EN 3177 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Racialization, Superhero Comics
Document Summary
Tutorial: questions of individuality and universality in comics and cartoons. Fu manchu messed up teeth, yellow skin, slanted eyes, white actor in yellow face like christopher lee that was hired by tom gram. Got fighting skills but also traditional superhero powers combines cultural influences hybrid character. Ability of superheroes to perform comes from appearance of similarity: superman may be alien but he looks and performs whiteness, white is normal, universal and default. But if one portrays ethnicities, he or she risks falling into racial caricatures. To avoid this and show diversity, comics must show different characters of that race. Kamala is short, has gangly limbs, small breasts and messy hair opposite form the norm. Comic is more about her character than her body or face. Everyone in her family looks different which means more diversity. The media often asks for less diversity by asking artists to lighten characters.
