Arts & Entertainment

 

 

Continued from Pg 1

Black Borders

Taking a Look at African Representation in the Funny Pages
Vince Yim, OP Comic Book Guy

 

and winning multiple awards and criti-
cal acclaim.

des book is currently written by
Reginald Hudland, an African-Ameri-
can filmmaker/screenwriter, known for
his work on The Great White Hype and
House Party.

Franklin
First appearance: Peanuts, July 31,
1968

Some would say that he’s the token
black kid in the Peanuts gang, and is
probably one of the most under-utilized
of all the named characters. Apart from
being able to quote Old Testament pas-
sages and being a fairly adept baseball
player (hence, he doesn’t play on Char-
lie Brown’s team), he isn’t known for
much. However, the colour of his skin
is merely incidental and is almost never
addressed.

At the time, racial segregation was a
current issue, which suggested a politi-
cal motivation for Franklin’s introduc-
tion, although Peanuts creator Charles
M. Schultz has claimed that there was
none intended. However, that did not

Pg 12

stop a search for political meaning,
and even had Schultz receiving a letter
from an editor suggesting that Franklin
be separated from the rest of the gang.
Schultz declined to comply.

Luke Cage (AKA Powerman)

First appear--ance: Luke Cage, Hero
for Hire #1 (Marvel Comics, June
1972)

Although he wasn’t the first Afri-
can-American superhero, Luke Cage
is noted as the first African-American
superhero to have his own comic book
series. His story may seem familiar:
growing up on the wrong side of the
tracks, he attempted to go straight, but
was framed for a crime he didn’t com-
mit and sent to prison. While in prison,
Cage underwent an experimental treat-
ment, causing him to develop superhu-
man strength and invulnerability. Using
his newfound powers to escape, he then
became a hero for hire and cleared his
name. Since then, he has teamed up
with numerous superheroes, partnering
up with martial artist Iron Fist, join-
ing The Defenders, and most recently
becoming a full-time member of The
Avengers.

Luke Cage was created in response

to the blaxplotation trend in American
cinema at the time, and as a result, may
seem dated by today’s cultural stan-
dards. With his standard catchphrase,
“Sweet Christmas!”, and his character
origins, it’s quite easy to see.

With blaxploitation long since
having died with disco, the thug-type
persona has also been downplayed, and
he has been instrumental in many of the
recent storylines published by Marvel
Comics, including the recent storyline
event, “Civil War,” in which superhe-
roes were required to register with the
government. Of course, Cage refused,
comparing the Registration Act to the
Jim Crow segregation.

Currently, plans are in place for
director John Singleton (Boys N the
Hood) to direct a feature film version of
Luke Cage, for release in 2008.

Storm (real name: Ororo Munroe)
First appearance: Giant-Sized X-Men
#1 (Marvel Comics, May 1975)

When the original X-Men were
captured, Professor Xavier went around
the globe to rebuild his team. While the
team roster has changed over the years,
Storm has been the most constant mem-
ber. While she has the innate ability to

control the weather, her strong will and
smarts make her a natural leader for the
X-Men, a position that she held even
after temporarily losing her powers.

As one of the first black female
superheroes, her introduction is also a
milestone of sorts, although she is not
immune to criticism. African-Ameri-
can columnist Lynne D. Johnson (of
PopMatters.com) notes on how Storm’s
abilities are often directly linked by her
emotional state. “Her difficulty in con-
trolling her anger was also one of her
weaknesses, causing her to overreact,”
Johnson notes. “How many times have
we heard these same statements made,
as a stereotype, about the emotional
state of black women?”

But, this could simply amount to
over-analysis (to which the writer also
admits), as Storm can be viewed as a
positive role model, similarly to how
Star Trek's Uhura encouraged interest in
astronomy for young African-American
women.

While Storm’s origin isn’t tied to
African-American stereotypes, she
doesn’t get off completely scot-free. As
a youngster on the streets of Cairo, she
actually attempted to steal Professor
Xavier’s wallet.