I sent the following message to critic Mathan Erhardt:
I sent the following message to critic Mathan Erhardt:
I read your review of SCALPED #1...interesting. You may be interested in my thoughts on it:
Rob Schmidt
Publisher
PEACE PARTY
Erhardt's response:
Thanks for dropping the line. You bring up some pretty valid point in your review of book. I'm not going to try to defend Aaron, because I don't know the guy or what type of research he did to prep for this book. But I do think that there are many things to consider on all sides.
First off, this is only the first issue. Again, I don't know if you're familar, but if one were to judge fellow Vertigo title 100 Bullets based issue #1 they literally wouldn't even see the tip of the iceberg. As the series progressed it became full of nuance and characters shifted from "good" to "bad" to somewhere in between. Basically the first issue isn't always a great gauge for anything.
Secondly, you're clearly coming from an Indian perspective so I'll defer to your points of complaint. But isn't part of your issue that this is going to be "the Indian comic book?" What I mean is that if there were a variety of comics depicting Indian life, wouldn't you be more accepting of this book because different sides would be shown? As a Black man, I know I cringe when I see an "urban comedy" advertised because I know the same studios won't greenlight a Black romantic comedy or family drama. However if there was a parity among the tales told I'd be more accepting. Is it really that this book is so bad, or is it a lack alternatives?
Obviously as a writer you know that a status quo needs to be established. It was established in #1. I think you raise valid points, but not for a first issue. If we're to believe that the lead was sent undercover, would it make sense to show the positive sides of the reservation or the culture? Now if the series was a year old, and there was still no sign of traditions or any positive characters then you'd have a much more valid point.
I can relate to your sensitivity; I hate how hip-hop has become a ministrel show. And I understand your issue with only showing negative aspects of reservation life, but in terms of story, the lead hasn't really been in a situation to see any other part. I think that you've got to give something enough rope to hang themselves, whether it's a tv show or a comic book.
But the scene at the store in White Haven rang way too true for me. I used to work at a Circle K just off the Tohono O'odom reservation and it was a soul killing job. Every Sunday people would be lined up waiting for the beer doors to be unlocked. Seeing that scene in the book, turned my stomach a bit, because it brought me back to that time. I could feel the heat and the dust. Again, that only one aspect of the reservation.
Hopefully no one is reading this book to gain insight on the Indian community. I'm reading the book hoping for a spin on the crime drama, in an unfamilar setting. Hopefully this book will get better in both of our eyes.
(Feel free to post this in your blog.)
Best regards,
Mathan Erhardt
Rob's reply
Mathan,
Thanks for your reply. A few comments:
>> Is it really that this book is so bad, or is it a lack alternatives? <<
It's some of both.
>> If we're to believe that the lead was sent undercover, would it make sense to show the positive sides of the reservation or the culture? <<
The movie Thunderheart showed both sides, and I believe Aaron is trying to update Thunderheart for the Sopranos crowd. Which is ironic, in a way, because Boss Red Crow is a lot more evil than Tony Soprano ever was.
In fact, the whole point of The Sopranos was to show that even bad guys are complex. If Red Crow has a decent side, I must've missed it.
>> Now if the series was a year old, and there was still no sign of traditions or any positive characters then you'd have a much more valid point. <<
I'd say the point will be valid if there are no positive characters by the end of the first three-issue story arc.
>> But the scene at the store in White Haven rang way too true for me. <<
That was obviously a takeoff on the town of Whiteclay a few miles south of Pine Ridge. Note that I basically didn't complain about showing the poverty and drunkenness. These things are nothing compared to having a Mafia-style tribal leader who fabricates crimes and foments war against his opponents.
>> Hopefully no one is reading this book to gain insight on the Indian community. <<
Nobody watched minstrel shows or Amos 'n' Andy to gain insight into black communities. These shows were "just entertainment" also. Do you really want to defend these products on those grounds?
Rob
The discussion continues (7/21/07)....
Rob,
Sorry it took so long to respond but I stuff at work and a wedding to attend so the last few months have been super busy.
After reading the series thus far (I'm assuming you've dropped it) it's obvious that you were spot on with your theory that he was remixing "Thunderheart." Dash actually resentful to be in the position that he's in, an even more extreme view than Kilmer's character had in the movie.
