Marvel's 'Black Panther' director recalls discovering the superhero as a child in Oakland

"Black Panther" and "Fruitvale Station" director Ryan Coogler has been vocal about his life growing up in Oakland.

And as he revealed at Comic-Con in San Diego this week, part of his youth was spent in search of black superheroes at a comic book store by his East Bay elementary school called Dr. Comics & Mr. Games.

As he says, he first fell in love with reading about "X-Men" character Bishop.

"I was like, 'Holy smokes, there's a black X-Man?'" he says. "Then I found out Stan Lee talked about how Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were some of his inspirations for Magneto and Professor X. So I was like, 'Jeez, my culture is influencing this!' And this is being referenced. But I always did long for that one (black) superhero who the whole book was around. The same way I could pick up a Captain America book or a Spider-Man book."

Director Ryan Coogler from Marvel Studios 'Black Panther attends the San Diego Comic-Con International 2016 Marvel Panel in Hall H on July 23, 2016 in San Diego, California. ©Marvel Studios 2016 Director Ryan Coogler from Marvel Studios 'Black Panther attends the San Diego Comic-Con International 2016 Marvel Panel in Hall H on July 23, 2016 in San Diego, California. ©Marvel Studios 2016 Photo: (Photo By Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For Disney) Photo: (Photo By Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images For Disney) Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Marvel's 'Black Panther' director recalls discovering the superhero as a child in Oakland 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

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Coogler continues, saying he went to Dr. Comics & Mr. Games to find out if there were more black superheroes.

"I remember going in there saying, 'You got any black superheroes? Got anybody who looks like me?'" the director says. "The first thing they did was walk me over to 'Black Panther.'"

Coogler never forgot that store, and when he got the directing gig for the new Marvel project, he and his wife paid it another visit. They bought two "Black Panther" comic books.

The new "Black Panther" film may pay some respect to Coogler's hometown; as we reported in January, the movie will include a '90s-era flashback that will feature buses fashioned to look like AC Transit vehicles.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

