Comics appeal to a vast amount of people from all different cultures. It's hard to find a medium that ties together the fine arts and tells a compelling story at the same time. It also serves as an escape for people who want a little excitement in their life. But one major problem that I have observed within the world of comics is the lack of diversity. It is almost ironic considering the audiences that comics draw in, and yet it falls short when having a diverse group of characters that audiences can choose from. I am mostly referring to the giants in comic book industry such as DC and Marvel, because they set the stage for what the comic book environment will look like, while small independent publishing companies are trying to address the issue. The whole idea of bringing this up is because as a black woman, representation is important.
When I was little I grew up watching "Static Shock," "The Justice League" and "Xmen." I was invested in those characters and excited I was able to talk about their stories with other kids who watched or read them. And for younger kids in this generation, that love of comics and superheroes is still strong and has a big influence on them. A perfect example of this is during Halloween when children dress up as their favorite hero. If you have ever seen a kid in a superhero costume their happiness is palpable. So, when a little black boy realizes that in the newest Captain America there is a hero, Falcon, that looks like him, nothing can take away that feeling of joy. It makes them love the story even more and shows them that comic book heroes come in all different representations, and one type should not be seen as the standard.
I read the comics by Milestone (an all black publishing company, under DC, that created "Static Shock", "Blood Syndicate," and other great titles but has sadly disbanded). It was awesome seeing people who looked like me or reminded me about people I could identify with. Now don't get me wrong, the creation of characters like Batman and Superman were pivotal in making the comic book industry what it is today. Also, Spiderman is my favorite superhero of all time, but there comes a point when you wonder where are the representations of people who look like you. There begins to be a disconnect.
Adding diverse physical features to comics, for its large audience would be priceless. I also believe it would help comics grow even more and boost its readership. This is a personal goal of mine: to create a space where minority comic book creators and artists can have a platform on which to build an audience. Hopefully, mainstream comics will create more solutions for this problem because if they do not, it may harm them in the long run.
