DC Africana Appreciation: Vol. 2

[Samm]

Anybody keeping up with the Bumblebee drama on Twitter? A post basically pointed out how DC Super Hero Girls made her lighter than how she is in every other incarnation, on purpose. It’s an interesting thread

[lemonpeace]

Anybody keeping up with the Bumblebee drama on Twitter? A post basically pointed out how DC Super Hero Girls made her lighter than how she is in every other incarnation, on purpose. It’s an interesting thread

first I'm hearing of this, mind posting a link or some screenshots?

[Samm]

first I'm hearing of this, mind posting a link or some screenshots?

https://mobile.twitter.com/avgeI/sta...50731326115842

Almost 200k likes and 22K retweets

Lauren Faust even responded

[MoneySpider]

The decisions that are made for that DC Super Hero Girls show (in both versions) have been problematic for me since Day 1. First in the web series, they only had the one token black female character (Bumblebee), and they doubled down on that when they moved the show to television. And now apparently they've lightened the skin tone of the one token black female character they've got.

This, combined with what someone tried to pull by lightening Storm's skin and altering her features so that she looked more Caucasian than African American in some video game, (which was also discussed on Twitter) and you can tell these are some deliberate moves to make black female characters "less black."

[Samm]

The decisions that are made for that DC Super Hero Girls show (in both versions) have been problematic for me since Day 1. First in the web series, they only had the one token black female character (Bumblebee), and they doubled down on that when they moved the show to television. And now apparently they've lightened the skin tone of the one token black female character they've got.

This, combined with what someone tried to pull by lightening Storm's skin and altering her features so that she looked more Caucasian than African American in some video game, (which was also discussed on Twitter) and you can tell these are some deliberate moves to make black female characters "less black."

I think Bumblebee was the only Black character they had in the original show, besides Waller who was the principal. Vixen only appeared once and Thunder/Lightning only appeared a few times. Though to be fair to them the original also had Katana (and Hawkgirl as the Latina) so they didn’t just have one non White character. Thd new one added Jessica, along with Bumblebee though Katana is no longer a main cast member but a reoccurring cast member. No Vixen either and Hawkgirl is no where to be seen in the new one.

[Robotman]

The decisions that are made for that DC Super Hero Girls show (in both versions) have been problematic for me since Day 1. First in the web series, they only had the one token black female character (Bumblebee), and they doubled down on that when they moved the show to television. And now apparently they've lightened the skin tone of the one token black female character they've got.

This, combined with what someone tried to pull by lightening Storm's skin and altering her features so that she looked more Caucasian than African American in some video game, (which was also discussed on Twitter) and you can tell these are some deliberate moves to make black female characters "less black."

Sadly that’s something which is done throughout pop culture. A current example is on a show that I love and an actress that I love, but I have to mention Jurnee Smollett‘s casting on Lovecraft Country. It’s a show with an all black cast but the main female lead is mixed race (her father is Jewish). Look at the Arrowverse casting with Vixen. A character who is literally supposed to be from Africa. Both actresses that played her and her ancestor were mixed race/light skinned.

Here’s an interesting article (it’s from a British perspective but still relevant):

https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44229236

[9th.]

https://mobile.twitter.com/avgeI/sta...50731326115842

Almost 200k likes and 22K retweets

Lauren Faust even responded

This really pisses me off and it keeps happening.

[J. D. Guy]

Would you include his nephew? Ben Jr? Who is pretty much the only family of his we have seen.

Since most black heroes don't have sidekicks-give him Ben Jr.

Ain't that the truth. It's why I grew to love Exxy so much during Semper Jr.'s Cyborg Rebirth run. Because Black Heroes (along with other Superheroes of Color) generally aren't allowed to have what White Heroes have, including being heroic inspirations to young people who becomes heroes themselves, or having young partners, proteges, and mentees with them living the dream together.

[Shockingjustice]

Ain't that the truth. It's why I grew to love Exxy so much during Semper Jr.'s Cyborg Rebirth run. Because Black Heroes (along with other Superheroes of Color) generally aren't allowed to have what White Heroes have, including being heroic inspirations to young people who becomes heroes themselves, or having young partners, proteges, and mentees with them living the dream together.

It is sad to see that most black sidekicks are based off of white superheros (not saying that it's bad). For me it's more the fact that the sidekicks feel like add on's when DC realizes most of there superhero families are white. They give them a small backstory that won't be fleshed out until years later, they never have supporting members of their own, they never get their own side stories. Not that its actually ever said or that anyone means this, but there is always a nagging feeling in the back of my head is message that says black heroes can't be as inspirational or Amazing as white ones. I know that's not true, but the feeling is always there.

Sorry for being a downer in the appreciation thread.

