Black Nerd Problems

Essays

William Evans, Omar Holmon

• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN:
  9781982150259
• Print ISBN:
  9781982150242
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies

A sharp, hilarious essay collection from the creators of Black Nerd Problems, this pop culture manifesto celebrates fandom and representation through a bold Black perspective that “will fill you with joy and give you hope for the future of geek culture” (Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

When William Evans and Omar Holmon launched Black Nerd Problems, they set out to create a space for thoughtful, funny conversations about comics, gaming, television, and science fiction from the point of view of people of color. What began as a small corner of the internet quickly grew into a vibrant community hungry for fresh takes on everything from Mario Kart and Game of Thrones to X-Men and superhero blockbusters.

In this energetic collection of cultural criticism and personal essays, Evans and Holmon tackle representation in media, the politics of fandom, grief and masculinity, internet culture, and the evolving landscape of geek identity. Whether breaking down blockbuster franchises or examining real-world events through a nerd lens, they blend humor, insight, and unapologetic honesty.

Smart, irreverent, and deeply thoughtful, this book offers a powerful and entertaining look at modern geek culture—and who gets to belong in it.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Intro: From the Top
• Re-Definition: Nerd Isn’t a Person, It’s a Spectrum
• It’s Time We Stop Pretending That Simba Wasn’t Garbage in “The Lion King”
• Raising the Avatar: No One Woman of Color Should Have All Them Haters
• You Can’t Win When Escapism Won’t Let You Escape
• “Into the Spider-Verse” Got Three Moments Better Than the Best Moment of Your Favorite Comic Book Movie Not Named “Into the Spider-Verse”
• I Hate It Here: “Food Wars” Would Be the Most Annoying Anime to Live In
• Y’all Gotta Chill with the Slander and Let Batman Cook
• What Happens to a New Fictional Black Character Deferred?
• Two Dope Boys and a Comic Book: The Superhero Fade Heard Round the Multiverse
• My Theory on How Black Folks’ Black Card Actually Works
• Top Five Dead or Alive: Tai Lung (“Kung Fu Panda”)
• “Green Lantern” Comics Have Low-Key Been Tackling Police Accountability for a Minute
• The 2000s and 2010s Golden Era of TV Gave Us a Lot of Great Television and Made Me So Damn Tired
• “Craig of the Creek”: When We See Us
• The Disney Two-Step
• Y’all Mind if I Wyl Out over Black Love and POC Love Real Quick?
• Whenever I Watch “Underworld”, I Feel Like Kate Beckinsale Wants to Break Up with Me
• An Open Letter to Gohan: You Gonna Stop Being Trash Anytime Soon or Nah?
• The Want to Protect Taraji’s “Proud Mary”, Critiquing the Choir, and How We Judge Black Art
• For Dark Girls Who Never Get Asked to Play Storm
• How My Black Ass Would Survive Every Horror Movie
• Jordan Peele Should Get His Flowers while He’s Here
• Top Five Dead or Alive: Red Hood in the DC Animated Universe
• If My Black Ass Was Enrolled in the X-Men’s School, Charles Xavier Would Have Been Fed Up
• “Go On”: An Evergreen Comedic Series That Helped Me Navigate Loss
• The Sobering Reality of Actual Black Nerd Problems
• Bury the Stringer Bell but Let Idris Live
• An Open Letter to the Starks: Y’all Should’ve Taken Better Care of Your Direwolves
• “Haikyuu!!” Roughly Translated Means “Ball Is Life”
• I Read Mark Millar’s “Jupiter’s Legacy” and I Saw the Father I Am and the Father I Hope I Never Have to Be
• “Hajime no Ippo” Is Just a Manga about Boxing but I’m Over Here Crying My Guts Out
• Do You Have a Moment to Talk About Our Lord and Savior Aloy from “Horizon Zero Dawn’?
• Two Dope Boys and Movin’ Weight with Pusha T’s “Daytona”
• Killing Floor: Navigating Real-World Gun Violence as a Hardcore Gamer
• “Hamilton” and the Case of Historical Fanfics
• Graduating to the Grown Folks’ Table: I Finally Learned How to Play Spades
• Two Dope Boys and an— Oh My God, the Flash Got Fucked Up!
• Black Nerd Crush Blues: Myra Monkhouse Deserved Way Better
• The Push and Pull of Watching “Mad Men’ while Black
• “Mario Kart” Reveals Who You Truly Are
• Top Five Dead or Alive: Monica Rambeau (Marvel Comics)
• On Hope, Escapism, and Attrition Discussed Between Black Men
• Two Dope Boys and a Comic Book: “House of X”
• “Blade II” Still Has the Most Disrespectful Superhero Fades My Black Ass Has Ever Seen
• Chadwick Boseman’s Wakanda Salute Is Canon in the History of Black Language
• Outro
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Copyright