The Mission - Jul 6, 2015

[ed2962]

I'm saying that I don't see/hear anything about Marvel or DC denying anyone based on race. They reject creators submissions all the time....but I've never once heard it was case of racism. Show me a creator who's been denied work based solely on their race, then I will believe there's a problem. Otherwise the statistical anomaly is just that, a cultural anomaly. There's no illusions that Marvel and DC were at one time predominantly white, but that's been years ago. The tide is changing, Marvel and DC are not resisting. It might look like it viewing those ridiculous stats, but if Illidge actually looked beyond the numbers he'll see that change did and continues to happen. Take for example in the 90's when Joe Madureira was a big name for Marvel, every publisher went fishing for South America and North Pacific talent.

No one is suggesting that Marvel/DC is a hive of neo-nazis. It's a lot more complex than that. There's all sorts of cultural norms that exist in our society that people just sorta accept at face value. In a country that claims to be about equality, it's sometimes worthwhile to question those norms or the status quo. It's not about Marvel having a literal "no coloreds allowed" sign on the door.

Plus ( and I'm not accusing anyone of anything) modern racism is a lot more subtle than openly calling someone a slur. It's the promotion you don't get. The housing that's suddenly not availing once you meet the landlord face to face. It's being perceived as a physical threat when you're on the street. It's the extra pair on eyes on you when you're in the store or people making assumptions about your likes and dislike based on how your name sounds.

[CSTowle]

There's also the fact that a lot of white folks (like myself) tend to have circles of friends and family that are primarily or at least majority white. So in a business that can hinge more than a bit on "who you know" it can be difficult when you're not in those circles (and you're less likely to be in them if you're not white). That's obviously a generalization and not the case all of the time, but it's the case often enough that it's worth bringing up and thinking about.

"Talent rises to the top" sounds great, but how are they going to see you have talent if you don't get your foot in the door to show them? And not everyone is at the top of their game as they're breaking into the business, some of them have raw talent that will develop over time. No company the size of Disney wants random mail-in submissions because they open themselves up to lawsuits (like many that have been covered in stories on this site, like Iron Man having metal armor FFS), so it's mostly going to be through persistence and a bit of luck (and again, maybe who you know). Taking an active and thoughtful approach to counterbalance an unconsciously biased playing field is a good thing, both for artists looking to break in and for us consumers.