![]() ![]() Whatever awful features were used to depict Whitewash Jones were amplified with Steamboat, and he carried himself with the same poor English and bumbling persona as his Young Allies counterpart. “Sidekick” may be too generous of a term because he essentially served as Captain Marvel’s de facto servant until 1945 when, on appeal from school children, the character was no longer used. Marvel would later denounce the whole series, but it doesn’t wash the pages clean of this ugly representation.Įlsewhere in the industry, the early Captain Marvel had a sidekick named Steamboat. Whitewash was often a device that forced Bucky to have to overcome additional obstacles instead of just assisting in the fight against the Germans. He was sloppily dressed and had a protruding mouth and lips, he spoke broken English and was generally represented as a simpleton. ![]() I suppose the publishers at the time thought these were redeemable and acceptable characters because they were fighting the evil Nazis, but in hindsight, they ended up being racist caricatures that were all too common in those years.īucky’s ally, Whitewash Jones, not only had a superficially racist name but was drawn in a way that made him look more creature than an animal. Exhibits 1A and 1B would be the Bucky Barnes’ led group Young Allies and Captain Marvel’s run, both published at the height of World War II. It won’t surprise you to learn the 1940s and 1950 were not a time that was generally kind to African- Americans in print. The Depiction of Black Sidekicks in Young Allies and Captain Marvel The following are merely a sample of the comics that fit this description. While some of these offenses show up in single issues, several also span the entire series. (Much of this list comes from writers who have wonderfully researched these issues including articles from Complex, Guff, and Ranker.) Racist Comics From the Past But in 2020, they likely belong in the trash, not praised. Do they represent a different time, a part of our past that was culturally different? Yes. But I personally feel strongly that we should be removing these symbols of racist comics from our collections. I’ve read Fahrenheit 451 and I understand the dangers of censorship. I am decidedly not a book-burning advocate. Many of these are going for a decent amount, although I would not consider any of these books as major keys. With that in mind, I want to point out some of the more egregious and prevalent comics from our past with an eye towards removing these symbols of ass-backward thinking from current and future comic book lovers. How Should Comic Collectors Respond to Racist Comics?Īs responsible comic book collectors, investors, and speculators, it should be up to us to help repair (not erase) that part of this hobby and make it clear that we don’t stand for that type of treatment of characters within the pages of our favorite books. For an industry that has existed in this country for more than 100 years, you can only imagine what types of content exist. More recently than any of us probably care to admit, comics were a breeding ground for stereotyping, whitewashing, and generally stomping out the idea that people are equals – even as some of them have powers beyond our imaginations. Let’s explore some comics with seemingly racist overtones and discuss what should be done with them. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the comic book industry is not immune to this self-examination. Everything from governmental departments, the military, companies, nonprofits, universities, and countless other aspects of our daily lives are under the microscope as they are finally reckoning with their past actions and current reactions. If there is anything that the past few weeks have taught us about our country, it’s that there is no individual, entity, or organization that shouldn’t be taking a long, hard look in the mirror at their past (and present) to determine what biases did and do exist. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |