SJ4120 Representation and Social Justice--Assignment 1

[Erika]

Discuss diversity in comics, such as people of different races, ethnicities, religious groups and/or people with disabilities. How are these people represented? What sorts of character roles do they fill? How have trends changed over time, particularly in the portrayal of good and evil?

This is a short answer assignment.

[Twitch]

Dean, you just love finding 'issues' in the senior year. *rolls up sleeves and wades into the mosh pit*

To my disappointment, many good comics I have read often handle diversity in two sloppy ways. First: the author writes a character then applies race/mannerism as window dressing to make a visualizing striking character. Eye/hair/skin color, clothes, speech patterns. While this is not the same was creating 'token' minorities for political correctness, it is poor world building. Real world prejudices and 'glass ceilings' are ignored. For example in many magna and anime heroes often have bright hair and eyes. However, the Asian world (particular Japan) is extremely xenophobia www.yutaaoki.com/blog/. Kids with light brown hair or even curly hair are bullied until they artificially turn it black and straight. So artists and authors who drop Africans, Texans, etc into a Japanese high-school are missing a good deal of 'realism.'

Another way I've seen diversity handled is by talking about the issues that are common knowledge. Everyone knows that WomenhaveanincomegaptoMen/BlacksandWhitesgettreateddifferentincourt/LiberalsandConservativeshateeachother/ModerateMuslimsgetbadpress. While this way does have more realism. Authors often slip into stereotyping and soapbox speeches. It adds little to the story.

However, once in a blue moon, I find a truly thoughtful, accurate story. The characters represented are built as real people first and foremost. The author is writing from first-hand experience and observation - not preaching, not trying to up the P.C.ness of the story - just showing the world from a different view. Yes, there can be morals - like in Al Schroeder's Mindmistress series mindmistress.comicgenesis.com/ (autism,mental illness, quality of life are reoccurring themes.) However, when an author goes out the way to show something that's 'not average' there should be a reason for it.

The use of diversity in comics has changed over time. Use to,it was just a quick way to make a memorable villain or hero. While that still happens, I hope that someday it will be clear that good and evil aren't bound by race, religion, etc. People are... well, people. That's the best word I have for such complex beings. 

[rypperd0c]

DO you remember the recent change in DC's Green Lantern? It became a point of contention that the new guy was going to be.... wait for it.... a Muslim ! (Dun dun Dunnnn)

It doesn't mater what minority group you want to specify, because they are ll going to get roughly the same treatment. Mainstream comics are produced for a target audience. To that end, the product is going to be, by design, what is going to sell best. As a non-athletic, middle class young teen, Spider Man was a character I could identify with better than with Superman. As long as my hero of choice does not deviate to far from my comfort zones, I will continue to favor him or her. As an extension of this, if my hero of choice was going to be involved in a story arc with a minority group member, I do not want the partner ship to be buried in gags about how everybody is surprised, or beaten over the head with how impossible the team-up would be.

Keeping it simple simply sells more comics.

[Kashiro]

Honestly? The majority of comics suck s*** when it comes to diversity and being nice to non straight-white-males. Mainly because the industry has a majority of white, straight males. As such, it becomes obvious in certain circumstances that they have absolutely no idea how people other than white-straight-males act. Which is weird, because non white-straight-males act literally the same was as white-straight-males. So instead, we see a lot of stereotypes play out instead of fleshed out characters. Now, this also ascribes to the whole "White-straight-male as protagonist" ideal, as anyone outside of this category is assigned to sidekick or minor character or, god forbid, a stereotyped enemy. Now, thankfully, these trends have changed, and characters have become steadily less racist. We have less "straight-white-male = good" stories, and a much more varied, well, variety of possible ways stories have to turn out. We have a wide spectrum of characters, from lawful-to-chaotic and good-to-evil as the main axis upon which the majority of characters are plotted. Now, on this spectrum, the spread of characters is almost as diverse as the characters that it is composed of. Sure, DC is still very flawed on this end (Do I have to keep referring back to Starfire in the New 52?) but Marvel is making concerted efforts to avert this.