Comic book fans do not like change!
Especially when writers change characters that fans love and have grown up with. With that said, all things change and it’s a sad commentary on society when people get upset over an imaginary character’s race or gender. Do dorks, geeks and nerds have such a short memory, have they forgotten that 20-years ago we had nothing. Now there are multiple comic book films coming out each year along with feature animated films. The television industry has jumped on the bandwagon and there is merchandise everywhere.
The comic book industry is at a great point in time, history might call this the golden age of comics. Here are two great stories on why the comic book culture needs to embrace diversity and change.
This article by Dave Scheidt appeared on his Tumblr “Stay Spooky.”
The honest truth about comics is that we need YOU. Each and every single one of you.
We need you to read them. We need you to draw them. We need you to write them. We need you to tell your friends about them. We need you to publish our books. We need you to talk about our comics on your podcast. We need you to cosplay our characters. We need you to tell us what our work means to you. We need you to tell us when something isn’t right. We need to know how we can help you.
We NEED you to be different. It wouldn’t work if we were all the same.
Diversity in comics is not something to aim for, it’s a necessity. I stand by each and every one of you. I am so lucky to be involved in such a caring community and I’m never going to let a few assholes ruin it for the rest of us.
My name is Dave Scheidt.
I make comic books and nothing makes me happier.
This article origianly appeared on Mike Norton’s website IHateMike.com.
A year ago at the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), a 10 year old girl came up to my table and told me that she really liked my comic (The Answer!) because it was about a really smart woman who figured things out with her mind. It made my weekend, of course. I thought i was just making a goofy superhero comic.
This year, the same girl came to the table with her mother. This time, in full-on Answer! cosplay. I couldn’t believe it. Her name is Rowan and not only had she not forgotten about the book (I haven’t managed to put out the sequel yet!) but she was now making her own comics! (she gave me an awesome book about me and her with the Answer!, riding Battlepug, and fighting each other with cats on our heads.) I kinda get teary-eyed just thinking about it.
I didn’t start making comics with the intention of influencing other people. I don’t make them with a conscious idea to be inclusive to all people. I just make the kind of comics I like. But everybody IS invited. EVERYBODY.
The idea that there are Rowans out there who feel comfortable being a part of this amazing community is important. It’s worth protecting. The fact that sometimes it’s even an issue to some people makes angry, so I’m not going to think about that. I’m going to think about getting started on that second Answer! series. Rowan is getting antsy, I’m sure.
Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow and everyone should feel welcome. It’s a great time to be a dork!
