Wrap Up!

Hey guys, sadly this blog is coming to an end. Before this blog I didn't really think about why characters in comic book were mostly white. It wasn't a topic that I really cared for but after doing this blog I have learned so much. I learned the reasons as to why artists of such comic books did use white characters and why there was a lack of diversity. Although comic book characters were dominantly white in the past, today there has been some effort to bring more diversity into comic books and comic movies. Well I like to say thank you for reading my posts and hopefully you guys have learned a thing or two about the justification of racism in comic books. Goodbye for now. 

The Road Ends

Guys. It is time to say that our blog post is coming to an end. However, I want to leave you guys, the followers, what I learned about my topic and want to leave some thoughts for the followers. Before doing this blog, I was with the many people who were arguing that comic books lacked diversity in comics and comic book based movies. I was ignorant at the time and because of this blog topic I have learned so much. I was able to look at the views of those who were against the change in comics and comic book based movies. It’s not because they are racist, but because the people who have been reading comic books pre-2000 grew up with comic characters who were predominantly white. There are reasons as to why comic characters were predominantly white. I learned that comic books used the same formula of color to represent the good guys as light skinned and bad guys as a darker color. This is heavily seen in World War 2 comics. Because of this, comic book characters post World War Two have been predominantly white. The use of color makes the reader associate the Superhero as the good guy for that white, using Molley Bang’s color symbolism, gives the reader the sense of safety. Researching this topic was very fun and I learned a lot. I can see both sides of the diversity issue in comics.

            As the blog comes to a close, I want to leave you guys a thought. The views traditional comic book readers have for modern comics and views that people that want more diversity will affect comic books in the future. There might be more diversity in comic books and comic book based movies or there will be more predominantly white characters. It isn’t racist that they are predominantly white. You have to see why it isn’t by researching the topic. Goodbye friends. J

Forms of Art

When you first glance at a comic book, the popping images and colors instantly grab your attention. On top of that, the artistic style, one of realism merged with exaggerated features included to provide the audience with a specific thought or emotion, is one of the main reasons comic books ever became so popular. Nowadays, there are so many different forms of art, it is hard to keep track of each individual style, and individual elements often are mixed or merged to make up an artist's aesthetic identity. However, back in the 1940- 50's, unlike our modern variety, artist's were just beginning to wrestle with the confines of reality in their artwork. Abstract expressionism was developed, and it communicated unique messages of emotion, more than imagery. Artists like Jackson Pollock, who utilized aggressive techniques like splatter and pouring paint, and Mark Rothko, who used contrast and horizontal lines to express subliminal feelings, created a new era for art.

Now imagine if the comic books of that age were reinvented by these artists, how would they look?



Let's take a moment to examine this profile of Superman. Immediately, when looking upon this painting, we recognize Superman. His outfit is obviously the most obvious pointer, but there are many other examples of how this image registers as Superman to us. The square shape of his head and body are similar, and provide a sense of stablity, as Molly Bang mentions in her book, "Picture This." Also, the colors, orientation, and muscularity are emphasized to communicate to us that this strange being, is, in fact, our beloved Superman.


How do the rest of these photos relate to the superhero, and what abstract styles and features do they use? Do they have the same effect as regular comics do?

Remix.

How would readers feel if Batman was Asian? Would artists feel like he was more relatable towards their audiences? I don't believe Batman would have the same affect towards readers like the way the original Batman does. Just by looking in the cover above you see how Batman isn't very masculine. He doesn't make readers want to be just like him. If Batman were to be Asian and was sold in America I would highly believe their sales would have dropped dramatically just because back in the 1940's it was white dominate. So we can see why it is justifiable for the comic book heroes to be white since most of their readers were white and this would make the comics more relatable. 

Remix

Hey guys! Here is a remix of the Batman comic that'll help add insight to our groups topic.

The Year is 2049. Japan beat the U.S. in World War 5. Japan's comic industry left the propaganda trend and resettled into regular comic distribution. Japan’s first comic issue of the Japanese version of Batman is released. Here is a part of it.

Batman: There he is. The dirty white guy with the suit. The tall one.

Robin: From what I can tell, he has some secret documents. Is he a spy?

Batman: Seems like it. Look at him. All ugly and thinks he acts like he owns these streets.

Robin: I know. Damn fat Americans. They are a dirty type of people. Its no wonder they lost. They are getting desperate.

Batman: Yeah. Anything else you see?

Robin: He’s armed with a Taser and is wearing a bulletproof vest. Should we take him?

