I've been brainstorming for a new comic lately, and my husband gave me an interested challenge. Since I haven't started character design or scripting yet, he challenged me to make the main characters from a race/culture that I'm not familiar with. (That covers a lot of ground for someone who lives in the Bible Belt of middle class white America.) My main goal is to make sure I can present the characters as inoffensively as possible.

So, after that backstory, when you are faced with a challenge like this how do you do your research? Do you Google? Find a friend with knowledge on social media? Cut and run? All of the above?

interesting topic. usually I work from life experience mainly, but there are times I've gone outside my own experiences. Sometimes I talk to others who are more knowing of what I lack, sometimes google is my friend.

In cases of writing other ethnic or cultural backgrounds, much depends on the role of the character. if it is a tiny role I'll largely fudge it with a google search or checking stuff in movies. I know I run the risk of using stereotypes, but stereotypes exist for a reason. Also taking a stereotype and breaking it down to get to the root of the character can work. this isn't something I've done much of though. I imagine some personal blogs could be useful for that, assuming you can find the right ones.

the majority of research I do is visual, as I'm working on a comic set in the 90s I'm trying to make sure key items are correct, whether its a personal cd player or a can of deoderant or a car. cars are proving an issue for getting 3d models and I don't feel very inclined to model (m)any myself.

I also keep a folder of book marks for various research sites that i find useful.

I “research” fictional resources when it comes to plotlines and about 50% of characters. It starts with copious stealing and then so much revision that stealing morphs into “inspired by.” I also like to take a trope and break it, do whatever is opposite of usual.

Lately, my villains have been inspired more by real life, often historical or public figures. I marvel in the horribleness of real people.

Race doesn't play much of a role in my work. I randomize demographics on new characters a bit, even ones that become more important later. I try to get a feel for characters long before they appear in my work.

I do a lot of researching details of objects, procedures, and mechanics. Particularly medicine, weapons, vehicles, procedures and workings of different jobs and facilities. Usually, I learn a great deal about how something works before I start looking at how to draw it.

Make it Hispanic, we're everywhere… or ask me, zi can fill you up with a lot of inaccuracies you won't believe the amount of hatemail you're going to get…

tupapayon wrote:
Make it Hispanic, we're everywhere… or ask me, zi can fill you up with a lot of inaccuracies you won't believe the amount of hatemail you're going to get…

My challenge is South Asian and/or Muslim.

Hispanic is too easy. I work in a bilingual environment. Also, I do have Hispanic characters in Ice Pick.

Niccea wrote:

tupapayon wrote:
Make it Hispanic, we're everywhere… or ask me, zi can fill you up with a lot of inaccuracies you won't believe the amount of hatemail you're going to get…

My challenge is South Asian and/or Muslim.

Hispanic is too easy. I work in a bilingual environment. Also, I do have Hispanic characters in Ice Pick.

Easy compromise: do a Filipino. Hispanic and potentially Muslim. And a very broad range of groups to pick from. From typical Hispanic to very Asian.

Nothing messes up your preconceived notions of ethnicity than meeting someone you think is Chinese except their name is Juan Velazquez.

The question would be, how devout would the Muslim be? I have some muslim friends and for the most part you wouldn't know they are muslim. Well aside from the crazy not eating bacon thing. That said they are all muslims who have been raised in this country (UK) and have probably made a point of not flaunting it.

Well… we live in a very sensitive culture… I read a recent article written by a black woman, and she said that it's impossible for white people to ever understand what it is like to be black, will never fully understand their culture, etc., and therefore any depiction of blacks by a white author will always be flawed…

Well… She's technically correct, but some of the comments she got reflected my view. It's like, why should I, as a white girl, even try to depict any other race and culture in my work if I'm doomed to failure no matter what? Of course I'll never fully know any culture fully except my own - any attempt to depict another is bound to have some errors, perhaps even some stereotypical baggage, but… if I'm gonna get ripped for even trying, well, why should I even try… Or even worse, why not just go full on stereotype?!! If I'm gonna fail no matter what - why should I care?

But I do care, and I honestly don't know what to do. Disney is coming out with a new animated movie, called Moana… It looks like it's gonna be great, but it has the character called Maui, a Polynesian, and they made him look Big, Full Torso-ed, Long Wavy Hair… And the controversy is coming in! Fat-shaming! Stereotyping Polynesians… I get that all Polynesians don't look this way, but the point is how careful do we have to be so as not worry about offending someone…?

Sometimes I think it'd just be safer to make everyone of consequence in your work the same as your race/culture… But then, we get in trouble for that too… not to mention that's boring…

Good luck! ;)

KimLuster wrote:
Well… we live in a very sensitive culture… I read a recent article written by a black woman, and she said that it's impossible for white people to ever understand what it is like to be black, will never fully understand their culture, etc., and therefore any depiction of blacks by a white author will always be flawed…

Well… She's technically correct, but some of the comments she got reflected my view. It's like, why should I, as a white girl, even try to depict any other race and culture in my work if I'm doomed to failure no matter what? Of course I'll never fully know any culture fully except my own - any attempt to depict another is bound to have some errors, perhaps even some stereotypical baggage, but… if I'm gonna get ripped for even trying, well, why should I even try… Or even worse, why not just go full on stereotype?!! If I'm gonna fail no matter what - why should I care?

