Designing Identity: Critiquing the Characterization of Minority Identity in the Medium of Comics A thesis submitted to the College of Communication and Information of Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts By Alesha Erin Williams November 2019 Thesis written by Alesha Erin Williams B.F.A, Columbus College of Art and Design, 2014 M.F.A., Kent State University, 2019 Approved by __________________________________ Ken Visocky O’Grady, M.F.A., Advisor, Professor, School of Visual Communication Design __________________________________ Daniel Alenquer, Director, School of Visual Communication Design __________________________________ Amy Reynolds, Ph. D. Dean , College of Communication and Information ii Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. iii LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER I. IDENTITY, CHARACTERIZATION AND CHARACTER DESIGN ................................................ 1 The Problem ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Limitations ........................................................................................................................................ 6 II. STEREOTYPICAL CHARACTERIZATION ..................................................................................... 7 Extraño’s Characterization ................................................................................................................ 8 Sexual Orientation Characterization in Comics .............................................................................. 11 Stereotypical Characterization ........................................................................................................ 13 Stereotype Effects ........................................................................................................................... 13 MODERN CHANGE ...................................................................................................................... 15 III. OPPOSING CHARACTERIZATION .............................................................................................. 16 Rape of Ms. Marvel ........................................................................................................................ 18 Gender Identity ............................................................................................................................... 19 Female Characterization in Comics ................................................................................................ 21 Opposing Ms. Marvel’s Characterization ....................................................................................... 22 Strong Female Character/ Opposing Characterization .................................................................... 23 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 24 IV. CONSCIOUS CHARACTERIZATION .......................................................................................... 25 Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet by Ta-Nehisi Coates ..................................................... 25 Jon Stewart (Black Green Lantern) ................................................................................................. 28 Conscious Characterization in Comics ........................................................................................... 31 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 33 V. BLIND CHARACTERIZATION ...................................................................................................... 33 Blind Characterization as Solution ................................................................................................. 34 White Washing ................................................................................................................................ 36 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 37 VI. CHARACTER JOURNAL/ CHARACTER DESIGNS ................................................................... 38 Black Male (Stereotypical) ............................................................................................................. 38 iii Black Male (Opposing) ................................................................................................................... 39 Black Male (Conscious) .................................................................................................................. 40 Black Male (Blind) ......................................................................................................................... 41 Gay Male (Stereotypical) ................................................................................................................ 41 Gay Male (Opposing) ..................................................................................................................... 42 Gay Male (Conscious) .................................................................................................................... 43 Gay Male (Blind) ............................................................................................................................ 43 Female (Stereotypical) .................................................................................................................... 44 Female (Opposing) .......................................................................................................................... 45 Female (Conscious) ........................................................................................................................ 46 Female (Blind) ................................................................................................................................ 46 VII. FEEDBACK .................................................................................................................................... 47 VIII. IMPACT AND CONCLUSION .................................................................................................... 51 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................ 53 Appendix A: Characters .......................................................................................................................... 54 Appendix B: Character Line Up ............................................................................................................. 57 Appendix C: Character Portraits ............................................................................................................. 60 Appendix D: Character Sketches ............................................................................................................ 63 Appendix E: Results ............................................................................................................................... 78 Appendix F: Results Totals ..................................................................................................................... 85 Appendix G: Interactive Pdf Sample ...................................................................................................... 86 Appendix H: Commentary ...................................................................................................................... 92 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 99 iv List of Figures Figure 1: Action Comics #1 .......................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 3 ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Figure 4: White Wash ................................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 5: Extraño .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Figure 6 ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 7 ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 8 ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 9: Ebony White, Extraño, Egg Fu Comparison sheet .....................................................................