Batman: Yeah. For Japan.

Robin: Yeah, let’s get his ass.

See? As you can see, during World War 2, American propaganda made the Japanese look subhuman and it was okay. This carried on into later comics. The use of colors and descriptions made the Japanese people look subhuman and evil. In this imagined Japanese perspective, the U.S. is subhuman. They are viewed as fat, ugly, and desperate. Because the imagined war is over, they are using what they used for war propaganda into  regular comics. By bringing in another perspective of racism in comics, we can see the justification of racism in comics. 

Creativity...

https://flipagram.com/f/fgx41aO4Ug

Come check out this slideshow I did of comic book covers that show how comics were used as a form of propaganda for the war. Hope you enjoy!

Additional Resources

Today I will be presenting new sources which develop the ties between World Wars and comic books

1. Lenthall, Bruce. "Outside the Panel--Race in America's Popular Imagination: Comic Strips Before and After World War II." Journal of American Studies 32.1 (1998): 39-61. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. <http://www.jstor.org/>.

This publication is a scholarly work published to Cambridge University. The title reflects my topic of comics and the world wars directly. Since it was published after the war, the comic is relevant to my discussion, however some research and facts may be outdated, as it was written 17 years ago. The length of this article extensively covers the research material, and includes many references from different authors. The Journal of American Studies is a British publication which includes many topics relating to American history. The main focus of this work is to reveal the differences between comic books before and after the war, and to open the eyes of the audience to influencing factors behind these differences. Early in the work, Lenthall addresses the issues of race and culture clashes in comic books, which further relates to the topic of this blog.

     2. Mahmutovic, Adnan. "Comics, War, and Ordinary Miracles." World Literature Today. 1 May 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.

The second resource I have found unveils a personal account of war influencing comic books and daily life. The authors' stories of their childhoods during the Balkan Wars illustrate the inherent prejudice and hate towards comic books. The legitimacy of the authors is supported by their publisher: World Literature Today, which is a non- profit organization which explores many types of literary works. The language used in the piece is casual, indicating that it is not a scholarly work. However, despite that fact, it bears much weight to the driving force behind propaganda in comics and how it is used effectively. Alternatively, the article also focuses on the media being a way to escape everyday problems, and it sheds light on the reasons the graphic novels may have been published in the first place, and why their perspective on race is the way it is.

    3. "Feature The Golden Age Of Comics." PBS. Oregon Public Broadcasting, 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

This final source is short, but it contains much information about the background of comic books during the times of the war. This time period is known as the Golden Age, and the article discusses the relevance and significance of the era. The URL indicates that the website is non- profit, and since it is public broadcasting, the source has been reviewed and has solid information. Since it was published in 2014, the information used is current, and the research is just about as cutting edge as possible in such a niche area of study. Along with this article, the website features many other useful sources which relate to the time period, social context, and current events surrounding my topic of race and war's influence on it in comic books.

Three Sources

Hello guys! Today I will be evaluating three new sources that have to do with the justification of racism in comic books.

 The first source I will be evaluating is, "Propaganda in Comics", by Cord Scott.

Scott is a reliable author because his credentials are shown in his article. He has written several encyclopedias and academic journals. He also has a Doctorate in American History from the University of Chicago. The URL shows that it is a hosted by nonprofit. This article was posted in 2008 so it is not the best source to choose since it is seven years old. I believe that the intended audience is anyone who is looking to inform themselves about comic books and how they were used as propaganda especially for the war. This a scholarly source because there is a bibliography documenting the works cited by the author in the source. 

The second source I chose to evaluate is, "How the Government Turned Comic Books into Propaganda", by Greg Beato. This article was published on February 28, 2013 which is fairly recent. Greg Beato is a contributing editor of Reason magazine which makes him a reliable source. Throughout his article he has links to other articles which help readers follow along and understand what he is talking about. I believe the intended audience is for adults because it is a more heavy topic about comic books that kids wouldn't really comprehend. Beato also uses many quotes throughout his article which shows others perspectives of other people about his topic. 

 The third source I will evaluate is, "Comic books and World War II: Buying Into the War", by R.T. Johnson. There isn't any credentials shown within this article for Johnson making him an unreliable source. Although Johnson does use other references within his article which makes his work very informative. The intended audience for this article would be for young adults who are interested learning about comic books and their role within the war. The URL is hosted by a commercial site. There also isn't a date which shows when this article was published which makes this an unreliable source since we can't determine if the article is outdated or not. 

