Diversity in Comics/Novels

[Tromroan]

Hey what a nice, in depth response! I hafta be inspired by stuff around me otherwise everyone will have the exact same face and personality...whoops... I'm glad you like the look of these characters, I love them all and can't wait to start drawing them in a comic. I gotta make up for drawing in black and white by having a really colourful cast.

Thank you!

[NickRowler]

I don't have much background knowledge on the show but I am familiar with the channel it ran on. In college I got curious about the channels on tv and came across Myx TV. It was an OG MTV like channel with the majority of it's content being music videos but unlike MTV it premiered more indie artists as well as music from Asian countries. A lot of non-musicvideo programing were usually focused on indie and underground stuff. I really liked the show Vinyl Addiction, which featured toy designers. I remember there was one show about shoe designers and another about how indie artist budgeted and created their music videos. More or less, everything was very low budget and indie. I remember Nutshack being advertised but it never really interest me. But it might have been picked up for the network due to a lot of the other programs had something to do with Asian culture or indie urban culture.

[RemyHope]

Hi! I don't know if this is something I should say here, but I wanted to talk about it, and since this is related to diversity, I think maybe this is the place.
I'm from Uruguay, a small country in South America (we are so small we only have a population of 3 million). For obvious reasons, I never see any representation of Uruguayan people in comics/novels/series, even if we are from Latin America, we are not well known enough to get content about us. This is expected. People write about the things/people they know, so it's not wrong to not write about us.
But what caught my attention was the effect this has on me as a writer. I am currently writing a novel with three main characters, and I wanted one of them to have a latin mother. And while I was thinking which country she could be from, at first, it didn't occur to me she could be from Uruguay. Like I am so used to us being invisible, that I didn't think of my own country as an option. I thought about more "popular" countries, places and people that I won't ever identify with, but I felt the pressure to do so.
Then, after some time, I thought: "Why? Why does he have to be from other place? Because of popularity? Because "people will like that better?" And I must say, when I decided to make this character from Uruguay, I even felt ashamed to tell my friends from here and from other places! As if it wasn't normal to want representation of the small country I'm from.
I was wondering, does it happen to other people from other countries as well? Small countries like mine, or places not popular enough to be proud of. It's not a matter of fighting for which country or culture is more invisivilized. It's more about how the hegemonic culture affect us to the point we feel ashamed of wanting representation, of wanting to be ourselves.
I don't know if I expressed myself well, and surely left out a lot of things I wanted to say. But this post seemed like a good place to reflect on the diverse inside of the diverse, our own identity, and what we want to do as authors/artists.

[queen_of_spades]

Hi...
I included diversity in my novel. I am surrounded by it in my daily life, so why not include it...
but you shouldn't force it either.

Delilah, forever | Tapas

[queen_of_spades]

hi... could you share so I may read your novel? got curious...

[surenlicious]

Aaaaah thank you so much dear!

Oooooh, thank you for reccomending that to me! I recently asked folks on twitter to reccommend me books written by black authors in the horror genre, and I was aghast no one responded until I boosted it a few times.

Thank you again, I truly appreciate it!

[maice]

My cast is pretty small, with only 4 characters I would consider "main" characters.

Here is Micah, my werewolf character:

I worry sometimes that people will be like, "you made the bad guy black". But that's just the way I imagined him. I don't think he's a bad guy, he's just a werewolf and he does werewolf things. Which are not great things to do, lol. But I want to develop his character into more than just a monster and hopefully people won't think of him as the antagonist. Because he's not - the situation is.

This is Norma, my main character:

I consider her to be half Hispanic.

This is Rocco, Norma's husband:

Rocco is a white guy, but somewhere in his lineage is some Italian. It doesn't matter and it will never come up in the story. That's just how I imagine him. Between Norma and Rocco, the race difference isn't even noticeable. My characters live in the Southwest, so even my white ones are tanned. Honestly, my little husband/wife team could probably pass as siblings, that's my failure as an artist.

I haven't gotten far enough to draw any pictures of my last main character, Cam. He's Rocco's best friend. He's also a white boy with a tan.

When I thought up this story I didn't intend to make a diverse cast. Micah's a black guy cause he is, that's all, it's just how I imagined him. I know there is a lot of racial tension in this country (USA) right now, but none of that plays into my story. After all, there is a werewolf running around, so that's kind of taking precedence for these people. Perhaps that is the easy way out, I don't know. I don't want my story to be about race, they just are what they are. I think if I were to go into Micah's background and childhood it would definitely be a lot different.

[domisotto]

Then, after some time, I thought: "Why? Why does he have to be from other place? Because of popularity? Because "people will like that better?" And I must say, when I decided to make this character from Uruguay, I even felt ashamed to tell my friends from here and from other places! As if it wasn't normal to want representation of the small country I'm from.

I think it’s awesome to have things set in places outside the prominent countries on the world stage. For me, it makes a story more rather than less interesting.

[Lady_T_Musings]

Heyyy Domisotto thanks for sharing your approach and thoughts on this topic!

