Ororo Munroe: Storm/Hadari Yao Appreciation 2021

[Marvell2100]

It don't count. It isn't a hairstyle if she didn't choose it.

[Devaishwarya]

Depending on the artist's style, Storm has had many variations to her appearance under the numerous artists and colourists over her long publication history. Some have given her a more athletic frame, others have made her look waifish, and others sometimes thicc...some have coloured her dark brown, medium brown, light brown and every brown shade in between...
What some may see as white-washing I see as the colourist just not getting his skin-tone palette quite accurate. Regardless of how light they would have coloured her, intentionally or not, if you know and understand her history, Storm cannot be viewed as anything other than a Black woman.

Again...that's not to say that one ore two persons may not have had ulterior motives but if you read and know her visual history you would more than likely realise that those intentions are quite few and very far between.

When Land "drew" Storm in Fraction's run...she looked like a skinny white woman in face and body, with a tan. Land illustrated her as such because that's his style...I'm not excusing it...but you cannot definitively say that he was intentionally white-washing her...because he drew ALL his women like that. But on paper, in-story...we all knew her to be Storm.

[butterflykyss]

It don't count. It isn't a hairstyle if she didn't choose it.

I dont think that is hairstyles work lovely. lol

[Marvell2100]

I dont think that is hairstyles work lovely. lol

Nope, don't count.

[Baby_Hater666]

@Fall_From_Grace

seconded. This is pretty much where I stand on the subject.

[dirtynun]

Can't the same be said of Storm? With her natural blue eyes and platinum hair?

Please you people have to understand that Africa is a VERY genetically diverse continent. Infact all continents put together won't get even close to the variation on the continent. West africans and east africans have very unique features though both are black. East Africans somalia, Ethiopians and the like usually have thin pointed, noses, looser textured hair and thinner lips. West africans well have the typical phenotypes we associate with black. We have the darkest people in earth, and the lightest people on earth. We have the tallest people the nhilotes, and the shortest people pygmys. Variation in eye colour dies occur though not common due to the advantage of melanated eyes in a sun rich region. My father has blue eyes he is not mixed, his eyes have been a burden especially since he grew up near tge equator in Africa he has to use eye drops and glasses to quell the pain the sun has done to his eyes. We even have red heads, like actual afro redheads who produce phenomenon rather than eumelanin

[jwatson]

I want storm to have her white hair and blue eyes that goes with the magical ancestry of her character. If people want to see certain hair styles it's great we have monica for that. Personally I've always hated how artists try to "black" storm up by making her hair more curly as though that somehow now made it okay for her to be pictured with the other black heros. I have sisters and cousins with straight hair and super curly hair I don't see why one type of black person has to be made less than to make another feel more like but you can have manga characters and white actors running around with their head looking like a darn rainbow.

Also I do blame the artist and the companies that keep giving them work if they can't draw visual features of everyday humans. That's like me being paid to be an accountant but not being able to add. Your style is the work. Or rather the work informs the style. Don't give them work if they can't present variety. Imo slapping paint on a person with european features in all cases of diversity cause they really do asians wrong, is no different than black face. False representation or a lack there of. I'm sure young girls care more about storm face and her complexion and her demenar than if she got braids. Valekyrie had braids right.

[Stormrocks]

I want storm to have her white hair and blue eyes that goes with the magical ancestry of her character. If people want to see certain hair styles it's great we have monica for that. Personally I've always hated how artists try to "black" storm up by making her hair more curly as though that somehow now made it okay for her to be pictured with the other black heros. I have sisters and cousins with straight hair and super curly hair I don't see why one type of black person has to be made less than to make another feel more like but you can have manga characters and white actors running around with their head looking like a darn rainbow.

Also I do blame the artist and the companies that keep giving them work if they can't draw visual features of everyday humans. That's like me being paid to be an accountant but not being able to add. Your style is the work. Or rather the work informs the style. Don't give them work if they can't present variety. Imo slapping paint on a person with european features in all cases of diversity cause they really do asians wrong, is no different than black face. False representation or a lack there of. I'm sure young girls care more about storm face and her complexion and her demenar than if she got braids. Valekyrie had braids right.

Once again you perfectly state my feelings on an issue. Well said!!

[Devaishwarya]

Some readers want Storm to look like/representative of how Black people actually look. But what exactly do Black people look like? Because Dirtynun is absolutely right...we come in all shapes and sizes, heights, skin tones, eye colours, hair colours, facial features.

It's more truthful to say: They want Storm to look more like themselves. (whatever "they" look like) And that's perfectly fine and understandable, if a tad unrealistic to an extent because "they" don't necessarily represent what ALL and EVERY Black woman look like.

