IGN: Ali, the first time we hear Black Mariah said as a name, you say it, and its almost like something from the past you can pull out and say in a way to get her. Did you guys think about what that history would have been, growing up together as cousins?
Ali: Its not something we necessarily talked about, but that moment we talked about. And that gets into some stuff that is really personal to black culture. I mean, you get into skin tone, when you get to insulting. And we kind of had to make that moment our own, and what that meant to us, and why that was an insult, why she would get upset about that. But again, that gets us back into - with family, thats what it is. Otherwise, if we werent related, she would be a politician that I, for some reason, had a relationship with, when I ran this club, and we both have an agenda, and were trying to achieve that end. But because were family, and you cant divorce family, it complicates that relationship. And she has to deal with me, as I have to tolerate her, in a certain way. And I think Im probably more of a problem for her than she is for me, in all honesty, because she is trying to legitimize the family, kind of for her sake, as well, because you cant have this shady cousin running around there. Like, she may have, and I dont know, we havent talked about this, but the city council could really be a stepping-stone to mayor or something for her. So this needs to get worked out.
Woodard: But also, this was something that we did have to work out because of the character in the original Luke Cage [comics] in 72. There was a Black Mariah, who was very different from what were doing. Some of our characters, like Misty, like Luke, some of our characters and others come straight out of the comic. Others are inspired by them. But Cheo [Coker] wanted to give recognition and homage to Black Mariah, but I started saying, Well, it depends on who calls me Black Mariah. And he says, I want you to go after him! And thats when we see, Oh Lord, shes not a mild mannered city councilwoman. And it helped that theyre cousins, and it helped that I wasnt dark skinned, so you knew it was about something else, so what else? So we talked about those things that would set it off, and it was, it is old schoolyard poop between cousins.
