By Matthew Stiffler, Arab American National Museum

Saturday, September 8, 2012 was a banner day at the Arab American National Museum. The building was filled with area youth, local and national media, and 100 comic book fans and Arab American community members, all celebrating the release of the first Arab American comic book superhero!

Geoff Johns, chief creative officer for DC Entertainment, answers questions from audience members at the Arab American National Museum on Saturday, September 8, 2012. Geoff gave a free public presentation about his life and work. Photo by Derrica Hamilton, courtesy of the Arab American National Museum.

Following the release of the new Green Lantern #0 earlier in the week, Geoff Johns, chief creative officer for DC Entertainment and a Lebanese American, spent the afternoon at the Museum to celebrate the milestone. The new Green Lantern, Arab American Simon Baz, was created by Geoff to pay tribute to his own Arab American heritage as well as to his roots in Metro Detroit. Simon Baz is from Dearborn, and the city will figure prominently in the upcoming Green Lantern series. (For more about the background of the Green Lantern and the specifics of the new character, read this Detroit News article.)

Geoff involved the Arab American National Museum in the process of creating the new character. He was dedicated to making sure he got the detail correct, as his goal was to combat stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims, not to reinforce them. The Museum was thrilled to support Geoff in his endeavor, and was happy to host him for the weekend of September 7-8. The AANM partnered with Green Brain Comics of Dearborn to make the weekend’s events such a success. On Friday, September 7, Geoff Johns appeared at a sold-out signing event at Green Brain, just down Michigan Avenue from the AANM.

Saturday afternoon, Geoff spent an hour working with a diverse group of area youth in the library at the AANM. It was Geoff’s idea to have a “superhero creation” workshop with kids in Metro Detroit and the event was amazing. Geoff was able to engage a roomful of middle-school aged kids, surrounded by cameras and media, in the creation of a new superhero, Lily Thornbladh, and her cast of characters, including a magical sidekick Dr. Tomato Guy.

More than 20 area youth took part in the unique superhero creation workshop that Geoff Johns led on Saturday, September 8, 2012, in the library at the Arab American National Museum. Photo by Derrica Hamilton, courtesy of the Arab American National Museum.

After signing books for all of the kids in the workshop, and a spate of media interviews, Geoff then wowed nearly 100 people with stories from his life and his work. From die-hard comic book fans to curious community members, the presentation engaged everyone for almost two hours. He told stories of earning his big break with Hollywood director Richard Donner, and about his choice to attend Michigan State University, which, he claims, was only partially influenced by their massive comic book collection. The evening ended with the announcement of the AANM’s new Geoff Johns Arab American Graphic Novel Collection.

Thanks to a generous book donation from Geoff Johns and DC Comics, the Library & Resource Center (L&RC) at the AANM has begun a unique collection that will highlight the work of Arab American comic books writers and artists, graphic novelists, and those specializing in other forms of non-traditional print media. The AANM Library & Resource Center is the perfect place to house such a collection, as the L&RC already has the largest collection of materials by and about Arab Americans anywhere in the country. Geoff Johns’ work and his commitment to highlighting the Arab American experience is one more vibrant addition to the AANM.

For more photos from the superhero creation workshop, check out the AANM’s Flickr page.