Tag Archives: national down syndrome society

Listen to Dr Sheena Howard and David Walker Talk Catalyst Prime’s Superb on Demand

On demand: iTunes ¦ Sound Cloud ¦ Stitcher ¦ BlogTalkRadio ¦ Listed on podcastdirectory.com

Written by David Walker and Dr. Sheena C. Howard Superb follows teenager Kayla Tate who is forced to move back to her hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. Meanwhile, the mysterious superhero Cosmosis battles the supposedly-benevolent corporation Foresight. The series is unique in that the superhero, Jonah, has Down Syndrome. Lion Forge is also working with the National Down Syndrome Society on the portrayal of the character and will include educational material for readers.

Joining Graphic Policy Radio to discuss Superb is writers David Walker and Sheena C. Howard.

Sheena C. Howard, is a Past Chair of the Black Caucus and Associate Professor of Communication at Rider University. Howard is an award-winning author. That includes a 2014 Eisner Award winner for her first book, Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation. She’s also the author of Black Queer Identity Matrix and Critical Articulations of Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation. Howard has appeared on NPR, The Washington Post, ABC, Philadelphia Weekly as well as other networks and documentaries as an expert on popular culture, race, politics and sexual identity negotiation. She also writes for The Huffington Post.

David F. Walker’s an award-winning comic book writer, author, filmmaker, journalist, and educator. His work in comic books includes working with Dynamite, Marvel, IDW/Monkeybrain, and Dark Horse. He’s also the creator of the YA series The Adventures of Darius Logan.

Walker is recognized as a leading scholar expert of African-American cinema. Walker has directed and produced films, written for numerous sites as screen editor and film critic, and taught courses such as documentary filmmaking, writing for comics, and film criticism.

Listen to the show on demand and take in on the go.

Lion Forge’s Catalyst Prime Partners with the National Down Syndrome Society for a Hero with Down syndrome

It’s finally been announced that Lion Forge has teamed up with the National Down Syndrome Society for a new superhero who also happens to have Down syndrome. This was something we were privy to way back when the line was first announced around New York Comic-Con, and it’s wonderful to see the news finally break as it’s something truly special and unique.

The series Superb is part of the Catalyst Prime line of superhero comics launched this week. So, you can check out the excellent first issue Noble and the Free Comic Book Day comic.

Superb, written by David F. Walker and Sheena C. Howard, with art by Ray-Anthony Height, LeBeau L. Underwood, and Veronica Gandini is being released and created in partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society.

The story follows the teenager Kayla Tate who is forced to move back to her hometown Youngstown, Ohio, an “Event” designated Level 5 impact zone. Compared to her new life, returning to Youngstown is a step backwards. She has a strained relationship with her childhood friend, Jonah Watkins, school is a nightmare, and everyone is talking about the mysterious superhero and sensation, “Cosmosis,” and his nighttime battle against the supposedly-benevolent corporation Foresight.

The comic will be released in stores and digitally July 19, 2017.