I'm not sure if this is really neccesary but been saying this shit on this forum for years. It's just nice to see writers actually have the same view as myself, for some strange reason it was a big deal when this was mentioned in the past but the actual writers working in comics agree with me.
The superhero universes position themselves as alternative versions of our own world, and it only makes sense that they should be similarly populated. So one answer is that it makes no sense for there not to be black superheroes, and to leave out members of any race or ethnic group is an act of deliberate omission. But more importantly, comics — at their best — have always been an interesting place to work out social issues. Race relations are an important part of American history and American culture, and I think it would be a shame not to use the superhero genre as a platform for discussion, expression and experimentation. I strongly approve of using comics as a sounding board for all cultural issues — especially since social issues make for great stories.
In the on-going Mystery Men limited series, which is set in the 1930s, I made one of the heroes a man of color because doing so gave me an opportunity to gesture toward the role race, like economic disparity, played in the stratified culture of the period. It’s not a comic about race issues, but if I don’t mention race issues then it’s not really a comic that deals honestly with New York in the 1930s.
__________________ Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.
- General George Patton Jr
Last edited by Deadline on Jun 24th, 2011 at 10:42 AM
There should be more black heroes, or at least a few really powerful ones. I'm really surprised that there hasn't really been an original and powerful stand alone black hero. Storm is good, Steel is basically Black Superman......I mean c'mon.
I'm not black but I recognize disparity when I see it.
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Leaving out other races generally isn't an act of "deliberate omission", it's a case of writers just not going out of their way to make minority characters.
Most comics book writers are white, and its a trite but true saying that you write what you know.
Not to say there can't or shouldn't be more minority characters, just that I don't think some kind of fictional Affirmative Action drive (which seems to be what David Liss advocates) is necessary. If you make a minority character it should be a natural creative act rather than something forced or spurred by a perceived need for diversity.
Besides...this isn't about black characters...its about minorities in general. Unless David Liss is one of those people who says "minorities" as a PC term for black people.
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LoL, this Liss guy. Love it when white people go overboard over perceived "black issues."
1) There are black superheroes. DC has around 60 and Marvel around 70. There's plenty more in the other comic companies, big and small. Doesn't seem like some massive "disparity" to me.
2) Writers shouldn't have to create characters to meet some quota. Goes against the very nature of creativity.
Maybe he should be trying to swing from Latino or Asian cocks, instead of T'Challa's, there might be a superhero disparity in those ethnic groups. I also don't think there's any Inuit superheros.
Yeah it was. He's essentially saying that writers should go out of their way to make more minority characters and talk more about race relations. To me it sounds like someone trying too hard to seem ecumenical.
I can't help but notice you didn't even address the first part of my post. I take it you agree then that calling it 'deliberate omission' is an exaggeration?
And to add to that, despite the fact that they make up close to 1/7th of the world's population I can't think of even a handful of superheroes from the Indian Subcontinent.
__________________
“Where the longleaf pines are whispering
to him who loved them so.
Where the faint murmurs now dwindling
echo o’er tide and shore."
-A Grave Epitaph in Santa Rosa County, Florida; I wish I could remember the man's name.
Last edited by Omega Vision on Jun 24th, 2011 at 11:40 PM
Liss is trying desperately to make an issue where there really isn't one. Probably in some vain attempt to draw attention to and bolster sales of Black Panther comics, which coincidentally he's manning. Hmmm...
Thats obvious. I think even in that interview he complained about the portrayal of Wakanda. So eventhough he wants representation good stories and idea are important as well.
In the BP series he has eastern europeans as a minority group. Even if he didn't thats common sense.
I didn't create this thread because I think theres a disparity of black characters in comics, thats also not the question they asked him.
__________________ Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.
- General George Patton Jr
Last edited by Deadline on Jun 25th, 2011 at 05:29 PM
I remember reading that something like 20-25% of people in New York (where most comics take place in Marvel) are a visible minority. Obviously one in four characters aren't, but the vast majority of those characters are decades old, from a time the statistics I'm sure were a lot different. That being said though I would point out that in terms of new character creation in the past decade or so, 1 in 4 being a visible minority seems about right. It might even be as high as 1 in 2. Seems like every time a new character gets made they are either a minority, or gay... I'm not sure if it's because publishers are trying to paint a more diverse and accurate portrait of the world, or if they still think that is "edgy".
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Jun 24th, 2011 10:39 AM
