The Minority Report! Diversity In The MU.

[Mikekerr3]

I'm fine with people abandoning "from out of many, one", especially since for the vast majority of history, that's been an excuse for "many, under one".

I agree, it is OK to Homogenize milk, but not people.

And nobody has taken that motto serously in the US since they started using it, Unless they forgot to include a majority of the population as the "pluribis'

[Mr MajestiK]

In regards to the bold, there are a handful of notable exceptions to that. I think just as important, you still have to have a corporate culture that accepts new ideas from those diverse staffers. I won't put the link here cuz this is a Marvel thread but in a different thread, someone gave a link to a former female editor from DC. During her time there, she had to deal with harassment, and felt much of the time afraid to speak up and when she did speak up her voice was ignored. We need a change behind the scenes, but we also need a willingness to change the status quo.

Having said that, I agree with close to 90% of your post.

Could you PM me the link in question please.

[Mikekerr3]

Rather a prejudiced assumption, isn't it? That white males cannot act or make correct decisions because they are "privileged", and that the proper remedy is to force the hiring of women/latinos, etc who automatically WILL make those decisions properly because why? Because they aren't white/straight/men?

It is not prejudiced to think that parts of the human experience will never be understood by straight white males, since they lack the conceptual framework to put it IN, But the same goes for any group who lacks sufficient cultural context. It is just the In the West straight white males decide that context is the "normal" one, them having the power to enforce that as a cultural norm is the problem. Diversity brings in other points of view, from other experiences.

For examp I was born in the 50s a white male in Ohio, grew up in a rural enviroment, My wife was born in the same decade, but in Seoul one of the largest cities in the world. My mixed-race kids were boirn in the 80s and raised on three continents, Do you think we all see the world form the same POV?

[Hypestyle]

MIA: Larry Stroman, Brian Stelfreeze. Anybody know where they are? Any current or pending projects?

[ed2962]

Could you PM me the link in question please.

Link is on the way, Bro.

[Smoov-E]

MIA: Larry Stroman, Brian Stelfreeze. Anybody know where they are? Any current or pending projects?

Brian Stelfreeze is the artist for Day Men over at Boom and Larry Stroman penciled a issues of Watson & Holmes last year

[Mr MajestiK]

Link is on the way, Bro.

Bro, checked out the link but there was no article at the end of it.

She might have pulled it.

[aja_christopher]

Firstly, I will state for the record that I have not read any of your work that I am aware of, and therefore know about it what you yourself said.

I'm not trying to pick an argument here, but asking to see if I understand you correctly: You deliberately designed your "universe" of characters with the idea of pushing forwards as many "diverse" characters as possible? That their "diversity" attributes (ethnicity, lifestyle choice, etc) were the primary focus of your creative thought, rather than their personality or story value?

As you describe it, it sounds like you've simply inverted the allegedly "insufficiently diverse" ratios of the Big Two, only placing "standard" characters in the minority position. Would someone not then be able to argue that your universe is "not diverse" and needs more WASP males to "better represent" and attract a WASP male audience?

Again, not taking a "dig", but asking for clarification.

It's good to see you asking for clarification -- I enjoy speaking with people who have an open mind, though they may have a different perspective.

To be clear, I did not design my "universe" with diversity in mind. What I did was decided on what stories I wanted to tell and then populated said universe with diverse characters, just like I see in reality.

As I've noted quite a few times previously, straight white males only make up some 20-30% of the general population -- less so in a global context and/or in highly diverse metropolitan areas where many of these stories take place -- so why shouldn't I reflect this reality in my books, both graphic and literary?

Because I don't think women can make effective team leaders, whether in reality or in print? Because I don't think that I can write a character whose sexuality is different from mine? Because I don't think an Asian-American male lead will "sell" to the public?

To me, that kind of thinking is small-minded nonsense at best.

The way I see it -- women exist, Vietnamese people exist, gay people exist, Jamaican people exist (and so forth) and there is no reason why they shouldn't "exist" in my stories as well, not just as background characters, but as prominent -- and leading -- cast members of the stories in which they are depicted. And, as I pointed earlier, it can make for even better storytelling -- such as allowing me to set up a somewhat non-traditional love triangle between three of my key characters, one of whom is lesbian (Daye), another who is "poly" (Niya), and another who is "straight" (Miles).

Truthfully, I'm way beyond bored with seeing the same kinds of people over and over in comic books and popular media, and I have even less patience for writing them and putting them in my own stories.

Ultimately, I understand this is a personal choice and therefore completely subjective but, likewise, I know that I'm not the only one who feels this way and this becomes more and more obvious with each passing day as more and more people speak out on this issue and not only ask for, but demand change from Hollywood.

Just to be clear though -- I don't think Hollywood, Marvel, Disney, or any other company out there owes me anything, which is why I write, illustrate and compose my own comics (Primus, Nihilon), books (Solace, Modus), and music (Aquarius, Shadowsun), and plan to write and film some of the screenplays I've already written (Solace, Kerouac Black) in the near future.

(FYI: You can take a look at some of it in the link in my signature below -- I'm currently recording/remixing music for my novella/album concept which I hope to one day animate, inking and coloring my graphic novel, and trying to put together a crew to shoot some scenes from my movie ideas, so this isn't just talk for me -- this is what I live and breathe on a daily basis out here in Hollywood where I reside.)

As a suggestion, maybe you would do well not to see this as a "quota" issue but a "reality" issue -- if white males only make up some 25% of so of the American population, then what real justification is there for them making up some 80-90% of the leads (and producers, directors, executives, etc) in our present-day entertainment industry?

In the past, the historically ingrained culture of sexism, racism, homophobia, etc, might have made something like this acceptable, but today such thinking has no place in a society that truly claims to offer equal opportunity to all of its citizens, regardless of background.

Honestly, I think you're being a little presumptuous in assuming that most of us here want to see some kind of "quotas" enacted, when in reality all we're doing for the most part is pointing out how biased the current system is -- primarily towards white males and against everyone else -- and addressing it directly.

Not everyone here (or out there) is going to address it in the same manner, so you shouldn't assume that things like "quotas" or "affirmative action" are what "we" want -- "we" are all individuals for the most part, and while there may be a general consensus on the problem at hand, the solutions tend to be as unique and "diverse" as the individuals who propose them.

[aja_christopher]

"Kevin Feige On Marvel’s Responsibility To Be Diverse And A Possible Captain Marvel Movie"

"The great Marvel comics of the Silver Age broke ground not just in the kinds of stories they were telling but also the kinds of characters they included. While stuffy DC comics kept telling stories about white godlike characters, Marvel told tales of flawed, relateable heroes, some of whom weren't even white. The Black Panther was the first mainstream black superhero, and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were way ahead of the curve when they created him - not only is he black, but the Panther is an African king, not just some ghetto avenger.

Kevin Feige, President of Production at Marvel Studios, feels the weight of that heritage. When I spoke to him at the junket for Captain America: The Winter Soldier the very first question I asked him was about Marvel Studios and their plans for future diversity, and living up to the standards set in the Silver Age...

I brought up the most popular current Marvel comics female character, and Feige was very receptive:

'We’ve talked a lot about [Captain Marvel]. I think that would be very cool.'

It was an interesting answer, because my sources tell me that we will see an iteration of Captain Marvel onscreen by 2016 - either at the end of Phase Two or the beginning of Phase Three - in another Marvel movie.

Captain Marvel offers lots of opportunities (and two names - she's also been called Ms. Marvel), as there have been three heroes who have that basic moniker. There's Carol Danvers, the original Ms./Captain Marvel, a service member who got powers from the alien Kree. There's Monica Rambeau, a black woman who could control - and change her body into - light, went by Captain Marvel and led the Avengers. And there's a new Ms. Marvel, a Muslim teenager named Kamala Khan, who has shape-shifting powers. (Technically there were two other Ms. Marvels, but they're minor)

If my sources are correct, and judging by what Feige said in this interview, I think we're in for a Captain Marvel (or Ms. Marvel - having two franchises starting with Captain may be a bit much) solo movie sometime around 2017 or 2018. And while Feige did say they only do two films a year, he had interesting things to say about the possibility of more than two Marvel movies in any given year. I'll run that in a future article.

Could Phase Three bring us Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel?"

captain_marvel.jpg

http://badassdigest.com/2014/03/14/k...sible-captain/

[CaTigeReptile]

As much as I love Carol, and I really do, my ideal Captain Marvel would actually be Monica. I just love her back story, which would make a great, straightforward movie, and I love her personality/identity. Captain Marvel was her original name - the other names to me just don't fit right. It's also worthy of note that Monica's powers were never ever associated with a male with similar powers, which is a plus. Additionally, since her powers didn't come from another character who has a huge back story himself, they don't have to change her story to keep it from being cluttered.

That being said, I'd still love it if it was Carol, mostly because of her military background. Then again, I didn't see the Green Lantern movie so don't know if Hal was a jet pilot in it. If he was then their stories might be too similar.

[Tiamatty]

As much as I love Carol, and I really do, my ideal Captain Marvel would actually be Monica. I just love her back story, which would make a great, straightforward movie, and I love her personality/identity. Captain Marvel was her original name - the other names to me just don't fit right. It's also worthy of note that Monica's powers were never ever associated with a male with similar powers, which is a plus. Additionally, since her powers didn't come from another character who has a huge back story himself, they don't have to change her story to keep it from being cluttered.

That being said, I'd still love it if it was Carol, mostly because of her military background. Then again, I didn't see the Green Lantern movie so don't know if Hal was a jet pilot in it. If he was then their stories might be too similar.

The one objection I have to Monica as Captain Marvel is how awkwardly she got the name: Some guy repeatedly muttering, "The Captain is a marvel."

Besides which, Spectrum actually does work pretty well as a name for her.

