This article seems to me to be political. I have never been a comic book reader and this article is about a “Black Captain American” and what he represents.
The original Captain America was invented during WWII (p. 339). He was your everyday Joe before the experimental military serum turned him into a super soldier (p. 339). Captain American was the representation of the real world nationalist struggles (p. 339-340).
In 2003, Truth: Red, White, and Black was just another version of Captain America. This comic book hero was built on the Tuskegee syphilis experiment (p. 340). The editor of Marvel felt it was more likely that military scientists would have experimented on black bodies before The World put white males in danger (p. 340). Keep in mind that even tough Isaiah Bradley, the Black Captain American was created in 2003 the story goes back to the times of the first Captain America. There was no black hero’s in the comics of that time.
“The Black Captain America signifies a relationship to the state that addresses both an attachment to principles such as democracy and justice even as such rights were historically denied to black Americans” (p. 341). The melancholic patriotism that Truth’s Black Captain American represents affects a variety of citizens because of his racial disenfranchisement (p.343). The black Captain America is the hero that expresses ambivalences about U.S. politics (p. 342). For decades black characters in comics were seen as lesser citizens compared to the white heroism (p. 345). The black Captain America comic represented one’s identity or universe principles (p. 346). In Truth, black male citizens have different responses to the lack of access to the American Dream (p. 347). The black Captain America functions as a black nationalist’s hero (p. 357). Black Captain America steps out of the box and allows the black soldier to stand in for universal struggles (p. 353). “His invention into superhero rhetoric thus goes beyond mere inclusion of the rare black body into the superhero pantheon. He demonstrates how the specifics of the black experience can tell an audience something universal in a more pronounced way then a white body” (p. 353).
Black Captain America is viewed as the ideal black patriot, created be anger, wounded, and has a story that white America attempts to erase (p. 357). In black culture he has signified the complexities Captain America represents the broken version of The American Dream as African-Americans see it.
“In an era when the military is desperately trying to fill a volunteer army, Truth: Red, White, and Black seems a cautionary tale not only for African Americans but for all citizens. Produced in a time of war during which stories about soldiers’ inadequate gear and protection for combat and poor treatment after release continue to fill the media, Isaiah Bradley’s tragically wounded character seems an appropriate ‘‘Cap’’ for the twenty-first century. The African American patriot in Truth demonstrates the characteristics of many US soldier-citizens represented in the media today: melancholic, wounded, inadequately provided for by the nation, but when confronted with a representative of the establishment that failed to protect him” (p. 359).
The article was organized; it explained the comic book from the beginning to the end for those of us that have never read this particular comic. The main ideas were confusing. Although the meaning of the article was understood it was hard to understand the language and write this analysis in laymen terms.
The original Captain America comic left out the African American culture. So, Truth tried to bring it to it’s readers.
Reference
WANZO, R. (2009, April). Wearing Hero-Face: Black Citizens and Melancholic Patriotism in Truth: Red, White, and Black. Journal of Popular Culture, 42(2), 339-362. Retrieved April 4, 2009, doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2009.00683.x
The original Captain America was invented during WWII (p. 339). He was your everyday Joe before the experimental military serum turned him into a super soldier (p. 339). Captain American was the representation of the real world nationalist struggles (p. 339-340).
In 2003, Truth: Red, White, and Black was just another version of Captain America. This comic book hero was built on the Tuskegee syphilis experiment (p. 340). The editor of Marvel felt it was more likely that military scientists would have experimented on black bodies before The World put white males in danger (p. 340). Keep in mind that even tough Isaiah Bradley, the Black Captain American was created in 2003 the story goes back to the times of the first Captain America. There was no black hero’s in the comics of that time.
“The Black Captain America signifies a relationship to the state that addresses both an attachment to principles such as democracy and justice even as such rights were historically denied to black Americans” (p. 341). The melancholic patriotism that Truth’s Black Captain American represents affects a variety of citizens because of his racial disenfranchisement (p.343). The black Captain America is the hero that expresses ambivalences about U.S. politics (p. 342). For decades black characters in comics were seen as lesser citizens compared to the white heroism (p. 345). The black Captain America comic represented one’s identity or universe principles (p. 346). In Truth, black male citizens have different responses to the lack of access to the American Dream (p. 347). The black Captain America functions as a black nationalist’s hero (p. 357). Black Captain America steps out of the box and allows the black soldier to stand in for universal struggles (p. 353). “His invention into superhero rhetoric thus goes beyond mere inclusion of the rare black body into the superhero pantheon. He demonstrates how the specifics of the black experience can tell an audience something universal in a more pronounced way then a white body” (p. 353).
Black Captain America is viewed as the ideal black patriot, created be anger, wounded, and has a story that white America attempts to erase (p. 357). In black culture he has signified the complexities Captain America represents the broken version of The American Dream as African-Americans see it.
“In an era when the military is desperately trying to fill a volunteer army, Truth: Red, White, and Black seems a cautionary tale not only for African Americans but for all citizens. Produced in a time of war during which stories about soldiers’ inadequate gear and protection for combat and poor treatment after release continue to fill the media, Isaiah Bradley’s tragically wounded character seems an appropriate ‘‘Cap’’ for the twenty-first century. The African American patriot in Truth demonstrates the characteristics of many US soldier-citizens represented in the media today: melancholic, wounded, inadequately provided for by the nation, but when confronted with a representative of the establishment that failed to protect him” (p. 359).
The article was organized; it explained the comic book from the beginning to the end for those of us that have never read this particular comic. The main ideas were confusing. Although the meaning of the article was understood it was hard to understand the language and write this analysis in laymen terms.
The original Captain America comic left out the African American culture. So, Truth tried to bring it to it’s readers.
Reference
WANZO, R. (2009, April). Wearing Hero-Face: Black Citizens and Melancholic Patriotism in Truth: Red, White, and Black. Journal of Popular Culture, 42(2), 339-362. Retrieved April 4, 2009, doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2009.00683.x
Billie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the posting you did for this week. I came across this same article once before and found it to be very interesting. This is a true statement that African-American male citizens have different responses to the lack of access to the American Dream. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his famous speech that America has given African-American people a check that's come back marked insufficient funds.
Great posting!
Interesting article and analysis. It seems ever since the U.S. created an army there were examples of inadequacies in training and equipment for the troops. It's unfortunate and a black eye in our history that African-Americans had to endure the harsh treatment from their country, the same country they took an oath to protect. Creating a new Black Captain America to represent them and their plight, seems almost out of necessity and pride.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting article. Doesn’t this article give an example that White stereotypes of our county don’t apply to all Americans? I feel we should all be seen as Americans. However, this article does show that putting a White figure into a stereotype of a Hero, does leave out the Black Americans. Therefore, this comic had to establish a Black hero to give another side of the story. That is what I am getting out of this article. Great job on your analysis; I enjoyed this article a lot. Thanks
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