Panel from Wonder Woman No. 1 (1942).
Fantasy is make-believe, but sometimes this fiction transcends into reality. In some ways, comic books can fabricate reality because people within it, who are viewed as others, cannot fit in within that world. Thus, they are visiting from within reality because they can never truly be a part of it. Therefore, the emergence of Asian Americans in the comic book industry as comic book artists and writers shows the development in an industry that has been dominated by white males since the mid-1930s. Namely, the presence of comic book artists and writers such as Jim Lee and Dustin Nguyen show the progression within the industry. I believe that comic books can be used as a timeline of sorts to portray the representation of Asian Americans in comic books over time. For the purpose of this article, I am going to be discussing how having these Asian American writers and artists in reality transcends the racism that past comic books have shown Asian Americans within actual comics.
As I read a lot of the first issues of major comic book superheroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, I found myself disgusted with the representation of Asian Americans within them. Moreover, I felt ashamed of being fans of these characters because of their portrayal of Asian Americans. For example, according to Paul Hirsch’s “‘This is Our Enemy’: The Writer’s War Board and Representation of Race in Comic Books 1942-1945,” he argues that “Through the efforts of the [Writer’s War Board] WWB, comic books became political media. Utilizing pre-existing racial stereotypes, WWB members and comic book producers constructed a justification for race-based hatred of America’s foreign enemies” (Hirsch 451). This quote shows that there was purpose to these representations, which is problematic because the purpose was to deem foreigners as outsiders who can be treated in any negative way possible. Thus, stripping these people of their identities. In fact, Hirsch recalls that:
In 1944, … WWB executive secretary Frederica Barach took home a copy of a ‘swell’ board-sanctioned anti-racist comic book, only to find that her children interpreted the narrative as a confirmation that racial intolerance was ‘inevitable and had always been part of history’ (459-460).
Therefore, utilizing stereotypes and racist antics are not positive in any way because in this case it is not satirical to prove a point but to condone racism. Stereotypes are damaging and can harm people because of the expectations of the dominant group. Racism is at the core of previous representations of Asian Americans. For instance, in Nathan Vernon Madison’s Anti-foreign Imagery in American Pulps and Comic Books, 1920-1960, he recalls, “Many Asian characters were compared with animals, apparently in an attempt to distinguish them even further from the rest of humanity” (Madison 70). Here, shows that racism within comic books was normal to show the hierarchy of certain groups politically, economically, and socially.
Now that DC Entertainment’s Co-Publisher is Asian American, I think that says a lot about the progression of Asian Americans within the comic book world because he is one of the leading artists and writers in the comic book industry. Before DC, he made a name for himself with his work on the X-Men series: The Uncanny X-Men and much more. The previous President of DC Comics said that:
As I read a lot of the first issues of major comic book superheroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, I found myself disgusted with the representation of Asian Americans within them. Moreover, I felt ashamed of being fans of these characters because of their portrayal of Asian Americans. For example, according to Paul Hirsch’s “‘This is Our Enemy’: The Writer’s War Board and Representation of Race in Comic Books 1942-1945,” he argues that “Through the efforts of the [Writer’s War Board] WWB, comic books became political media. Utilizing pre-existing racial stereotypes, WWB members and comic book producers constructed a justification for race-based hatred of America’s foreign enemies” (Hirsch 451). This quote shows that there was purpose to these representations, which is problematic because the purpose was to deem foreigners as outsiders who can be treated in any negative way possible. Thus, stripping these people of their identities. In fact, Hirsch recalls that:
In 1944, … WWB executive secretary Frederica Barach took home a copy of a ‘swell’ board-sanctioned anti-racist comic book, only to find that her children interpreted the narrative as a confirmation that racial intolerance was ‘inevitable and had always been part of history’ (459-460).
Therefore, utilizing stereotypes and racist antics are not positive in any way because in this case it is not satirical to prove a point but to condone racism. Stereotypes are damaging and can harm people because of the expectations of the dominant group. Racism is at the core of previous representations of Asian Americans. For instance, in Nathan Vernon Madison’s Anti-foreign Imagery in American Pulps and Comic Books, 1920-1960, he recalls, “Many Asian characters were compared with animals, apparently in an attempt to distinguish them even further from the rest of humanity” (Madison 70). Here, shows that racism within comic books was normal to show the hierarchy of certain groups politically, economically, and socially.
Now that DC Entertainment’s Co-Publisher is Asian American, I think that says a lot about the progression of Asian Americans within the comic book world because he is one of the leading artists and writers in the comic book industry. Before DC, he made a name for himself with his work on the X-Men series: The Uncanny X-Men and much more. The previous President of DC Comics said that:
DC Entertainment Co-Publisher: Jim Lee
‘Jim Lee brings to DC his incredible talent, a devoted audience, an exciting line of titles, and an entrepreneurial track record of creating, developing, and producing creative material in varied media … [and that he and the rest of DC] look[ed] forward to working closely with him, and watching him and his talented team work their magic’ (Entertainment Wire Entertainment Editors 1).
