about

About BlackJack

Blackjack first appeared in comics in 1996 under the banner of DAP (Dark Angel Publishing) Comics. The first three-issue mini-series was called “Second Bite of the Cobra” and introduced Arron to the world. In this story line we meet Arron as an adult in New York City, while events a world away in Egypt cause him to return to the region where he is reunited with Silas Lincoln, a white man from Arkansas and his deceased father’s best friend. Together with the beautiful and exotic Maryam and a group of mercenaries, they must defeat a Bedouin warlord threatening peace in the region.

This series was met with critical and commercial success. It was followed by the second Blackjack mini-series “Blood & Honor” which revealed further details regarding the character’s origin and this time transported Arron to Japan and China. His mission was to protect a controversial Japanese dignitary haunted by a terrible secret and marked for death. This led to gun battles, brawls, and sword fights (including a memorable one atop a moving train), along with a crisis for Tim Cheng, Arron’s manservant, who is returning to his native China for the first time in years.

The Future of BlackJack

Further tales of Blackjack have appeared online, in comics and prose, and as a serial in the Blaxploitation magazine Bad Azz Mofo. There was also an audio adventure tale called, Blackjack: Retribution. The production was recorded in front of a live audience at the Museum of TV and Radio (in NYC), in 2001.

Artists Who Have Helped Shape BlackJack

Joe Bennett (BJ: Second Bite of the Cobra, issues 1-3)
Jack Jadson (BJ: Second Bite of the Cobra, issues 1-3)
Jamal Y Igle (BJ: Blood and Honor, cover bk 2, int. Bk 3-4)
Greg and Tim Hildebrandt (cover BJ: Blood and Honor, #1)
Brian Stelfreeze (cover BJ: Blood and Honor, graphic novel)
Ken Lashley (BJ: Blood and Honor, co-penciled isse #1)
Chris Batista (BJ: Blood and Honor, co-penciled isse #1)
Caesar (BJ: Blood and Honor, interior graphic novel)
Grey (BJ: Blood and Honor, penciled issue #2, plus pinups)
Tone (BJ: Blood and Honor, interior graphic novel)
Louis Small, Jr. (BJ: Blood and Honor, interior graphic novel)
Mark Texeira (BJ: Pinups and Prose, cover)
Ray Lago (BJ: Pinups and Prose, back cover)
Eric Battle (BJ: Bad, Bad Day, short story in anthology)
Chris Cross (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art)
Jerry Craft (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art)
Paris Cullin (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art, plus unpublished strip)
Steve Ellis (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art, and Color of Courage story)
Scott Hanna (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art)
Bill Knapp (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art)
Eddy Newell (BJ: Call To Duty, comic strip written by C. Ryan)
Rob Stull (BJ: Blood and Honor, interior graphic novel)
David Michael Beck (BJ: Pinups art)

James Brown, Tech FX (colorist on all BJ comics, plus Call to Duty strip)
Ken Bruzenak, letterer (letterer on all BJ comics)
Elizabeth Sheehan, graphic designer of all BJ comics, logo, and original ads

Writers:
Alex Simmons, creator/writer
Chris Ryan, writer of Call to Duty
Chris Golden, writer of short piece in BJ: Pinups and Prose

The original Team Blackjack, 2000

Blackjack first appeared in comics in 1996 under the banner of DAP (Dark Angel Publishing) Comics. The first three-issue mini-series was called “Second Bite of the Cobra” and introduced Arron to the world. In this story line we meet Arron as an adult in New York City, while events a world away in Egypt cause him to return to the region where he is reunited with Silas Lincoln, a white man from Arkansas and his deceased father’s best friend. Together with the beautiful and exotic Maryam and a group of mercenaries, they must defeat a Bedouin warlord threatening peace in the region.

This series was met with critical and commercial success. It was followed by the second Blackjack mini-series “Blood & Honor” which revealed further details regarding the character’s origin and this time transported Arron to Japan and China. His mission was to protect a controversial Japanese dignitary haunted by a terrible secret and marked for death. This led to gun battles, brawls, and sword fights (including a memorable one atop a moving train), along with a crisis for Tim Cheng, Arron’s manservant, who is returning to his native China for the first time in years.

The Future of BlackJack

Further tales of Blackjack have appeared online, in comics and prose, and as a serial in the Blaxploitation magazine Bad Azz Mofo. There was also an audio adventure tale called, Blackjack: Retribution. The production was recorded in front of a live audience at the Museum of TV and Radio (in NYC), in 2001.

Artists Who Have Helped Shape BlackJack

Joe Bennett (BJ: Second Bite of the Cobra, issues 1-3)
Jack Jadson (BJ: Second Bite of the Cobra, issues 1-3)
Jamal Y Igle (BJ: Blood and Honor, cover bk 2, int. Bk 3-4)
Greg and Tim Hildebrandt (cover BJ: Blood and Honor, #1)
Brian Stelfreeze (cover BJ: Blood and Honor, graphic novel)
Ken Lashley (BJ: Blood and Honor, co-penciled isse #1)
Chris Batista (BJ: Blood and Honor, co-penciled isse #1)
Caesar (BJ: Blood and Honor, interior graphic novel)
Grey (BJ: Blood and Honor, penciled issue #2, plus pinups)
Tone (BJ: Blood and Honor, interior graphic novel)
Louis Small, Jr. (BJ: Blood and Honor, interior graphic novel)
Mark Texeira (BJ: Pinups and Prose, cover)
Ray Lago (BJ: Pinups and Prose, back cover)
Eric Battle (BJ: Bad, Bad Day, short story in anthology)
Chris Cross (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art)
Jerry Craft (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art)
Paris Cullin (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art, plus unpublished strip)
Steve Ellis (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art, and Color of Courage story)
Scott Hanna (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art)
Bill Knapp (BJ: Pinups and Prose, interior art)
Eddy Newell (BJ: Call To Duty, comic strip written by C. Ryan)
Rob Stull (BJ: Blood and Honor, interior graphic novel)
David Michael Beck (BJ: Pinups art)

James Brown, Tech FX (colorist on all BJ comics, plus Call to Duty strip)
Ken Bruzenak, letterer (letterer on all BJ comics)
Elizabeth Sheehan, graphic designer of all BJ comics, logo, and original ads

Writers:
Alex Simmons, creator/writer
Chris Ryan, writer of Call to Duty
Chris Golden, writer of short piece in BJ: Pinups and Prose

The original Team Blackjack, 2000