And understand the nature of the medium...Storm, throughout her published history, has had many visual iterations because she been illustrated and coloured by many great artists with vastly differing styles.
Cockrum, Byrne, Smith, Romita Jr., Windsor-Smith, Silvestri, Simonson, Adams, Leonardi, Madureira, Coipel, Land, Pacheco, Larroca, Jimenez, Eaton, Yardin, Lopez, Portella, Stroman, Lashley Larraz, Lolli, Caselli...just to name a few.
While we all have our personal favourites, I can and do greatly appreciate what each and every one of those artists (with the exception of Land and the current X-Factor artist) have brought to Storm with their talent and style over the many decades.

And when you objectively look at how she's been illustrated by all these artists she does become the iconic representative of what Black truly looks like because...we all DON'T look like one specific vision or idea.

[skyvolt2000]

Also I do blame the artist and the companies that keep giving them work if they can't draw visual features of everyday humans. That's like me being paid to be an accountant but not being able to add. Your style is the work. Or rather the work informs the style. Don't give them work if they can't present variety. Imo slapping paint on a person with european features in all cases of diversity cause they really do asians wrong, is no different than black face. False representation or a lack there of. I'm sure young girls care more about storm face and her complexion and her demenar than if she got braids. Valekyrie had braids right.

Before you do that remember the following-

Some of those artist are TOLD by editors to do certain faces. A Star Trek artist for DC spoke about this on Deviant Art. As did Tom Richmond who drew Married With Children comics for Now Comics in the 90s.
They had to go back and make faces generic. Richmond saw his Peg Bundy art get redo to fix her nose in every issue. Notice in Boom's Power Rangers-everyone looks like their tv version except for Zack.

Others just drew and it was the colorist who made folks one skin color over the other. HI Archie Comics.

Others saw their art redone by others. I can show or point Archie Comics where Chuck Clayton went through 3-6 different changes in the same story that was reprinted 3 times that same year. I have one where he is shown JUST one little issue. The story that he was in was from 1950. He was created in 1972. They turned Reggie into Chuck.

You got volume. They want artists who can produce FAST that is why guys like Land get gigs faster than say Jamal Campbell. Campbell and his work load is the only reason we are not seeing Naomi Season 2 right now. He has too much work. Notice who you don't see-Khary Randolph, Sanford Green and others are NOT doing 20 books. Why? Because they have OTHER jobs.

Finally I would say look at what training some of these artist have had. Liefield had NONE when he started.
When I was in art school (magnet school)-we did not have a comic book drawing class. They do NOW since 2017.

Part of the reason you see the same is because it's EASIER to do on a monthly book. And now you want POC (who were left out of SO many books in them now)-folks are going for a look that is easy to draw over and over again.

I mean look at action figures-Miles, Storm, Panther, Killmonger and others all need NEW head molds. Why does Barbie black Ken and Steven have the same head.

[Marvell2100]

A lot of people are missing the point entirely.

[Devaishwarya]

A lot of people are missing the point entirely.

What point would that be, exactly?

We can ALL agree that representation is indeed absolutely important and necessary...that is indisputable.
However, some may want Storm to look more curvy, darker complected, with fuller lips and a more "round" nose and tightly curled hair in Bantu knots or box braids.
And that's all well and good. There have been renditions of Storm meeting those very specific details.

But what about those Black girls and women who are milk chocolate brown, more athletic in build, with looser curls and 'narrower' features, for whom Storm is their favourite Black female superhero? Are they wrong for wanting Storm to look more like them? And Storm has been illustrated and coloured to look just like those specifics.

So....Win-win?

[BlkGldBlu]

Worst case scenario... If MCU Storm is model after ultimate X-Men what is there to look forward to?

[Devaishwarya]

I read collected UXM, what's the issue with Storm there?

[Stormultt Divine]

I think I get now what a lot of posters are asking for but to be quite honest

...we need more black x-men who aren't bald, made of crystal etc because there are plenty of white characters like Jean, Emma, Scott, Havok etc etc who look completely fine (I have nothing but love for BLING btw) and we need our black x-women to come correct too. The artists and writers are lazy when it comes to black character design.
We need FINE black folk in the x-men imo. Bishop only just now got there for me, a hair cut is all it takes to be honest

Also...Sina Grace is still a disgrace with the whole drag queen thing because Darkveil could have been an amazing representation for black transwomen and black folk in general. The potential character development just went down the drain.
I go on Instagram and see black super heroes by smaller independent companies who look amazing and interesting so there's no reason why the x-verse can't incorporate NEW and relatable black characters while also USING THE ONES THEY ALREADY HAVE.