Welcome friends and foes, heroes and villains! In recent discussion of the racial diversity in comics around the era of the World Wars, many of you must be wondering about some of the illustrators and artists influenced by this period of time. In my opinion, a very significant author falls into this time period: Morrie Turner. Turner passed away on January 25, 2014, and an article was published in The New York Times about his life's work. In the article, Turner's work, "Wee Pals," is mentioned. This work was revolutionary, as it included children from many different racial backgrounds and even children with disabilities. "Mr. Turner’s comic strip “Wee Pals,” featuring childhood playmates who were white, black, Asian, Hispanic and Jewish (joined in later years by a girl in a wheelchair and a deaf girl), was considered subversive in 1965, when a major syndicate first offered it to newspapers." (Vitello 1). Turner's work is important because it changed the predominantly white scene of comic strips in the late 60s, and introduced a fresh and joyful example of human equality. Vitello mentions in the article that Turner's work started out in very few newspapers, but following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., his art became immensely popular, with more than 100 newspapers showing interest. Interestingly enough, Turner served in the military during the Second World War. This fact is extremely powerful, as it shows that even those who went through the racial propaganda and stereotyping associated with the time period could produce racially and socially equal work. Turner was a unique man, and his illustrations gave him much popularity in the world of newspaper strips. The creator of the widely known strip, "Peanuts," Charles Shulz, even met
with Turner. They instantly became pals and had many similarities: including being in World War 2. Vitello concludes the article with a meaningful note of Turner's outlook on the racial discrimination and cruelty associated in the Civil War of the United States. The symbol that Turner used to signify his opinion was a Confederate flag cap on the head of his main character, an African American boy. "After a good chuckle, the interviewer followed up: “But what was the deal with the Confederate hat?" Mr. Turner paused, considering the question, then replied, “Forgiveness.”"(Vitello 1).
After reading and fully comprehending the meaning of Vitello's article, I believe that Turner was a key figure in breaking the barriers of the newspaper and comic industry. The African American author who lived through the Second World War and saw firsthand all of the cruelty and racism accompanying it obviously had a very positive mindset. His work directly contradicted the times he grew up in, and he managed to gather lessons of equality and forgiveness from the chaotic environment around him. However, an intruiging point that Vitello brings up is that Turner's fame rose out of the ashes of Martin Luther King Jr.'s campaign for equal rights. "“You can imagine how I felt,” Mr. Turner said, referring to his newfound popularity. “I mean, I’m benefiting from the assassination of Dr. King, one of my heroes. It was kind of a bittersweet experience.” (Vitello 1). The unfortunate pattern of recognition after King's death is very evident in Turner's life. It is unfortunate and, frankly, unacceptable that Turner's monumental yet humble strips only gained a following after such a morose event. Hopefully the world has learned of the mistakes of the past, and no more World Wars will be necessary to incorporate a larger ethnic variety of heroes in comic books.
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