Russell Simmons To Launch Harlem’s First Black Superhero “The Harlem Shadow”

First I have to give thanks to William Bruce West for bringing this to my attention.  Make sure to check out his website www.williambrucewest.com to keep up with his “West Week Ever” posts, “Will’s World of Wonder” website willsworldofwonder.ecrater.com for collectibles on sale, and follow him on Twitter @williambwest.

The Harlem Shadow is a a film noir animated series about a masked vigilante who fights crime in the seedy New York underworld during the famed Harlem Renaissance.  All Def Digital (ADD), a new Youtube network created by Russell Simmons (Def Jam; Phat Farm) and Brian Robbins (Awesomeness TV) will be showing content by the end of the year.

With the creative talent attached to this project, this is definitely a series that The KLIQ Nation will keep an eye on going forward.  Make sure to check back for more updates, but for now, enjoy the official press release below.

The Harlem Shadow was originally created by Brian Williams and Christian Colbert and published by RavenHammer ComicsMichael Uslan, the Executive Producer of The Dark Knight Trilogy, will serve as the Executive Producer of the series. His son, independent producer, David Uslan, who will also serve as Executive Producer of the series, initially discovered the indie comic while the property was brought to the ADD team via model and comic enthusiast, Summer Rayne Oakes, who will co-produce the series. The Harlem Shadow was the first of its kind to spotlight the Harlem Renaissance, a unique cultural movement in black history that spanned from 1919 to the mid-1930s.

“There has been a lack of cultural diversity in the world of animated heroes but we’re about to change that,” remarks Russell Simmons. “The Harlem Shadow not only brings to life the rich culture, art, fashion, music and creativity of the Harlem Renaissance through the first black superhero of the era – but also exposes the same grittiness and glamour that heavily influences the modern-day hip-hop community.”

The cutting-edge series will feature animation by the award-winning visual production company, Big Machine, and will be written by screenwriter Kevin Grevioux (creator of Underworld and I, Frankenstein), the latter whom knew the creators of The Harlem Shadow prior to the project. Actor and hip-hop artist, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr., better known as Common, will be the voice behind the masked crime fighter. “Common and I have a long history together,” says Simmons. “There couldn’t have been a better person to embody the voice and energy of The Harlem Shadow.”

“Bringing Russell, Common, Kevin, and the Uslans together creates a package that will be exciting to everyone, especially those who love comics,” says Uslan. “We are working with a great property that has a very unique world, characters, and history that goes along with it. What we are doing is building a franchise – one that will translate through publishing, animation, music, fashion, and film. It’s something that we can all be proud of and that the fans will love.”

Music and fashion will be of utmost importance to the series, taking advantage of Simmons’ extensive network from his creation of Def Jam Records and clothing empires, respectively. “All Def Digital is all about challenging the existing system of entertainment and The Harlem Shadow embodies that ethos,” Simmons affirms. “We’re bringing the creative underground of the hip-hop community to brand new heights.”

For more information on ADD or to subscribe to the YouTube channel visit: http://www.youtube.com/alldefdigital or follow Russell Simmons and ADD on Twitter @UncleRush and @AllDefDigital, respectively. For more information on The Harlem Shadow creators and comic books, please visit: www.ravenhammercomics.com.

#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE