Comic writers and Other Cultures Question

[Reptisaurus!]

Are there any Mainstream American comic writers who have done a decent job portraying cultures that they themselves haven't descended from? Let's make a list!

[stelok]

Most American writers lack both knowledge of and respect for other cultures. Look what the Archie Comics had done to other cultures in Veronica's travel adventures around the world.

But I believe that the writer has done a decent job explaining the Latin American cultures of Mexico and Brazil in the Disney comic book adaptation of The Three Caballeros

[stealthwise]

Gaiman did a great job with many cultures in Sandman, especially in terms of storytelling tradition, although the book did keep a fairly Euro-centric viewpoint throughout.

[ultramandingo]

.........chester browns "yummy fur" is how i picture canada

[Reptisaurus!]

But I believe that the writer has done a decent job explaining the Latin American cultures of Mexico and Brazil in the Disney comic book adaptation of The Three Caballeros

Huh. Haven't read that. Disney seems to rank pretty well here, though. Or at Barks and Rosa do, except, y'know, turning everyone into ducks.

Gaiman did a great job with many cultures in Sandman, especially in terms of storytelling tradition, although the book did keep a fairly Euro-centric viewpoint throughout.

Yeah, agreed. It kind of sucks we can't come up with examples for this that aren't NEIL GAIMAN!!!! though. There's gotta be some not-so-great writers with a talent for this.

[joe bloke]

I seem to remember that Don McGregor did a pretty fair job of representing both the Gay and Black cultures back in the 'seventies. Or maybe I'm just remembering this as a " you had to be there " thing. Certainly, he seems ( to me, at least ) to be the first comics writer who treated Gays and Blacks as anything other than tokens.

[sgt pepper]

.........chester browns "yummy fur" is how i picture canada

But isn't Chester Canadian? Now Joe Matt, who I believe is American, has done an excellent job of portraying Canada and Canadians. Apparently they are all disgusting, fat landlords and young, fetishized, usually Asian women. And apparently if you go to a diner in Canada, every other customer is a comics creator.

Edit: Oops, I guess that should be "fetishised" for Canadians.

[sgt pepper]

Most American writers lack both knowledge of and respect for other cultures. Look what the Archie Comics had done to other cultures in Veronica's travel adventures around the world.
[/I]

From the same era when those enlightened European writers, such as Herge, were creating such respectful portrayals of other cultures? Come on. It's not difficult to slam America and really, there are plenty of good reasons to, but you've gotta try harder than that.

[ultramandingo]

But isn't Chester Canadian? Now Joe Matt, who I believe is American, has done an excellent job of portraying Canada and Canadians. Apparently they are all disgusting, fat landlords and young, fetishized, usually Asian women. And apparently if you go to a diner in Canada, every other customer is a comics creator.

Edit: Oops, I guess that should be "fetishised" for Canadians.

.............now that i think of it , canadian chester brown portrayed the us president as a evil talking weiner on the end of a clown !!! too bad we dont have any spare troops left to do some invading ...err, liberating

[Reptisaurus!]

.............now that i think of it , canadian chester brown portrayed the us president as a evil talking weiner on the end of a clown !!

Yeah. Chester's a Canadian but he understands American culture pretty well.

[EmeraldCity]

Most American writers lack both knowledge of and respect for other cultures. Look what the Archie Comics had done to other cultures in Veronica's travel adventures around the world.

But I believe that the writer has done a decent job explaining the Latin American cultures of Mexico and Brazil in the Disney comic book adaptation of The Three Caballeros

well... again to be fair, what manga has done another culture outside of Japan correctly? This doesn't just fall onto American comics..

but this is the perfect excuse for me to post this pic...



Chinese characters!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[stelok]

well... again to be fair, what manga has done another culture outside of Japan correctly? This doesn't just fall onto American comics..

Gunslinger Girl manga is set in Italy. The author Yu Aida seems to understand a lot about the culture, including politics, architecture and arts of Italy.

The first chapters of a manga called Home began in 17th century Spain and the story is about a Spanish girl who accompanies a samurai back to Japan. The artist has not delved much into the Spanish culture, but the author has depicted the 17th century Spaniards' reactions to the strange customs of the Japanese delegation well.

Speaking of Japan, I read only one issue of Akira Yoshida's work on Thor. I haven't read the whole series but I think Akira Yoshida has done a good job on portraying the Asgard based on norse mythology from the Scandinavia

[suedenim]

Don't feel too bad - many modern mainstream American comics writers are pretty awful at depicting their own culture, too.

The Big Two have always been pretty New York-centric, and there's an implicit worldview not unlike this famous cover:

[Sanagi]

Gaiman did a great job with many cultures in Sandman, especially in terms of storytelling tradition, although the book did keep a fairly Euro-centric viewpoint throughout.

I love Sandman and Gaiman's work in general, but he totally botched Susano-o, so I guess nobody's perfect.

[EmeraldCity]

Gunslinger Girl manga is set in Italy. The author Yu Aida seems to understand a lot about the culture, including politics, architecture and arts of Italy.

The first chapters of a manga called Home began in 17th century Spain and the story is about a Spanish girl who accompanies a samurai back to Japan. The artist has not delved much into the Spanish culture, but the author has depicted the 17th century Spaniards' reactions to the strange customs of the Japanese delegation well.

Speaking of Japan, I read only one issue of Akira Yoshida's work on Thor. I haven't read the whole series but I think Akira Yoshida has done a good job on portraying the Asgard based on norse mythology from the Scandinavia

Hmm... Can't say I have read Gunslinger yet. But it still never amazes me to see how some mangas protray people of other race... almost 1950s. But hey you take the good with the bad here..