Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes

Abstract

American comics have for most of their existence reflected the white-supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness that both signal and hide its presence, blending into the cultural landscape as myths that serve to buttress and sustain white supremacy. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an anti-racist agenda, very often a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it undermined their efforts. Even the sacred cows of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives regardless of their intentions or explanations. Since ideologies of whiteness and white supremacy can be found across all types of comics, The Invisible Costume examines many genres, including western, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic books history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern often in unexpected and surprising ways.