The Minority Report Letter Column: Page 2
Your letters will still be in the festive orange, my comments will remain in the formal dress whites.
Heya,
Interesting column, and yes it does make one think. Since it is relevant to the subject lemme just say offhand that I am white but my baby brother Marcus is white/black mix… and since I used to watch him on the weekends the differences in races and the way people view you is something that has been in my mind for the last 20 years.
I agree that currently the comic landscape is a bit too bleached, your list of black superheroes had missed a decent number of characters but the point is still made. However I think there is something you didn’t address in your column, namely how many minority characters have been written into the Marvel and DC universes in the last ten years of so. Yes, the predominant color of superheroes is white. However for a long time that was the standard order for the comic industry. That means the “Icon” superheroes, the ones that have been around forever, the ones that are considered the top sellers, are almost all white. Can’t change that, it’s just how it is. So that means that the BASE of comic book characters is set in stone as Caucasian. So I don’t believe it’s an issue of people today not writing minority characters, it’s an issue of the writers today having to deal with the fact that the foundations of the comic universes being white and thus if they want to use minorities that have to introduce them themselves. And I think they ARE doing so.
Let me demonstrate by listing some of the new comics that have come out in the last decade or so and how they have been adding “new colors.”
New Warriors: Night Thrasher, Rage and others.
Young Justice: Empress
Manhunter
New Firestorm.
Power Company: Rocketeer, and the owner of the team (can’t remember his name but he was black AND gay.)
Young Avengers: Whoever the Capt America kid is.
7 Soldiers: Bulleteer. New York Guardian.
Outsiders: Thunder and Grace.
Blue Beetle
JSA: Jakeem Thunder, Crimson Avenger, Mr. Terrific.
Runaways: Half the characters in the book.
The New Atom
Thunderbolts: Charcoal, now using Radioactive Man.
And this is just off the top of my head with no research done, virtually all the new comics coming out featuring newly created characters include minority characters now. Whenever new comic comes out you are all but guaranteed to see some color in it. And that’s a very good thing. But it doesn’t look like it at times because it’s color mixed in with a 50 year white base. It’s nearly impossible to have a true representation of diversity in comics because almost all of the beloved long term, iconic characters are white.  Almost. And they aren’t going anywhere. So unless Marvel and DC decide to kill of Superman, Spiderman, Batman, the Hulk, Captain America and the rest of the foundation characters there is always going to be a bottleneck at the top because we have already set out superhero pantheon and any characters introduced now will not get the same amount of coverage as guys like Spidey and Bats.
But I do think the comic industry is making strides. And I like the added color in my comics.ÂÂ
Keep on writing man, enjoying your stuff.
Jason S
Thanks Jason! I think a few of those characters were touched on in later lists, but I admit your inclusion of “Manhunter” has me confused. Kate Spencer is a minority? I’ve read the book since it started and if Kate is a minority it never even noticed. And I’m pretty sure the original Walt Simonson Manhunter (a clone of which was a member of the Power Company) was white too. Same for the Bulleteer. If she’s a minority, again, I missed that completely.
Your points are well made, Jason. Modern comic book writers are up against 70-odd years of Truth, Justice, and the White American Way. Just about all of the iconic characters today were CREATED in the pre-desgregation/civil rights years. Superman, Batman, Captain America and Spider-man to a large extent (1962) were cerated before or during that period in American history – The Dr. Martin Luther King era, if you will. I think if it’s common practice to exclude someone or something in everyday life, it takes a long time to really affect that change. My parents can still remeber going to school when there were seperate drinking foutains labelled “Whites” and “Blacks”. Writers during those days probably didn’t put a great deal of thought into the ethnicity of a character when developing their origin. It was more ore less taken for granted that the character would be white. Perhaps a sidekick or underling might be black. Following World War II there was little chance of a strong, benevolent Japanese superhero. I believe if there’s one thing humanity does really well, it’s prejudice. I’ve been preaching the need for more minorities for over a month now. Some blacks are preaching the need for Reparations more than a century after Lincoln emanicpated the slaves. I think it’s time ALL races grow up and get over it. I’m not a follower of L. Ron Hubbard’s nutty little cult, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the beginnings of Gene Roddenberry’s dream at some point in my lifetime. All the national pride and racial chest thumping isn’t getting us anywhere as a planet. Why is it only science fiction writers seem to see that? And why on Earth did it take Rodney King of all people to ask the greatest question of the last 20 years: “Can’t we all just get along?”
As a reminder, based on comments from Jag last week and Jason here, I’m planning to do a “Who’s the next Icon?” column in the very near future. Maybe even next week. What does it take to join the comic book Pantheon and can a minority do it? Tune in, true believers! (I can’t beleive I said that. I’m such a sell-out mark!)
Good article on minority characters in comics, but you missed the biggest DC Latino character of all: Kyle Rayner. During his first run as Ion, Kyle was revealed to be Latino on his father’s side. (His father’s last name was “Ramirez” if memory serves me correctly.) Also from Green Lantern, you forgot one of the earliest examples of racial diversity in comics, supporting character Tom Kalamaku, who was an Alaskan Eskimo, and Hal Jordan’s best friend. Also from the DC side, Black Adam is clearly drawn these days as an Arab.
On the Marvel side, you forgot some biggies: Apocalypse (who is Arab), The Mandarin (Chinese), and Lady Deathstrike (Japanese). You mentioned Silver Samurai, but then said you weren’t counting him because he was a villain, but you do mention Radioactive Man…
I would be interested to see how many Asian characters there are who DON’T have a Karate, Kung Fu, etc. gimmick.
Hayden F.
Hmmm…good question Hayden. Sunfire certainly comes to mind for an Asian who doesn’t dance to “Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting” (join in if you know the words!), and I guess Radioactive Man and Dr. Light would fit the bill. Beyond that…yeah, I can’t think of too many off the top of my head. I hate to say it (well, not all that much really) but it seems like DC, already weak on minorities in general, really miss the target when it comes to Asian characterization. Dr. Light might be the only Asian in their Universe who doesn’t kick or punch for a living. Lady Shiva, Batgirl, Katana, Grace–all fighters. I think my mind automatically equates the word “Jade” with Asia for some reason, but she’s the dughter of Alan Scott, so she’d be white if she wasn’t green (wow, I sound like Yogi Berra). For that matter she might be alive if she’s not really dead. Who can tell anymore? At any rate, she ain’t Asian. Even the Legion of Superheroes token Asian is a fighter. His name is “Karate Kid”. ‘Nuff Said.
Some of the other characters you mention are fine examples of minorities in comics, but they’re in minority roles. I could have probably looked around for some obscure Japanese characters from the Invaders or All-Star Squadron or even, SHIELD, the Howling Commandos, or the Blackhawks (in fact they DO have one: a guy called Chop-Chop, how wonderfully offensive), but I had to draw the line just actualy superheroes and not the supporting casts. As for Black Adam, I’m torn on whether on not he’s a good guy. I don’t quite think he’s a bad guy, so yeah, I’d add him to the list. Your Marvel suggestions are accurate, but as you pointed out I wasn’t counting the villains. Silver Samurai remains just on the edge of the line between villain and whatever Black Adam is. And Radioactive Man counts because he’s a Thunderbolt now.
Kyle. Sigh. At the risk of being a jerk here, why on Earth would you WANT this guy if you were Latino? On the Dave Chappelle Race Draft, the Latinos took Elian Gonzales. He was ALREADY Latino. I can just see the White Delegation trying to move Rayner off their roster…
“Sorry son, you’ve been traded to the Latinos.”
“What? Why?!?”
“Well Kyle, it’s like this. We don’t want you. You have no testicular fortitude. You’re girlfriends have a tendency to die horrible deaths – some even end up in your refridgerator – and you never seem to be all that broken up about it. Hell, boy, you had to get Guy Gardner to avenge the first one! That’s pathetic! You need to toughen up. So we’re sending you to the Latinos.”
“But…wait…are there any other Latino superheroes? I don’t want to be the only one.”
“See? This is what I’m talking about. Whine and bitch and moan. What do you do all day, hang out with Judd Winick? ‘Oh poor me! I have a goofy mask and a lot of dead chicks in my fridge. I can’t get to my pizza rolls because I can’t stand the smell and I haven’t figured out how to conjure some green Arm & Hammer boxes with the most powerful weapon in the universe on my finger because I’m a poor, misuderstood artist. Boo-hoo!’ You know what I have never in my life heard? Well? That wasn’t a rhetorical question, numbnuts!”
“Wh – *sniff* – what?”
“I have never heard of a sniveling crybaby Latino. You don’t see Jade Fire crying…”
“WHAAAAH! Don’t say Jade!”
“Oh sure, NOW you’re upset. Does daddy’s little girl need a tissue? Tomorrow, 6am sharp, report to Guatanamo Bay for orientation to the Justice League of Central America.”
“JLCA? Who’s in that?”
“Jade Fire…”
“WHAAAAH!”
“Shut it or I’ll give you something to cry about. She’s the Field Leader, and Blue Beetle and Vibe is…”
“I think Vibe is dead. Professor Ivo got him.”
“Well then, I guess it’s just you, Fire and the new Blue Beetle. Good luck, don’t get Fire killed.”
“But-but-but what are we supposed to do?”
“Well, ‘Ramirez,” you guys are going after The Kurgan…”
“The who?”
“NO! We don’t want you within 100 miles of Roger Daltrey. The Kurgan. We just secured the rights for him since Vandal Savage has a tumor and we’re building The Kurgan up for a big run next summer. Don’t get Fire killed.”
“What about me? What if this maniac kills me?”
“Don’t lose your head, Ramirez, and don’t get Fire killed. Dismissed!”
Hey, watch it. Jubilee rules. Best partner Wolverine ever had.
Colin P.
Umm…Colin, I don’t know where you’re from, but I think in most civilized nations the notion of Jubilee being Wolverine’s partner AT ALL, much lest the best, is grounds for a stern call to Child Welfare. Let’s just pretend none of this ever happened. You know, like the Catholics do.
Hey Jeff,
Just read your latest installment of Minority Report. One question – how did you get a Korean sister?
Anyway, one to a few notes…
1. The Outsiders’ Grace Choi should be Chinese (or Taiwanese), since “Choi” is a predominantly Chinese surname. And she looks Chinese in the comic…
2. Other non-white DCU characters not in the list that I can think of are the Vietnamese twins Thunder & Lightning (from the Teen Titans), and El Diablo. The
post-Zero Hour version of Hawkman (the one with real wings instead of the Nth metal stuff) was part Native American as well.
3. Also, I would like to point out Jonah Hex married a Chinese woman named Mei Ling. :)
4. Since Cassandra Cain is the child of Lady Shiva, she’d qualify as an Asian. After reading the latest issues of Birds of Prey, I’m inclined to believe Lady
Shiva is either Vietnamese, Cambodian, Burmese (Myamar-ese?), or Thai.
5. Ex-Avenger Flamebird (yea… she be obscure, the only comic I have ever seen her in is Avengers West Coast annual # 4) is Native American.
6. The Proudstar brothers (Thunderbird I & Thunderbird II/Warpath) are Native Americans, but Thunderbird III (Neal Sharra) is an Indian (as in from India).
And to close with a question, why didn’t you like Grant Morrison’s X-Men? I thought it was amazing (last four issues by Marc Silvestri notwithstanding).
MCF
Hooray! I loves me some numbered questions! Muchas gracias and domo arigato, MCF. Oh, and my sister’s Korean because I’m adopted. Besides, what makes you think I’m not Korean?
1) Grace looks like a street trick. I think she was on “Cops” a couple weeks back, trying to buy some blow from an undercover narcotics officer in Chiacgo. Now if Jim Lee drew her, she’d TOTALLY be Asian. And if Chris Claremont wrote her, she’d be able to focus the totality of her street trick powers into her deadly “Sino-Sword.” If she doesn’t light that Tina Turner hair she’s got on fire in the process.
2) I just thought of another couple of Teen Titans (animated) characters: Mas y Menos! The speedy little sorta Lucha electric guys! I don’t watch Titans much but those two dudes crack me up. I bow to your wisdom on the others, especially when it comes to Hawkman continuity. I always figured that somewhere in the offices of DC Comics, some intern walked into the Hawkman editor’s office and said, “Hey Chief, did ya hear? We’re rebooting continuity!” And the editor pulled open his drawer, pulled out a bottle of cognac and said, “Oh thank God!”
