In the heart of Metro Atlanta, you will find Midnight Comics, the largest Black family-owned indie comic company, launched in 2020 by husband and wife duo, Lloyd S. Jones III and Natosha F. Jones. Just two Black nerds (or Blerds) who share a love for video games, comics, anime, manga, and sci-fi and also have a passion for writing. Operating as a publishing company that creates manga and Western style comics, the Joneses have long been lovers of storytelling. Their mission is empowering: “To show young Black and Brown children that they can be anything they want to be; from scientists, activists, business owners, etc. we hope to inspire the next generation of Blerds through our stories.”
We now live in a world where opportunities are endless and doors that were once locked are wide open for people in the Black community. People like Lloyd and Natosha are prime examples of individuals who are paving the way for many aspiring artists, authors, and a slew of other creative careers. Today, some of the things that were once considered boring or nerdy are now thriving in the entertainment space and are seen as cool and acceptable to be connected with. Once upon a time, many kids would get bullied for playing Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon cards in the hallways before class, and now those same franchises are at the forefront of what’s still considered popular. Some well-known individuals have even gone as far as to buy rare trading cards for thousands of dollars.
The Joneses opening Midnight Comics in Atlanta is utter perfection as the city is known for Black culture being prominent there. There’s so much beauty in what they’ve created, not to mention they’ve cut out the middleman when it comes to managing a project from start to finish. It’s one thing to come up with a concept for a comic book, but to publish it yourself in house? Next level. Not only do they create characters of color, but they tell the stories that our people can relate to, which is not something we see often. While major publications like Marvel have given us Black Panther and Blade, that’s simply not enough.
We need more for our youth to identify with, for them to look at the pages and see themselves; to go into a store during Halloween and pick out a costume of their favorite Black character. Lloyd and Natosha are a part of making this a reality one day, as their vision must be an inspiration to others.
On their site, you can find an array of options, from single issues to bundles and prints. Three of their titles have sequels; The Grey sees its second issues up for pre-order and Sol just has its third installment released. The community loves them, as obtaining almost 22,000 followers on Instagram is not an easy feat. You definitely have to have something the people enjoy to lock in those types of numbers.
On top of that, the Joneses are great people. We tend to support nice and genuine people; snobby and stuck-up will get you nowhere. When asked by a local Atlanta publication, ShoutOutAtlanta.com, to open up a little about their work and career, they said, “It’s a difficult, yet rewarding experience. We would like people to know that our brand stands for something. We are not only telling amazing stories, but we’re also showing that we are not a monolith. We have characters of different sexualities and backgrounds dealing with all different issues and having different life experiences.”
Natosha and Lloyd are ones to watch out for, as we still have an open space for more Black-owned comic book publishers to tap into. We need more of that, especially in major cities like Houston, New York, Chicago, and Louisiana. Some cities mentioned don’t have a Blerd community as loud as some other places, and that needs to change. Check out Midnight Comics, they have many new releases and bundles available for sale at reasonable prices, with new issues launching soon.