What we heard was that people didn’t want any more diversity. They didn’t want female characters out there. That’s what we heard, whether we believe that or not. I don’t know that that’s really true, but that’s what we saw in sales. We saw the sales of any character that was diverse, any character that was new, our female characters, anything that was not a core Marvel character, people were turning their nose up against. That was difficult for us because we had a lot of fresh, new, exciting ideas that we were trying to get out and nothing new really worked.

I have thought about this in regards to Bond. I don't think people would respond the way that is expected from those calling for diversity. Bond has been a white guy for, what, 70 years? Now he's a black dude? People form a mental representation of the character in their heads and have this internal relationship. That's not to say they wouldn't like a black/female/Latino superhero.

I think it would be much more powerful to create a NEW badass character, like McFarlane, and grow that brand. Have Idris Elba play him and become the next Bond. Not the next Bond actor.

from 1995-2005 I was pretty much the mayor of the Diversey and Sheffield intersection.

It all started going to hell when they made The Kingpin balck in Affleck's turn as Daredevil.

Is that liquor store still next to the L tracks?

Because of that, I asked him what I thought was a softball, no-brainer, slam dunk question that I thought would get him some buy-in. I just asked if he had any figures on how diversity (especially of thought) is truly a business advantage for those companies who practice it. He tensed up and babbled incoherently for 3 minutes or so and then went onto another question. You'd have thought I asked him to solve a physics equation. If there's not a provable business reason ($$) to make the case for diversity, then it won't inspire too many people.

I hope sales keep slipping.

I'm so tired of Marvel shitting on established characters. You like Steve Rogers? Well now he's a Nazi. Thor? His old slam piece has his hammer and he's a schmuck now. Bruce Banner? Dead. But we have this Chinamen Hulk. Tony Stark? Dead. But we got a black girl named RiRi wearing his armor. (The retard jokes right themselves on that name).

Like it's been said multiple times. Introduce diverse characters with their own original identity. Don't just hand a mantle over, do a gender swap or some pandering bullshit. Cyborg in the DC was black from jump street and he is going to have his own film and is an established part of the Justice League's history. Same for John Stewart as a GL. Marvel has T'Challa, Sam WIlson and to a lesser extent Deathlok.

Marvel stop forcing shit on us that no one wants. The majority of readers don't want to read a book about some Muslim Ms. Marvel written by a Hijab wearing white lady musliim convert. So stop making her a centerpiece of the Avengers. Same goes for America Ferrara or whatever the fuck her name is. Great its an LGTBQ Latina lady written by a bull dyke latino woman. These are Julie DiCaro gimmicks.

Just let it happen organically. If the product is good the books will sell and the character will take off. Miles Morales as Spider Man is an example of this. He isn't a good read because he's black latino but because he's a well-written character.

The Spawn comparison is also a great example of how diverse characters can work.

Fuck now I'm all worked up into a nerd rage lather.

We've placed way too much cultural importance on comic books.

Curious Hair is right.

its the problem the left is having. there are probably around 60 million (half of the estimated 120 white males in the US) would be left leaning white males in this country. the party has all but demonized them to the point where they either have to buy into this absurdity or move closer to the center.

It's not quite that. The Democratic Party has decided that its coalition will be led by minorities and the white professional-managerial class (and reaped its electoral rewards accordingly). This alienates a number of voting blocs, obviously, but those blocs aren't drifting rightward -- that's more what the party is doing -- so much as being left behind. Sure, the political climate has turned some angry young white men into anime Nazis who maintain that you should, in fact, be able to mail death threats to women who make bullshit video games no one cares about, but hardly in great enough number to agonize over. The real fear should never be that these alienated voting blocs will vote Republican, which is unlikely, but rather that they just won't vote at all when they easily could.

i guess when i say moving closer to center, i guess i really meant they left left is moving farther away from them so by proximity they are closer to center.

<---------crazy liberals----white males----center-------->

but now its

<crazy liberals-------------white males----center-------->

if that makes sense. however, even the NYT said last week that many did vote trump (whether that is to be taken as republican or not is up to whatever interpretation you decide on. i take trump as a ross perot type independant who stole the repub nomination because it was easier than running as an indep)

But the "crazy liberals" -- and let's call 'em what they are, the Hillary coalition -- are not moving left on economic issues. They don't want to improve material conditions for all women and minorities, they just want the opportunity for select women and minorities (i.e., themselves) to be as successful as white men. The chosen candidate of the don't-gaslight-my-safe-space crowd was a woman who said there would never be health care for all. And that's the far left? Give me a break.

I don't know that the conversation needs to be limited to comic books - I'm not really a fan, though I appreciate what they are. I think we can expand it to movies, TV, comic books, etc...

I seem to notice some forcing the issue in television shows in recent times. An example is it seems to me a bunch of shows now have some gay character central to the show. I understand that showing that diversity helps change hearts, minds and attitudes. It just struck my OCD tendencies as odd because in real life isn't that common.