I know of what you are speaking about and though I cannot speak for all I can speak for some when I say a lot of this comes from BIPOC not being given the same opportunities and exposure for getting our work put front and center or shoot just even being widely available to larger audiences. A good example is how books and fiction written by black folks get labeled as black or "urban" and then insert comedy, fantasy, fiction, etc. (this isn't just with black folks though). This is a double-edged sword. It makes it easier for the BIPOC community to find for sure, but also makes it feel closed off to people that aren't BIPOC and may have been interested in reading the story, but don't want to intrude on BIPOC spaces. Therefore the content gets put in a box within a box. Another example is when instead of having black literature just included in the "canon" of literature in schools, it's relegated to a special time of the year only (February) or an elective class all on its own (Black literature studies). I will say that the last few years have really started to evolve the conversation about black folks throughout the year, but we still working on it. The literature class thing can just be awkward as it is an elective class when offered and many will think that it's for black people only and that if they aren't black they shouldn't intrude, but the reality is that those classes are the only way to get exposure to black literature from a formal education standpoint. Outside of that class you have to look for it on your own. It's really loaded and it's a conversation I've been a part of as well, so I'm pulling from my experiences here, but I do get where you are coming from and I appreciate you taking the time to listen to our voices and do your best to support. I agree that BIPOC voices, art, and stories need to be uplifted and supported 100%!

I will say this though if you have a story or a work of art you wish to create and would like to include BIPOC in it. Do it. There really isn't a reason to stop yourself from adding them unless the reason you want to add them is to make them an ethnic perspective that you can't speak from bc you aren't a member of said group. Ie: making a character that's black that talks about why they do or do not use the N-word. Like, that wouldn't be your place and would get you some ire. But if you did something like make a black character that's an accountant by day and investigative reporter by night that get's into some dangerous hijinks, there are tons of things you could explore and get immersed in that would be totally legit that you could research about and include to enrich her as a character first that is a black woman without stepping on or over our voices.

For the most part, she's just like anyone else, and if you are a woman or woman identifying that's another aspect you can pull from, but things you could research to enrich her as a character that is black is how does she handle her hair day vs night. What color compliment her complexion? Depending on her connection to family mayhaps there is a family recipe for a dish that she's really good at making (yeah I'm talking about soul food). Things like that that we as BIPOC have shared for the rest of the world to take part in and you can know this from a quick youtube search seeing many of us talking about these things and sharing techniques on how we care for and make them.

Talking to other BIPOC about your character and showing concepts is another thing you could do if you wanted to be on the up and up and were unsure of something. And if you want to go the extra mile, highlight some BIPOC who are also making content that relates to yours. Following the example of the reporter above, maybe a case she gets into is about a murder mystery. You could then use that as an opportunity to share the work of a black creator who made a thriller about somebody that got away, or even another mystery story through sharing a link, doing a boost, writing a review, or heck maybe even do a collaboration if they are up for it.

Yes, listen. Yes, support. but it's up to all of us trying to improve the quality of life for BIPOC to be a part of making it happen. Maybe you have a platform that can be used to spread the word about another BIPOC whose work you enjoy. Don't shut up about it. Hype them up too and do you as well. You are a fellow creative that has the right to create as well!

I reply to these comments as I scroll and so I just read @joannekwan response to you and a lot of what they are saying I'm over here echoing as well

I'm getting educated on some terminology today for sure y'all.

[Lady_T_Musings]

Yasss I love collaborationnnnn!! The amount of perspective you can get from doing them is the most beautiful part about doing them. Views mixing and mashing and just ohhh it's always fascinating and enriching to be a part of, even when we don't agree on everything.

Yassss I'm here for it, disabled people are people that deserve that lime-light too, so I am glad to hear you out here trying to represent.

O-k-k then that sounds fascinating Orchid! I love that you are paying attention to how the climate and atmosphere would affect the people living in that world.

Drawing is a process or sure, but if it's something you want to do, take it a bite a time and do as much as you can at a time and you will improve over time.

[Lady_T_Musings]

Sorry if I am blowing up your inbox bc I got the gift of gab when it counts (and doesn't haha).

Anywho, you bring up another valid perspective, but some more specific insight on this is that I've noticed os that the folks being accused of capitalizing off of BIPOC material are often the ones in the positions that could be making a difference in the lives of said BIPOC, but tend not to through casting, writers room, directors, hair and makeup choices, etc. My early comment to you goes into more detail on other ways this can be addressed as a content creator who isn't a big wig money bags. For the rest of us folks making our content often by ourselves, being respectful and inclusive is one of the most ally things we can do for one another. Also learning to not be afraid to face the fact that we may say or do something insensitive by accident, but that's ok if it's in earnest and you wish to do/be better.

"To err is human...but to forgive is divine"-Alexander Pope

He was talking about medicine, but like it applies to all us human folk. It's important to remember that as we journey forward and do our best, specifically as creators here but this applies in other aspects too, that when we make mistakes and get called out that we learn from them and forgive ourselves for them, even if you feel someone(s) is being hard on you and makes you feel some kind of way if you are able to get what they are saying for why it's offensive, you'll come out better for it in the end (though I am way more of a fan of talking to someone personally than calling them out, tis the time we live in). If the mistake was made out of ignorance and you owned up to it, I guarantee there will be folks in your corner that would appreciate you for being big enough to admit so. I'm one of them, fellow human human fellas, lol .

