The Unknown Black Artist Who Changed Comic Books [AAHIAH Special]

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:05]Today, very few comic book fans recognize the name Matt Baker. But, during the Golden Age of Comics, Baker became one of the most influential artists in the entire industry, helping shape the look of comic books during the 1940s [music] and 1950s.

[00:00:23]At a time when many black artists worked uncredited or behind the scenes, Baker broke racial barriers to become the first known African-American artist to achieve major success in mainstream comics.

[00:00:39]He became famous for his dynamic, quote, good girl art style and his groundbreaking work on Phantom Lady, one of the era's most controversial and visually striking superhero titles.

[00:00:51]But, Baker's legacy goes far beyond a single character. In 1945, he co-created Voodah, >> [snorts] >> considered one [music] of the first black heroes in mainstream American comic books.

[00:01:06]Just a few years later, he illustrated It Rhymes with Lust, now regarded by many historians as one of the very first graphic novels.

[00:01:18]This is the story [music] of Matt Baker, the unknown black artist who changed comic books.

[00:01:40]>> This is African-American history is American history.

[00:01:47]>> [music] >> America, the 1940s.

[00:02:00]World War II rages overseas, and meanwhile, inside the fast-moving world of comic books, superheroes explode across newsstands at home. Masked heroes battle gangsters, monsters, and mad scientists, all for a dime an issue.

[00:02:17]But behind the scenes, writers race deadlines, artists fill pages overnight, and a revolution is quietly taking shape. Almost nobody knows a black artist is helping redefine the entire industry. His name is Matt Baker.

[00:02:34]His story begins far from the bright lights of New York City, Forsyth County, North Carolina. Born December 10th, 1921.

[00:02:43]Years later, after moving with his family to Pittsburgh, Baker graduates high school and heads for Washington, D.C., carrying little more than artistic talent and enormous ambition. But history intervenes. America enters the war, and millions of young Americans enter military service.

[00:03:02]But Baker cannot. A heart condition prevents him from being drafted.

[00:03:07]Meanwhile, in New York City, another opportunity begins to take shape.

[00:03:13]Instead of going to war, Baker studies art at Cooper Union in New York City's East Village.

[00:03:19]There he learns to sharpen the skills that would eventually transform comic books forever.

[00:03:25]Soon, he finds his way into the legendary Jerry Iger Studio, one of the powerful comic book packagers supplying artwork to publishers during the explosive early days of the medium.

[00:03:37]Then comes the moment that changes everything. Jerry Iger later recalled that Baker arrived carrying only a single color sketch in his portfolio.

[00:03:46]One drawing, but that was enough.

[00:03:49]The woman in the illustration looked so striking, so naturally alive, that Iger hired Baker almost immediately.

[00:03:57]At first, Baker worked quietly in the background, drawing scenery, inking figures, helping other artists meet impossible deadlines.

[00:04:06]But before long, editors began noticing something unusual about his work.

[00:04:10]Movement, elegance, style.

[00:04:13]Especially when he drew women.

[00:04:17]In 1944, Baker received his first confirmed comic book assignment, illustrating the women in a Sheena, Queen of the Jungle story for Jumble Comics number 69. It was a small beginning.

[00:04:28]But the unknown young artist from North Carolina was already starting to change the look of American comic books.

[00:04:34]Smooth line work, elegant women, dynamic action.

[00:04:39]Before long, Baker develops a reputation as one of the greatest illustrators in comic books, even as many readers have no idea who he is.

[00:04:49]At a time when segregation still shaped American life, Baker rises through the comic book business on pure artistic talent.

[00:04:57]And what talent it was.

[00:04:59]Phantom Lady, Sky Girl, Tiger Girl.

[00:05:06]Page after page, Baker's artwork bursts with movement, glamour, and cinematic energy, unlike almost anything else on the newsstands.

[00:05:15]But his influence went even further.

[00:05:19]In 1945, Baker helps create Voodah, one of the first black heroes in mainstream American comics history.

[00:05:28]However, America in 1945 was still deeply segregated. Because of the racial prejudices of the era, publishers and distributors demanded that Voodah be transformed into a more Tarzan-like white character, fearing that a black hero might offend white audiences.

[00:05:47]Then came another milestone. A groundbreaking crime story called It Rhymes with Lust, considered by many historians to be one of America's very first graphic novels.

[00:05:59]But success came with controversy.

[00:06:02]One Matt Baker comic would eventually become a target in America's growing war against comic books themselves.

[00:06:08]Psychiatrist Fredric Wertham held up Baker's Phantom Lady as supposed proof that comics were corrupting children.

[00:06:16]The backlash helped spark censorship across the entire comic book industry.

[00:06:21]And once again, Matt Baker's name faded into the shadows.

[00:06:26]Yet artists never forgot him.

[00:06:28]Generations of comic book creators, from the Golden Age to modern superheroes, would study Baker's work, imitate his style, and build upon his innovations.

[00:06:38]Artists like Dave Stevens, creator of The Rocketeer, and Adam Hughes, famous for his celebrated work on Wonder Woman and Catwoman, openly carried pieces of Baker's influence into a new era of comics.

[00:06:57]Though many fans today may not recognize the name, they've been looking at his influence for decades.

[00:07:06]>> Clarence Matthew [music] Baker died of a heart attack on August 11th, 1959, in New York City.

[00:07:13]>> [music] >> He was only 37 years old.

[00:07:17]For decades, [music] his name faded from public memory, even as generations of comic book artists >> [music] >> continued to study his work.

[00:07:27]In 2009, Matt Baker was finally inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

[00:08:03]>> This has been African-American History is American History.

[00:08:07]>> I'm Bryce Carter.

[00:08:09]>> I'm Harmon >> Kearsley.

[00:08:11]>> And on behalf of everyone involved with African-American History is American History, thank you for listening.

[00:08:18]>> It's no secret that with book bans, curriculum restrictions, and the removal of historical markers, black history in America is systematically being erased.

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[00:09:06]>> [music] >> African-American History is American History. Copyright H.C. Kearsley, 2026.