First Black Female Lead Nationally Syndicated Comic Strip "Friday Foster" Large Color Archive, 1970-73

Intersectional Feminism, Comics

Archive

[African American][Feminism][Comics][1970s] First Black female led national comic strip Friday Foster, archive of 35 full-color Sunday comic strips, 1970-1974. Originally printed in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Created by writer Jim Lawrence and illustrated by Jorge Longarón, Friday Foster was the first nationally syndicated comic strip to feature a Black woman as its protagonist. This run captures the cultural and political undertones of the early 1970s, exploring themes of race, gender, and professional ambition through the lens of Friday, a sharp, stylish African American photojournalist navigating the fashion world and broader urban life. The strips are visually rich with mod-era style, Afrocentric fashion, and an emotionally expressive rendering of interpersonal relationships, centering a rare Black female lead in mass media during a moment of increasing racial representation. The comic would later be adapted into a 1975 Blaxploitation film starring Pam Grier as Friday Foster.

The strips in this archive span major character arcs in Friday’s development, presenting her as both emotionally complex and socially aware. Among the standout narratives are plots involving Friday escorting vulnerable youth through unsafe environments; standing down corrupt modeling agents; investigating journalistic leads entangled in systemic racism; and encountering Black, Latinx, and Asian American characters in subplots that gesture toward global liberation struggles and inner-city realities. Many of the strips emphasize Friday’s dual role as both professional photographer and cultural observer, embedding her personal dilemmas within the larger framework of 1970s racial representation and Black upward mobility. Light toning to edges typical of period newsprint; some with light discoloration typical of newsprint. Overall bright, well preserved and in very good condition. An exceptional archive showcasing one of the first national representations of a Black female protagonist in comics.

Item #22464

Price: $450.00

Status: On Hold