More Fillmore Please

Fillmore! was a Disney animated series that centered around African-American Middle School student Cornelius Filmore. The lead character was a reformed juvenile delinquent that was recruited into the school safety patrol and subsequently became it's lead detective. This particular school safety patrol was considerably more active than any real middle school counterpart. Filmore and his partner Ingrid actively investigated and caught counterfeiters, smugglers, chop shops, and saboteurs. It was basically a children friendly crime drama and it was nicely done. READ MORE...

Fillmore was quite the positive role model both in demeanor and his actively working to make things right. He was intelligent, daring, and very good at his job. He had no real super powers but he had a keen mind and an incorruptible sense of right and wrong. He was also a great leader. I was surprised and pleased to see this show appear. Not only did it appear on Disney but the Black characters seemed genuine and the stories were well written.

Alas, all good things end too soon. Unlike most Disney animated series, Filmore! only lasted two seasons. The show debuted in 2002 and the last new episode aired in 2004. I can only speculate as to what caused the show to be cut short but if you missed it don't despair. The series is set to return on Disney XD. It doesn't look like there will be any new episodes though. Here's a clip:

Frozone

In Disney and Pixar's The Incredibles, a movie I liked very much, we are introduced to the Superhero Frozone voiced by Samuel L. Jackson. The character is likable right away but the codename bothered me. I understand the play on the word "frozen" since the hero's powers are based on freezing things but "fro"? He has no afro so I have to assume he's called Frozone because he's Black. I suppose it's better than calling him Black Ice, though not by much. I guess we haven't outgrown putting a Black character's color in his name.

Frozone's powers are like that of comic book characters, Iceman, and Ice. In fact he seems to be a combination of the two. As far as his representation of Black people I'd say he's a little better than middle of the road. The character is interesting but not exciting enough to stand in his own movie or comic book. Shooting ice from your fingertips is not a bad power. His character is married and he appears to be faithful except for moonlighting as a superhero. In fact his wife knows about his abilites and alter ego. The hero is clearly Black in look, voice, and attitude but also very non-threatening which enables him to appeal to all ages and people. He was number one on the list of Black Voices dubious list of the Top 25 Black Superheroes.

Disney has done right by the character in terms of marketing and exposure. They gave him a secret identity, (Lucius Best), and bit of a life outside being a Superhero. He has multiple action figures both in and out of costume. He even appears at Disney venues much like Snow White and Mickey Mouse. You can even have your picture taken with Frozone. I look forward to see what becomes of this character.