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Topic: Q Re: Diversity (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Caleb M. Edmond
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Posted: 31 August 2006 at 1:20pm | IP Logged | 1  

JB

After recently reading my copy of Modern Masters, in the sketchbook section I noticed rough sketches of  Caleb & Carrie Alexander and was surprised to find that they were intially designed as Caucasion. This got me wondering: Was there anything specific about the characters/personalities that called for the change in ehnicities?

As an veteran African American collector, I'm always interested in diversity in comics. If I remember correctly, the topic was briefly addressed in a letter page  when you were producing Next Men. At the risk of para-phrasing... you commented as to why you tended to stay within a certain "comfort range" when designing your charcters (I'm sure anticipating some fan responce to "a character turned bad who happens to be gay, or a minority, etc.").

Now I want to make it quite clear that I DON'T believe there's anything melicious behind your character design past or present, I was just curious about the thought process you go through when creating them.

Are they completely yours to create or is ther some influence from the company you happen to be working for?

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John Byrne
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Posted: 31 August 2006 at 1:31pm | IP Logged | 2  

I noticed rough sketches of  Caleb & Carrie Alexander and was surprised to find that they were intially designed as Caucasion. This got me wondering: Was there anything specific about the characters/personalities that called for the change in ehnicities?

****

Deeper backstory. The experiences of Black Americans are very different from those of White Americans. Many of those differences would be of a kind with which Namor himself could identify.

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Ian M. Palmer
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Posted: 31 August 2006 at 2:51pm | IP Logged | 3  

As an veteran African American collector

You're not allowed to collect those anymore, are you?

IMP.

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John Mietus
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Posted: 31 August 2006 at 4:25pm | IP Logged | 4  

Yikes.
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Caleb M. Edmond
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Posted: 31 August 2006 at 4:36pm | IP Logged | 5  

Just to clarify Ian:

I am in fact African American meaning I am allowed to collect other
African Americans. Ha. Ha.

Kinda' like to using the "N" word.

LOL

CME

Edited by Caleb M. Edmond on 31 August 2006 at 4:41pm
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Robert Last
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Posted: 31 August 2006 at 5:27pm | IP Logged | 6  


That so used to bug me as a kid.. I couldn't understand why someone was an African American, and not just American. How much time has to pass before you're simply American? If you moved to Africa and settled there for a century or two, would you be African American African, or just African?  Then there's the further complication of Irish American, Jewish American, etc etc.

Honest, I used have that running thru my head as a kid along with the usual can God make a rock he can't lift, and if I run home in the rain do I get wetter because I hit raindrops I wouldn't have otherwise hit, or drier because i'm in the rain for less time?

Man, I was a troubled child...

oh, and the rain thing still bugs me.
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Jay Matthews
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Posted: 31 August 2006 at 5:33pm | IP Logged | 7  

How about, if you lift a tub of water with a watermelon floating in it, are you lifting the weight of the watermelon?
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Ray Brady
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Posted: 31 August 2006 at 6:45pm | IP Logged | 8  

"if I run home in the rain do I get wetter because I hit raindrops I wouldn't
have otherwise hit, or drier because i'm in the rain for less time?"
-----
You don't watch Mythbusters, I presume?
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Chris Hutton
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Posted: 01 September 2006 at 12:12am | IP Logged | 9  

African-American
Asian-American
why are white people not White-American?
I want my hyphen, dammit!

Edited by Chris Hutton on 01 September 2006 at 12:12am
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Andy Hardy
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Posted: 01 September 2006 at 12:48am | IP Logged | 10  

Anglo-Americans, Chris! There's your hyphen!

...oh...you forgot Native Americans (alas...no hyphen)

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Mike Norris
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Posted: 01 September 2006 at 2:22am | IP Logged | 11  

African-American
Asian-American
why are white people not White-American?
I want my hyphen, dammit

***********************************************************

European-American if we follow that pattern. Though usually its broken down by Country: Polish-American, Irish-American, Italian-American....

Though African-Americans dont often have that option since their cultural/national/tribal/whatever identity was "lost" once they got to America.

 

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Frank Lauro
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Posted: 01 September 2006 at 3:14am | IP Logged | 12  

Though African-Americans dont often have that option since their cultural/national/tribal/whatever identity was "lost" once they got to America.

There it is.

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