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Smith, James Otis

Black Heroes of the Wild West

60 pp. | TOON | September, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-943145-51-5 $16.95 | Paper ISBN 978-1-943145-52-2 $9.99
(2) 4-6 Toon Graphic series. Helping to fill in some of the gaps of our knowledge of the American West, Smith's informative and celebratory comic spotlights three little-known African American figures who helped shape its history. Frontier mail carrier, restaurateur, crack shot, utterly unique; there were many ways to describe the larger-than-life Mary Fields, a.k.a. Stagecoach Mary, the subject of the book's first chapter. Fields epitomized the can-do attitude and versatility that made this time period so rich for storytelling (and ­mythologizing). Accomplished lawman Bass Reeves, the subject of the second chapter, may be America's most well-known Black cowboy. Smith opts to depict a single episode from Reeves's career, one that highlights his ingenuity and wit, as the deputy marshal fools and captures two fugitives. The third chapter features cowboy Bob Lemmons, who pioneered a novel and humane approach to wrangling wild mustang herds of the Texas plains. Well-designed panels and crisp, clean lines and colors allow Smith to present realistic depictions of almost fantastical actions. Occasional full-page illustrations help punctuate the scenes. A note by Kadir Nelson begins the book, and eight pages of substantial and illuminating back ­matter--including photographs, a timeline, and considerable historical background on the experience of Black Americans in the West--are appended. Pair with picture-book biographies Fearless Mary by Tami Charles and Bad News for Outlaws (rev. 11/09) by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson.
Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

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