This week's edition of The 912 touches on NFL player Damar Hamlin's injury and features comic book artist Kevin Betou.

I watched a lot of football on New Year's Eve. From the thrilling finish of the TCU v. Michigan game to the comeback win of the Georgia Bulldogs over Ohio State at the stroke of midnight, it was a CFB playoff matchup to be remembered.

But when I saw the terrifying video of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsing on the football field Monday night and read the news that medical professionals had to administer CPR to restore his heartbeat, it reminded me just how much these men are putting on the line at each snap of that football. And for our enjoyment.

Plenty of jobs have occupational hazards, but none are placed on the big screen like sports. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is one of the most common hazards in football that has led to lawsuits and wrongful death cases.

When I saw questions floating around about how suspending the game would work and talks of the game possibly continuing, I just kept seeing the videos of Hamlin's teammates crying and those on the Bengals' team showing concern.

And it snapped me back to the reality that these players are humans. They're not products of our enjoyment or machines in the cog that is the NFL. They have families, friends and loved ones who are rooting for more than just a number on a scoreboard.

— Laura Nwogu, quality of life reporter at the Savannah Morning News

Follow me on Twitter at @lauranwogu_ or email me at lnwogu@gannett.com

Pulse of The 912

Kevin Betou is moving to the rhythm of his own tempo. The comic book artist melds afro-fantasy and hip-hop to create intricate storytelling that immerses readers in a world of action, adventure and people that can physically manifest music. I chat with Betou about the power of representation, his love of rap and r&b and his and advice for other aspiring, young artists.

Laura Nwogu: How did your love of comic book art develop?

Kevin Betou: “I went to a charter arts high school and middle school in Oakland, California. I had been drawing for most of my life as a kid, and my parents just thought it'd be a cool opportunity. Throughout school, I did single illustrations, but I read a lot of comic books and really liked movies and storytelling, but I just couldn't really translate it into my work. At my high school, seniors had to submit a proposal for a project, and three people win a grant every year. I just wanted to tell my own stories, so I made my first comic book.

“It was called ‘Black Man.’ It was about the first Black superhero in a fictional city. I just hadn't seen a lot of characters that look like me, so I wanted to make my own. That won, so I got to do the comic book and they paid for the cost of printing and everything, and that was my first printed and published comic. That solidified that I was going to do comic books moving forward.”

LN: Your art is super dope. It's fantasy mixed with Afrofuturism, and then they have these modern elements plus the addition of hip-hop. Can you talk about the relationship you have with these different elements that you're bringing together? And also,  can you talk about your comic book “Tempo” and how that cumulated into what it is?

KB: “I’ve always liked hip hop, rap and r&b. It was pretty much the only genre of music I listened to for most of my youth. And then fantasy has always been my favorite genre.

“And like I was saying, at the time, I was doing that ‘Black Men’ book, and that was on the seventh one. I just felt like I wanted to change and there was no like risk. I wasn't on a crazy contract; It's just my own personal work. So, I would go to conventions along the east coast and I would talk to my comic book peers and be like, ‘Yo, I have a cool idea for a fantasy book. It's going to be streetwear and hip-hop stuff with fantasy stuff.’ And I would ask them if they like that idea, and they're like, ‘Yeah, it's a super cool idea.’

“I've only seen music done in comic books a few times, and I wanted to try it out because it's not super easy to do since there’s no sound in comics (laughs), but I thought that'd be the perfect bridge to connect both the fantasy and the hip hop side of things.

“With ‘Black Man,’ at the conventions, a lot of nonblack people would sometimes be put off by the title or just the content of the book, and I wanted ‘Tempo’ to just be a book that everyone could enjoy, so I thought that music would be a good bridge to get everyone in on the story. But at the end of the day, the stories that I write are really just for myself. They were my dream stories as a kid, and I'm not like super worried about what everyone else wants to read; I just want to make my favorite story.”

LN: I love that. Going back to something that you mentioned where you were saying that you didn't see a lot of people that looked like you in comic books. Now, more than ever, we're seeing that kind of shift in movies and TV shows, but obviously, there's still a way to go. How important is it for you to depict all shades of Black people and have that representation in your work?

KB: “It's super important. I had an uncle tell me when I was super young that if you can see it, you can be it. If you’re really not seeing yourself in super dope roles or media in general, it's hard to imagine yourself being in those positions. Beyond the stories themselves, just seeing Black and brown characters depicted, you would also be able to see yourself as someone who can make those characters as well and also be in a position where you can be an animator yourself, or a comic book artist or this or that.

“I really wanted to do fantasy because you really don't see a lot of black people in high fantasy-like stories. It's usually just like white folk and like medieval Europe elven stuff. And it's cool we're seeing more of that these days too, especially across movies and books and all kinds of genres; It's really exciting. And I'm glad that it's shifting in that direction, but as you said, there's a lot of work to do. And I'm glad I get to be part of that larger story.”

LN: More on “Tempo” and your characters. Do you have a favorite character that you've created?

KB: That's good. The main villain Kem from the first book, actually. He doesn't show up a lot and he won't for a few books, but when he does start showing up, it was like, ‘Wow, he's so cool.’ He's so dope. I love writing and drawing him.

LN: If you were a character in your own comic, what song would you physically manifest? What would be your tempo? 

KB: “Oh, it would definitely be an MF Doom song.”

LN: That’s a great answer. 

KB: “‘Kon Karne.’ That's a really good song. And the power itself? I don't know. I think maybe being able to clone myself would be really cool. I would like that.”

LN: You’re my first feature of the year! What are you most excited for in 2023 when it comes to you art?

KB: The last month or so, I've been in California with my family, so I've had a lot of free time and I've been practicing a lot and studying, and I'm really excited to pick up some new skills this year and really get into a better place artistically than I've been. Sometimes you really have to actually teach yourself to get to that next level, so I'm excited to hit another peak. I really want to be like the greatest comic book person, to me. I'm going to try to work hard and get there.

LN: And my final question for you — I know you're in California right now — but why do you love Savannah?

KB: “I really like the people. It feels like a town where people are in and out often, especially within our age range, but the people that are here are really dope. I've met some like lifelong friends in Savannah. And beyond the people, the scenery. I had my last house on 38th Street, and we had this tree that was super small but it had like half a ton of Spanish moss on it. It was too much for this little tree, and the wind would blow through it and it would look just magnificent.”

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Art of The 912

The 912 newsletter will highlight a local Black artist every two months as the header image for the weekly issue. Patrice Jackson was the last featured artist of 2022. Stay tuned for the first featured artist of 2023.

Follow Jackson on her website and Instagram:

Website: patricejacksonart.wordpress.com

Instagram: @rooted_art.by_patrice

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin injury reminds us humanity in NFL football