A Black woman comic book owner will appear on the the cover of a Marvel comic book.
Ariell R. Johnson, who we first remember circulating the internet for the launch of her comic book store Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse is back in the news again. As pictured both above and below, Johnson will appear on the cover of the relaunch of Invincible Iron Man.
Amalgam Comic Books rep, Randy Green said Marvel Comics reached out to them about the idea. “They reached out to us, and it took a little work and a little doing, but we managed to get it done,” Green said. Johnson is shown on the cover of the comic book enjoying a cup of coffee with Riri Williams. Williams is an African American teen who will take over Tony Stark’s role in the rerelease of the new Invincible Iron Man.
In the comic book, Williams, a certified genius starts attending M.I.T. at the age of 15 on a free scholarship. Williams’ powers and abilities include genius intelligence and a skilled inventor and engineer. The comic book is expected to be available via Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse on November 11th. In a call earlier with rep Green, he expressed that “Comic books can be ordered individually via phone or email.”
In December 2015, Temple University alumna Ariell R. Johnson opened Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse in Philadelphia. The store is currently located at 2578 Frankford Avenue in Philly. Johnson credited her accounting background for helping her initially with finances. She described herself in an interview with her alma mater, Temple University as being an outlier. “I am the antithesis of what you think of when you think of a comic book nerd,” said Johnson. “Because I myself am an outlier, I think the space is just innately more welcoming.” Johnson credits the death of her mother in 2011 in addition to losing her father at the age of 16 for opening Amalgam.
You can pre-order the new issues of Invincible Iron Man via Amalgam’s Facebook page here.