But yeah, I'd be totally down for a Monica movie. She's a cool character. I suppose there is the problem that she's never really been a solo character - aside from a couple one-shots, she's pretty much always worked in a team. That might add an extra layer of complexity to adapting her for a solo movie.

[aja_christopher]

The one objection I have to Monica as Captain Marvel is how awkwardly she got the name: Some guy repeatedly muttering, "The Captain is a marvel."

Besides which, Spectrum actually does work pretty well as a name for her.

But yeah, I'd be totally down for a Monica movie. She's a cool character. I suppose there is the problem that she's never really been a solo character - aside from a couple one-shots, she's pretty much always worked in a team. That might add an extra layer of complexity to adapting her for a solo movie.

Who is to say the two (or all three, since I'd like to see Khan get some screen time as well) couldn't appear together, along with a few other featured female superheroines?

While I understand the concept of the "solo" film series, there is always room for variations in any media and quality teamwork is always a storytelling plus when handled correctly (Rat Queens, TMNT, Heroes for Hire, Birds of Prey etc).

In my opinion, it beats having them have to "jockey" for position with regards to being the "female" standard-bearer along with characters like Black Widow and She-Hulk, while also opening up the door for lesser-known characters like Nico, Kamala, and Karolina.

I know Marvel claims to be pushing "solo" stories first, but if they can do a movie -- and take a risk -- like Guardians of the Galaxy, then casting a film with a majority of female characters in the lead roles shouldn't be any more of a stretch for them.

As always, it all depends on the writing.

photon_aka_monica_rambeau_by_tsbranch.jpg

[Tiamatty]

Who is to say the two (or all three, since I'd like to see Khan get some screen time as well) couldn't appear together, along with a few other featured female superheroines?

While I understand the concept of the "solo" film series, there is always room for variations in any media and quality teamwork is always a storytelling plus when handled correctly (Rat Queens, TMNT, Heroes for Hire, Birds of Prey etc).

In my opinion, it beats having them have to "jockey" for position with regards to being the "female" standard-bearer along with characters like Black Widow and She-Hulk, while also opening up the door for lesser-known characters like Nico, Kamala, and Karolina.

I know Marvel claims to be pushing "solo" stories first, but if they can do a movie -- and take a risk -- like Guardians of the Galaxy, then casting a film with a majority of female characters in the lead roles shouldn't be any more of a stretch for them.

As always, it all depends on the writing.

photon_aka_monica_rambeau_by_tsbranch.jpg

A fair point. They could do a team movie with Monica.

[CaTigeReptile]

Who is to say the two (or all three, since I'd like to see Khan get some screen time as well) couldn't appear together, along with a few other featured female superheroines?

While I understand the concept of the "solo" film series, there is always room for variations in any media and quality teamwork is always a storytelling plus when handled correctly (Rat Queens, TMNT, Heroes for Hire, Birds of Prey etc).

In my opinion, it beats having them have to "jockey" for position with regards to being the "female" standard-bearer along with characters like Black Widow and She-Hulk, while also opening up the door for lesser-known characters like Nico, Kamala, and Karolina.

I know Marvel claims to be pushing "solo" stories first, but if they can do a movie -- and take a risk -- like Guardians of the Galaxy, then casting a film with a majority of female characters in the lead roles shouldn't be any more of a stretch for them.

As always, it all depends on the writing.

photon_aka_monica_rambeau_by_tsbranch.jpg

That could in fact be extremely cool as long as they don't make it too Charlie's Angels-esque. And, of course, in a perfect world it wouldn't be "the girl team," but rather just a team where the majority (or everyone) is women. You know, with female heroes made for a female (AND male) audience to be able to insert themselves into hero roles instead of made for a male audience to view . . .

[aja_christopher]

That could in fact be extremely cool as long as they don't make it too Charlie's Angels-esque. And, of course, in a perfect world it wouldn't be "the girl team," but rather just a team where the majority (or everyone) is women. You know, with female heroes made for a female (AND male) audience to be able to insert themselves into hero roles instead of made for a male audience to view . . .

I agree with this and consider the (somewhat overplayed) "girl team" concept yet another small minded way of looking at the situation. Ultimately, how is a team that is comprised of all or a majority of female characters any different from what we see when there are teams that are almost or completely male?

Like I said before, it would depend on the writing, but having Monica and Carol join together to stop a threat -- with the support of a host of other (predominately) female characters -- shouldn't be perceived any differently from having Tony and Steve join together to stop a threat with the support of host of other (predominately) male characters.

Granted, that's an idealistic way of looking at it, but that doesn't make it any less true.

Consider for a moment AvX, where Rachel's connection to the Phoenix was undermined simply to make way for the driving conflict between the "alpha males" (Scott, Logan, Tony) and the training of the "girl" (Hope) by a few more lead males (Danny, Peter) after already having been trained by two other males (Nathan, Scott).

Then, off to X-Limbo she goes -- and it's back to Cable, Cyclops, and Wolverine again.

Again, the only real danger here is poor writing, which -- whether sexist or otherwise -- isn't all that uncommon in the MU regardless.