With this much work needed, it's so much easier to just stick to white characters, since you'll be slammed either way.
"[Image Description: Screenshot of a post by RAMZEE (@RamzeeRawks) on Twitter. It says “This is a really good mini look into ideas to consider when creating BIPOC Characters by @charisjb on Instagram.” This post then displays a screenshot of charisjb’s Instagram post (which notes they are from Burbank, California) and the comic it contains. This comic has 7 numbered panels.
The first panel has illustrations of Richie Foley and Virgil Hawkins from Static Shock, Benson Mekler from KIPO and the Wonderbeasts, Garnet from Steven Universe, and Moana from Disney’s Moana against a light blue background. The panel also has the comic’s title, “Ideas to Consider When Creating BIPOC Characters” with a note that “BIPOC” means “Black, Indigenous People of Color.”
The second panel has illustrations of Hattie McDaniel as Mammy from Gone With the Wind, Monique from Kim Possible, Gerald from Hey Arnold, and Susie from Rugrats against a light green background. The text reads: “Consider the Mammie Archetype: She is the ancestor with which all Black Best Friend Stereotypes and their various iterations stem from. She and her lineage dutifully live to serve and nurture their White counterparts with little to no aspirations of their own.”
The third panel has illustrations of Sacagawea & her baby Jean Baptiste Charbonneau in a pose reminiscent of her illustration on the Sacagawea dollar coin (artist Glenna Goodacre, model Randy'L He-dow Teton), Pocahontas from Pocahontas, and Chel from The Road to El Dorado, also against a light green background. The text reads: " Consider the Stoic Savage Archetype: Similarly, she serves to guide the Colonizer around her native land and teach him to appreciate her humanity. She is always exotic, desirable, and open to invasion much like her indigenous land and its resources.”
The fourth panel starts with a subheading “Consider Design” with an illustration of Esmeralda from the Hunchback of Notre Dame next to it. It also has text reading “While not impossible, it is not uncommon for real life BIPOC to have naturally blonde hair or an eye color that is not brown. Is there a reason essential to your story that requires your BIPOC character to have light hair or eyes aside from “it looks cool”?” Next is another block of text with illustrations of Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Ororo Munroe from X-Men, and Princess Yue from Avatar: The Last Airbender by it. The text reads: “Consider the Dark Skin Blonde trope: This trope can be problematic because it infers that BIPOC characters much have light hair and blue eyes, European features, to be magical and desirable heroines.” This panel has an even lighter blue background than the first panel of the comic.
The fifth panel (with a similarly light blue background) starts with the subheading “Consider Agency” with an illustration of Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” next to it. She’s shown in both her human and frog form. The text reads “Agency is a character’s ability to be the driving force of her own story. how much control does your BIPOC character have in the story and what decisions can she make given her circumstances?” Next is another bock of text with illustrations of Kuzco from The Emperor’s New Groove (in both his human and llama forms) and Nita from Brother Bear (in both her human and bear forms) by it. The text reads: “Consider the Baleful Polymorph trope: This trope can be problematic because it strips a BIPOC character of her agency. She is often pushed around by outside forces to each plotpoint of the story until she is turned back human.”
The sixth panel starts with the subheading “Consider Colorism” with illustrations of LaCienega Boulevardez, Penny Proud, and Nubia Gross, all from The Proud Family set against a peach-colored background. The main body text reads: “Colorism is the discrimination within the BIPOC community that gives preference and privilege to people of lighter skintones. Are character in your story held to double standards despite taking similar actions as other characters? Consider the Popular Bully vs. Barbaric Bully trope: While both tropes serve the same purpose to antagonize the heroine, one character is seen as desirable while the other is repulsive.
The seventh and final panel starts with the subheading “Consider BIPOC Voices” with illustrations of two individuals that are visually apparent as BIPOC talking to a White content creator about their work. This panel is also set against a peach-colored background. The main text reads: "It’s hard to authentically tell stories with characters that exist outside of your own lived experience. It is equally important to have real life Black, Indigenous People of Color telling their own stories. Create spaces within the workplace that facilitates multiple BIPOC voices, especially in positions of leadership.”
End Image Description.]"
