GOLDENBIRD

Goldenbird 4 p. 15-16

Warning: Pages heavy in Mochi content - choking hazard.

Mayann can be a bit of a bitch sometimes - I blame Mochi’s evil influence.

14 Responses to “Goldenbird 4 p. 15-16”

1
bubu:
June 8th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Misuhan ei ulvonu kai koskaan?

Priska alko ulvoon, kun Gislavedin kirkonkellot alko klonkottaan sunnuntaiaamuna…

Ja Naken sai ulvoon, ku ite ulvo… .

Ja nyt viimeks oon kuullu Cindyn ulvovan, kun lähden sieltä pois…, yhyy.
2
Tinet:
June 8th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
sdkvbaskvruihvlafjhjksdh!!!!!!1
3
Tinet:
June 8th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Here is another howling akita …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks8×0iloAB0
4
Tinet:
June 8th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Page 16 is the darkest evilness.
5
Tinet:
June 8th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
WHY is Mochi’s tail like that?!!!!!
6
Ainur:
June 8th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
It is but a feeble attempt at reconstructing the non-Euclidean geometry of a trüe 3-d Akita tail.
7
Zheyna:
June 10th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Not dressed? That bodes ill…

Mrs. Moore really needs to stop being such a racist bastard. It’s like she thinks it’s cute or something.
8
Ainur:
June 11th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I think by “natives” she means the upperclass Italian audience… And yeah, it’s definitely racist.

Zheyna, you pointed out a sensitive issue here… I couldn’t stop myself from writing an essay on the subject. I struggle with myself every time I have to write even slightly racist lines. Jamaican art historian Petrine Archer-Straw’s book “Negrophilia - Avant-Garde Paris and Black Culture in the 1920’s” has been especially important to me, although it constantly makes me feel guilty for perpetuating racism by creating a comic expressing such views indirectly. (One may even ask if I have any right to “sugar-coat” the issue with pretty pictures?)

How to deal with historical racism in a comic? One way of pointing out the absurdity of racist thinking is humour - just the fact that the very white Andy is seen as a “half-Mongol” can be exploited to that effect. (There’s an extremely funny Finnish sailor character in a Joseph Conrad novella from 1897, whose name is “Wamibo” and who behaves literally like a gorilla, in contrast to the black main character of the novel, who is, at least, depicted as a human being…) I mean, everybody takes for granted that there will be racism against persons of colour, but it is perhaps less well known that the definition of “whiteness” has shifted through the ages.

It’s easier for me to joke about racism against Finns, since I’m more or less Finnish myself. Still, it would be anachronistic to ignore the bigger picture! It’s really interesting how race plays out in power relations and how the same group can be victims and perpetrators at the same time (prime example: Italians!). One could even say that Andy is a victim of Finnish racism, since he belongs to a political fraction that was singled out as “un-Finnish” (even biologically) by other Finns. (That’s the comic I’ll do in Finnish when I have time…)

There are some principles that I hold on to, in spite of charges of anachronism: No N-word. I avoid it for the same reason I avoid certain swearing. (Also as a tip of the hat to old-time war and adventure comics, where swearing is strictly at the “by Jove!” and “Donnerwetter!” level.) It’s more interesting to show how people’s attitudes play out in action.

Oh dear, this comment is way too long…
9
Alexandra:
June 11th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I think you’ve done wonderful job with dealing with racism in your comic. I can’t speak for anyone else but has been nicely done with African-American characters.I think leaving it out would be wrong. That being said I glad you don’t use the n word or any other equally horrible racial slurs. I hate it when people that word or any other in webcomics even if its about how bad racism is. Keep up the good work.
10
Zheyna:
June 14th, 2008 at 4:57 am
Thanks for taking the time to detail your thought process on portraying racist characters/situations in comics! I found it really helpful, since racism is going to be a theme in my own webcomic, should it ever occur.

What’s your opinion on asterisks? Do they make swear words less offensive?
11
Ainur:
June 14th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Thanks Alexandra! It’s sometimes annoying to see comics or other pop culture dealing with the jazz age and completely ignoring issues like racism. All my main characters are in a way based on typical colourful sidekicks or supporting characters whose only purpose is to make life more interesting for the standard WASP (or Western European) hero… Still, Andy and Falco try to take over a lot of the action, typical white males. Mayann will get her chance soon, I promise…

Zheyna: I’m looking forward to your webcomic! Have you posted some sketches already? I really like your art, by the way: “Fight or Flight” is my favourite.
I’d rather use the real swear words than asterisks (I always imagine them to sound like those annoying bleeps on TV, and that’s almost more offensive to my ears!). If the comic is more realistic, I think some swearing is okay. For example, if there is realistic violence… In a period comic with lots of humour like Goldenbird, I like to use some silly 20’s expressions like “doggone” instead, because the mood is less serious.
12
Zheyna:
June 14th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Thanks for taking a look at my art!

There’s a measly 7 pages of the webcomic produced, and I’m jealously hoarding it away from the internets until I can begin posting with a regular update schedule. It may be quite a while.

I’ll try and put some sketches/character art on my dA page soon.
13
Don Pesavento:
July 5th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Italians are prime examples of victims and perpetrators re: racism? Maybe you could elaborate on that remark, briefly, Just pulling your chain (kidding) I find your comments eloquently erudite, and your comic, fabulous.
14
Ainur:
July 6th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Mille grazie! You know I would like to elaborate a lot =)
Goldenbird will certainly deal with different aspects of “Italianità” even more… (With thanks to all the Italian authors, artists, filmmakers, composers and cartoonists that I have grown up with.)
Currently I’m trying to finish my PhD project on Finnish national identity and enemy images, and I have had some (surprising?) help by Italian research on similar subjects, especially in dealing with the question of nation-building and the “enemy within” - when the very own national character is seen as a threat to the nation’s future. (F.ex. when Mussolini tried to make ancient Romans out of Italians, but also long before that.) In Finland, everything from socialism to crime and alcohol abuse was seen as a fault in the national character, possibly genetic, and only curable through rigorous military exercise, sports and hard work. This kind of “self-racism” is quite interesting.