Is the lack of racial/cultural diversity in mainstream comics a problem? Options

A very interesting article emerged on a blog that I read from time to time. It's entitled; Race + Comics: When is Diversity ‘Contrived’?. Basically it talks about the pretty apparent whitewashing of American comic characters, and the call to create a "black Avengers" team, something that I think is pretty dumb for multiple reasons. The main reason being that there shouldn't be a black Avenger team because something like that just sounds terrible and contrived, and the other reason being that in 2011 America, the main Avenger team shouldn't be so mono-racial that we actually need a black Avenger team.

In 1990 when I started reading X-Men, the roster looked like this;



Now from my understanding, the team isn't nearly as diverse as it was back then. That was 20 years ago, when the US population was a lot less diverse than it is now.

In modern America, White children in the minority in 10 states, and the white majority is expected to become a minority population within the next few decades. The recent film, Fast Five had a bigger opening than Thor at the domestic box office, and the former featured a multiracial cast in the multiracial city of Rio De Janeiro.

My point is; X-Men pulled me in when I was a kid because it mirrored my America. My America 20 years ago was a pretty diverse place. I never ran into any Cajuns, but there were a lot of blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and white people. The America I live in now is even more diverse. I live around Africans, Caribbean people, Hispanics, Italians, East Indians, etc. and I live in Ohio! Yet I pick up a copy of Avengers and this is the team;



If I was a kid, that wouldn't pull me in. Frankly, it doesn't pull me in now.

I don't think we need a black Avenger team. However, I do think we need a few more people of color on the Avengers (and other groups). Especially if that comic is supposed to reflect a world like our own.

This post has been edited by MasonEasley: May 12 2011, 03:02 AM

To be fair, when I say minority characters, I'm not just talking about black people. In the case of the X-Men, it seems bizarre that in a world that mirrors our own, there aren't more Chinese and Indian mutants, since those population groups are the largest in our world, and would more than likely be the largest in the MU was well. Yet there are no Indian or Chinese mutants in the group.

Again, its part of the reason you see the sales of these books declining. In a more diverse world, entertainment devices that don't better reflect the world that people live in lack believability and resonance.

Vic, your example with the black mom is kind of disappointing. Instead of trying not to laugh at her, you should have pointed out some comics that do provide positive black characters.

To be fair, when I say minority characters, I'm not just talking about black people. In the case of the X-Men, it seems bizarre that in a world that mirrors our own, there aren't more Chinese and Indian mutants, since those population groups are the largest in our world, and would more than likely be the largest in the MU was well. Yet there are no Indian or Chinese mutants in the group.

Again, its part of the reason you see the sales of these books declining. In a more diverse world, entertainment devices that don't better reflect the world that people live in lack believability and resonance.

Vic, your example with the black mom is kind of disappointing. Instead of trying not to laugh at her, you should have pointed out some comics that do provide positive black characters.

Oh I totally did! I referenced the "Talented Tenth," a prominent concept promoted by W.E.B. DuBois' similarity to our great motto: "With Great Power...", I referenced the X-men and how it taught me how to still aim for prominence in a world that both hated and feared me, and how Batman taught me to overcome loss with dedication and hard work. I absolutely schooled her in that -- and got a $20 tip outta her for it!

As a reflection of world events, I would spark the range of diversity of mutations, not specifically on the basis of population numbers, but environmental stimuli (toxic exposure, psychological/physical trauma, etc)...definitely grounds to have a more diverse group. I think the best representation of that idea in X-men was during Morrison's New X-men run and what he did with the X-Corps.

Do any of you remember at one point in the 90s when Pizza Hut had this X-Men combo deal thing where you bought a personal pizza and could get the animated X-Men on a VHS tape? They had a set of 2 (I still have mine ) and each had 2 X-Men episodes. They also had a little intro thingy by Stan Lee answering a question, like why they were given the name "X-Men" or discussing aspects of the comics. One thing he discussed was the diversity of the team- all races, both sexes, all religions. all ages, all working together because they had a common goal...

This was in the 90s, and I know the forum started out discussing current race issues in comics but when the X-Men came up over that picture I felt like I had to say my piece: I have a soft-spot for The X-Men because they are the reason I started reading comics.