But I do care, and I honestly don't know what to do. Disney is coming out with a new animated movie, called Moana… It looks like it's gonna be great, but it has the character called Maui, a Polynesian, and they made him look Big, Full Torso-ed, Long Wavy Hair… And the controversy is coming in! Fat-shaming! Stereotyping Polynesians… I get that all Polynesians don't look this way, but the point is how careful do we have to be so as not worry about offending someone…?

Sometimes I think it'd just be safer to make everyone of consequence in your work the same as your race/culture… But then, we get in trouble for that too… not to mention that's boring…

Good luck! ;)

When I first started Steel and Manitou, I really, really wanted to make the main character an aboriginal girl. But I chickened out, because as a white woman, I was scared that I wouldn't get the details correct for the above reasons and would be offensive. Sundance is a main character and a huge part of the plot, but she can certainly be called stereotypical. Obviously not all Native Americans have long, beautiful hair (although most do, let's be honest! My cousin is half Inuit and her hair won't effin stop growing) or wear feathers or war paint. I am also REALLY scared of making her too “side kickey”. I read a book that was about natives always taking the back seat role to their white counterparts, like Tonto and the Lone Ranger, (though this could also be said of other races) and I want to make my comic doesn't come across this way. Anyways, I am spiraling off topic.

Still, for research on First Nation's people, I bought alot of books off amazon written by people of those tribes. Online, I listened to audio clips or youtube videos of elders actually telling stories of legends and myths passed down generations. I also asked around too, since I grew up near a reserve and know plenty of Aboriginal people. It's fascinating to learn about different cultures!!

Articles, books and web pages are great resources… but, as much as possible, get to personally know people inside the culture/ethnicity you're trying to research… people are people, as you acquire more knowledge place yourself mentally inside other people shoes and walk…

Hmmm… my advice, honestly…

If you're not a South Asian or Muslim, and you don't know anyone who's South Asian or Muslim… don't write any major characters who are South Asian or Muslim.

Google and research is no substitute for life experience or a personal connection to someone in that lifestyle. The best you're likely to pull off is a flimsy facsimile of an actual South Asian or Muslim. It will be watered down bits of you, filled in with little bits of stuff you gleaned from your research, and none of it will be genuine… and even the parts that seem heartfelt and genuine will actually just be a well executed fraud.

So I'd say don't do it, unless there's a really good reason why you need to. There are plenty of South Asian and Muslim authors out there in the world writing meaningful literary works about the South Asian and Muslim experience. Maybe their work hasn't crossed over into the American mainstream – why would it?! – but that doesn't mean you need to start writing South Asian or Muslim characters into your stories. They have their stories; unless you have something to add to that volume of literature, then you'll probably be doing better for everyone just to stick with what you know.

Oh, and… just to be giving a constructive answer…

Maybe you could write the main character as just a regular person who's more-or-less assimilated into mainstream America, in which case you don't really need much research at all? (though that still begs the question of “why bother?”)

And, riffing off what Tupapayon said, if you're going to do it, you need to get someone from that background to co-author or at least audit your brainstorming process. Don't use Google. You might get some useful information, but you won't get the full context of it until you've spoken to someone who's experienced it.

People here offered good advice.

Here is mine, don't know if it's as good, but here it is anyway:
Read a book about the kind of person you want to have as a character and just crib it from there.
It's a comic afteral, not an award winning novel you're trying to write.

Autobiographies are good, but probably too real. Try and find a fictional story with a first person narrative with the sort of character you're looking for, preferably written by someone who ALSO fits that description. Look on Amazon, Goodreads etc. Ask around.

You don't need a bunch, just one. Don't make it harder than it is. Read the story and crib a character from the impression you get :)


Others have suggested similar approaches, and I'm not trying to top or diss them, just to simplify things.
With Ashtree's advice for example, a lot more cultural sensitivity is required in that case.

This was discussed before in a thread about stereotypes. The point is not to create a good “south Asian Muslim ” character, the point is to create a well rounded and fully developed character who just happens to be from that background.

There is also plenty of excellent reference material available to understand the cultural background of most peoples inhabiting the planet. Humans are more alike than we are different. Create a good representation of a person and don't sweat the details.

I know too many recent immigrants who try so much harder to be more American than I am. But like writing dialogue the best thing to do is listen. Base the character on someone you have known. Write what you know, understand and can make your own.

Heck, I bloody created the Aordian culture out of my head and I still can't understand them. I can hear them talking but I will never understand them because their cultural narrative is different. I can tell you all the particulars but in the end I just write them as people.