Three New Sources!

Hey guys! I’m back with three new sources that will help with the topic of predominantly white characters being justifiable in comics. I included three paragraphs that offers why it is reliable and answered questions that evaluate the source.

1. Who Gets To Be A Superhero? Race and Identity In Comics (Web Source)

• The author is poised at discussing how race, ethnicity, and culture play out in people’s lives, communities, and how it shifts. There are citations in the text that can be clicked on, which will lead to related material. The intended audience are for those who are interested in comics. It is a mixture of both opinion and fact, although the opinion is very minimal while there is a lot of facts. The facts are supported by quotes and by clickable citations that will lead to the information. Personally, I feel there isn’t much evidence in this source but enough to make it sufficient to use. The language seems to be both objective and a bit emotional. There are broad generalizations that oversimplify the matter. The author of this site does use a more primary sources than secondary sources. Although the source is a bit of opinion, it happens toward the end of the site. Gene Demby does take a stance. I would say that he is questionably reputable for that he is a journalist that I have not heard of.  The source isn’t that far back in time. It was published January 11, 2014. The information can be found in different web sites. There are no vague or sweeping generalizations that aren’t backed with evidence. Lastly, the journalist provides two sides to the argument. Overall, this source is reliable as it gives me information to support why predominant white characters were okay and not racist for early comics.

• Demby, Gene. "Who Gets To Be A Superhero? Race And Identity In Comics." NPR. NPR, 11 Jan. 2014. Web. 9 Nov. 2015

2). Comic Book Nation: The Transformation Of Youth Culture In America (Academic Source)

• The author, Bradford W. Wright, is poised at talking about how propaganda projected/transferred into youth culture. In this text, there is a lot of references to other works within the text in order for the reader to look it up for more information relating to the topic. The intended audience is for those who are interested in comics and how comics have become a part of the daily lives of others and what their affects would be. This source is an academic source, so it is filled with many facts and very minimal to no opinions. The facts are supported by quotes, references, and examples that are littered throughout the text. There is a plentiful amount of evidence in this source. The language is objective with no emotion. The author uses primarily primary sources but there are a few secondary sources in there. There are no opinions. It is a reputable source for that I got it from Google Scholar and that the author is an associate professor with the University of Maryland University College-European. This book was published on March 22, 2001. It may be 14 year old information, but it provides enough information from the years before 2001. There are no sweeping or vague generalizations. Lastly, for the most part, the author provides both arguments. Overall, this source is helpful as it provides me with the information about how propaganda transferred into youth culture.
• Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2001. Print.

3). The Colors Of Good Vs. Evil: Comic Book Color Palettes [Info graphics] (Web Site)

• The preface by the author, Caleb Goellner, talks about the distribution of colors in comics. The author describes how color is distributed in the comics and how they relate to color theory. In this website, there is a reference to another site, ColourLovers, which includes more info graphs. The intended audience is for those who are interested in how color is being used in the comics of the past to now. This is a website source; it is stated that the information is based on color theory. There are plenty of info graphs to aid in comprehending and supporting color theory in my essay. It seems like the author of this website has used only one main primary source, with secondary sources going along the primary source. There are no opinions. The information is mostly objective because of its academic view of colors. It is hard to tell if it is reputable because it has a reference and the author is unknown to me. The website was published on September 16, 2011; it is only 4 years old, which isn’t that bad and would be considered recent. The author does make the information seem like vague and sweeping generalizations. However, that is how color theory works (and color symbolism). Lastly, this website does not include any arguments; it is only an informational website about colors and the use of color theory and symbolism in comics. Overall, this source is helpful for that it gives me information to help describe how color symbolism and color theory relate to why predominant white characters in comics in the past were justifiable.

• Goellner, Caleb. "Good Versus Evil in the Superhero Comic Color Palette [Infographic]." Comics Alliance. 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.

Creativity

Come check out our Powerpoint Presentation on the justification of racism in comic books.

From Ink to Reality

A few weeks ago, as you devoted blog visitors know, I posted an analysis of an image pulled from the cover of Best Comic Books No. 10. The image had wonderful examples of the use of line and space to comunicate powerful messages of propaganda, while incorporarating an artistic style unique to comic books themselves. Recently, I happened across another such image, and many others, in which I noticed a recurring pattern. This pattern is what I will attempt to formulate and discuss in this particular post.

