William Evans: The Reluctant Sword and Conscious Nerd
Overview
William Evans is the co-founder of Black Nerd Problems, a poet, performer, and instructor who writes roughly half the essays in this 2021 collection. As a narrator, he operates as both a fan and a critic, using his personal life—fatherhood, the death of his mother, his relationship with his father, and his identity as a Black man in America—as a lens through which he examines pop culture. His voice blends Black American English, academic reflection, and streetwise humor, creating a tone that is at once welcoming and incisive. Evans often positions himself as the "Reluctant Sword," a nickname he adopts in the sobering chapter on cosplay and police violence (chapter 27), signaling his awareness that even nerd hobbies carry mortal risk for Black people.
Plot Role and Narrative Function
Evans does not drive a fictional plot; rather, he serves as the collection's emotional anchor and its most introspective voice. He is the narrator of roughly half the essays, while his co-author Omar Holmon handles the other half. Evans's chapters frequently move from a pop-culture premise (defending Batman, critiquing Simba, analyzing Underworld) to a deeper personal or societal truth. In chapter 27, "The Sobering Reality of Actual Black Nerd Problems," he recounts a Halloween 2014 trip to Ohio's Wizard World comic con. He admires a replica Buster sword from Final Fantasy VII and considers buying it—until the memory of Darrien Hunt, a Black cosplayer shot by police for carrying a plastic sword, forces him to put it down. This moment encapsulates Evans's role: he is a nerd who cannot afford to be naive, whose joy is always shadowed by the reality of being Black in America.
Motivations and Traits
Evans is driven by a desire for authentic representation and honest critique. He is not afraid to challenge beloved characters (calling Simba a "garbage" king in chapter 3) or defend controversial ones (arguing Batman should be allowed to "cook" in chapter 8). His traits include:
- Introspective self-awareness: He reflects on his younger reckless self and contrasts it with his current caution as a husband and father.
- Protective love: His daughter and wife are central; his concern for their well-being influences his decisions, such as not carrying a replica sword.
- Critical fandom: He demands better from the media he loves, whether it's Hollywood's colorism (chapter 21 on Storm) or the erasure of Black characters in comics (chapter 9).
- Vulnerability: He openly discusses grief after his mother's death (chapter 26) and the toll of losing friends to gun violence (chapter 35).
Chronological Arc
Although Black Nerd Problems is not a chronological narrative, Evans's essays trace a thematic maturation. Early chapters (e.g., chapter 3 on The Lion King, chapter 6 on Into the Spider-Verse) emphasize joy, fan defense, and representation. Middle chapters introduce more critique of systemic issues (chapter 13 on Green Lantern and police accountability, chapter 21 on colorism). Later chapters become deeply personal: chapter 26 reveals his mother's 2011 death and how the sitcom Go On helped him process grief; chapter 27 documents the 2014 comic con and the murder of Darrien Hunt; chapter 35 confronts the dissonance between loving video-game gun violence and real-life gun deaths. The arc shows a man who starts as a passionate fan and grows into a wary, thoughtful critic of both the industry and his own position in it.
Relationships
Evans's relationships are rendered through anecdotes and comparisons:
- With Omar Holmon: The two co-founders have a playful, respectful rivalry. They trade chapters and occasionally appear together in transcribed conversations (chapter 10). Their friendship, born from a 2008 poetry slam rivalry, is the backbone of the website and the book.
- With his father: In chapter 43, Evans describes his father as an "Omega-level nerd" who prefers The Silmarillion to Game of Thrones. When Evans asks if fantasy is escapism, his father responds, "It's not an escape. It's hope." This exchange grounds Evans's understanding of representation as sustenance.
- With his daughter: In chapter 4, Evans introduces his young daughter to Avatar: The Legend of Korra. She becomes obsessed, tackling him while shouting "I'm the Avatar" and demanding a Korra hairstyle. Evans argues that representation provides "subconscious validation" for children of color.
- With his late mother: Chapter 26 is a direct memoir of her death. He finds solace in the sitcom Go On, whose support-group humor parallels his own grief. He notes that "moving on does not mean forgetting."
