Darius Gainer

Gainer, a Morrill Scholar who earned his BA in spring 2021, joins Director of Film/Video David Filipi to examine this subject and discuss his book, published in September by San Diego State University Press. The work surveys the often-problematic representation of Black bodies in animation—ranging from the earliest days of the medium through the Golden Age of Warner Bros. and Disney—and unlike much scholarship in the field, brings the conversation to the present day, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Pixar’s Soul (2020). Gainer’s work also delves into animation for television, including Fat Albert, Josie and the Pussycats, Teen Titans, and The Boondocks, exploring how outside media such as comic books often serve as strong influences. (conversation approx. 45 minutes)

Come early before the talk for a book signing in the Wexner Center Store from 6 to 7 PM, and stick around for a free screening of the Oscar-nominated animated feature The Princess and the Frog starting at 8 PM. Disney’s spin on the Brothers Grimm folk tale “The Frog Prince” follows a waitress in Jazz Age New Orleans who dreams of owning her own restaurant. When she crosses paths with a prince turned into a frog, her attempt to turn him back with a kiss instead leads to her sharing his predicament. (97 mins., DCP)