One of the images which I came across is from USA Comics Vol.2 No. 5. Seemingly unfamiliar, the cover of this issue had just as many effects, particularities, and moral issues as the previous image I discussed. What makes it unique, however, is the idea it insantly shot into my mind, as an effect of all of the action on the page.

Examining this image carefully, we can establish the same groundwork of Nazi symbolism, action and movement, and the message of American superiority over the Axis forces, whether it be moral or physical. With all of this emotion and action, I couldn't help but realize that the image conveyed the feeling of being saturated with information. The Victory Boys are seen leaping from ropes and flags, Hitler ,as usual, is kicked in the mouth, a Japanese monster seems to be the commander of the Japanese forces, and even the background is filled with some sort of mysterious space-like aura. Along with having no more room for additional content, the comic also had no room for racial variety.

When I say there is no more room for racial variety, I speak for most comics bred of this time and developed in lieu of the war. World War 2 was the white man's war, and incorporating racial variety would seem out of place and off- putting to a 1950s comic book reader. In fact, I believe that if an African- American or Latino- American was put onto the front cover, that character would draw most of the attention away from the scene. This creates a unique problem for publishers and creators of the comics: is it beneficial to make the moral step to include gender and racial variety in comics?

Obviously, the industry at that time would have said, "No! Of course not!" Since we can all agree that the majority of businesses are in it for the money, comic books are no exception. By using a topic so closely related to the civilizations, cultures, and issues of the white man, the industry effectively made it impossible for them to include more racial variety. Hopefully this insight gave you a new and special way to analyze the comic books of different eras, and tie them to the moral issues surrounding the inclusion, or exclusion, of races seperate from the predominantly Caucasion characters of most graphic novels.

Adressing the Topic Once More

     Hey guys! How’s it going? I’m back to talk about our group’s topic about the justification of predominantly white characters in comics. A couple of days ago, I finished reading issues 1-8 of The New Teen Titans series. This comic series was created in the 80’s and was written and illustrated, respectively, by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. The comic was very entertaining and fun to read. To give a basic summary, the New Teen Titans are formed and fight crime together against the demon Trigon and the Furious 5. Because of the intense scenes and amazing artwork,  I am planning to buy the next collection of issues (specifically numbers 8-16). As I was reading the comic, I noticed the small variation of races within the comic characters. The main comic characters that were racially different was Cyborg (African American), Starfire (alien) and Beast Boy aka Changeling (a green boy). The rest of the characters (which include Raven, Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and the enemies) are white.

     As always, there are always going to be some that state the comics like these are racist because of the lack of diversity. While I do agree that there is a lack of diversity in this comic and other similar to this, I argue that there is justification for having predominant white characters in comics. To support  my claim, I'll start off with some history. At the start of World War 2, many comic characters were predominantly white males kicking butt against Hirohito and Hitler. A lot of people looked to America as the “savior” of the world; because of this, white was associated with safety and American. Comics against Japanese were especially racist against the Japanese for how they were portrayed as ugly and evil. However, I state that it was during a time of national crisis. America was in a two front war. Comics helped rally the people to not be intimidated and help with the war effort. Comics after that were normally associated with what was happening during the time and also expressed opinions of the comic creators.

     As time passed on, comics were mainly dominated by white comic characters. This has been the case for many years. To many readers growing up reading comics, many were accustomed to having the comic characters predominantly white. With diversity slowly becoming integrated into the comic world, many of the old fans of comic series aren’t liking it. It doesn’t mean that they are racist. It’s just that they are used to having the tradition of white characters being predominantly white in comics; nothing is wrong with that.

      Tying this to the comic I read, I feel that this comic doesn’t not do anything that affects the reader in any way or form; it is an enjoyable read. The lack of diversity in this comic is justifiable. Because it was created in the 80’s, a time where there wasn’t much diversity in comics, it is justifiable for there to be predominant white characters. A lot of people are becoming more sensitive to small issues like this that really doesn't affect general views and such. Maybe these people aren't old school comic readers or even comic readers at all. Maybe they are the people who watch the movies based on the comics. Whatever the case may be, there is a justification for predominant characters in comics.

I must confess....

Well, hello there. Nice of you to join me today where I might have something to confess. I had some time to think about it and honestly, I do not know where to start but I can tell you it started with an interview that I recently made. In my last blog post, I interviewed my room mate who happened to be a comic book fanatic. His father had a very large collection and he loved everything about them. I asked him "do you ever feel like there is not enough representation of your race in comics" and he told me that it did not matter to him, he said the stories and comic book action was rich enough for him to continue reading them. In fact he said he had never paid attention to it until I brought it up.

