(no subject)
I've been reading Volume 26 of the Spirit Archives by Will Eisner. This volume collects all of the daily newspaper strips from October 13th, 1941 to March 11th, 1944. The greats Lou Fine and Jack Cole had to handle the work on the latter portion of this collection. Will Eisner, like so many Americans, had gone off to Europe to fight the Nazis.
Sadly, certain racists and sexist elements are present. Ebony White, this Spirit's black teenage side kick, does not get a much needed make over until after Eisner returns to the series at the end of World War II. He has the character actually go off to take elucidation classes. Ellen Dolan, the commissioner’s daughter, also is revamped at this time. By the end of the series, Ellen Dolan has become the mayor of central city. She becomes the boss of her father and, by default, the Spirit’s boss. In this collection, both of these characters are present in their more offensive original incarnations.
I think that is what bugs me the most about Frank Miller’s movie. Will Eisner learned about the evils of racism and sexism. He altered his characters accordingly. When Frank Miller gets the chance to immortalize Eisner’s character for the non-comic book reading public, he invents a black villain and has the Spirit sexually entangled with a truckload of ladies. Ellen Dolan, of course, is not the mayor of Central City.
Forget the movie. Read the comics.
Sadly, certain racists and sexist elements are present. Ebony White, this Spirit's black teenage side kick, does not get a much needed make over until after Eisner returns to the series at the end of World War II. He has the character actually go off to take elucidation classes. Ellen Dolan, the commissioner’s daughter, also is revamped at this time. By the end of the series, Ellen Dolan has become the mayor of central city. She becomes the boss of her father and, by default, the Spirit’s boss. In this collection, both of these characters are present in their more offensive original incarnations.
I think that is what bugs me the most about Frank Miller’s movie. Will Eisner learned about the evils of racism and sexism. He altered his characters accordingly. When Frank Miller gets the chance to immortalize Eisner’s character for the non-comic book reading public, he invents a black villain and has the Spirit sexually entangled with a truckload of ladies. Ellen Dolan, of course, is not the mayor of Central City.
Forget the movie. Read the comics.