[Lady_T_Musings]

Do what's best for you

I'm glad that you are listening and a part of this conversation. If you ever want to discuss something that could use the perspective of a tall black cis woman that is fat and had a run-in with cancer, them be my qualifications and my DMs are open

[domisotto]

Maybe you have a platform that can be used to spread the word about another BIPOC whose work you enjoy. Don't shut up about it. Hype them up too and do you as well. You are a fellow creative that has the right to create as well!

I do not have any worthwhile SM presence, but I do shout out and like/retweet the content by the creators that I admire.

[joannekwan]

But this post seemed like a good place to reflect on the diverse inside of the diverse, our own identity, and what we want to do as authors/artists.

Yessss! Express that Uruguayan pride! I never considered how few characters in media are Uruguayan. But the country is on my mind because of its great talent and skill in soccer/football. I always enjoy watching them in Copa America and the World Cup.

As for my own identity, my family speaks Cantonese. While it's the second-largest Chinese language group, it had a much larger presence in North America years before. The first Chinese immigrants in the US were largely from areas that speak Cantonese and growing up I heard it way more among the general populace, even on mainstream TV and movies. Like often in sitcoms when they go to a Chinese restaurant, the staff will be speaking Cantonese.

But as the years pass, more immigrants that speak Mandarin have come so I hear less and less Cantonese, even in Chinatowns that the Cantonese established. And with the rise of China's presence as a whole, the majority of the Chinese that you will hear in media is Mandarin.

What do I do about it as a creator? I make Chinese characters and slip in some Cantonese when I can!

[blackorchid]

Yeah, I really love it. They are a dear friend of mine, and once we started working creatively together is was like 'ahhhh!'

Yes, I am so here for all of it. I'm not writing to everyone, but I am to the person who needed to hear what I need when I was younger. You know?

Ehh, I'm learning. It's been fun. I hope to one day be able to properly draw and share character art.

[Bokyongyo]

I think representation is important but I also think making a character a actual character is even more important; one of my main character’s companions, Kuaji T. Adeyemi (known as Tree) whom isn’t introduced in my comic yet, is of black descent but when I was making him my objective wasn’t to make a black character but to make a character that I would love to write who happens to be black.

Him being black is a bonus yes because I do know that again representation is very important but with that fact, that same representation isn’t the sole driving force of his character. Last thing I’d want is Tree to be known as “the black character” because he is so much more than that lmfao.

Really great thread though, stuff like this is important

[Lady_T_Musings]

Woof that's a whole nother thing right there. Like already having diversity built into your work from the get-go but having people tease you about it. SMH, talk about backward :/.

Go on ahead Kura and lay down them truths!

That's some perseverance in the face of adversity yo and I'm mad that you were made to feel as though you had to hide or "fix" your work when it was perfectly natural and that it's like that for so many people is similar positions. I am glad that in your own way you kept pressing forward though, that's what's up.

' I just want to say that the first time I started noticing that white artists were drawing more PoC OC's (that wasn't a racist caricature), I was really happy to see it. You have no idea how hard it is to only see yourself drawn by people inside your race group. So seeing someone outside of your group draw your people, it was like being seen. It was nice to know that people outside our ethnicities care enough to draw us you know? I know it can lead to a lot of nuances or complications that I won't get into (more so on the writing end for the OCs and stories) but surface level. It was just... really nice to finally be considered when it came to someone else's character design,

I felt this in my heart and it touched my bones. In the simplest way that gets the point across, It's nice to know that other people outside your circle see you as another human being the way you are.

[Lady_T_Musings]

Happy Black History Month to you too!

It sounds like you are on a journey of discovery and learning what inclusion and diversity look like to you :D.

Thanks for sharing

[Lady_T_Musings]

Thank you Remy for sharing your thoughts and experiences on this topic. Your story is very much welcomed in this discussion and glad you shared it here

Though I don't know your personality and our experiences are different, I get you on that front when your a creative individual making content and don't even consider yourself, people like you, or your culture as being a protagonist worthy.

It's wild bc you are the creator so it seems like it would be natural to include aspects of yourself that stem from cultural/racial/ethnic standpoint, but when we don't see ourselves in the media we consume, or are made to feel that we won't be as "palatable" to other consumers... it can have this effect on us. It's messed up and has served to make many of us feel down low.

It's something we have to consciously face in order to overcome and be aware of why we think the way we do when we are hit by these thoughts (or other peoples statements like how @Kura was expressed in how they approached being target growing up for trying to make a space that represented them.) in order to reinforce that there is nothing wrong with our race or culture/ethnicity and we have every right to be represented. Especially if we have to make the representation ourselves.

[Lady_T_Musings]

Ah your characters look fun and them expressions got me smiling haha! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the topic and adding to this conversation as well.

Good character building first that is supplemented by including diversity is definitely the way to go in my book too!