A few weeks before conducting the interview I did happen to read a book named "The Shadow Hero" by Yang and Liew. I've talked about this book all through my English class and the truth is I fell in love with it. The story line is rich and genuine and it had to do a lot with the race of the superhero. He was an Asian American raised by his father to be a calm young man. Little did his family know he was accompanied by an ancient spirit that fulfilled a promise in exchange for a body to live with. The character was Asian and there was a tiger, dragon, turtle spirit. So I mean naturally it made sense, you know he grew up poor like most minorities. So, it made sense with everything I've ever written in this blog. Race is a key factor and adding a spin to it would not be as easy as anyone would say. So, I asked him about the book after the interview. He said he felt in different, that if it had a good story line and action it was worthy of reading. Take into account my room mate is Asian. So I began to ask myself who in reality makes up these comments about the injustice of comics. The more I think about, I come to realize that maybe it's just the media. Everyone does hear about it but no one seems to have the same shared opinion. I honestly began to think that people who make these comments aren't comic book readers to start with and are just people that want to find something to criticize. That fueled my energy for my whole blog. I was tired of White people being put down for having pride or expressing themselves in their literature. Yeah, they might have done things wrong at some points but we shouldn't be so hard on them. But after a couple of these recent events I've thought about it and I'm not saying I don't have the same energy fueling but at first I thought it was people who felt really indifferent and that they were strong comic book fans that felt left out and in different. But in reality I  from what I have seen and realized, comic book fans love the book and recognize their flaws but love the story for what it is and not for what it could be. They love to keep the characters the way they are because those are the charchters they grew up to love while they were innocent and just loved a good story, because bottom line race really is not an issue, people just want good literature. The factor that race plays is one that leans towards a new scent, something different but pleasing, something that can change the play of the game but not the rules. Because a comic book with diverse characters add interesting stories and allusions but at the end they still have a hero and a villain. You might have thought this from the start, but I've come to learn this now. I won't stop saying what I believe but I must confess my foundation has been shaken a bit. I will just have to continue observing and will continue picking up new evidence as a go along but I wonder what you think about the situation, is there really an issue or it's all made up because there is something out there that is being said about our comic books today. What it is, that's the really question.

Creativity

Hey guys! I found this cover of a comic book very fascinating. We see two soldiers with their arms linked with Superman. They have this very jolly feeling towards them. If we take a look at their facial expression they are admiring Superman. They are looking at him as a role model with whom they look up to.

We can tell that Superman is the most important person in the drawing because in Molly Bang's book, Picture This, she states, "The center of the page is the most effective "center of attention." It is the point of greatest attraction" (62). So we can see that the artist is using Superman to first reel in their readers. Then they use the soldiers to get them to want to join the army because by just looking at this image and seeing them all happy with Superman it perceives the army as fun tempting their readers to join in the war.

Many people may argue that is it racist that the men in the image aren't diverse but I would have to disagree because although the men are white I do not believe this to be racist because it's not about the color of their skin but rather about what this picture's message is trying to say. As we all know Superman is a very strong and masculine superhero that many people adore and admire. So when this artist portrays Superman with soldiers in the war the artist is just using propaganda in his drawing to promote participation in the war.

On the Other Hand..

Hello friends! Welcome back to our conversation, and feel free to join in whenever you so desire. Today, like my fellow blog- mates, I have found an intriguing and unusual character whose experience we can dissect, learn from, and open our minds to. Luckily, I didn't have to travel far to encounter such a person, as he is part of my family.

Lev Korsakov, my grandfather, was born on September 1st 1939, a very significant date. It was this very day that the Nazi invasion of Russia had begun. He spent his early years living in a war- torn Soviet Union, in the northern city of Russia known as Magadan. Here is a translated transcript of several insightful questions I posed, and Lev's personal accounts and responses.


How did the war affect you, your family, your neighbors, and the surrounding community?
World War 2 was devastating to every person. Countless lives were being taken, the government seemed to be more against its own people than the Nazis, and every family member, friend, neighbor, or stranger had someone who had died in effort of the war campaign.

What was the sociological environment of the years following the wars like?
People began to turn against each other. With the ever- growing iron rule of Stalin and his cruel ways, many began to fear even discussing controversial topics.. One wrong move and you could be sent to a labor camp deep in the heart of the country. Obviously, it was a confusing and turbulent point in history.