Clearly, Jim Lee’s presence at DC Comics can be perceived as a feat for Asian Americans in the comic book industry. It is so amazing to see that an Asian American can be a part of something that initially released stories that were cruel to his ethnic group. In addition, before his long-term contract at DC, he was one of the co-founders of Image Comics alongside zombie superstar Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead franchise, which is now another home to artist and writer Dustin Nguyen who is the artist for one of its hit new titles: Descender.
Clearly, Jim Lee’s presence at DC Comics can be perceived as a feat for Asian Americans in the comic book industry. It is so amazing to see that an Asian American can be a part of something that initially released stories that were cruel to his ethnic group. In addition, before his long-term contract at DC, he was one of the co-founders of Image Comics alongside zombie superstar Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead franchise, which is now another home to artist and writer Dustin Nguyen who is the artist for one of its hit new titles: Descender.
Comic Book Artist and Writer: Dustin Nguyen
Nguyen is well-known for his art and his writing for the DC comic book title Batman: Li’l Gotham and his art for other various Batman titles. His friend Jeff Lemire, who is well-known in the DC Universe for titles such as Superboy and Animal Man, wanted to work with someone for his new project with Image Comics. Since Lemire is an artist himself, “Artwork on his creator-owned projects is typically something [he] would tackle on his own” (Betancourt 1). However, he decided that for his fresh project Descender, he wanted to be paired up with a “good artist” (1), which he claimed: “‘Dustin [Nguyen] is a really unique artist in that he’s incredibly gifted and incredibly good’ … [and] citing Nguyen’s background in architecture as a major asset when creating the visual world of Descender” (1). Here, shows that Lemire trusted Nguyen to deliver what he envisioned his story to be with the help of Nguyen and his craft. Further, Nguyen’s skill is highly rooted in watercolor-styled art, which Lemire claims: “There’s not a lot of guys you can count on to fully watercolor paint a monthly comic” (1). Thus, being one of the few watercolor based comic book artists out there, Nguyen brings something refreshing to the table and delivers this new series with an undeniable aesthetic. Additionally, for Nguyen to be sought after for this collaboration, shows that other creators in the industry respect him and acknowledges his talent as an artist and writer.
Nguyen and Lee offer a redemption per se for major publication companies like DC Comics because they are given the chance to depict diversity within its doors as well as through the comic books that they continue to release into the world. In the past, as Marc Singer puts it in his article, “‘Black Skins’ and White Masks: Comic Books and the Secret of Race,” “[the creation of] numerous minority superheroes … are marked purely for their race” (Singer 107). I think that progression with Asian American characters within comic books that are seen as humans within them are more implicit of their race, which shows that these awesome characters can just happen to be Asian Americans rather than having a stereotypical storyline that has caricaturized them. Furthermore, another important point that Singer made was that “superhero comics represented every fantastic race possible, as a means of ignoring real ones” (111) because it rings true in how even superheroes who are certainly viewed as others in comics are perhaps more accepting in that space than the outsiders themselves. For instance, the X-Men are seen as outsiders, but are accepted in their world when they are perceived as helping authority. However, in an instant they can be viewed as the enemies, but at least they have the chance to be accepted even once. However, for Asian Americans, that is not the case in early comic books dated back to the 1930s and so on.
Now, with Asian Americans as some of the most well-known artists and writers in the comic book industry, illustrates the progression behind the characters that people know so well. For example, Madison reveals that in the past, “the Asian is depicted as a person in whom any sort of moral creed is nonexistent—with the Asian character (usually Chinese, but not always) claiming devotion only to criminality and the furthering of violence and murder in the pursuit of riches and power” (Madison 43). Therefore, from being viewed as unimportant and irrelevant in the progression of society within comic books to having Asian Americans within the industry as content creators demonstrates that there is a positive representation of Asian Americans who are involved with comic books today. Like I mentioned before, I am disgusted when I think about the original issues of heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman. For instance, in 1942, Wonder Woman No. 1, one of the characters says, “Let these foreigners die the death of the unbeliever! We will take them to the secret temple and sacrifice them to the sacred elephants!” (Marston 120). Here is one of many examples of othering people who are deemed different in comic books. Moreover, it is wrong to use someone’s race and religion to justify racism. The character that is saying this is actually the other within the comic book. Therefore, someone who is viewed as the other in actuality is still the other in a world that is filled with others.
As a result, the representation of Asian Americans within comic books have progressed and that is evident with writers and artists who are Asian American. As a comic book lover and collector myself, I am so excited when I see that Asian American superhero titles such as Ms. Marvel and Silk succeed as well as other titles with people of color leads. Furthermore, it is refreshing to see that the comic book industry is now more diverse and that every race has a chance to be represented for who they are rather than how society perceives them. This is not to say that I do not like comic books with white leads, it is just a relief to see that the ethnic group I am a part of is getting the recognition they deserve through an art form that I admire so much.
