Iconic: Iconic People
Jobs/Roles:
- Editor
- Writer
Birthplace: United States
Ethnicity/Nationality:
- American
- Black
Pronouns: He/Him
Gender:
Christopher Priest (born James Christopher Owsley) is widely recognized as the first African American writer-editor to work at a mainstream comic book publisher, having been hired as an editor at Marvel Comics in 1979. A pioneering figure in the industry, he is best known for his critically acclaimed run on Black Panther (Marvel, 1998–2003), which established much of the foundational mythology later adapted into the Black Panther film and created the character Everett K. Ross. He is also the writer of Quantum and Woody (Valiant/Acclaim) and Deathstroke (DC). Priest has written and spoken extensively about racial barriers in the comics industry.
Distinctive Awards, Recognition & Accolades:
First African American writer-editor at a mainstream American comic book publisher (Marvel, 1979)