What was daily life like? What did your days consist of?
Daily life was hard, but people got used to it and didn't notice; or at least they pretended not to. Children went to school 6 days a week (Yes, Saturdays were school days!), while the men were drafted into the army as soon as they turned 18. Women stayed at home and raised children. My days around that time period consisted of going to school, making extra money selling imported (and illegal) shoes, and causing general mischief with  friends, who were more like family due to the confined living conditions of the communal apartment blocks.

How did people escape their daily troubles? What did they do during leisure time?
Just like any other young adults, we swam, hiked, went on adventures. Scholarly interests were also common. Students read and wrote Soviet approved books, journals, and publications. However, the general public wasn't blind or stupid; everyone knew that certain books and publications were being censored and removed, and that a majority of works were ignorantly propagandist.

What constraints or limits were put on the people of the USSR regarding creativity?
Generally, most or all imports were banned unless they met the strict requirements of the Soviet Union. This included art, music, radio, clothing, and pretty much any form of creativity imaginable. I remember it was a great risk to smuggle in German pop and American jazz music vinyls, but we did it anyways because that was our secret way of rebelling and being exposed to new and unique thoughts and ideas.

Were comic books, or anything of the sort, prevalent in your city?
Comic books? [Due to lack of a good translation, it took me a prevalent amount of time to describe a comic book to my grandfather, who hasn't been introduced to the American style of graphic novels]. Comic books were around, but my friends and I paid little attention. Our focus was more geared towards new styles of music, new fashion coming out of France and Italy, and anything that could seperate us from the crowds of kids just like us in practically every way.

How were Americans viewed, in terms of WW2, and after, during the years of the Cold War?
Americans were discussed as immoral and not particularly bright. Everyone seemed to think little of the foreigners, but this was no surprise as our government showed us endless amounts of television footage and articles on why the Soviet Union was the greatest country in the entire world. We believed it, too, until we got a little older, but by then the damage was done and our outlook on America was tainted.

How were these works regarded, in both an artistic and political perspective?
Outside infromation was always exciting. Kids would wire their radios to pick up signals from Poland, Germany, and other surrounding nations to see what was different and interesting. We learned of new songs and musical styles like pop, rock, and jazz. News was less of propaganda and more of current events, and these sources were the only thing that allowed us to gain any knowledge of the outside world.

Jacob Korean Fanatic of American Comics

Hello, Guys we are back with a special post. This is a special interview I had with a friend of mine on comics. It gave me a couple of insight on a different point of view and a different racial view. Just follow along it is based on a Question/ Response format and easy to follow. His name is Jacob Larson a South Korean from Ventura.(age 21) He grew up as a huge comic book fanatic with his dad owning a large collection of old comics. Please Enjoy and Here You go, Im Fabian Munoz and this is a special interview just for you guys. 

At what age and year did you start reading comic books?

I’d say younger, I mean 7 or 8. I stopped reading but wait no I have those over there. (Batman Comics) I’ve read a lot of comics but was never consistent. My dad had a huge collection. I won’t go out of my way but I did read a lot of comics.

What was your favorite comic book? Comic book character?

That’s a hard one. Does Captain Underpants counts? Because if it does I loved all those series of comics. But if I had to choose my character it would have to be Batman. I love him because I grew up watching the animated show, and he does not have a super power but he is still a hero not in the supernatural sense but he represents serious justice. He said “Anyone can be a hero” And they have made him so badass recently. 

At the moment, do you own any old comic books? If so, which ones?

I actually have some back at Ventura, hmmmm okay maybe ill just go for it, I have a lot of the classic Batman, Superman and Spiderman comics. I actually really like SpiderMan too, I own a lot of Magna if that counts. I have Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, Shonen Jump, I used to subscribe to their issues. 

Have you recently read any modern comics? How do you feel about them?

I’ve read the recent Batman comics. I would wish if they stuck with the story even though found something else to revamp it but I would like them to stick to their old predecessor because the original batman was not super armored and geared up like today. I wish they could stick to the original technological sense.

How do you feel about comics of the past?

I love Origins and source material if that makes sense. I do not like the ones that are so old, like Batman they are kind of boring. I feel like there is not enough character development especially in the first issues. I like the newer comics because of the color! Like how Dark and Sinister can make something Evil, how the pictures work, they are much better now, they play a better role. 

Have you seen any changes with comics and with comic book based movies recently?

