Adv. Lionman cover
The Lionman’s Adventure
Authors: John Jennings, Damien Duffy, Bill Campbell, Yvette Lisa Ndrob
Artist: David Brame
Pinup artists: Christa Cassano, Javier Cruz Winnick, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Tim Fielder, Joel Christian Gill. Ashley Guillowy, Johnny Ho, Bizhan Kodabande, Patrick Ray, Gigi Murakami, Jamie Noguchi, Ork, Ben Passmore, Nate Powell, Jason Reeves, Stacey Robinson, Fabrice Sapolsky, Jocelyn Strong, Anthony Sammy Sammy
Publisher: Rosarium Publishing
Publication date: August 2025
Thanks to the mega-hit films, we all know who Black Panther and Wakanda are, but the Lionman name only rings to some of the people in Blerdshpere. With Lionman now in the public domain, indie publisher Rosarium Publishing dug the crate for remastering this lost 40s character.
A successful crowdfunding campaign has led to the Afro-Futuristic Lionman High Council of John Jennings, Damien Duffy, Bill Campbell, Yvette Lysandrob and David Brem’s Afro-Futuristic Lionman High Council ready for the global distribution of Lionman’s adventures.
When asked how important it is to maintain something like today’s era, like the characters and such creators, writer/publisher Bill Campbell said, “I was asked about the fact that it was first published in my hometown, as a black publisher from Pittsburgh, and so on. The victims of such erasures have always been important to us, but I was not the first black superhero.
In the introduction, Michael Dund, an associate professor at St. Cloud State University, offers a more comprehensive and eloquent summation of Lionman’s publishing history, including the creatives of hatred he received to create a hero who broke stereotypes. Instead of a single comprehensive story, Lionman is an anthology, with each creative team interpreting the Lionman myth in its own way.
Before readers dive into these new interpretations, they can read copies of source material by Olin C. Evans and George J. Evans Jr.
By mainstream standards, if readers close out today’s comic book with sophisticated cartoon aesthetics, or detailed art and digital coloring and lettering combined with dynamic storytelling, the early comic cartoons look like a Model t parked next to a Lamborghini. The original Lionman story can be a bit harsh, with crude anatomy, unsleashed storytelling, and the limitations of the coloring process of the time. But when you read the story in the context of the era, it is something that was created and the artwork allows you to understand and accept that this is all new to them. The story is fundamental good and evil that could have been set anywhere in the world, but they chose Africa for this environment and created a world that sets the foundation for future black characters.
Lion outside
All the following sections are taken with different names and atmospheres of the Lionman, written by the illustrated story The Lion Outside, Jennings with Art by Brame. Some history, some monologues, this section begins a reimagining of the Lionman and starts off a strong start with a bold image that evokes afro-fastic ideas in the atmosphere of Jack Kirby.
Writers Bill Campbell and Yvette Lisa Nadrob, along with artist David Brehm, give us a fast-paced action-adventure in the national epidemic. The most grounded story of the Lionman mixes with a simple plot of the plague and a political coup.
Tower
Point Blank, Tower is my favorite story in this collection. In this story, Jennings and Bream merge to become their Blkkatz persona for the overall story. What begins as an inventor immersed in the world of VR becomes a fantastic journey that creates mythical landscapes for the quest for this hero.
If you like female wrestlers and demon monsters, Fantama: Squared Circle is a story for you. The myth of the Lion Man, writer Damien Duffy and artist David Breme’s invasion from the dark and excessive violence, cast a spotlight on the dangers of women coming and going into the ring, and it doesn’t include the devil.
Another fun section of the book is a pin-up gallery of other reimagined characters currently in the public domain. This field of talented independent artists includes Christa Cassano, Javier Cruz Winnick, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Tim Fielder and Joel Christian Gill. Ashley Guillowy, Johnny Ho, Bizhan Kodabande, Patrick Ray, Gigi Murakami, Jamie Noguchi, Ork, Ben Pasmore, Nate Powell, Jason Reeves, Stacey Robinson, Fabrice Sapolsky, Jocelyn Strong, Anthony Sammy.
“We definitely want to do more. There’s things in the film. It’s going to be fun to play in the public domain,” Campbell said, wondering about his plans to follow up with more Lionman stories and some of the other public domain characters.
The Lionman Adventure is a solid read with some great afro-fastic concepts and visuals. When they go around one more, I love the more cohesive Lion Birth with a singular plot thread that allows creators to pass from one to the other.
The Lionman Adventures are now published by Rosarium Publishing
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