle’s Show” and “How I Met Your Mother,” and currently stars in “Moulin Rouge” on Broadway, signed books for fans, and hosted two panels over the weekend: a comedy show titled “Improv Nerdvana,” and “Young, Gifted and Whack,” a discussion on the dynamics and challenges of being Black in fan-driven spaces. Guests included fellow creators like Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC and Brady’s writing partner, Maurice Broaddus. “I think for anyone who is a self-described nerd, this is the holy grail,” Wayne Brady told the New York Amsterdam News in an onsite interview at the Javits Center on October 9, reflecting on the vast workload he’d taken on for the weekend. “It kind of checks off every little thing that a young Black nerd who grew up on a steady diet of comic books and graphic novels, fantasy and sci-fi books and ‘Dr. Who,’ this is exactly my dream.”
Brady, who is well known for his acting work, met a long line of fans and signed copies of “The End of the World as We Know It,” a collection of short stories based on Stephen King’s “The Stand” that Brady contributed to with co-writer Broaddus. Together the pair expanded on King’s universe, dismantling what Brady calls the “magical Negro” trope by exploring and expanding on the story of Mother Abigail, a character who plays small but pivotal role in King’s original novel. “He wrote this world, and just as a fan I wanted to see more of Mother Abigail,” he said to AmNews. “What’s her relation to Flagg? How did she get these powers? How does she actually feel about what’s happening? … When this opportunity came, I said I can answer, for myself, all the questions I wanted to ask of Mr. King.” Brady’s expansion of King’s universe is indicative of his feelings on racial representation in fan-driven spaces like the communities that surround comic books, films, television and anime. On Saturday Oct 11 at a panel titled “Young, Gifted and Whack,” Brady led a difficult but necessary discussion on the experiences and challenges people of color enveloped in nerd culture face alongside Black creators including McDaniels, Broaddus, illustrator Asia Simone, storyteller Tony Weaver Jr., and surprise guest Rodney Barnes, veteran screenwriter who has worked on “The Boondocks” and “Everybody Hates Chris.” The group reflected on their varied experiences: Simone spoke about how the lack of Black representation in anime affected her (“I couldn’t see myself in my own stories — I used to daydream in white”); McDaniels recalled being discouraged from engaging in fandom by peers who told him, “That’s some white people shit,” when he mentioned Spider-Man or Captain America; and Weaver described the struggle of writing as a Black creator (“I want people to treat my characters with empathy, nuance, and compassion, but the world doesn’t treat Black people with empathy, nuance, and compassion. So what are they going to do with my characters?”).
Brady hopes that by opening a discussion on the subject, fan spaces will become more inclusive and accessible to young, interested purveyors of comics or otherwise. “Why can’t we address those things but also celebrate the sense of play that a young Black boy or girl can have wanting to be their favorite superhero, or their favorite fantasy characters?” he asked. “All I want is an equal playing field where everybody can be free to play.”