For anyone who thinks that Hudlin's Wakanda is too American

[bluezulu]

This has always tripped me out when I saw this complaint over reg's depiction of wakanda and the black panther. If only the people saying would know how ignorant it exposes them to be. Since the end of apartheid africa has undergone many a changes some positive and some negative. African American culture namely hip hop culture has taken the world by storm like nothing else. The other day on starz on demand I watched the movie Tsotsi that in african means thug and was floored. What a powerful movie. If any of you haven't seen it I recommend it. After watching the movie I say that reg has his hands full when it comes to dealing with issues of the continent of africa and in it he has a lot of westernize topics to explore. A link to the movie page.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468565/

[Yaw]

Yeah but we can't overlook the fact that Wakanda is a fictional nation that has never been conquered by the Western world and is portayed as culturally arrogant.  That is why counterarguments like this film don't hold water.  Personally I think Wakanda is portrayed as too American however I don't believe this is something Hudlin started.  I think this is something that has been portrayed since there have been in depth Wakandan stories.  We can look at MacGregor, Priest and Hudlin pull out details that are clearly the result of WEstern tradition.  I don't have a big problem with it because lets face it the creators and subsequent writers of Black PAnther are all Western.


By the way you should see Blood Diamond and how it shows all the child warriors listening to hiphop.  In one scene they are watching a Mac 10 video.

[bmagee]

What does anybody expect from BP? I mean it was a character created by an American. It's currently written by an American. BP's character and Wakanda are an American property, not an African property.

[bluezulu]

Well exactly to both of your points. First there is no such thing as too american/western. The world pop culture follows us not the other way around in most situations. Even though Wakanda is insular and restrictive to the outside world all bp writers have shown that with tchalla that process began to change. Even during russia's most communist times the haves were able to get their black market american stuff. What did it take like 5 years for russia to get to where we africa, asia etc. is with it's western influences. And everybody needs to relax because if this book was all african and no american then who would be reading it?

[Yaw]

And everybody needs to relax because if this book was all african and no american then who would be reading it?

Personally I would love to read that but these whiners about "too American T'challa" really DON'T want to be reading that.  Looking at Priest's "excellent, excellent" run there are NO STORIES that would have existed without an AMERICAN INFLUENCE.

[The Evasive 1]

Another factor to consider is that Priest and Hudlin depict Wakanda with "westernized" influence to reach black readers on a certain level. Do you remember in the Priest run when Queen Divine Justice first came to Wakanda? Do you remember the awe and humility she felt to see an all black nation, even though it was in Africa, have all the amenities and structure she was used to seeing in European countries and in the U.S.? I really loved that part in that it reminded me of at risk, inner city kids who had never seen anything about Africa except on what TV shows show them and then they get to go on a trip to Africa and see some of the countries there that
are just as modern as the U.S.. Those kids and some African American travelers in general, seemed to be amazed, humbled and even touched on level they never knew could happen because they saw with their own eyes that black people can and do run countries that can reach the same significance as where they live.

[Mastrmynd]

i'll co-sign that Evasive.
i feel you on that.

[supreme illuminati]

i'll co-sign that Evasive.
i feel you on that.

i'm co-signing too,dawg...I would looove to observe that myself.And Wakanda is actually MORE ADVANCED than the USA is vis-a-vis the quality of life and standard of living and probably the omnipresence of tech as well...

[Loren]

Do you remember in the Priest run when Queen Divine Justice first came to Wakanda? Do you remember the awe and humility she felt to see an all black nation, even though it was in Africa, have all the amenities and structure she was used to seeing in European countries and in the U.S.?

That was indeed a very cool scene, and it was a standout moment for QDJ's character, but it's worth noting that the scene took place in Killmonger's village.

[D- Ruck]

What does anybody expect from BP? I mean it was a character created by an American. It's currently written by an American. BP's character and Wakanda are an American property, not an African property.

And Americans are reading it.  This is a region of Africa that has been virtually untouched by the rest of the world, including the rest of Africa, and possessing extraordinary wealth and technology.  Wakanda is a concept complete up to those who run the comic

[Yaw]

Do you remember in the Priest run when Queen Divine Justice first came to Wakanda? Do you remember the awe and humility she felt to see an all black nation, even though it was in Africa, have all the amenities and structure she was used to seeing in European countries and in the U.S.?

That was indeed a very cool scene, and it was a standout moment for QDJ's character, but it's worth noting that the scene took place in Killmonger's village.

Exactly aka Western imitation.  Essentially Killmonger's village = African Harlem

[Wise Son]

I have to ask, what exactly are the Americanisations that are being talked about here? It's a criticism I've only read couched in the vaguest terms, so I'd appreciate it if someone could point to the exact problems they have with it.

The most I've heard is that somehow, depicting Wakandans going to a hairdressers was 'too American', and I just have to assume there's more to it than that.

[bluezulu]

And yet none of you have commented on the movie that was the idea for this thread. The movie directed by an african starring africans has so many elements of american culture, that it makes the fanboy's arguments fall flat.

[Ammar]

And yet none of you have commented on the movie that was the idea for this thread. The movie directed by an african starring africans has so many elements of american culture, that it makes the fanboy's arguments fall flat.

That's the thing though, they are influenced by African-American culture.

Wakanda according to continuity isn't due to their xenophobia. So they don't really have any in-comic book reason to adapt anything from any culture that's not from the realm

[Gooch]

And yet none of you have commented on the movie that was the idea for this thread. The movie directed by an african starring africans has so many elements of american culture, that it makes the fanboy's arguments fall flat.

That's the thing though, they are influenced by African-American culture.

Wakanda according to continuity isn't due to their xenophobia. So they don't really have any in-comic book reason to adapt anything from any culture that's not from the realm

except for the fact that BP was educated patially in the west,   and was also a school teacher in harlem, and somewhot opened up the country to westerners