A Mt. Airy publisher movie-bound with black superheroes

Posted 2/17/17

Maurice Robert Mander, 47, a Mt. Airy resident for the past 17 years, is the publisher of “Surian Seed,” the first action comic whose heroes were all educated at historically black colleges and …

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A Mt. Airy publisher movie-bound with black superheroes

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Maurice Robert Mander, 47, a Mt. Airy resident for the past 17 years, is the publisher of “Surian Seed,” the first action comic whose heroes were all educated at historically black colleges and universities.[/caption]

by Len Lear

Maurice Robert Mander, 47, a native of Trenton, NJ, who has lived in Mt. Airy for the past 17 years, is the publisher of “Surian Seed,” the first action comic whose heroes were all educated at historically black colleges and universities. (Sur is a fictional planet, and some characters in the book are found to have “Surian genetics.”)

“All too often,” Mander told us in an interview last week, “African American superheroes were portrayed as sidekicks, almost as fillers for the narrative. I wanted a book that allowed ALL characters to thrive based on their contribution.

“In 'Surian Seed,' every character is vital, and the city is just as important as the people who live there. It took me 10 years to create the 'Surian Seed' universe and six years later to complete the action comic.

“While creating my heroes, I thought it would be a great idea to have them graduate from historically black colleges and universities because it had never been done in a comic of this magnitude.

“Plus, it spoke to an audience that has been underappreciated in academic circles. Now, 'Surian Seed' as a comic has garnered fans of all ethnicities because my priority was to make an incredible comic book first.

“I never promote my book as a black comic. It has heroes of different ethnicities and experiences, and some aren't even human. Conceptually, I always wanted to merge martial arts, sci-fi and the supernatural together.”

A sample of Mander's comic illustration work.

We had been told that Mander was currently in negotiations with a movie company that is interested in his black superhero concept.

“The company started following me on social media, and we met in November,” Mander told us. “At their request, nothing will be revealed until documents are signed. Until then, I am still open to meet with everyone.”

After graduating from Trenton Central High School, Mander earned a degree in History from Morehouse College in 1991 and a master’s degree in African American History from Morgan State University in 1996.

For his comic book, Mander does simple illustrations, and an artist named Matt Seel does the actual illustrations. But Mander conceptualized and wrote “Surian Seed” and came up with the characters.

Mander’s own favorite artists are the late Ernie Barnes “because he illustrated life in the African American community with such creative beauty” and Matt Seel “because Matt taught himself, and his eye for detail is the best I have ever seen.”

Making a living as a full-time artist or illustrator is not quite as hard as becoming a major league baseball player, but it might be close. However, Mander sells out at comic book conventions (they are held annually at 21 cities in the U.S. and many foreign countries), which he generously credits to “the incredible illustrations of Matt Seel and Profiles Studios in Chestnut Hill … Using Giclee printing really makes my art stand out. At the Baltimore Comic Con, a family purchased my entire collection.”

A reader of the Local, Maurice Howell, contacted us to praise Mander for his philanthropic work locally. His Surian Seed Community Youth Event called The Launch has donated over $11,000 in toys, tablets and school supplies to local children and families since 2011.

Mander also partnered with the Johnson House, a historic site at 6306 Germantown Ave., for four years to give away $7,000 in pocketbooks (Burberry, Coach, Phat Farm, etc.). “I asked men that I knew to make a donation, and they did,” said Mander. “They also cooked for the women.”

Officials from Fox Chase Cancer Center asked Mander to organize an event at their facility, which was attended by more than 200 women. At Eastern University Academy Charter School, Mander donates food and sponsors a child during the holidays.

What was the hardest thing Mander ever had to do? “Graduate from college. I was the first to do so in my family, which is extremely large. Some days the pressure was unrelenting because Morehouse is a top flight institution.”

What is the best advice Mander ever received? “Expect every outcome, and you'll have a contingency plan for failure.”

Which talent that Mander does not have would he most like to have? “I wish I was better at football. I always wanted to play in the NFL.”

What does the Mt. Airy comic book publisher like to do in his spare time? “I don't have any spare time. Since my book has debuted, I stay busy doing public appearances or enjoying time with my wonderful daughters, Asata and Inaya.”

If he could meet and spend time with anyone on earth, who would it be? “Speaking strictly creatively, I would love to pick the brain of George Lucas for obvious reasons, and meet with Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph of Netflix. Put me in the room with them, and I'll take care of everything else.”

For more information, contact Mander at 267-345-6773 or  surianseedcomics@gmail.com. He will be doing speaking engagements for Black History Month, conducting meet-and-greet book signings and writing workshops. His book can be purchased at superheroincorporated.net. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.

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