Captain Confederacy: Racist?
The Bay-area CBS affiliate ran a story this weekend about a family who found the 80s/early 90s indy comic Captain Confederacy racist. I don't know what's more appalling--the obvious lack of research they put into the story or the fact that they would even consider a 20-year-old comic newsworthy.
From the story: The comic was published by a Marvel-Owned company 1986 and 1992. Marvel declined to comment on why it published the comic, saying only that marvel employees created it.
Captain Confederacy was originally published by SteelDragon Press, which wasn't a "Marvel-Owned" (sic) company. The original 12-issue series told the story of a superhero created for propaganda purposes by the Confederate States of America, who won their independence from the Union. The title character joins the rebellion against his racist government, helping to overthrow it.
Will Shetterly posted a response to the story that he sent to the reporter on his blog:
I'm surprised that your article mentions my web site, but doesn't mention that my email address is there. If you'd sent me email, I would've happily responded.
Captain Confederacy is a science fiction story set in an alternate history in which the South seceded from the Union. The heroes are a multicultural group who ultimately overthrow the racist government. This may not have been clear to Jeanette Boswell because she bought the fourth chapter in a twelve-chapter story.
Epic Comics published the second series, which featured a black female Captain Confederacy.
posted by JK Parkin @ 10:56 PM
5 Comments:
"Epic Comics published the second series..."
That's your Marvel-owned company.
I thought Gone with the Wind was racist. Why am I not in the news?
Re: Captain Confederacy
First the article at http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060106/NEWS01/601060320/1001 clearly demonstrates the reporter’s Google search skills. Then a fake Matt Drudge and Will Shetterly converse at http://qwertyranch.blogspot.com/2006/01/captain-confederacy-teapot-tempest.html. And then Great Curve weighs in: http://www.thegreatcurve.net/2006/01/captain-confederacy-racist.html
"I'd actually like to see whoever is writing this to stop putting out this offensive material," Boswell, 55, said.
They did – 20 years ago.
I have a feeling this story will grow in notoriety if the right/wrong person gets a hold of it…
Mike Thompson
P.S. The cover ( http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/misc/zoom.pbs&Site=RN&Date=20060106&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=601060320&Ref=AR&Profile=1001) is certainly a “sign of the times”. Get It? Prince…Sing of the Times…nevermind…
I remember the good Captain. The series was not only great, but also a full load-and-a-half of fun. I’m sorry it ended and if there is any upside to this nonsense, then perhaps Will Shetterly will be able to parlay it into a new comic.
It's amusing (to me, anyway); the article has inspired me to do something I'd been thinking about for ages: I'm revising the old comic and posting it online as a free serial. Whether that'll result in entirely new material, I dunno. But it's nice to have the chance to do a second draft of a project I loved doing.
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