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| Source: http://marvel.com/comics/issue/57075/red_wolf_2015_1 |
Trickster got me thinking about Native Americans in comic books, and all I could come up with was Apache Chief from "Super Friends". The sad part is that Apache Chief is usually associated or mentioned because of the parodies put on by multiple comedy shows, including "Family Guy" and "Robot Chicken". As of right now, Native Americans have mostly played sidekicks, one-off heroes/villains, or been ignored entirely in mainstream comics.
There is some good news:
Red Wolf, Marvel's first ever Native American hero (debuted in 1970) was given a limited series in 2015. While the writer was white (ugh) the artist, Jeffery Verege, is a Native American artist! While this is a small victory as of right now, indigenous nerds are just beginning to come together and show their pride.
Better news:
The first ever Indigenous Comic Con was held in Albuquerque in 2016, and plans for 2017's edition are already in motion! The convention featured a multitude of Native American artists, such as Arigon Starr and Jay Odjick and garnered a strong crowd from around the country.
Jeff Verege told VICE at the event, "We need to get Native characters and Native creators into the mainstream.That is what this event is all about"
Up until last year, the progress was slow. However, things are starting to look up for Native Americans and their voice within comics, and the growth of Indigenous Comic Con will only help
This post is so positive and made my day better. I think it is so great that this comic con could become an annual event. It's such a great way to support Native American artists, writers, actors, and more. It also raises awareness of how many Native Americans there are in the community, it's fantastic.
ReplyDeleteNative representation in comics has been recently brought to my attention because I started reading some 70s X-Men comics, where part of the new team was an Apache man. Right from his introduction, he was totally essentialized based on his cultural identity, and he lasted maybe 5 issues before he was killed. I don't know if he'll magically come back later, but all I could think of was in Reel Injun when they said Hollywood's attitude was, "A good Indian is a dead Indian." I'm glad there's at least ONE Native superhero who's represented positively, and that Native comic-readers are insisting on being heard.
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