Diversity isn't just about race- there are a lot of things that go into having a diverse team the represents a slice of society. For example, when discussion Storm it was pointed out that it makes a difference that she's black from Africa (though only her mother was Kenyan; her father was American and she was actually born in Harlem in NYC and then brought to Cairo.) And there were mutants from all over with all kinds of backgrounds and family lives: Storm's parent's died in a plane attack/crash leaving her an orphan at 6. Jubilee is Chinese- American & had a comfy life in Beverly Hills up until her parents were killed, Angel, Banshee, the 2nd Thunderbird (who is Indian btw) and Psylocke were all born into families with money, while Colossus lived/worked on a communist farming collective and had a little sister, and then Nightcrawler was raised in a Circus by his father's lover after his mother tried to kill him. The first Thunderbird lived on an Apache reservation until he was drafted, Cyclops parents put him and his brother in the only parachute of their crashing plane & died, and Shadowcat's family met Xavier & let her go.

There's also a wide variety of religions: Shadowcat & Magneto are Jewish & her grandfather and Magneto himself lived through the Concentration Camps. Nightcrawler was a devout Catholic, the 2nd Thunderbird was Hindu, and there was a Muslim character later too. The members all join the X-Men at various ages and levels of maturity. Plus they're all under the tutelage of a guy who's bald and handicapped! X-Men also had some of the first openly gay characters too. Northstar from Alpha Flight was supposedly gay since his creation in what? 79? But he came out officially in 1992- right in the middle of the HIV/AIDS panic too. Then Richter and Shatterstar have a full-on kiss (I think it might have been Marvel's first, or the first in mainstream comics or something. Not sure tho)

And it didn't even get discussed as a separate point but since it makes a difference to me and made a big difference to me as a kid when it came to what comics I chose to read:

The X-Men had women! Awesome looking, ass-kicking, take-charge, take-on-the-men-and-win, women! With awesome hair and cool costumes; many of which comprised of pants! And there were also girls!! Young women, not quite adults but still part of the stories and still kicking ass. THAT is what I wanted to see at age 10; something I could relate to! God X-Men were so awesome! Good times...
The I go away to college for a bit, next thing I know all the cool characters are dead!!! Wtf?!
So NOT awesome

Also I just want to say that the drawings of women in comic books that I saw from age 10 onward did not "damage my self image" or give me "false expectations" of what I should look like when I got older or any of that bullshit people are always blaming them for.

Yes, even at age 10 I realized that giant boobs with 5ft long legs and a wasp's waist on a 6ft tall frame is not a realistic female body. It's very visually appealing, though. You know what else isn't realistic? A 6ft6 tall guy with a 12-pack, 20in biceps, and a waist that's about 1/3 the width of his chest/shoulders. Where's the complaints that comics ruined young boys self-images by giving them too high of standards for all wanting Cyclops or Bishop's body?? Blowing shit up with blasts from your eyes isn't all that realistic either, which makes sense because all of it is FANTASY and I knew that!

Unlike fashion magazines that use lighting and computers to make "real" people look even smaller or bigger or more perfect, which I did NOT know about at age 10, and then present the whole thing as though it's fact and 100% based in the real world with real women. Those magazines damaged my self-esteem & made me miserable after reading them. Comic books made me feel stronger and proud to be a woman and MORE sure of myself, not less.

So all the hairy-legged uber-feminists who complain about how chicks are portrayed in comics can go suck it!!

(Which if they did, would probably be their first time

Do any of you remember at one point in the 90s when Pizza Hut had this X-Men combo deal thing where you bought a personal pizza and could get the animated X-Men on a VHS tape? They had a set of 2 (I still have mine ) and each had 2 X-Men episodes. They also had a little intro thingy by Stan Lee answering a question, like why they were given the name "X-Men" or discussing aspects of the comics. One thing he discussed was the diversity of the team- all races, both sexes, all religions. all ages, all working together because they had a common goal...

This was in the 90s, and I know the forum started out discussing current race issues in comics but when the X-Men came up over that picture I felt like I had to say my piece: I have a soft-spot for The X-Men because they are the reason I started reading comics.

Diversity isn't just about race- there are a lot of things that go into having a diverse team the represents a slice of society. For example, when discussion Storm it was pointed out that it makes a difference that she's black from Africa (though only her mother was Kenyan; her father was American and she was actually born in Harlem in NYC and then brought to Cairo.) And there were mutants from all over with all kinds of backgrounds and family lives: Storm's parent's died in a plane attack/crash leaving her an orphan at 6. Jubilee is Chinese- American & had a comfy life in Beverly Hills up until her parents were killed, Angel, Banshee, the 2nd Thunderbird (who is Indian btw) and Psylocke were all born into families with money, while Colossus lived/worked on a communist farming collective and had a little sister, and then Nightcrawler was raised in a Circus by his father's lover after his mother tried to kill him. The first Thunderbird lived on an Apache reservation until he was drafted, Cyclops parents put him and his brother in the only parachute of their crashing plane & died, and Shadowcat's family met Xavier & let her go.