- With the Black nerd community: Evans repeatedly writes to and for Black nerds, urging them to claim space and interrogate the media they consume.
Key Decisions and Consequences
| Decision | Context | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Putting down the Buster sword | At Wizard World, after recalling Darrien Hunt (ch. 27) | A moment of self-preservation; he acknowledges that even a plastic sword can be read as a weapon when a Black man carries it. |
| Defending Korra against criticism | Chapter 4, after his daughter connects with the show | He argues that sexist critiques of Korra mask a deeper need for representation; the essay models how fandom can be a teaching tool. |
| Critiquing Stringer Bell | Chapter 28, rejecting the idea of a prequel | He distinguishes between the actor's talent and the character's moral failure, urging fans to "bury Stringer Bell but let Idris live." |
| Writing honestly about grief | Chapter 26, after his mother's death | The essay humanizes him and validates humor as a coping mechanism; it becomes one of the book's most affecting chapters. |
| Declining to carry a replica sword | Ch. 27—a real-world choice | This decision, though small, symbolizes the "actual Black Nerd Problems" the title names: the constant calculus of safety. |
Theme and Symbol Connections
Evans's essays connect directly to the book's core themes:
- Representation: He argues that seeing oneself in media is not a luxury but a necessity. His daughter claiming Korra and the Wakanda salute becoming a Black language (chapter 46) illustrate this.
- Escapism and Reality: He explicitly wrestles with the impossibility of pure escape. Chapter 27 shows nerd spaces being invaded by real-world violence. Chapter 43 frames fiction not as escape but as "hope inserted into what you can't outrun."
- Gatekeeping and Inclusion: He calls for a broader definition of nerdhood (seconded by Omar in chapter 2) and defends Black nerds like Dwayne Wayne and Steve Urkel against reductive stereotypes.
- Grief and Healing: Chapter 26 is a full exploration of grief, where sitcom humor and video games become tools for processing loss.
- Systemic Injustice: From the death of Darrien Hunt to the police killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Philando Castile, Evans makes explicit the link between fictional narratives and real-world anti-Black violence.
The symbol of the "reluctant sword" is perhaps his most personal. He calls himself "The Reluctant Sword" at the start of chapter 27, a moniker that captures the tension between his desire to engage with nerd culture fully and the need to hold back because of his skin color. The sword is both a collectible and a liability.
Five Book-Specific Questions and Answers
1. Why does William Evans decide not to buy the Buster sword at the comic con?
In chapter 27, Evans recalls that the autopsy of Darrien Hunt, a Black cosplayer who was shot multiple times by police for carrying a plastic sword, had just been released. He realizes that carrying a large replica sword in public could mark him as a threat, so he puts it down and walks away—a micro-decision born from systemic awareness.
2. What does Evans's father say about fantasy and escapism?
In chapter 43, Evans asks his father if he uses fantasy stories to escape the reality of being Black in America. His father replies: "It's not an escape. It's hope. The good guys win and life has value in a fantasy story. It's not about getting away from something. It's about inserting hope into what you can't outrun."
3. How does Evans defend Simba's critics in the chapter about The Lion King?
In chapter 3, Evans argues that Simba never earns his role as king. He points out that Simba caused Mufasa's death through recklessness, fled the Pride Lands while his family suffered under Scar, and only returned when guilt forced him. Evans concludes that the Pride Lands would be better off with democratic reform, not a monarchy.
4. What is Evans's critique of the casting of Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse?
In chapter 21, Evans argues that Hollywood's choice of the lighter-skinned Alexandra Shipp for Storm perpetuates colorism. He notes that Storm in the comics is a dark-skinned, goddess-like African character, and that dark-skinned Black women are consistently passed over for iconic roles. He calls the casting a symptom of a deeper industry problem.
5. How does Evans process the loss of his mother in the book?
Chapter 26 is an open account of his mother's death on September 9, 2011. He finds unexpected comfort in the sitcom Go On, which features a support group that uses dark humor to cope. He connects with character Owen, who uses video games to express grief, and concludes that humor and moving on do not mean forgetting.
For deeper discussion of the book's themes and ending, see the ending explained and questions and answers pages.