The story of the first Jamaican superhero dances across pages to reggae beats, trying to save the world and everything in it
The story of the first Jamaican superhero dances across pages to reggae beats, trying to save the world and everything in it
Dread & Alive narrates the story of Drew Mcintosh, a Jamaican native in San Francisco. He may look like your average anthropologist with a chiselled physique and signature dreadlocks, but wait, there is more. He is also an eco-warrior with the ability to morph into a roaring lion against jungle hoodlums who threaten the animal world "to which all humans belong" says the hero sans cape. 
We have had superheroes who care for the environment but Captain Planet has nothing over Mcintosh, who is unconventional for a comic book hero in addition to being the first Jamaican superhero.
He battles poachers, hunters, ivory pirates and just about anyone who doesn't recycle.u00a0 But his arch nemesis goes by the name Gryphon, au00a0 banished native who is possessed by a black heart and the ultimate evil with a black hoodie. He smuggles endangered species from Africa to the United States so rich baddies can hunt for sport.u00a0
Mcintosh may look savage but he stands for values that are all good and wholesome. "Me don' love fighting but me don' love wicked either!" he says in a speech bubble validating our point.
Then again, considering the story is based in contemporary America, our hero is the only one with a thick accent and the lack of diction to string together a single sentence. The "yah mon" clich ufffd of the island nation of the Caribbean is a shabby attempt to add culture to our intellectual macho man.u00a0
Dread & Alive, the website lets you view and buy the previous four editions of the comic book series and also allows you to listen and download The Lost Tapes, a musical compilation by reggae artists.
The website packs in a lot, and hence takes a while to buffer but don't tear your dreads just yetu00a0-- it offers plenty of entertainment with an added bonus that lets you download wallpapers, news about the comic, posters and character profiles just in case you wanted to get to know the svelte eco-activist Brandy Savage a little better.
You must listen to a track by Baijie, an artist from Kingston, Jamaica entitled Global Warming. With a thick accent he will sing and make you sway while delivering a critical message. "Hole in the Ozone, who put it there?" he asks.
The playlist continues with soulful tracks like Planet Earth by Bob Andy, dub with New Zion by Hanouneh and a rap by Taddy P entitled Leave The Crumbs Alone.
Nicholas Da Silva creator of Dread & Alive, is part of the media agency Zoolook that looks at bringing multi-cultural heroes to a comic book stand near you. Love it or hate it, Dread & Alive takes a brave step towards the unconventional and urges people to "Tink diffran mon!"
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