In the fourth grade, we had to pick an inventor, dress like the inventor, and explain our invention. I decided to pick something off the wall (instead of, like, a light bulb), so I ended up doing my little presentation as George Crum. I remember reading about his work as a chef, learning about his shortness with customers, and the interaction (possibly apocryphal, although Crum certainly invented the potato chip) with the diner who kept complaining about his home fries being too thick.

I literally made a presentation as this man, and used a few websites and a couple encyclopediae (yeah, I’m old) to source all the data. I certainly know more than most people do about George Crum.

The point of all this is that, until I came across this post on Tumblr, I had absolutely no idea he was black. I’ve known who Crum was for over twenty years and never knew his race, because no website or encyclopedia thought it was worth mentioning.

as Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water

as the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth

as Faun in Pan’s Labyrinth

as the Angel of Death in Hellboy II: The Golden Army 

as Billy Butcherson in Hocus Pocus

as one of the Gentlemen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

as Edith’s Mother, Lady Sharpe in Crimson Peak

as Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

as Saru in Star Trek: Discovery

“We don’t know what madness is.“