Racism in comics

[brisey]

The fact we post shows we care,

Also if DCT want to reprint further Annuals they should be encouraged to do so.And we should show our support.

I also agree with Captain Storm,all discrimination is wrong but discrimination against the disabled-especially the mentally ill-is rampant and subtly tolerated in our society and the workplace.

Off my soapbox and back to comics.

Brian

[Lew Stringer]

I also agree with Captain Storm,all discrimination is wrong but discrimination against the disabled-especially the mentally ill-is rampant and subtly tolerated in our society and the workplace.

Agreed. As with racism, it comes down to ignorance. Seems people only reluctantly stop such cruelty when they're told it's not politically correct. Doesn't say a lot for the human race does it? Humanity hasn't evolved much if it has to wait for its authorities to tell it what's right or wrong.

Lew

[MikeC]

I'm sure your reply was well intentioned,Mike C,but the fact that I drew a distinction between racism and disabilty was quite self evident.I meant the fact that one was disabled was not a matter of colour but genetics.Actually the two should be treated with the respect that all people deserve.At least we have moved on from previous generations.Now let's get back to why we're all here in the first place...our love of comics!Phew,that's enough intellectualism for one day...I'm getting a headache!

Actually, I was trying to point out that you had (hopefully) inadvertently suggested that discrimination against the disabled was worse than racism, when it is actually another facet of the same ignorance.

You did say that negative attitudes towards the disabled should never have been tolerated, implying that it was understandable for racism to have been tolerated at one time.

I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, so I thought I'd point it out to you.

And the distinction you draw is a little false - disability is often nothing to do with genetics, and all to do with bad luck, whereas racism is all to do with genetics.

I'm not picking a fight with you - just gently suggesting that you don't have to hit the submit button before you understand exactly what you're about to post, and if you do hit it, be prepared for someone to point out the implications of what you say.

Hope your headaches's better...

[Captain Storm]

Ditto to you too,my learned friend!And no,I am not picking a fight with you either.BTW,if half the people who post here had to think about what they said before hitting the submit button,then this forum would be emptier than a colliseum on Mars!True,Racism is a matter of genetics,but saying having a disability is down to "bad luck" will have this forum pounced on by every civil rights group in the world should it get out.To err is indeed human...As we all indeed are,okay,maybe a few publishing firms could be left out of that particular equation.Anyway,enough of this,some of my contacts in the comic fan world are black and some are disabled,but all share the love of our comics past and that is all that we are here for.The past is the past,the present is now,and we all hope to hell the future will be a better place.With a few comics thrown in too,I might add.To conclude,let's end this thread now as friends and move onto the comics world.

[MikeC]

Ditto to you too,my learned friend!And no,I am not picking a fight with you either.BTW,if half the people who post here had to think about what they said before hitting the submit button,then this forum would be emptier than a colliseum on Mars!True,Racism is a matter of genetics,but saying having a disability is down to "bad luck" will have this forum pounced on by every civil rights group in the world should it get out.To err is indeed human...As we all indeed are,okay,maybe a few publishing firms could be left out of that particular equation.Anyway,enough of this,some of my contacts in the comic fan world are black and some are disabled,but all share the love of our comics past and that is all that we are here for.The past is the past,the present is now,and we all hope to hell the future will be a better place.With a few comics thrown in too,I might add.To conclude,let's end this thread now as friends and move onto the comics world.

If you would stop misreading everything I've typed, then we could. There are more types of disability than those inherited through your genes, you know - what if you got hit by a car and were left with a limp? That would be a disability, and unless you were playing chicken with said car at that moment, then I'd say it was most certainly bad luck, no? It's certainly not genetic, and I resent the insinuation that I said something remiss, when the fault lies in your reading. Again, I'm sure you didn't mean it, but for goodness' sake, think before you hit that button! Apart from that... agreed!Anyway, I'm off. This forum's too much hard work...

[Corporal Clott]

I know this may seem presumptuous, but I hope this doesn?t degenerate into a slagging match. Why? Because I?ve just managed to pi** off a number of people on David Cameron?s website. Using the name Eurotophobiac, I ended up being labelled a Sarcasshole. It was my own fault. I tend to be a little sarcastic at times and I know I?ve upset at least one member on here. But that?s my style. Anyway, it all started quite well until someone suggested that nicotine isn?t addictive and that smoking was just a harmless pastime. As for the medical evidence, well that was just scare tactics. As a former smoker myself, I knew different. So I made my point strongly...perhaps a little too strongly. After that I fear things sort of degenerated. One good thing did come of it. I can now use the title Sarcasshole. Let this be a warning to us all.

PS: I joined the website not for any political reasons, but just to try and lighten them up with my scintillating wit. And lighten them up I did...they caught fire!

[colcool007]

Agree with Cpl Clott. We can all get a little impassioned, but let's not forget that we are here to talk comics!

We all appear to be on the same wavelength (Calling Captain Kremen! Calling Captain Kremen!) and we all agree that discrimination in whatever shape it appears in is bad news and should be quashed at the earliest opperchancity!

Now let's move to a new topic...er...on second thoughts, better make that a new thread!

