海角大神

Native American superhero comics leap stereotypes in a single bound

Every superhero has an origin story. For Indigenous comic book store owner Lee Francis IV, the story begins at a drugstore in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was just a Laguna Pueblo kid, looking through the racks of comic books, when he discovered the 鈥淚ron Man鈥� series. He was hooked. 鈥淚 just felt an affinity to the heroes in them,鈥� Dr. Francis says today. 鈥淭heir stories were woven into mythology. I could identify with that.鈥�

Dr. Francis may have identified with the heroism, but he didn鈥檛 see himself in 鈥淚ron Man,鈥� 鈥淏atman,鈥� 鈥淴-Men,鈥� or other popular comics. Native American heroes were practically nonexistent when he was growing up. If there was an Indigenous person, that character was minor, such as a sidekick, with all the attendant stereotypes (medicine men, warriors with feathers in their hair). The comic book industry offered no Indigenous comic books for a young Dr. Francis and his friends to revel over.聽

He has since done something about that.聽

In 2017, he and Aaron Cuffee III opened Red Planet Books & Comics in Albuquerque, which sells not only comic books but also graphic novels and children鈥檚 books that are written by, illustrated by, or that feature Native Americans. Dr. Francis says it鈥檚 the only Native comic book shop in the world and one of only a handful of Native American bookstores in the United States. He has plans to expand the shop.聽

鈥淭here are so many stories to tell,鈥� he says in a telephone interview. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always room for more!鈥澛�

鈥淲e鈥檙e not a monolith鈥澛�

Among the artists whose work appears at Red Planet is Jim Terry, a member of Wisconsin鈥檚 Ho-Chunk Nation. His illustrated memoir, 鈥淐ome Home, Indio,鈥� was a finalist for the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the graphic novel/comics category and was chosen one of the Best Books of 2020 by Publishers Weekly. He is currently working on 鈥淲est of Sundown鈥� from Vault Comics.

鈥淭he question is, 鈥榃ho is my audience?鈥欌�� Mr. Terry says in an interview. 鈥淎m I talking to non-Natives about Native culture or am I writing for Natives? That is a beautiful tightrope to do both.鈥澛�

Mr. Terry, an artist who lives in Chicago, occasionally goes into classrooms to teach art. The Native kids draw wolves howling at the moon. They draw eagles flying. They draw noble warriors, he says. 鈥淚f that鈥檚 all that鈥檚 ever shown to them, that鈥檚 all they know. I tell them they can draw whatever they want.鈥� It鈥檚 a revelation to them.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not a monolith,鈥� says David Robertson, a prolific writer from Canada whose work is also featured at Red Planet. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing that is specific to an 鈥業ndigenous story.鈥欌�� Mr. Robertson also read comic books growing up, including 鈥淪pider-Man,鈥� 鈥淛ustice League,鈥� and 鈥淓lfquest,鈥� and imagined himself in those worlds even if Native Americans weren鈥檛 represented. A member of the Norway House Cree Nation, he鈥檚 won awards including the Writers鈥� Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award and the Aboriginal Circle of Educators award.聽

Mr. Robertson wants to create Native heroes that avoid stereotypes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an act of reclamation,鈥� he says. Showing a Native hero can inspire young readers to think that they, too, have special powers. 鈥淚 want them to define themselves,鈥� he says.聽

Impacts on the culture

There鈥檚 an educational and outreach component to the work of Dr. Francis, the Red Planet owner, who has a Ph.D. in education. He founded Native Realities Press in 2015, which publishes books, anthologies, and games with Native perspectives. He is also executive director of Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, a mentoring organization. For his fellow 鈥淚ndiginerds鈥� he created Indigenous Comic Con, now called IndigiPop X. The impresario is already planning the 2023 iteration, which is coming, he hopes, in the spring.聽

Red Planet is making an impact, not only for Indigenous artists and writers by supporting and selling their work, but also for readers as well.聽

The shop carries titles that appeal to a broad range of people and interests, including 鈥淔ry Bread: A Native American Family Story,鈥� a children鈥檚 picture book; 鈥淟ove After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction,鈥� an LGBTQ story collection; 鈥淗ealer of the Water Monster,鈥� a novel for middle-grade readers; and 鈥�7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga,鈥� an epic graphic novel.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 a joy to see Native folks come into the shop and be amazed at what we鈥檙e doing. To know how amazing it is to be able to tell our own stories,鈥� Dr. Francis says.聽

Centuries of propaganda

Recognition has been a long time coming, say Indigenous artists. The comics industry has hundreds of years of anti-Native American propaganda to overcome, and it has been slow to act, although there have been attempts over the decades.聽

DC Comics had characters like Ohiyesa 鈥淧ow Wow鈥� Smith, a sheriff with Sioux heritage, in 鈥淲estern Comics鈥� of the 1950s. Marvel鈥檚 first Native American superhero was Red Wolf, who appeared in 1970. Red Wolf had mystical powers and a trusted wolf companion named Lobo.聽

Comic books created by Native people, or at least created in consultation with tribes, included 鈥淭ribal Force.鈥� First published in 1996, it was created by writer Jon Proudstar, whose heritage includes Yaqui and Mayan ancestors, and artist Ryan Huna Smith, who has Chemehuevi and Navajo roots. 鈥淧eace Party,鈥� published in 1999, told the story of two Hopi Pueblo cousins and their adventures.

Comic book artists, according to a recent survey by Zippia, are 73% white. Only 1.1% are Native. With graphic novels and comics selling upwards of $1.2 billion a year in North America, there鈥檚 room for improvement in Native representation in the industry.聽

It鈥檚 coming, say Dr. Francis and the artists interviewed. Comics insiders are seeing an explosion of interest in Native stories, particularly with the recent successes of TV series like 鈥淩utherford Falls鈥� and Taika Waititi鈥檚 and Sterlin Harjo鈥檚 鈥淩eservation Dogs.鈥� (Mr. Waititi also returns to the Marvel universe this month, as the director of 鈥淭hor: Love and Thunder.鈥�)

鈥淚 am encouraged,鈥� Mr. Terry says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a renaissance happening. Everyone is free to tell their story.鈥�

Dr. Francis says, 鈥淚 want to make the planet a better place. Just like superheroes do.鈥