In a special Q&A with Black Sci-Fi, we explore how black music, story telling, and personal history influences writer/editor Dr Collen Douglas’ creative process, from character development to narrative structure.
As a native of the former British colony of Guyana. I reside in Nottinghill, West London in the United Kingdom. I hold a PhD in Ancient Monetary Systems. My tastes are eclectic; I like to listen to rock, metal, opera, cosmic jazz and funk when I write (depending on the scenes). Growing up in a country rife with superstition, I have a love for old comics, mystery buildings and especially all things supernatural, cosmic, esoteric and weird.
BSF: Which Black music artist has had the biggest impact on your creative style, and how does their influence show up in your work?
Dr Collen: Without a doubt it’s Lenny Kravitz and Buddy Guy, these are two artists I personally love and are interchangeable depending on what I’m writing at the time.
BSF: Are there any specific songs or albums that fuel your creative process when you’re writing or illustrating?
Dr Collen: Buddy Guy’s “What kind of woman is this?” definitely played a pivotal role in shaping the “Grace Silk Cotton” character in my Caribbean Supernaturals saga- Silk Cotton. I was also listening to Lenny’s “Strut” , the rhythm of which lends itself to certain fight scenes in the book. Being a black woman from Guyana occupying a spot in the comics’ creative space is without a doubt a unique experience and so I consider myself “the unicorn”, that magical thing that is yet to be discovered.
BSF: If you could create a comic book character based on a Black music legend, who would it be, and what would their powers or storyline look like?
Dr Collen: I already started such a project involving energetic frequency (currently on hiatus as it has no publishing home currently); it is called The Call of Albinogg- a Joan Silence Adventure. I would choose Grace Jones because she’s a fierce badass and she can sing! She gets your attention much like JOAN SILENCE who is a medical doctor and occultist extraordinaire and is also the current OHENE KRA KONMUNDE- Royal Soul Pendant (the main lodestone for the souls of mankind on earth) connected to the cosmic spiritual realm along with other artefacts designed to combat the RACECRAFTIAN GODS OF BLEAK DIVINITY and their minions. She has to use the powerful aides at her disposal both spiritual and esoteric to save the souls on this planet by uniting them in love before they fall victim to magnified contretemps and become slaves to power the engine of the god of Systemic Racism. She wears Cosmic armour and has a special weapon which was fashioned and granted to her from an ancestral world tree (yes the tree chose her weapon).
BSF: Music and storytelling often go hand in hand—how do you think Black music and comics complement each other in shaping cultural narratives?
Dr Collen: Storytelling from a black perspective has always been to my mind an oral tradition and here it intersects with music, which are really stories set to rhythm. Most stories handed down through a black lens have often been told through word of mouth, because the language that formed those thoughts was often lost by the intervention of slavery, migration and adaptation. Stories are purposeful for our development and growth.
Looking at the purpose of narrative as a tool for imbibing the culture, traditions and social mores of a people, I always look to my Guyanese heritage, culture and traditions. The world of the ancient and modern Griots (those storytellers who held and continue to hold our cultural stories and pass them on through story, song, film and music) were very significant role models for me growing up, in terms of shaping my identity from childhood to living in London.
Stories provided a cultural landscape for me to navigate, allowed me to journey and view the world with mystery and wonder, it allowed me to be creative and tap into all my senses. Stories also instilled in me a sense of fairness, justice, equality and diversity and music provided a kind of natural soundtrack backdrop to it all.
Whether it is the stories I grew up with of local folklore, or the Anansi stories of West Africa, who travelled to the Caribbean shores and became Bro Anansy, and formed the basis for social conduct, community life, intrinsic values, and traditions. Through all these stories music was interwoven from Kaiso to Calypso (two distinct styles of music) to reggae from our famous local Eddy Grant. I learnt about who I am, who I am yet to become, I learnt about how to conduct myself, and the consequences of incorrect behaviour. All of these shaped my identity and continue to do so, drawing on stories as a tool to stay true to essence and with them has always been music.
BSF: Has there ever been a moment where a song completely changed the direction of a comic you were working on? If so, what was the song and how did it influence your work?
Dr Collen: Sometimes music can make me reflect on deliberate and constant opposing forces between my interactions with society and to navigate my way by discerning what to accept and what to reject. It keeps me holding on to what is true, and how to work with varying characters in my work. Silk Cotton was a comic that required constant scrutiny as I wrote it; the song that tied some of its influence into the pages is “Living on the Front Line“by Eddy Grant. Reflective of both the characters and me in creating a book about Supernaturals that had never before been seen in the comic space.
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