[Interview of graphic novelist and visual Afrofuturist Tim Fielder].

Graphic novelist and visual Afrofuturist Tim Fielder talks about Afrofuturism and his personal story of working with comics and animation. Fielder reminisces on the time he has spent as an educator, which initially came not as a calling but as a necessity. He mentions that he realized that maintaining a balance between entertainment and education allowed him to be an effective teacher, which he loves. Considering himself a visual Afrofuturist since his teens, he defines Afrofuturism as the "merging of Afrocentricity with technology and science fiction elements," tied together by sociopolitical and socioeconomic mores that always have a fusion of race in the mix. Fielder also talks about Black Metropolis, a "big scale family drama in an Afrofuturistic environment," which he considers as the project that defines who he is as an artist. He also notes that Black Metropolis is the work he wants to be his memoir, one that will be in comic form and chronologically underlines his journey as an artist and person. This interview was conducted by Cassie Kirchmeier as part of honors option for Dr. Julian Chambliss ENG 478B Literature and Visual Culture course in the Department of English at Michigan State University.

Recorded 2020 October 15