By Rob Schmidt

What’s black and white and red all over? 

If you answered Native Americans in the funny pages, you’re right. 

On March 10, the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis hosted a program on “Native American Portrayals in Comics.”  Fans came from miles around to see the best and worst of Indian comics and hear industry and academic professionals discuss them. 

The program was part of “Pop! Goes the West,” a show built around the Indian imagery of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.  Since these pop artists also used comic-book images, the tie-in was appropriate. 

The day’s offerings centered around two panel presentations.  The panelists were Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo), author of the forthcoming Native Americans in Comics; writer Richard Van Camp (Dogrib); artist Steve Sanderson (Cree) of the Healthy Aboriginal Network; Greg Reinhardt, professor of anthropology at the University of Indianapolis; and myself as publisher of Blue Corn Comics. 

Introducing the panels, Van Camp thanked the Miami and Delaware people for preserving the Indiana region for those who followed. 

From buffoons to brutes… 

In the first panel, I gave a PowerPoint presentation titled “A History of Natives in Comics.”  It covered everything from BIG CHIEF WAHOO, the first Indian comic, to SCALPED, the recent crime thriller.  Among the milestones in this narrative were Turok, Thunderbird, and Scout. 

“An overarching theme that I picked up was how the image of Native Americans in comics has been a barometer of the dominant culture’s attitudes toward the native population,” said Audrey Levasseur, a writer in the audience.  “Like other minorities, they went through virulent phases of derogatory stereotyping from the humorous boob to the inhuman killing machine.” 

Between panels, the attendees bought, sold, or swapped comics; browsed the exhibits; or watched artists drawing in the hallway.  Robin McBride Scott (Cherokee) and her husband offered a selection of Indian comics for sale.  Reinhardt showed his collection of Indian comic-book covers, including: 

• Superman, Batman, and Captain Marvel wearing a chief’s headdress.
• Funny animals—Donald Duck, Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny—imitating Indians.      
• The frontiersman Tomahawk battling a giant robot Indian, a green alien Indian, and a purple gorilla Indian. 

In the second panel, I gave another PowerPoint presentation titled “Hercules vs. Coyote: Native and American Comics.”  This traced the history of heroic Western storytelling from the Bible to John Wayne movies and contrasted it with Native storytelling based on trickster figures. In the presentation, I also noted how superheroes tend to pummel their opponents into submission, an approach not taken by traditional Native heroes. 

A questionnaire handed out to the audience revealed that many listeners were thinking along the same lines.  In response to the question “What’s wrong with Native comic books today and what can be done to make them better?” they wrote: 

• “I don’t believe there are enough out.  Maybe [they need] a more historical or modern account of Native Americans.”
• “There’s not nearly enough of them and they’re frequently not presented in anything but variations of the old stereotypes.”     
• “Need more indigenous artists/writers/etc. … need our people telling our own stories … to any media.” 

 
(L-R) Artist Steve Sanderson and writer Richard Van Camp

Summing it up… 

Reinhardt doesn’t expect much to change.  “My own perspective, as a student of ‘Indian’ stereotyping, is that there’s a long and deeply embedded history behind what we still see today,” he said, “so much so that it’ll be a difficult struggle to get past all the negative and absurd misconceptions that pervade American (and Canadian?) society.  I think this’ll be with us for generations yet to come.” 

Van Camp is more hopeful.  Touting such efforts as Birch Bark Comics’ SACRED CIRCLES, the comics published by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and Steve Sanderson’s work for the Healthy Aboriginal Network, he said, “What’s great is the Aboriginal storytellers of today are only going to honour their readers with some of the finest illustrated literature out there with great art, wicked storytelling, and powerful, spirit-affirming stories.  Now that’s good medicine for the world and for our future generations.” 

Reflecting on the event, Gail Stavitsky, chief curator of the Montclair Art Museum, which specializes in Native art, said the presentations were “informative” and “excellent.” 

Native comics seem to be breaking out of the pack, noted Twig Johnson, curator of Native American art at the Montclair.  With titles such as SCALPED, RED PROPHET, DESPERADOES: BUFFALO DREAMS, COWBOYS & ALIENS, and THE LONE RANGER appearing in recent months, the field is suddenly a popular one.  Her museum is planning an exhibit on Natives in comics this year. 

The program was a big success, said Peter Brown, director of public programs for the Eiteljorg Museum, who organized it.  He estimated the museum’s attendance was much higher than usual for a Saturday. 

“I am pleasantly surprised at not only the turnout of the day’s events, but also the sheer amount of interest and discussion that was generated about this topic,” said panelist Sheyahshe. 

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The panelists hope to take the show on the road to other museums, colleges and universities, and comic-book conventions.  Interested parties can contact Rob Schmidt at:  robschmidt@compuserve.com