There’s frustrating and fascinating drama around EDI comics. Equality, diversity, and inclusion have been part of the scene since the early days.
It’s been a rocky road, but these days we have creators like Chalk Horse funding Rimholm, a Torchbearer graphic novel who thought about EDI from the very beginning of the project and Dusk Wave Arts who develop audio files so that their stories can be heard by those who cannot easily read them.
A pottered history of EDI comics
Wonder Woman‘s debut in All Star Comics #8 in 1941 introduced a feminist icon. Yes, Princess Diana of Themyscira was created by a psychologist with unconventional ideas, and the stories carried bondage themes, but that still counts as the inclusion of counter-culture ideas.
The Comics Code Authority was established in 1954, bringing censorship and limiting the diversity of characters and themes.
New attempts were made in the silver age of comics, but the black characters introduced by writers in the 50s, 60s and 70s were often stereotypes or sidekicks. The 60s, at least, saw the birth of highly controversial underground comix like Bijou Funnies, which tackled previously taboo social justice issues. No one can call these comix politically correct, or Skip Williamson woke, but he landed political points. Art Spiegelman, who contributed to Bijou Funnies and later wrote Maus, was also writing at the same time.
Maus is a Pulitzer-winning graphic novel about the horrors of the Holocaust. While the story was published in 1980, it was pre-dated by a three-page strip Spiegelman produced in 1972, also called Maus. As with Wonder Woman thirty years before, Maus reminded comic book readers that not every dominant society was a good one and that it is okay to punch a Nazi.
Characters like Storm and Luke Cage were firmly established by the 80s, although loaded with tokenism and tropes were firmly established. Publishers like Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly were doing better at showcasing diversity and stories, pushing boundaries and challenging conversions as the politically incorrect underground comix of the 60s once had.
By the 2000s, mainstream publishers gave characters like Miles Morales Spider-Man and Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel. Morales, for example, first appeared in 2011, and Fox noted the first Latino Spider-man was actually Miguel O’Hara a Mexican of Irish descent.
Diversity in comic books today
One of Geek Native’s early popular posts was a curation of Michael Lee Lunsford fully dressed superheroines. One of the reasons why the post was popular was because the debate was still a hot one.
Rimholm has funded. Creators Koch and Thor Olavsrud talked to Geek Native about EDI.
At what point do writers think about equality, inclusion and diversity in the graphic novel development process?
Thor: For me it starts at the very beginning, whether it’s this graphic novel or anything else I work on. Given our setting’s roots in Norse mythology, which has been heavily appropriated by racists and misogynists, I think it’s important for us to make it clear via the characters we create and the artwork we commission that our work is inclusive.
Koch: I agree, and I think our backgrounds play a key role in that perspective. My background of German heritage also makes me more sensitive to this. Also, having lived in New York, diversity becomes almost automatic—it’s part of your daily experience. The city brings together so many different people, cultures, and perspectives. It’s a mindset that influences our work in both subtle and direct ways.
Koch: I believe readers don’t necessarily need to see themselves directly reflected in fantasy, but they need to connect with it on some level. For example, we can relate to anthropomorphic animals or robots with human traits that are in situations that resonate with us.
The most popular comics—like Batman, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman—are beloved for deep reasons rooted in our cultures. These characters reinforce our modern myths, much like Odin or Thor did a thousand years ago. They explore ubiquitous themes like the quest for justice, coping with tragedy, and the desire to protect others—struggles that resonate with almost everyone. The key difference between superheroes and adventurers, though, lies in power. Batman can directly confront gangs and crime because he has the technology and training to act on his own. That’s where the fantasy comes in, offering us a glimpse of what we wish we could do. The adventurer might aspire to become a hero but has to earn it through heroic deeds.
Readers bring their own experiences and emotions to a story, which makes it personal and meaningful. Even if the characters don’t physically resemble them or share their exact circumstances, readers can find themselves in the broader themes—ideas about morality, loss, or heroism—that transcend surface details. In this way, they “see themselves” not just in the characters, but in the values and struggles the story portrays.
Of course, if a character resembles the reader more closely, that might make that connection more easily. So, there is a lot that could be said for who gets their story told.
The real problem arises when a story fails to connect on any level. If there’s no one who looks like you, no issues you’re dealing with, and nothing offering a solution to your problems, it can feel alienating.
Ultimately, even though we don’t have the power of Batman, we should still feel like change is possible—that we can strive for more justice in our world. The danger of pure escapism is that it can sap that drive to change. If fantasy only offers an escape, we might lose the motivation to make a difference in our own lives and communities. It is a very fine line. Fantasy has the power to strengthen and embolden us if we allow ourselves to be open to it. So, I believe stories should inspire us, not just to dream, but to act.
Technology to help people enjoy comic books
Conclusion
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