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Indian Comics Irregular #75 John "Thunderbird" Proudstar is, of course, the Apache superhero who debuted in GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1 (1975) and died soon thereafter. Michael "Shaman" Twoyoungmen is the Sarcee medicine man and superhero of Canada's Alpha Flight. They're a good example of Natives who have nothing in common--except, of course, the ubiquitous long hair and headband. In a new Marvel comic called EXILES, the team visits alternate dimensions where history happened differently. In EXILES #5-6, they meet a John Proudstar who has become the Shaman of his world. What does this scenario tell us about Indians in the 21st century? On the plus side, this Proudstar doesn't have the stereotypical pink skin of the first. He speaks normally, confirming that the original T-Bird's coarse speech was a writer's affectation. And he mentions his abusive father, partly justifying T-Bird's inferiority complex. (See ICI #54 for details.) On the minus side, it's hard to believe Proudstar would set aside his Apache belief system to study Shaman's "mysticism." That someone raised more than a thousand miles from the Sarcee, with no knowledge of their spirituality, could become proficient enough to be deemed a "shaman" is patently unlikely. It's about as unlikely as T-Bird's joining the Catholic priesthood and eventually becoming Pope. Theoretically possible, yes; realistically plausible, no. Unlike the PETER PARKER 2001 annual (ICI #72), this comic has eliminated the superficial stereotypes, but it still gets the deeper points wrong. The glass is still only half full. For more on Thunderbird as Shaman, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/tbrdsham.htm. Multiculturalism in the X-Men I've noted that the All-New X-Men series, with its international cast, was a landmark in superhero comics. I've also argued that this breakthrough was a step in the right direction, not the final word in multiculturalism. Every character who stayed with the team was born and raised in a European-based culture. (See ICI #51 for more on the subject.) In 2001 Chris Claremont launched a new X-Men series, X-TREME X-MEN. In an interview he made a remarkable claim: "This is...the first mainstream super hero group whose membership is predominantly third world." Uh, not quite. "Third World" refers to a region's socioeconomic status, not its ethnic makeup. But no matter what Claremont meant, his claim doesn't work. I've dissected Chris's latest Claremontism at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/multxm.htm. Watch Out for Wendigo Yet another new movie shows a Native American influence. From the LA Times, 3/1/02: "Wendigo" is named after a terrifying creature out of Native American mythology that has been utilized by everyone from poet Ogden Nash to the creators of "The X-Files" and Marvel Comics. As described in the film by a mysterious tribal elder, this half-man, half-deer shape-shifter is "always hungry, never satisfied. There are spirits to be feared because they are angry. He who hears the cry of the Wendigo is never seen again." Draw a Native Hero and Win Sharpen your pencils! Blue Corn Comics and the Canku Ota newsletter are holding a drawing contest for young artists. Our goal is to encourage kids to get in touch with their artistic side and their Native heritage. The theme of the contest is "Native Heroes." That includes real and fictional figures from Coyote to Jay Silverheels, Pocahontas to Peace Party. To enter, head to Canku Ota at http://www.turtletrack.org. And tell a friend. Rob Schmidt Blue Corn Comics ============================================================ Send the World's most popular eCards: birthdays, holidays, and more. Send as many eCards as you want all YEAR long. Click here to join Blue Mountain Unlimited! http://click.topica.com/caaaiMab1ddNBb2HgmNf/BlueMountain ============================================================ Visit and show your support for the Grass Roots Oyate http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate Clemency for Leonard Peltier. Sign the Petition. http://petitiononline.com/Release/petition.html ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?b1ddNB.b2HgmN Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
