In geek culture we hold our fictional characters with a certain degree of sacred reverence. These individuals were the ones we could relate to in a world that largely misunderstood us. They speak our language, face similar life challenges, but blast through them with relative ease. So, it is understandable that when there’s an opportunity to see them portrayed on the big or small screen, we want as much authenticity as possible. It is part of the entire package for us. It is possibly our favorite novel/game/comic being brought to life, so everything has to be right, right? Or does it?
On a related note, does it really matter to have characters of different ethnicities, genders, nationalities, sexual preferences, or religious/philosophical beliefs? I mean, why does it matter if a classic third rate hero comes out as homosexual or if the latest member of a secret order of wizards is Seventh Day Adventist? Do we really need to make the hero’s next door neighbors Inuit immigrants? In my opinion, yes, all of this matters… every bit of it does.
Let’s go back to 1976-77 when I was a kid who just started getting into comics and was on a steady diet of Superfriends, the George Reeves Superman series, and 1966 Batman series in reruns. Except for Black Vulcan (aka Black Lightning) I did not see a super hero who looked like me on TV, in comics, or in the toy aisle. But one day, I picked up an issue of Captain America and Falcon and saw a super hero who looked like me who was fighting side by side with the Living Legend himself. Some time later I come across Power Man… another super hero who was fighting along with other Marvel heroes who looked like me… and then Falcon got a Meego action figure. I remember because in the TV commercial he was advertised as “the black super hero!”. This was such a big deal for me. I no longer felt like I was a complete outsider. There were people who looked like me in the comics that I loved to read… it spoke to me.
If that encouraged a kid who was constantly reminded that he was a minority and had to work twice as hard to get half as far, then imagine what it does for a Muslim kid who loves fantasy/sci fi and reads a story where the protagonist (like Mz Marvel or Captain Britain) is of the same faith. How about the homosexual teen that is playing a game and the hero has a love interest of the same sex, without any shock or fanfare from the others in the game. Imagine how encouraged an Asian-American would feel to see someone of similar descent take up the mantle of an iconic hero (Totally Awesome Hulk, anyone)? See why it all matters?
Along with showing minorities that they all belong and are active contributors to society, it also serves to give those in the majority a more accurate depiction of the world. If you look at the Marvel and DC universes in the seventies it was pretty homogenous. That is not to say that this was done purposefully. Speaking as a writer, you write what you know. So it is only natural that your fictional world would reflect that. But now that we live in a more enlightened age, we reap the benefit of greater diversity being represented in our comics, novels, movies, and games. I could easily go further on this subject, but I’ll stop here and leave the rest for you to ponder. I am certain that I have missed many major points, but hopefully I have given you something to think about, maybe start a conversation?
Cheers!
