“…Since [Luke Cage Noir] is set in 1930’s Harlem, I did quite a bit of research of the look of the period. I drew studies of the hairstyles, the fashions, etc. One detail I was very conscious about in regards to Luke Cage’s design was his hairstyle. I was at a book signing and mentioned that Cage was my next project. An older African American man, who was a comic fan, was very excited but pleaded with me not to make Cage bald. Unfortunately, the defacto hairstyles for Black characters in the comic book industry are either bald or an outdated fade. I’d attribute that frustrating detail to a lack of diversity.”

Shawn Martinbrough