Ohh, ummmmm, yeah I guess. So for the Batman movies you cannot include everything. They did not include ClayFace and Penguin in the newer movies. Same like the original spiderman like Toby Maguire’s because they do not include as much characters. I just feel like comics are so supernatural that you cannot put that in a movie. Like Bane in the Movie’s he was not Latino like in the old animations. And he injected himself with a  venom but in the movies, there was a whole new story. It is so hard to portray all of that in a two hour movie.

How do you feel about certain Superhero characters becoming more diverse?

I think that it is fine. I think it adds or I do not think it lacks anything. It honestly just depends on the stories backstory. I think the backstory matters a lot, I mean if he is rich we can see that more powerful in certain races but I do not mind. I do not like though that they made an origin story and they change it up, like Nick Furry was white but in the movies he was African American. I just think for Origin stories they should stick to the original races. Like what if they made a Black Panther movie and he was White. 

Do you agree with the idea of Superhero’s becoming more diverse or do you think it ruins the tradition of having white males and females endorsing those roles?

I actually do appreciate the addition of different cultures and races. Like I feel like I learn more from that culture. I think their is a diverse of introducing a hero from a culture than attempting to change the current one to a different culture. 

Do you feel that comic books in the past had reason to only have predominant white characters?

Yeah, I mean that was the dominant culture. A lot of cultures were under privileged. That is why a lot of comics are dominant white. Well just in America, I know in WWII there were other races fighting for us but the country was still dominated by whites. 

Growing up with comics, did you feel appalled that you hardly saw any other race in comics?

I think a hero is a hero. And not because most of them were masked. I never thought of them when they were wearing their mask. I feel like their mask is their identity and the person who they actually are is a mask. I think a hero is identified with his costume. 

Now taking this into an American perspective, do you feel that it was acceptable during WWII to use Comics as Propaganda. 

Ummm, I think from my viewpoint anyone can see anything as propaganda. But from an American perspective I think it gave people drive, if it helped us win and surpass WWII then it’s more than okay. It allowed people to believe in something more than themselves.

Would you say that it was just propaganda and not racism?

I would not say it was Racism. I would not say it was even propaganda, I think it was just putting the American people to believe in something more. And for me I think it’s only racist when someone brings it up. 

Throughout the crisis’s the U.S. have experienced, the comic books have often alluded to these national instances. For example; WW2 propaganda against the Japanese and Cold War depicting Vietnamese as hateful and ugly people. Do you think that when the U.S. is experiencing these types of moments, it’s ok to do this?

I do not think dehumanization of a culture is acceptable. Although it helped American’s I do not think it is acceptable to dehumanize people. 

Finally, do you feel that comic books of the past are justified in having comic characters being predominantly white?

That’s a good question, ummm. Yeah I do because, I think yeah because I mean I can’t speak for only me but the culture was very white dominant and a lot of the works, soldiers were white. I do not even think about it like that. I do understand that people feel left out but I think if you are the creator you can do whatever you want. If I was in power of a comic book panel or owned my own and I wrote about nothing but asians because I love their culture and all, I would not do it because I'm  being racist it is just what I am passionate about. 

Interview: Racism in comic books

Hey guys today in my post I will be interviewing one of my closest friends who happens to be a comic book fanatic. Her name is Sandra and she is 21 years old.

Interviewer: Claudia Mercado

Interviewee: Sandra Leon

Claudia: Hello Sandra! I would like to first of all thank you for taking time out of your busy day to have this interview with me today. I wanted to start and ask you, what makes you such an expert on comic books?

Sandra: Well I just always loved comic books as such a young age that I started reading them and building my knowledge of them. I really enjoyed being able to connect with the superheroes and get into the storyline.

Claudia: You had said you were able to connect with superheroes but I want to know how that is when most superheroes were white and male?

Sandra: That is true but it wasn’t really about the appearance of the superhero it was more about what they were doing and how they were feeling that I was able to connect with them.

Claudia: Now that we have moved into the topic of how superheroes were mostly white dominated, do you believe that this was racist?

Sandra: I actually do not. I don’t believe that the writers of these comic were trying to make them racist I think they were just trying to make the superheroes as relatable as to their audience as possible.

Claudia: So are you saying that only whites purchased comic books?

Sandra: Well I’m pretty sure many different ethnicities purchased comic books but seeing how they were first published in the 1940’s when whites were more dominate in society they were the majority of the people that were purchasing the comics.   

Claudia: So are you saying that it is justifiable that comic books had mostly white characters?

Sandra: Yes I would have to say it is.

Claudia: But times have changed, do you believe comic books have become more diverse today?

Sandra: I do believe to some extend they have become more diverse but that they haven’t reached their full potential that they can.