[skyvolt2000]

It is sad to see that most black sidekicks are based off of white superheros (not saying that it's bad). For me it's more the fact that the sidekicks feel like add on's when DC realizes most of there superhero families are white. They give them a small backstory that won't be fleshed out until years later, they never have supporting members of their own, they never get their own side stories. Not that its actually ever said or that anyone means this, but there is always a nagging feeling in the back of my head is message that says black heroes can't be as inspirational or Amazing as white ones. I know that's not true, but the feeling is always there.

Sorry for being a downer in the appreciation thread.

Remember we are coming from an era where POC were being excluded by order of editors.

Legion was suppose to have black folks but editors stood in the way until it was time for Tyroc.

John Stewart got introduced and it was 14 years before you saw him again.


John Ridley did an interview recently.

He bought up a MAJOR point about Batman and the OUtsiders. The OG version but it applies to the new one.

https://www.polygon.com/comics/2020/...dley-interview

Even little things. When Batman labels his group “The Outsiders” — on one hand it just sounds like “Hey, we’re kind of these rogue fighters who don’t quite fit in with the Justice League.” But on the other hand, what does it say [to] the Black hero and the Japanese hero, or Geo-Force, who is [also] a foreigner? And they’re all labeled the Outsiders? And how do they feel about things like that?

Hill version was all POC being bossed around by Batman-who was at first doing cameos in that book.

[sifighter]

I mean I could see John Stewart having a sidekick in height of his JL animated series popularity if it wasn’t the fact he’s more of in an organization which probably wouldn’t allow for say a teen sidekick sticking to him. Although we do have Teen Lantern now who is kind of separate, there’s nothing saying they couldn’t do a John Stewart story with Teen Lantern.

Other then that I think the Terrifics series did a great job of establishing him as a team leader and setting up a really great team named after him with a wide cast not just Plastic Man, Metamorpho, and Phantom Girl but also Plastic man’s son offspring, Blue Beetle(Jaime, though Ted does show up), Cyborg’s Dad Silas, Manbat, Tom Strong and his family, Ryan Choi atom, and surprisingly an alternate universe version of Mr. Terrifics wife where she became the hero instead, Ms. Terrific.

Actually brief aside, if I really like anything about the recent dc landscape it’s how Mister Terrific outside the JSA has become this sci-fi adventurer who travels the multiverse and is capable of impossible tasks. I’m talking about all the stuff that happened during and after Dark Nights Metal, not New 52.

[Will Evans]

We've had Natasha sidekick for Steel.

Thunder and Lightning aren’t sidekicks to Black Lightning in the traditional sense. But they are “spin-offs” of him, as his daughters.

Someone mentioned Rocket to Icon.

[Sutekh]

We've had Natasha sidekick for Steel.

Thunder and Lightning aren’t sidekicks to Black Lightning in the traditional sense. But they are “spin-offs” of him, as his daughters.

Someone mentioned Rocket to Icon.

Rocket's the best example, IMO, since she's not the child of the hero-mentor. (Also a quibble for me with women heroes. Male heroes can have legacies by the dozen (for folk like Batman or even Ant-Man), but for a woman hero, you'll just about never get someone inspired by her example who wants to be a hero like her, the only sidekick or legacy she's ever gonna get is if she squeezes one out of her uterus.)

It would be awesome to see a young person pull a Tim Drake and be so inspired by Vixen or Mr. Terrific or Black Lightning as take up hero-ing to be like them.

It might even be kind of rad if the sidekick turned out to be white. (Because if the established white characters can have black sidekicks, like Aqualad or Duke Thomas, then why couldn't a white teen look up to the example set by a black hero?)

[Will Evans]

Rocket's the best example, IMO, since she's not the child of the hero-mentor. (Also a quibble for me with women heroes. Male heroes can have legacies by the dozen (for folk like Batman or even Ant-Man), but for a woman hero, you'll just about never get someone inspired by her example who wants to be a hero like her, the only sidekick or legacy she's ever gonna get is if she squeezes one out of her uterus.)

It would be awesome to see a young person pull a Tim Drake and be so inspired by Vixen or Mr. Terrific or Black Lightning as take up hero-ing to be like them.

It might even be kind of rad if the sidekick turned out to be white. (Because if the established white characters can have black sidekicks, like Aqualad or Duke Thomas, then why couldn't a white teen look up to the example set by a black hero?)

True. Though Tanya Spears was inspired by Powergirl. So was the Apokolips denizen Powerboy.

[J. D. Guy]

It is sad to see that most black sidekicks are based off of white superheros (not saying that it's bad). For me it's more the fact that the sidekicks feel like add on's when DC realizes most of there superhero families are white. They give them a small backstory that won't be fleshed out until years later, they never have supporting members of their own, they never get their own side stories. Not that its actually ever said or that anyone means this, but there is always a nagging feeling in the back of my head is message that says black heroes can't be as inspirational or Amazing as white ones. I know that's not true, but the feeling is always there.

Sorry for being a downer in the appreciation thread.

Yeah. It all adds up.