Scalped
Area comic book writer explores crime, corruption on the reservation
“It’s just something I’ve been fascinated with since I was a kid,” he says. “I grew up in the middle of nowhere in Alabama where I didn’t have any firsthand access to other cultures.”
Does his lack of a relationship to the subject make the project less credible?
“It’s the same as doing a book set in the Vietnam War. Obviously, since I’m tackling those subjects as someone who is not a Vietnam vet or a Native American, that’s going to raise an eyebrow with some people. But I think people who read the book are going to see we’ve done a lot to capture the mood, look and feel of this reservation. I think we’ve done a pretty good job,” he says.
2 comments:
Aaron had no access to other cultures in Alabama? Is that the Alabama of Selma and Montgomery? The Alabama where the stars and bars is proudly waved?
Having been raised in the South and having returned to the Southeast several times over the last few years (including forays through Alabama) I cannot say that is a monocultural society.
One can interpret Aaron's statement in various ways. One interpretation is that African-American life was either invisible to him, or deemed unworthy to be called culture.
Is there anyone you don't want to take a shower with, Russ? ;-)
Jamie is a woman and my girlfriend. She's also an accomplished poet and English teacher, which explains her facility with words. You can find her work on the Internet if you search.
I don't know exactly where Aaron grew up, but he could've visited the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama and various tribes in Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. In researching PEACE PARTY, I've visited many of the tribes in Southern California and the Southwest. (You can see the results of my travels on my Photo Gallery page.) I expect someone who's serious about portraying life on the rez to do something similar--to visit as many reservations as possible.
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