Claudia: What do you mean?

Sandra: Well comic books have slowly tried making more diverse characters but they haven’t gone full out.

Claudia: Why do you think this is?

Sandra: Well because there are many die hard comic book fans that would most likely get angry or upset if the authors would change their superheroes. But I don’t believe that they need to change the old superheroes. I just think they should make new superheroes that can relate to an even bigger diverse audience. In todays society we do now have more women rights and gay rights and so on… so why not make characters that these people can relate to. I’m pretty sure there would be more people who would purchase these books.

Claudia: Well thank you Sandra for taking your time to do this interview. I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this topic.

Sandra: Well tank you for having me here.  

Interview

Hey guys. Back with another blog! This time, I interviewed someone, Salvador Jr. Lopez last Tuesday this week. Starting at 17, he began to become infatuated with comics. I decided to interview him because of the close proximity and the fact that he has, more or less, experience and knowledge comic books and its history. Here is a transcript.

Interviewer: Joseph Lopez

Interviewee: Salvador Jr. Lopez

Questions:

At what age and year did you start reading comic books?

-It was during my teenage years I started reading and becoming interested into comic books. For age, I have to say I was about 17. It was hard to get them because of the lack of money I had. When I got job, that was when I started buying and reading them.

What was your favorite comic book? Comic book character?

-My favorite comic book character has to be from the X-Men Sitcom series. He name is Gambit. He was awesome because of the way he would use kinetic energy into any object he came into contact with and use it as a bomb. I also liked the way he used his deck of cards. He was also suave and was like a Casanova.

At the moment, do you own any old comic books? If so, which ones?

-As of now, I own a variety of them. I own a few from Superman, X-Men Sitcoms, Thundercats, Robotech, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Gambit, and Wolverine. For the Superman comics, I own the one where Superman dies.

Have you recently read any modern comics? How do you feel about them?

-At my work, I recently read a comic called Chew. My friends introduced me to it. It is about a detective who solves murders and looks into the past by biting the person. As for how I feel about them, I feel as if they are too graphic and have changed the stories from the original series. The author spices things up to appeal to the new generation. Scarp for new generation essentially. 

How do you feel about comics of the past?

-Love them. Love the story, action, and romance. To me, it was amazing back then. Typical good guy catches bad guy and bad guy gets thrown in jail. Comics represented the current situation they were in, like propaganda.

Have you seen any changes with comics and with comic book based movies recently?

-I feel like the movies are more different than the comic. It’s more interesting but short. They usually alter the movie from the book to make it better with explosions and such. Most of the time, they are accurate.

How do you feel about certain Superhero characters becoming more diverse?

I don’t like it. Ruins the originality of the Superhero’s.

Do you agree with the idea of Superhero’s becoming more diverse or do you think it ruins the tradition of having white males and females endorsing those roles?

I’d rather keep it old school. For me, I’d rather have it stay the same.

Do you feel that comic books in the past had reason to only have predominant white characters?

Yes. During the past, there was segregation, war, etc. To me, it didn’t really matter.

Growing up with comics, did you feel appalled that you hardly saw any other race in comics?

The only thing that got to me or that I was afraid of was the stereotypes. For example: seeing Hispanics as gardeners as such. I just accepted it.

After being showed this comic book cover, how do you feel about it? (Captain American punching the Japanese emperor Hirohito).

-I personally thought it was cool. It’s a classic and it’s Captain America. ß Emphasis on Captain America. I feel like it represented the American people and it was a personal matter.

Now taking this into an American perspective, do you feel that it was acceptable during the time period? Do you think it appealed the American sense of pride and nationalism?

-Yes. It appealed to the nationalism and pride of the American people. It instilled confidence and used this as weapons against the Japanese and Germans.

Would you say that it was just propaganda and not racism?

-I say it was just propaganda.

Throughout the crisis’s the U.S. have experienced, the comic books have often alluded to these national instances. For example; WW2 propaganda against the Japanese and Cold War depicting Vietnamese as hateful and ugly people. Do you think that when the U.S. is experiencing these types of moments, it’s ok to do this?

-Today, it is wrong to be that descriptive about a certain race. However, considering what was happening at the time, I view it as acceptable. There always going to be deep meaning with this kind of material. Makes you think of the moment you have when you discover what its true intent was for.

Finally, do you feel that comic books of the past are justified in having comic characters being predominantly white?

-I agree. They were written back then for a specific audience and written because of the incidences happening back then.