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Comic Creators Respond to Akira Yoshida Revelation

Published Wed, 29 Nov 2017 08:00:20 -0600

We've heard from Sana Amanat. But there are plenty of other comic book creators, writers, artists, colourists and other professionals who have their own take to match on the revelations yesterday that new Marvel editor-in-chief CB Cebulski created a pseudonym as a Japanese writer, Akira Yoshida, to circumvent Marvel's strict creator hiring rules 13 years ago, while working as an assistant editor there.

Here is a selection of comic creator comments posted publicly on social media.

The sad and ironic thing is C.B. being blamed for taking work/keeping Asians from getting work at Marvel when his history as an editor and talent scout show the opposite (and I speak from experience).

— J. Torres (@jtorrescomics) November 29, 2017

Same. I'm an Asian @CBCebulski hired to work at Marvel and thru him I've worked with other Asians like Adrian Alphona, @csyeung, @takmiyazawa, Norman Lee, Jo Chen, Kei Kobayashi, and Tomoko Taniguchi just to name a few. https://t.co/bHRFSrhAiO

— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) November 29, 2017

And I get the anger behind the pseudonym choice, it was a poor choice, but behind the scenes at Marvel, he's done a lot for POC and international creators. So it's difficult reading some of the things being said about him right now.

— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) 29 November 2017

I'm not sure why this "Akira Yoshida" incident is all that different from the dozens of other creators that have used pseudonyms over the years, from Stan Lee to Jack Kirby. At least he wasn't working for the competition the way many who used fake names did.

— Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) November 28, 2017

…getting yourself promoted as an authentic Asian voice when (a) you're not, and (b) your publisher has a rotten track record at hiring actual Asian writers, that's a problem.

— Kurt Busiek Resists (@KurtBusiek) November 29, 2017

https://twitter.com/hannahblmnrch/status/935596295682699264

From Larry Hama, the longest standing, most prominent Asian talent in the comics industry, writer/artist/editor since I was a child. His opinion… pic.twitter.com/Jr2jsbsZ76

— robliefeld (@robertliefeld) November 29, 2017

The struggle of wanting to forgive someone for ignorance from way back (I was shitty & stupid once too),

and the simultaneous hurt, rage, exhaustion, & trust you don't want to give to the wrong ppl,

the justice you feel like ur always losing bc we feel like we need to forgive

— Irene Koh 🐯🍠 (@kohquette) November 29, 2017

There are people insinuating that writing with a pseudonym to disguise a marginalized identity to get work and pretending to be a marginalized identity in order to write from that POV with authority are the same thing. I'm just going to say NOPE.

— Gwenda Bond 😈 (@Gwenda) November 29, 2017

God, who among us haven't made a mistake? As @TheRealStanLee used to say "Face Front Effendi!" Best of luck to @CBCebulski @JoeQuesada and everyone else @Marvel

— Scott Lobdell (@ScottyLobdell) November 28, 2017

https://twitter.com/neekaneeks/status/935662034007375872

You know you can make sure you're filling a position with someone who has never pretended to be a PoC to further their career? Hire a PoC.

— Jennifer de Guzman Strikes Again (@Jennifer_deG) November 28, 2017

How come dudes are always getting away with calling themselves "young and naive" well into middle age, and girls are told they are "grown up", "mature" and "they know what they're doing" starting about age 12?

— Colleen Doran (@ColleenDoran) November 28, 2017

A few stories by #ActualAsianComicWriters! (Part 1)

– Skim by Mariko Tamaki, Jillian Tamaki
– Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
– Sun Dragon's Song by Joyce Chng, Kim Miranda
– Mis(h)adra by Iasmin Omar Ata pic.twitter.com/vouWG9Ypo2

— Lit CelebrAsian (@LitCelebrAsian) November 29, 2017

how about some actual asian american comics folks whose work is absolutely stellar to follow and enjoy instead of this fool: @kohquette @heyjenbartel @GeneHa @kevinwada @Trungles @kristaferanka @VViiNNG

— lexxy⁷ 🌴🍒 ACNH (@Lexxercise) November 29, 2017

Full disclosure: I have no idea what's going on.

— Kevin Wada (@kevinwada) November 29, 2017

I, for one, am personally very interested in seeing how this all plays out now that the EiC of marvel comic books is a complex, multifaceted, globe-trotting, cosmopolitan weeb's weeb.

— Trung Lê Capecchi-Nguyễn (@Trungles) November 28, 2017

Read the news about Marvel and jesus christ, guy. Gross. Get out of here.

— Maki Scare-O – Support "Who Owns an Asteroid?" (@sciencecomic) November 29, 2017

In every day life, Asian people have to adopt English names all the time to get by. Every Asian person knows at least twenty Asian Kevins. My mom uses an English approximation of her name so it wouldn't hurt her clientele.

— Trung Lê Capecchi-Nguyễn (@Trungles) November 28, 2017

We literally agonize over this. A lot of us have to choose between our identity and our professional/economic survivability. It's cute people still think they can just pick up an Asian name for fun within the US because it, what, suits an aesthetic fantasy.

— Trungles ⭐️🌲☃️❄️🛒🛍🎁🌕🎅🦌🎁🎄🎉🎊🍾🍸🍹🍹🍹🍹 (@Trungles) 28 November 2017

If your pen name is appropriating another race, like say you are white and you use an Asian name and craft an Asian identity around that name to give the work done under it "authenticity" and to circumvent hiring policy? Yeah, that's messsssssed up.

— Mariah McCourt (@TiredFairy) November 29, 2017

I was like, "Lol let me laugh about it," and then I thought about it for a second too long and got real sad, lmao

— Trung Lê Capecchi-Nguyễn (@Trungles) November 28, 2017

SMH So @CBCebulski really admitted to writing under the name Akira Yoshida. Whites gonna white, ALWAYS.https://t.co/uRfUjGb16M

— TEE FRANKLIN IS IMMUNOCOMPROMISED (@MizTeeFranklin) November 28, 2017

When I was a kid I imagined a world where we could all be, dress, and call ourselves anything we want. All of us. And no one would care.
Chinese cowboy. Black lumberjack. White girl in a kimono. Whatever style you liked.
I still think that's a good goal.

— Patch (@PatrickZircher) November 29, 2017

wowee, I don't have much to say about the Marvel news, but things like this are definitely one of the reasons I've seen so many people assume my name is a pseudonym.

— Yuko (@aidosaur) November 29, 2017

please stop insisting that the few people of color in a given industry owe the world a weigh-in every time something fucked up happens in that industry

— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) November 29, 2017

Twitter threads are nice but ultimately you gotta stop giving your $ to Marvel. Suggested workaround: support your fav Marvel artists directly; many have Patreons and shops and personal projects. It's super easy to not give your money to racists, yay!

— Der-shing 德馨 Helmer 🌱 (@shingworks) November 29, 2017

Now is a good time to remind comics creators to submit their work to the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity! Let's get some authentic voices supporting diversity recognized! https://t.co/jgBocLKKtx

— Jennifer de Guzman Strikes Again (@Jennifer_deG) November 28, 2017

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