New comic features Aboriginal heroine
- EFN Staff | May 17, 2014
Aboriginal kids reading comic books finally have a character they can relate to.
Earlier this month, around 200 children from Saskatoon's Westmount, Pleasant Hill, St. Mary's, and Caswell Hill schools packed into the city's main library theatre to hear from comic book author Jeff Lemire, who spoke to them via Skype from Toronto.
Lemire is the comic book creator for Justice League United, a six-issue mini-series that features main character, Equinox, whose super powers allow her to control the weather: the ice and wind in the winter, vegetation growth in the spring, and heat and fire in the summer (Lemire is still working on her "fall" super power). The female pre-teen character was inspired by Shannen Koostachin from Attawapiskat, the young girl who created the movement, Shannen's Dream, that advocates for equitable education funding for First Nations children. Koostachin died nearly four years ago in a car accident but her movement continues.
As part of his research for the comic, Lemire twice visited the James Bay area, getting to know the people, and he says Equinox was created from that experience.
"I wanted to create a new Canadian super hero," and it's hard to capture the whole country in one comic, he explained to the kids.
Lemire felt the best place to start was with the country's First Peoples.
"I felt like one area that I really love and that never really gets represented in comics or movies is First Nations."
Six students from Westmount prepared questions to ask Lemire, and they ranged from why was the name Equinox chosen (partly because Lemire was born on the spring Equinox), does Equinox have any sidekicks (yes, and she starts meeting them in the first story), and how did he decide what Equinox would look like (Lemire wanted a modernized version of a Cree girl in regalia. She is also wearing the colours blue and white, which were Koostachin's favourite colours).
The students' teacher, Megan Weisbroad, says it means a lot to the kids to have a comic book character they can relate to.
"We watched a video on Shannen, and they were asking lots of questions," she says of the kids' enthusiasm and excitement. "We had to narrow it down and limit to just six!"
Bernadeth Roma, a grade 6 student at Westmount, says having a Cree girl featured in a comic book is both "inspirational and awesome."
Lemire felt it was important to have a female character, as there are predominantly male comic book heroes.
"More and more, girls read comics," says Lemire, noting that people from all parts of the world can access comics, so the characters should better represent those who are reading them."
Each of the students who attended the comic's launch received a free copy. Equinox will be introduced to the comic book world through a six-issue mini series, which will then continue.