Creator of DC’s Black Lightning has come out as transgender. In a post on social media over the weekend the creator, previously known as Tony Isabella, announced that she is transgender. Isabella also noted that her name is Jenny Blake Isabella and that, in terms of how to properly credit her work, previous work should be credited to “Tony Isabella” while she will be writing under both that name and Jenny Blake Isabella and presenting as Tony Isabella for most events this year.
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“This is real. I’ll have more to say soon. In the meantime, I ask you to respect my privacy and especially that of my wife and our children. Thank you,” Isabella wrote.
In a follow-up post on her website on Tuesday, Isabella answered fan questions, specifically about her name.
“My preferred name is Jenny Blake Isabella,” she wrote. “I’ve always liked the name Jenny. Blake comes from Marvel’s Doctor Don. Once a Marvel maniac, always a Marvel maniac.”
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“I don’t consider ‘Tony Isabella’ to be a dead name,” she continued. “I’ve written a lot of good stories and other things under that name and done a lot of good for people. I plan to continue writing under that name and my preferred name. DC Comics asked if I wanted them to change my credits on the DC website and any future reprints of my work to my new name or if they should keep the backlist credits as is and use Jenny for any new work that I do. Darn thoughtful of them.”
Isabella is perhaps best known for creating the superhero Black Lightning with artist Trevor Von Eeden for DC Comics in 1977, the first Black superhero to headline his own DC series. The character would later go on to get his own live-action television series on The CW starring Cress Williams in the titular heroic role in 2018. That series ran for four seasons. Isabella also returned to writing Black Lightning in 2017 for the limited series Black Lighting: Cold Dead Hands. Outside of DC, Isabella also co-created Misty knight with artist Arvell Jones as well as Black Goliath with George Tuska. As for current projects, Isabella wrote on her blog that she’s created a new trans super-hero that she’s particularly excited about. Isabella had previously shared about the creation of this new character on her social media earlier this month, noting at that time that she felt that the character could be “as ground-breaking as my Black Lightning was in the 1970s.”
“What am I working on? I have created a new trans super-hero,” Isabella wrote. “I love her more every day. I think she can be a contemporary Peter Parker for queer and straight kids alike. The initial pitch is ready to go to any publisher or other partner ready to work out a fair and mutually beneficial agreement. I’m not interested in giving up creative control of this new character or selling all rights to her.”