3) Hex, I’m sure, made a very handsome groom. The bow tie probably helped distract the preacher man enough that he didn’t stare at that weird flap of skin over his mouth. Gotta be tough to get a Big Mac through that.
4) Can’t really say anything more – you nailed that. I haven’t actually READ the part where Cassandra finds her mother, so thanks for letting me know how that turned out! ;) Don’t worry, I’m going to read it anyway.
5) Ah-ha! (Oooh, that reminds me, I need to look for the video to Take On Me…) I think you’re confusing your universes. Flamebird is Bette Kane, a blond L.A. debutante in the DCU who sometimes hangs with the Teen Titans. I think she’s a fairly interesting character and I wish someone would do more with her. Her naviete would be nice on the Outsiders, I think. But she’s not a minority. Firebird, who was the first on my list of non-black Marvel minorities, is Bonita Juarez, and she has been an Avenger. OF course, if there’s a Flamebird in Marvel I don’t know about, feel free to enlighten me!
6) I listed Thunderbird too – all of them, under the single Thunderbird entry as an attempt at cynical humor. I just find it funny that Claremont’s come up with three Thunderbirds and they’ve all been Indian in some way or another. I hope that the next time Jean Grey resurrects, they make her the new Thunderbird. Maybe she’ll live longer if she’s not doomed to live out the myth of the Phoenix. Then again, the Thunderbird moniker hasn’t been really great in that respect either, has it?
And what did I dislike about the Grant-Men? All of it. And it didn’t help that Frank Quitely’s butchery of human anatomy was allowed through most of the run. I’ll get into all of that more some other time. I find the Grant is either dead on (JLA) or way off (X-Men). Bu they, that’s my opinion and your welcome to enjoy his work as you see it. Me, I’m looking forward to the all mighty Brubaker taking the reigns. The Brubaker does not shiv. The Brubaker is balls nasty.
I’ve been reading your columns since they started, and I’ve been loving the minority discussion. Actual thoughtful discussion in a comic book column? Get out! I think the answer is, Marvel and DC need to hire a more diverse of writers, artists, and especially editors. I’m putting together a graphic novel, and I’m constantly going to my neighbor, who is black, about whether this character is acting the right way, if I’m portraying him in a way that is black and doesn’t come off as trying to be black. I’m white, born in a decent part of town, and yeah, I have black friends, but that doesn’t mean I’m Mr. Black People. No white person can write a black person, or Asian person, perfectly. Just like really, no black person can write a white person perfectly. Maybe well, but not perfectly. This is why I think hiring more black/Asian/etc. editors would help out a great deal.
Oh, and I have to agree, Firestorm is probably the most underrated comic out there right now.
Kris
Kris’s was the last letter I received on this topic, and I think his is a nice one to bring the curtain down with. He nails it. The only way to get really strong minority characters with a ring of truth to them is to go the people who know. The minorities themselves. Hire a few to do more than just draw. Jim Lee draws well enough but he masterminded the whole WildStorm universe and that is a very nice example of diversity. Race was an issue via allegory throughout the original WildC.A.T.S. StormWatch was the best comic of its day and nicely diverse. When they get around to relaunching the WSU I hope Jackson King is right there at the front. Thanks for reading, Kris, and best of luck on the graphic novel.
Thus ends the Minority Report. Whew! I’ll be back to doing a few one-shot style columns before moving on to another big topic or two. I still have to rip the industry for their marketing practices and Marvel specifically for the Ultimate Universe. I know you folks can’t wait for that one! Next up will probably be the “Whence Comes the Icon?” but it might be a the week after next. I might be taking a break next week. I’m going to have Jim Trabold distract the Dark Overlord by dressing up as Gambit while I sneak up on Daron from behind and twist his helmet around, then rush out while he tries to pull the eye slots back into place. Serves him right, Magneto’s helmet is better anyway.
Now log off and go see X-Men 3! That’s an order! Unless, you know, you can’t for some reason. My show had a Ghost Rider trailer in front of it. I for one thought it looked rather fun, somewhere in the middle of the pack, I’m expecting. Slightly less than Fantastic Four, slightly better than Daredevil, hopefully nowhere near as bad the Hulk. And they want to do a sequel to that green bag of poo…
Welcome to my nightmare.