[Captain Storm]

Okay Mike,we're both as stubborn as mules...I know I am,but life is too short to stuff mushrooms.Let's just say that any form of discrimination whether it be directed against people of different colours or people who are disabled-whether physically,mentally or emotionally-is wrong.So to show my friendship in the name of comics fandom,I hearby profer you a whole bunch of smilies...
Now,may I hit the submit button?

[Brendan McGuire]

This is delightful! I wish more disagreements could end so amicably.
Bravo sirs, you have given hope to a jaded old cynic.

[Corporal Clott]

There, that wasn?t so difficult, was it? It?s so much better to settle these things amiably. As for the unfortunate members of David Cameron?s fan club, my parting shot was to tell them I was retiring gracefully because I didn?t want to upset them any more. Thus leaving the distinct impression that they couldn?t handle criticism. I was also disappointed that none of them twigged the name I adopted: Eurotophobiac. This is someone with a fear of the female genitals. After Mrs Thatcher I?d have thought the Tories were familiar with that. Ah, well. Perhaps they?re all suffering from short term memory. This is cruel I know, but it?s also one of the joys of living in a democratic country. This is what I fought all those battles for in Commando. Now, I wonder if Labour and the Lib-Dems have the same facilities. On second thoughts, that would be much too easy. No, I prefer a challenge, so I think I?ll pay a visit to President Putin?s website. Now where did I put that Geiger counter...?

[Corporal Clott]

It was also used by Billy Bunter when he took part in a student exchange program. It led to him spending a term in a school near Tokyo where he was often heard to cry, ?I say, you, Japs, here comes the teacher!?

[reker1701]

Just spent 15-20 minute reading all the comments. This has evoked a lot of interest and discussion so the Forum is doing quite well. So I thought I'd have my 2p worth.

I have just read the complete 130 issue run of Buddy, having been a fond reader of said publication when I was a child. This comic is about 25+ years old and so un-pc it's untrue. Reading it now with my 37 year old head on you simply could not write these stories now.

Limp Along Lesley - A tale of a cripple, Lesley was often referred to as a "cripple", who overcame his disabilities to become an International footballer at the tender age of 12, possibly younger, and a world class dog handler. O yeah and he ran his own farm as well.

Tom Smiths Schooldays - This is so stereotypical of the perceived public school boy image and on a least one occasion a recurring character referred to a black character as "Chocolate Drop" there were other colour reference but not the "N" word. You simply could not getaway with this terminology these days.

Tuffy - Prison like care homes, a child who was about 12 maybe 13 and "allowed" to roam free. Attempts were made to catch him. Nearly all failing. He got a number of jobs with no one asking where he lived or where his parents were. In fact most of the people who gave him jobs knew he was "on the run". Social services were run by upper-middle class toffs who thought they new best.

There were more than this but the three above stick in my mind. Another example is Billy the Cat - A schoolboy who climbed buldings and performed the most death defying stunts catching criminals. Health and safety would have a fit if this was being published today.

I have really enjoyed reading these comics with my "adult" head on now and wasn't offended by the strips but I took them in the context in which they were released.

I think, on the debate of historical documents, comics should be viewed as a reflection of the times they were released in. You can't change what was published a quarter of a century ago just to fit in with the PC brigade today. I hate racisim in all it's forms but honestly believe this can be taken too far.

Not comics this but another cracking example of changing history . There is an episode of Only fools and Horses called "The Russians are Coming" where Del boy erects a nuclear air raid shelter on the top of Nelson Mandela House. They were discussing what would be left after a nuclear war and how would they survive and Del Boy says "Well there's bound to be a little Paki Shop open somewhere". This has been edited out of the show when it's shown on BBC, because it might cause offence.

Accept the fact that things were different "back then" and that times have moved on, personally speaking, for the better.

Can anyone else think of a comic that would simply not be allowed to be relesed in it's original form now?

reker1701

[AndyB]

There were more than this but the three above stick in my mind. Another example is Billy the Cat - A schoolboy who climbed buldings and performed the most death defying stunts catching criminals. Health and safety would have a fit if this was being published today.

KevF and Nigel Dobbyn would have something to say about that statement, I rather think!

[steven]

In the 1988 Beano book, There was a Brazilan in a Ball Boy story. He proved to be too good for the other team during a match with him scoring really unusal goals and in the story, The oppositon told him to go home cause he was too good. There were banners and everything. Later on in the story, Ball Boy painted him white, put his boots the other way round and put on a wig to stop the other team recongise him before returing to the field. In the end, One of the boys from the other team after the Brazilian boy was playing more poorly said 'First a Brazilian, Now a nut'.

You may also see how many black people until the 1980's were coloured in black ink like Polly from the Lord Snooty stories. I guess Benjy from Ball Boy was the first to have brown skin coloured in and slightly tanned during black and white stories.

[Peter Gray]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6294670.stm

Tintin is in trouble.....a white man who is married to a black women was shocked when he bought this book for his kids...he belongs to racial equal rights...and has been very critical of the book...and very angry(lets hope he doesn't read the Beano book 1939 reprint in published in Sept ! )

a bit unfair as the creator H has said sorry for this...and he has changed...

Also ironically Africa has made this book a best seller in there own country..and some of the fans in Africa are defending the book and saying not to be so politically correct and boring...

in the 30's natives were like a different creature...and Africa was a strange mystrey world...game hunting was also very popular...

I think its fine the book is moved to the graphic section.....but banning it would be wrong...