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San Francisco, 10:04 AM
Sun Nov 22
11 posts in the last 24 hours
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01:25 AM
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.
11/21/09
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.
01:08 AM
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.
11/21/09
11/21/09
01:57 AM
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
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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
11/16/09
11/16/09
The best Monkey With a Gun will always be the one from Hellboy (with a cameo in Amazing Screw-On Head) #marvelcomics
11/16/09
11/15/09
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11/15/09
However, this critter is rather hirsute compared to our Codename 47.
I keep hoping someone will use the name "Rodimus Spanx" for a simian-oriented comic. #marvelcomics
11/15/09
Monkey with a gun!
We need more armed monkeys in entertainment. #marvelcomics