Back in February, there were two major releases that dealt with the topic of Blaxploitation as the primary theme. One was a collection of mini-comics about a man who just cant be stopped from loving the ladies and taking villains out like trash , the other was a film about a man who just can’t be stopped from loving the ladies and taking villains out like trash. Two different groups put out two great products about the same thing, and yet they were great in their own separate ways. Of course, I’m talking about Afrodisiac and Black Dynamite.

First off, we have Afrodisiac, the creation of Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca (Both are responsible for Street Angel), following the adventures of a Blaxploiation-type hero from his “first issue” to his “final issue”. You see, Afrodisiac found a start in various indie mags and anthologies throughout the years, and this book is the ultimate collection of those various appearances. As for the content of the book, I’ve gotta say, the approach to telling this story was pretty cool. Featuring a collection of issue covers, small stories, snippets of larger stories, and “scans” of key issues; we are given a look at a character whose “run” in comics includes dealings in romance, action, the supernatural, wrestling, sci-fi, and mythology… Sorta like the comic has been around since the 70s and has transformed over the years with the times. But unlike Blaxploitation, Afrodisiac (the character) is more of a symbolic character than say a Shaft or Dolemite. One could compare Afrodisiac to Batman and wouldn’t be too far off the mark. Much like how Batman has changed over the years in both presentation and status, so has the implied history of the Afrodisiac. From serious-to-campy-to-absurd-to-serious, these stories are like a peak into the history of a long forgotten character. So, whether Afrodisiac is fighting Hercules, foiling Richard Nixon, sleeping with the female incarnate of Death, playing chess with God, or facing off with his arch-nemesis (Megapute – a sentient computer), this makes for a fun read, and great conversation piece. Leave it on the table when guests come over… One look at the cover, and they’re going to want to take a peak inside. But ultimately, this feels like a send-up of how Marvel used to produce street-action comics back in the 70s.

And for the second feature, I present; Black Dynamite. Yes, Black Dynamite, written by and starring Micheal Jai White (Spawn, The Dark Knight), is the tale of a former CIA agent who tasks himself with avenging the death of his brother and shutting down the organization responsible. This film is a spoof on Blaxpliotation, often making fun of the poor production values of those films of the 70s. Poor editing, curious dialogue, recycled stock footage for explosions, and an absurd plot make up the greatness of this film. But why is it great? For starters, the trailers for this movie are hilarious, and when you consider that the trailer isn’t just a collection of all the big laughs (Some of the best parts of the movie are nowhere to be found in the trailers), that makes it worth the admission to see what you’re missing. Add in an awesome cast of actors who have clearly taken pay cuts to see the movie to completion, an awesome “spoken” soundtrack, and a healthy amount of action and nudity… You’ve got yourself a winner. But seriously, the action is top notch. Micheal Jai White holds black belts in seven different martial arts which really shows in the hand-to-hand action of the movie. And just wait until you see the final showdown of the movie… The way that turns out, is probably the only thing that isn’t an homage/spoof of the genre. Well, the content is, not the action. The action would have you think you were watching something from the late 90s. Which is also a good thing.

This, I think was the only trailer I could find during a reasonable search that had been approved for all audiences. Please, if you’re interested in the movie, check out another one to get a better feel for the movie. Not that this is a bad trailer, it just happens to be the most tame.

Anyway, that completes that. Afrodisiac and Black Dynamite. Both of these are great exercises in fun, and I hope that at the very least, you can find it in yourself to check out one of them. Both of these are a lot of fun, and Afrodisiac continues to sell out in our store. It’s a hot item that is a lot of fun for a decent price. See ya next time.

-Fleet

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