Indian Comics Irregular #84 For some reason, 2002 has been a banner year for Native-themed comic strips and cartoons. I have no idea why. Has the media done more Native stories this year? Doesn't seem like it. Maybe it's just a coincidence.
Last year "Herman" was the most stereotypical cartoon, with three entries in the Stereotype of the Month contest. In 2002, "Bizarro" has taken the lead and "Family Circle," surprisingly, is second. The tally so far is four "Bizarros," two "Family Circles," and one each of "Herman," "Non Sequitur," "Mixed Media," and (believe it or not) "Peanuts." The list: � "Bizarro" shows chief giving away West in bingo game � "Bizarro" shows chief in teepee narrating faux TV story � "Peanuts" strip shows Snoopy with arrows in his back � "Mixed Media" cartoon mocks Chief Rain-in-the-Face � "Family Circle" shows Zippy the Pinhead on totem pole � "Non Sequitur" panel: Blanketed chiefs greet Columbus � "Bizarro" shows primitive Indians "vacationing" in desert � "Family Circle" shows boy playing Indian casino owner � "Bizarro" shows Mohawks with tipis and feather bonnets � "Herman" shows primitive men wielding a huge tomahawk To see the offenders, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nastrips.htm. "Futurama" Fumbles In March, the animated TV show by "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening did an episode called "Where the Buggalo Roam." Though nominally about Martians, it was clear the people represented American Indians. So how did "Futurama" do? The episode made fun of those who believe Native stereotypes, but also repeated the stereotypes uncritically. Among the problems, the Martian Natives traded their planet for a bead, worshipped a Great Stone Face, and talked like Tonto. It's the same fine line Howard Stern's "Son of the Beach" (ICI #29) and the WB's "Animaniacs" (ICI #1) walked unsuccessfully. For more on the show, visit http://www.bluecorncomics.com/stype231.htm. Mascots: Better than Nothing? Curiously, Native people don't oppose every stereotype--every thoughtless TV show or comic strip featuring Natives. They don't even oppose stereotypical sports mascots all the time. In the Lincoln Journal Star (6/24/02), Jodi Rave Lee suggests why: One of the few consistent images our young people get from the media come in the form of Native-based sports mascots. Stephanie Fryburg, a Stanford University psychologist, and a co-worker have been researching indigenous students' reaction to how they felt about Native peoples' names and images used by sports teams. The last time I reported on the results, they looked like this: 50 percent of indigenous high school students said they opposed Native mascots; 50 percent said they didn't mind. But overall, 90 percent said they felt it was disrespectful. When asked why they didn't mind being used as a mascot even if they felt it disrespectful, Fryburg said, students responded: "It's better than being invisible." Story Debuts Online As 9/11 approaches, the first of our illustrated short stories is going online. The premise is Native people reflecting on the attacks from their unique perspective(s). We'll post a page every few days at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pp911.htm until it's finished, so stay tuned. Rob Schmidt Blue Corn Comics ____________________________________________ To subscribe to Indian Comics Irregular, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/ici.htm. 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: [email protected] 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 ==^^===============================================================
