Steve Johnson is the creator and editor of the Fearless Five. He teamed up with Siphriah Davidson (author) and Massive Brain (illustrator) to bring the concept and the series to life. In doing that, he discovered a passion for the creative process that he did not know he had.
What inspired the creation of the team?
superheroes, black children, self-esteem, imagination, fearless, african-american kids, cartoons, comic strips, comics, black comics,
books, action, heroes, fun
Who created the Fearless Five?
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Steve's daughter was the inspiration for the concept. He desired to have a product that resembled her to further build her self-esteem. The original idea was to have a set of books done just for her, but as other parents found about it, they wanted copies for their little one(s) as well. The concept has since been expanded so that each character will lead their own series of fun and exciting adventures!
How were the characters created?
As a parent, Steve desired to see not just his child but all children grow up believing that they are powerful and full of potential. So, it dawned on him why not create a concept where the kids are the superheroes. Through the Fearless Five, they are not confined to their current situations. For example, Joshua is overweight, but Blaze has superhuman speed and agility. The twins Chai and Daia are smaller for their ages, but they are able to show incredible physical strength and mastery of their environment. Nathan has difficulty, at times, with staying on task, but as Bender, he is able to focus his mind in tremendous ways. Hannah, as Phenom, shows how a young lady can be intelligent and challenge societal norms of what “leaders” should be.