User:DanTheGingerBreadMan/Portrayal of black people in comics

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Representation and diversity in the comic book industry has evolved greatly in the past few decades. While Black people have been depicted in comics since the beginning of the medium's creation, their portrayal has not always reflected an accurate depiction of themselves. Mainstream comic publishing companies have had a historical trend of being predominantly white and male, reflecting the lack of representation and inaccurate depictions of Black people in comics. The integration of black characters in mainstream and superhero comics has endured various obstacles and challenges. Historically, Black people have had stereotypical portrayals in comics, with common caricatures like jungle or ghetto stereotypes. In recent years, with the integration of more Black people in mainstream comic writing rooms as well as the creation of comics on digital platforms has changed the representation and portrayals of Black people in comics and has started to reflect the complexities of Black people across the diaspora.

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Until 1957, racial segregation laws existed that prevented Black comic writers and illustrators from working in mainstream comic studios. Due to the lack of representation Black women were hardly represented in comics, and when they were, they were portrayed as typical stereotypes attributed to Black women like the Jezebel, the Mammy and the Sapphire as well as jungles stereotypes or of Africans that needed saving. Despite not being able to work in white publishing houses Black creators still created comics for Black Newspapers where they were able to portray themselves as they saw fit. Jackie Ormes (Zelda Mavin) was the first African American women cartoonist to be published. In 1937 she created one of the first female-led comic strips called Torchy Brown from Dixie to Harlem for the Pittsburgh Courier, a Black newspaper. Ormes depicted the Black women in her comics after herself and the women around her. Her characters lived similar lives Black women during the time. Ormes was able to expand the portrayal of her Black female characters outside of the stereotypes that they were often seen in. Her characters redefined womanhood and Blackness, and touched on controversial topics of racism, sexism, and classism.

The 1970s is when Black women started to make a more recurring role into mainstream comics, with their introduction into superhero comics. Very few Black female characters were present in superhero comics before the Civil Rights Movement. Afterwards, several notable Black female characters began to appear. While Black women were introduced to mainstream comics as a way to draw in a more diverse group of readers, they were often still portrayed with historical stereotypes but in an updated way. (Insert info from above)

The first Black female character introduced from a major publishing house was Strom. While her arrival allowed for people who identify with her to be represented in comics, her character was still subject to the stereotypical archetypes used to portray Black women. In her first appearance into the X-Men comic her body was over sexualized and she was made to seem like a primitive compared to her X-Men counterparts. She was illustrated wearing tight fitting clothing where her breasts were the made main focus of her appearance. Her character was also seen to be more combative and rebellious  then her white female counterparts, as storm was reluctant to being considered a mutant as well as having to join the X-Men. Nubia’s character was also subjected similar portrayals, while also falling in to the shadow of Wonder Women her sister. Nubia and Wonder Women had the same abilities yet she was never received a large role in any of the stories. While charters like Storm and Nubia were written and illustrated with stereotypical archetypes for Black women. Characters like Amanda Waller strayed away from those stereotypes allowing for a more diverse representation of Black women in comics. Introduced to DC comics in the 1980s, Wallers character broke barriers of representation by receiving a higher education and holding a position of power by being an elected official. She is the creator of the Suicide Squad also called Task Force X, where she leads the team to help save not only her community but the world.

While Black female characters have continued to gain space in mainstream comics, it has been a slow transition. However, with the introduction of digital platforms for publishing comic, more people have been able to create comics that have positive representations of Black women and showcase their diverseness. Comics like Bitch Planet and Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur showcase Black women and girls in a different light and tackle issue surrounding their women and girlhood. In the comic Bitch Planet, Penny Rolle is a character fighting against the Fatherhood State in charge of the Planet. Her character is a queer Black women, who’s body has not sex appeal and her physical body usually exceeds the frame of the comic. Penny’s fight against the authority figures is used to symbolize women's fight against patriarchy. Bitch Planet allows a glimpse of how different Black women navigate the world's their in. In Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Lunella Lafayette is a nine year old little Black girl who is also a genius. The comic navigates her life as a little girl who is able to switch brains with her sidekick Devil Dinosaur. This comic opens the door for readers of a younger age group, allowing them to find representations that they identify with. Comics like these shows the changes in the portrayal of Black female characters in comics in an expansive way.