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On The Record

'Jupiter Invincible' wields superpowers against slavery

By Sheilah Kast,
Melissa Gerr
Published October 8, 2021 at 10:05 AM EDT
Jupiter Invincible is the comic book story of an enslaved African-American teenager who possesses the power of immortality. He he uses it assist Harriet Tubman in the smuggling of runaway slaves through the underground railroad. Artwork by Ashley A. Woods, written by Yusef Komunyakaa, and Ram Devineni is the augmented reality Designer and Producer
Jupiter Invincible is the comic book story of an enslaved African-American teenager who possesses the power of immortality. He he uses it assist Harriet Tubman in the smuggling of runaway slaves through the underground railroad. Artwork by Ashley A. Woods, written by Yusef Komunyakaa, and Ram Devineni is the augmented reality Designer and Producer

It’s not a traditional comic--it uses augmented reality, through a phone app, to bring out the real barbarity of slavery on a Maryland plantation. And not your traditional comic superhero: this is a 19-year-old enslaved African-American who wins immortal powers. Jupiter Invincible is the concept of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa and graphic artist Ram Devineni. Devineni is already known for a heroine who fights for those society scorns:

“The Superhero doesn’t have to fight an asteroid that’s about to collide into the earth. You can have superheroes fight basic problems that everyone deals with and understands, but through their heroic acts really challenge us and hopefully become better people.” 

Links: Books in Bloom Festival Sun. Oct. 10 at 12:30pm; Filmmaker magazine interview, In Conversation at ComicCon Africa, video.

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Sheilah Kast
Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
See stories by Sheilah Kast
Melissa Gerr
Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'
See stories by Melissa Gerr