Nguyen and Lee offer a redemption per se for major publication companies like DC Comics because they are given the chance to depict diversity within its doors as well as through the comic books that they continue to release into the world. In the past, as Marc Singer puts it in his article, “‘Black Skins’ and White Masks: Comic Books and the Secret of Race,” “[the creation of] numerous minority superheroes … are marked purely for their race” (Singer 107). I think that progression with Asian American characters within comic books that are seen as humans within them are more implicit of their race, which shows that these awesome characters can just happen to be Asian Americans rather than having a stereotypical storyline that has caricaturized them. Furthermore, another important point that Singer made was that “superhero comics represented every fantastic race possible, as a means of ignoring real ones” (111) because it rings true in how even superheroes who are certainly viewed as others in comics are perhaps more accepting in that space than the outsiders themselves. For instance, the X-Men are seen as outsiders, but are accepted in their world when they are perceived as helping authority. However, in an instant they can be viewed as the enemies, but at least they have the chance to be accepted even once. However, for Asian Americans, that is not the case in early comic books dated back to the 1930s and so on.
Now, with Asian Americans as some of the most well-known artists and writers in the comic book industry, illustrates the progression behind the characters that people know so well. For example, Madison reveals that in the past, “the Asian is depicted as a person in whom any sort of moral creed is nonexistent—with the Asian character (usually Chinese, but not always) claiming devotion only to criminality and the furthering of violence and murder in the pursuit of riches and power” (Madison 43). Therefore, from being viewed as unimportant and irrelevant in the progression of society within comic books to having Asian Americans within the industry as content creators demonstrates that there is a positive representation of Asian Americans who are involved with comic books today. Like I mentioned before, I am disgusted when I think about the original issues of heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman. For instance, in 1942, Wonder Woman No. 1, one of the characters says, “Let these foreigners die the death of the unbeliever! We will take them to the secret temple and sacrifice them to the sacred elephants!” (Marston 120). Here is one of many examples of othering people who are deemed different in comic books. Moreover, it is wrong to use someone’s race and religion to justify racism. The character that is saying this is actually the other within the comic book. Therefore, someone who is viewed as the other in actuality is still the other in a world that is filled with others.
As a result, the representation of Asian Americans within comic books have progressed and that is evident with writers and artists who are Asian American. As a comic book lover and collector myself, I am so excited when I see that Asian American superhero titles such as Ms. Marvel and Silk succeed as well as other titles with people of color leads. Furthermore, it is refreshing to see that the comic book industry is now more diverse and that every race has a chance to be represented for who they are rather than how society perceives them. This is not to say that I do not like comic books with white leads, it is just a relief to see that the ethnic group I am a part of is getting the recognition they deserve through an art form that I admire so much.
Dustin Nguyen and I at WonderCon.
Works Cited
Betancourt, David. “Jeff Lemire: Amid Hollywood’s Call, New ‘Descender’ Comic Book is His Big Picture:
Having Ended his DC exclusivity, Lemire embraces teaming on Image Comic with Artist
Dustin Nguyen.” Washington Post (2015): 1. ProQuest. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Editors, Entertainment. “DC Comics Aquires Acclaimed Comic Book Publisher WildStorm Productions;
Noted Publisher/Artist/Entrepreneur Jim Lee Signs Long-Term Contract.” Business Wire (1998): 1.
ProQuest. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Hirsch, Paul. “‘This is Our Enemy!’: The Writers’ War Board and Representations of Race in Comic
Books, 1942—1945.” Pacific Historical Review 83.3 (2014): 448-486. JSTOR. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Madison, Nathan Vernon. Anti-foreign Imagery in American Pulps and Comic Books, 1920-1960. Jefferson:
McFarland & Company, Inc., 2013. Print.
Marston, William Moulton. The Wonder Woman Chronicles: Volume One. New York: DC Comics, 2010. Print.
Singer, Marc. “‘Black Skins’ and White Masks: Comic Books and the Secret of Race.” African American Review
36.1 (2002): 107-119. JSTOR. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Having Ended his DC exclusivity, Lemire embraces teaming on Image Comic with Artist
Dustin Nguyen.” Washington Post (2015): 1. ProQuest. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Editors, Entertainment. “DC Comics Aquires Acclaimed Comic Book Publisher WildStorm Productions;
Noted Publisher/Artist/Entrepreneur Jim Lee Signs Long-Term Contract.” Business Wire (1998): 1.
ProQuest. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Hirsch, Paul. “‘This is Our Enemy!’: The Writers’ War Board and Representations of Race in Comic
Books, 1942—1945.” Pacific Historical Review 83.3 (2014): 448-486. JSTOR. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Madison, Nathan Vernon. Anti-foreign Imagery in American Pulps and Comic Books, 1920-1960. Jefferson:
McFarland & Company, Inc., 2013. Print.
Marston, William Moulton. The Wonder Woman Chronicles: Volume One. New York: DC Comics, 2010. Print.
Singer, Marc. “‘Black Skins’ and White Masks: Comic Books and the Secret of Race.” African American Review
36.1 (2002): 107-119. JSTOR. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Thank you very much for reading!