Horror, History, and Hard Truths

I was digging through the archives and came across this great conversation from way back in 2021, when I was still running Goblins Heist—and it absolutely holds up. The talk features Rodney Barnes, a veteran, award-winning screenwriter and producer whose work continues to shape modern genre storytelling across comics, television, and film. Barnes dives into what he was working on at the time (and what was coming next), while breaking down craft, survival, and voice in horror, fantasy, and drama with the confidence of someone who’s been in the trenches and earned it. If you know his work on The Boondocks, Killadelphia, Marvel’s Runaways, American Gods, or Wu-Tang: An American Saga, you already know Barnes brings intelligence, bite, and real cultural weight to everything he touches. This panel was part of AARLCC-CON, an event dedicated to providing African-American comic creators and sci-fi writers with a platform to share their work, trade knowledge, and connect with industry professionals. Back then—and still now—it felt less like a convention and more like infrastructure being built in real time. If you’re into comics, genre storytelling, or hearing from creators who actually do the work, this is a solid watch—even years later. I would love to catch up with him again and just get his take on everything that is going on. Find more of his stuff here https://rodneybarnes.com/ Get full access to FWACATA’s Newsletter at www.fwacata.com/subscribe