There's also a wide variety of religions: Shadowcat & Magneto are Jewish & her grandfather and Magneto himself lived through the Concentration Camps. Nightcrawler was a devout Catholic, the 2nd Thunderbird was Hindu, and there was a Muslim character later too. The members all join the X-Men at various ages and levels of maturity. Plus they're all under the tutelage of a guy who's bald and handicapped! X-Men also had some of the first openly gay characters too. Northstar from Alpha Flight was supposedly gay since his creation in what? 79? But he came out officially in 1992- right in the middle of the HIV/AIDS panic too. Then Richter and Shatterstar have a full-on kiss (I think it might have been Marvel's first, or the first in mainstream comics or something. Not sure tho)

Authority had the first Gay kiss. Shatterstar is said to be bisexual, and the warrior influence comes from the Greeks, Spartans etc who took little to no notice of someone being gay/ lesbian/ bisexual because it was seen as loving an equal. Apparently Rob Liefeld, who co-created Shatterstar, was not happy. He said Shatterstar was in the same vein as Leonidas from the book 300, later the film. He failed to realise that the Spartans were bisexual, and that Shatterstar being the same was a direct influence of the spartans.

Liefeld never was very bright.

And what does being bald have to do with anything? It's hardly a handicap, unless you want to call Patrick Stewart, Vin Diesel, Peter Stringer (Irish Rugby player), Doctor Phil, and countless numbers of men and women disabled.

Authority had the first Gay kiss. Shatterstar is said to be bisexual, and the warrior influence comes from the Greeks, Spartans etc who took little to no notice of someone being gay/ lesbian/ bisexual because it was seen as loving an equal. Apparently Rob Liefeld, who co-created Shatterstar, was not happy. He said Shatterstar was in the same vein as Leonidas from the book 300, later the film. He failed to realise that the Spartans were bisexual, and that Shatterstar being the same was a direct influence of the spartans.

Liefeld never was very bright.

And what does being bald have to do with anything? It's hardly a handicap, unless you want to call Patrick Stewart, Vin Diesel, Peter Stringer (Irish Rugby player), Doctor Phil, and countless numbers of men and women disabled.

Being bald doesn't really have much to do with anything. I threw it in there because of the fact that the majority of men and women have hair, making bald people the minority. I didn't associate it with Prof. X being disabled so I don't know why I would call any of the other bald people you mentioned handicapped.

Except for Dr. Phil.

I consider being a moron a handicap; but that's just a personal opinion.

Being bald doesn't really have much to do with anything. I threw it in there because of the fact that the majority of men and women have hair, making bald people the minority. I didn't associate it with Prof. X being disabled so I don't know why I would call any of the other bald people you mentioned handicapped.

Except for Dr. Phil.

I consider being a moron a handicap; but that's just a personal opinion.

Sorry, I think I may have misread that, but when you spoke about him having a disability and bald also, I seem to have blended the two.

And if you think Dr Phil is a moron, check out Steve Wilkos. You ain't seen nothing yet till you've seen this guy act like an idiot.

Sorry, I think I may have misread that, but when you spoke about him having a disability and bald also, I seem to have blended the two.

And if you think Dr Phil is a moron, check out Steve Wilkos. You ain't seen nothing yet till you've seen this guy act like an idiot.

No worries I probably should have been clearer about it & made sure there were no negative connotations to my description of him being bald since I happen to think it's perfectly sexy on men and women And I really, really appreciate the apology/understanding and giving me a chance to explain; the last forum I was at I posted maybe 3 times then left because people were so nasty to me:

It seemed like even though I was as polite and non-confrontational as possible (which for me when I'm angry is not an easy thing to do) it didn't matter because they were just looking for anything in what I wrote to use as an excuse to get pissed then tear me down & ridicule me. Really not very fun. Plus any pretentious ass-hole or dim-witted teenager can get huffy, stop listening, & viciously insult or threaten someone- Hell, I can do that! But it takes actual intelligence and character to really try to see a person's contrasting point of view or to apologize & work out a misunderstanding.

So especially having just come from the worst forum experience I've ever had; thank you for not assuming I'm just a prejudiced idiot & going for the jugular

Steve Wilkos??
Isn't that the guy that used to stop the "'He's my man!' 'Naw-aw bitch, he's my man! 'Actually I'm really a woman.'"-esque brawling & chair-throwing on Jerry Springer??