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San Francisco, 5:26 AM
Tue Nov 24
25 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/22/09
The funny thing is, I've met many other black comic book fans. Latino comic fans, too. It seems to me like black and/or minority heroes in general should be more successful, but yet there's only a string of cancelled titles. Perhaps the problem is actually the paucity of books with a black protagonist. Since there's usually only a few going on at a time, it's seen as something different from the norm. So a black leading character attracts extra attention, which may increase the pressure on the creative team to make a "statement" about the black/minority experience. And that can turn some people off, Especially if they don't understand, can't relate to, or disagree with that author's statement. Various writers who've worked on Captain America have complained of a similar problem. Simply too much symbolic weight is added to the character, and it becomes leaden.
The other question is one of identification. Much of the old-guard comic book audience is white, and they'll want to see heroes they can identify with, that they can imagine themselves being. So they'll be more interested in protagonists that look like them, or some image of what they want to look like. That's just natural, but it does place an extra onus on a black character.
The weird thing is that books with alien heroes as their protagonist have done just fine. I'd like to think that's because regardless of the color of our skin, we all feel like aliens sometimes.
11/22/09
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11/22/09
You know, I have a suspicion that the first truly successful black superhero will be written by the first author who learns to never or rarely think of the character as a black superhero. Just as a superhero.
11/22/09
#calendar
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
Maybe the crux of the problem is symbolism. Okay, I'm going deep into Lacanian territory here, but follow me: All literature is by it's nature symbollic. The word "Tree" is not an actual tree, but a symbol for a tree. (insert Choamsky blather here) So when an author (and particularly an American author) is creating a new character for their comic or novel or whatever, it's very tempting to make the choice about the race of your character be a symbolic one. In fact, it's very hard not to make it symbolic, because many of your critics and readers will still see it as a symbolic choice. They'll see the character and will have to engage that history on at least some level in order to identify with them.
That can be quite a burden, but it's one that people can overcome, particularly with good writing to help.
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/21/09
Personally I think black people have shortchanged themselves terribly. Decades of voting Dem have gotten them mostly nothing because the Dem politicians have convinced them that voting conservative is "racist".
11/21/09
11/21/09
Many of the Southern Democrats who backed Jim Crow got forced out of the party and snatched up by the Republicans (Strom Thurmond being the most prominent example). Beyond that, the Republicans openly courted Southerners who felt betrayed by LBJ signing the Civil Rights Act and fearful of the newly-empowered black men in their midst. They really weren't particularly subtle about it then, unlike now (when they do much the same thing, but don't voice it quite as loudly).
Try reading this, just to get started.
11/22/09
Or to put it another way, it's an unoffical part of the republican party platform to be a douche. I usually vote dem. Not because Im in any way convinced of the greatness of the party ( not at all ) but because so many republicans are flaming psychos.
11/22/09
A historical look at the two US political parties is always incredibly revealing and easily confusing - way more convoluted than the political history of Labour and the Dem's over here.
11/22/09
It still is nowhere near cut and dry. #calendar
11/22/09
11/23/09
What I meant from the "shortchange" comment is that Dems don't have to work to keep the black vote.
Black people are basically getting nothing but the status quo from Democrats because they give their vote so freely. #tips
11/23/09
That's the dilemma that they face, and it's the same dilemma that I (as a non-Christian) face.
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/22/09
11/21/09
John Stewart is NOT a replacement for Hal Jordan in my eyes. I was completely ignorant of the Green Lantern's history as a kid because I didn't understand how to read comic books, but the Justice League cartoon basically solidified John Stewart as the Green Lantern for me.
When I first saw Hal Jordan, I was actually *pissed* because I thought they had killed off John Stewart and replaced him.
John Stewart wasn't the first Green Lantern, but I think he stands out on his own as a good character and I will always think of him before Hal Jordan when I hear the name Green Lantern.
11/21/09
11/21/09
Thanks,
Communist Pope
President & CEO, His Own Personal GL Fan Club (and by GL he means '80s/'90s-era Guy Gardner)
11/21/09
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11/21/09
Unlike, say, how the return of Ray Palmer has greatly marginalized Ryan Choi.
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/21/09
And I miss Ryan Choi. The idea of the Atom living and working on top of what amounted to a Scientific Hellmouth was inspired and Choi's combination of intelligence and charm is great fun to read when done right.
11/21/09
Ah, that was bracing.
11/21/09
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11/21/09
@txtphile: for me the quintessential black superhero was black racer- I always thought that if I could reboot a comic it would be either black racer or brother geek
11/21/09
11/23/09
Though one weird part about the Al Simmon's Spawn is that he somehow came back as a blonde haired, blue eyed white guy.
11/09/09
11/08/09
Chew centers around Tony Chu is a police detective who is "cibopathic," meaning he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats.
[en.wikipedia.org]) #5comicsyoushouldbereading
11/08/09
I've been thinking of picking up Hill's fiction now. Is Heart-Shaped Box worth reading? #5comicsyoushouldbereading
11/08/09
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11/09/09
11/07/09
Her previous book, Cairo was also really good too. #5comicsyoushouldbereading
11/07/09
[thedreamercomic.com]
But it's also available single issue and the first trade is out. #5comicsyoushouldbereading
11/08/09
[dreamless.keenspot.com] #5comicsyoushouldbereading
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/07/09
11/07/09