Representation of minorities in media doesn't stop at the characters. I guess comics and video games have a lot more in common than I thought.
I had the option of writing about a lot of things today. Because of my day job, it's actually been quite a while since I've had the opportunity. Luckily things have slowed down today and simultaneously when personal hero and modern day renaissance man DJ Skeme Richards (go to his website and enjoy his podcast) linked me to this little nugget of news today.
Today, a day like any other, really got my over-worked brain reaching for logic (so excuse me if I'm mildly emotional). You'd think with comics like Batwoman and Animal Man, though not as widely read -- the sentiment of a more inclusive and experimental comic book age is upon us. Hell, even I'm not a big fan of the new Spiderman, but I appreciate what Axel Alonso and Sara Pichelli's intentions to test the waters of a realm that has made great strides in the past couple decades. Or has it?
Two African-American writers, Eric Wallace and Marc Benardin. Two of the only black writers left in, I guess, mainstream comics. I say, "I guess," because the smaller problem of why these firings occurred [allow me to logically speculate], were because the comics these guys were working on -- weren't being read. Few read them, at least not enough to humor continued production.
There were several publications cancelled, beyond those starring African American characters. Liefeld's Hawk & Dove was one. Though I don't think he'll have a problem filling up a comic stand or iPad with more of his riveting panels.
Though, thanks to Duck of Death, I've grown to love the so-bad-it's-good Hawk & Dove, this as well as Static Shock, Mister Terrific, Blackhawks, O.M.A.C. and Men Of War will be dumped after their eigth issue. Two of these comics star two black leads [Mister Terrific and Static Shock].
Here's a little truth on my end. I was never a big fan of the late great Dwayne McDuffie's Static Shock. I got into his work when I was too old and I found his characters too broad and barely two-dimensional. The ugly truth is that I've often cracked-wise about the representation of African Americans in comics -- whether it was penned by a person of color or not. Nightmares of the affirmative action heroes from comics stretching back to the 70s and 80s have made me [admittedly] more cynical. Seanbaby put it best, years ago.
But we lost today. I don't fault McDuffie trying to make his way into comics by his use of Static Shock. I actually find it kinda cool. He essentially created his own Chitlin' Circuit you hear black comedians talk about in order to break into Hollywood. What happened today was the effective, hulk-smash, to said circuit. And make no mistake, I think good writing is good writing. There are capable artists out there like Judd Winick and Greg Rucca who've worked incredibly hard to get where they've gotten. White writers writing about non-white characters is kinda old hat. Expected, because a large majority of comic readers are white males. But if a cycle of characters written by white men [and few women], encourages a readership of mostly white males, no one sees a growing problem with representation here?
I'm wondering the reactions and over-reactions to today's news. Rob Liefeld will continue to get work, he always has, always will. But this industry isn't in favor of a McDuffie, a Wallace, or a Benardin. Their work reaching a larger-than-indie audience is dependant on them writing for titles guaranteed for low-circulation, and hoping. This minimizes the chances of any minorities showing the ability to write for any major intellectual property -- let alone creating something past that of a hero where we see their race first and personality second.