Captain Thunder and Superman 276

[TELLE]

I still think it's sad that Beck retroactively and shamelessly tried to justify his actions without acknowledging how ludicrous he sounded.  I realize that this (the portrayal of Steamboat and other characters of colour) was very typical, and not limited to comic books and strips. 

Still, I'd hate to see this history "whitewashed".  And if I thought that parsing the various racist sidekicks into "least offensive" was in any way meaningful, I might even venture that in terms of character at least, Steamboat trumps The Spirit's Ebony and Blackhawk's Chop-Chop (I like Chaykin's Chop-Chop, though).

[Great Rao]

Jack Kirby also created a similar character in Whitewash during the same time period. see here: http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/y/youngallies.htm

Sadly it was far too common at the time.

The Young Allies with Whitewash looks a lot like the Newsboy Legion with Flippa-Dippa.  Flippa, however, was introduced in 1970.  Would he be considered a racist character?

[Super Monkey]

Jack Kirby also created a similar character in Whitewash during the same time period. see here: http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/y/youngallies.htm

Sadly it was far too common at the time.

The Young Allies with Whitewash looks a lot like the Newsboy Legion with Flippa-Dippa.  Flippa, however, was introduced in 1970.  Would he be considered a racist character?

No, his gimmick is based on the fact that he liked scuba diving, the old racist stereotype about blacks was that they can't swim. He was also created as a "cool" character, so he was not stereotype.

Whitewash however... http://www.sequart.com/columns/?column=1893

[Johnny Nevada]

No, his gimmick is based on the fact that he liked scuba diving, the old racist stereotype about blacks was that they can't swim. He was also created as a "cool" character, so he was not stereotype.

Whitewash however... http://www.sequart.com/columns/?column=1893

I wasn't offended by Flippa----thought he was there to give the revived Newsboys some ethnic diversity...

I admit I don't know how to swim, but never knew until now there was some sort of stereotype about it (not going to ponder where such a notion came from, and probably don't even want to know...).

[Super Monkey]

read this:

http://blackvoices.aol.com/black_news/headlines_features/canvas_news_articles/_a/pride-and-prejudice-black-people-can/20070117115409990001

[Johnny Nevada]

read this:

http://blackvoices.aol.com/black_news/headlines_features/canvas_news_articles/_a/pride-and-prejudice-black-people-can/20070117115409990001

Then there’s the centuries-old myth that blacks and water don’t mix. Studies from as late as the 1960s suggested that blacks had a unique buoyancy problem that prevented them from being competent swimmers. The studies were later discredited, but not before some people took the findings as gospel.

Well, so much for "probably don't even want to know"... :-p

I did grow up near a lake, plus swim class was required in high schools in my state (which I barely got a passing grade in... ;-) ).

[Super Monkey]

This myth, like all stereotypes is sooo stupid, that it is amazing that people actually believed it and some still do, even some congressmen..
see: http://digg.com/videos/people/Congressman_Blacks_Can_t_Swim

[jamespup]

Well, it's like being Canadian doesn't make you a better Hockey player

It's just so much harder to practice in a non-frozen area