I also think that you're right in that he's trying to make a Tarrantino comic book. Aaron is clearly applying a crime forumula to a reservation setting. Best case scenario (my view) it's fiction. Worst case (your view) it's damaging offensive fiction.
I'm still reading the book though. I kind of like the way the story is developing. I like that Red Crow was once an idealist. I like that Nitz is on a vendetta. I'm honestly curious what Dash sees in Red Crow's daughter beyond being his first crush (she's way gross.)
I do love your point about "mostly unlikable" and "totally unlikable" characters. And it's completely true; I'm not really that invested in the characters, I'm more interested in where the story is headed.
I also love your blog in general. I'm sure that most people are aware of the offensive mascots, but you do an amazing job of shedding light on other jabs at your culture. Your blog is eye-openning and, as a Black man, oddly comforting. I guess it's nice to know that it's not just "us" and that someone else is calling attention to it.
I promise the next time you drop me an email I won't take forever to respond.
mathan
Rob's reply
Mathan,
Someone asked me if I'd give SCALPED another chance, so I've read it through #6. I'll grant that there's less violence and more characterization in #4-6. We've gained more background on Bad Horse, and Red Crow merely seems bad, not evil incarnate.
On the other hand, the characterization is mostly a rehash of Wounded Knee II, with Red Crow and Dashiell's mom as stand-ins for the actual participants. In fact, it's a pretty straight ripoff of the Leonard Peltier case. This may be news to many readers, but it's old news in Indian country. It's not representative of what's happening on reservations today.
Bad Horse's soft-core affair with Red Crow's daughter is also unsavory. She's as voluptuous as a Playmate, a perfect male fantasy, totally unlike most Native women. There's an extremely long history of Native women as sex objects and Aaron is continuing the tradition.
Again, other than a few Native phrases and the fictionalized Peltier case, there's no Native culture or history here. Judging by Aaron's dark version of the casino opening, he doesn't have a clue what goes on in tribes. And what about the stereotypical covers?
SCALPED's Totem Pole and TomahawkDespite the bits of characterization, I'm getting less interested in the story as it goes along, not more. Bad Horse and Red Crow have become one and a half-dimensional rather than one-dimensional, but that's nothing special after six issues. At least the first couple of issues had the advantage of being fresh, bold, and unexpected, but that advantage is gone.
In short, I don't think I'll be spending more money on what, to me, is a middle-of-the-pack comic. The Sopranos was rich and deep from the start, while SCALPED has been Tarantino-lite. When Red Crow goes to a psychiatrist and begins questioning his beliefs, then maybe I'll take SCALPED seriously as a work of fiction.
Rob
The discussion continues (8/6/07)....
Mathan,
Did I answer your message from January? I don't think so.
>> I'm not going to try to defend Aaron, because I don't know the guy or what type of research he did to prep for this book. <<
I bet he didn't do as much research as he implied he did.
>> First off, this is only the first issue. <<
Not much has changed after six issues. I've read thousands of series and they almost always get worse, not better, as they go along.
>> Again, I don't know if you're familar, but if one were to judge fellow Vertigo title 100 Bullets based issue #1 they literally wouldn't even see the tip of the iceberg. <<
I've read a few 100 BULLETS but not the first ones.
>> As the series progressed it became full of nuance and characters shifted from "good" to "bad" to somewhere in between. Basically the first issue isn't always a great gauge for anything. <<
I could give lots of counterexamples: series where the characters had potential in the first issue that was never realized.
>> Secondly, you're clearly coming from an Indian perspective so I'll defer to your points of complaint. <<
Yes, but note that I'm not an Indian myself. I'm a pure WASP.
>> But isn't part of your issue that this is going to be "the Indian comic book?" <<
In several interviews, Aaron has implied he was going to give us a look at real people and their problems. For instance:
Aaron admitted that the notion of writing a comic with an exclusively Native cast was more than a little daunting. "It requires a lot of research, and you have to constantly be aware that you're writing about real people and a real location, as opposed to the Mighty Thor in the realm of Asgard," Aaron said. "It's definitely a challenge as a writer, but it's a challenge I welcome."
"Depicting the drama of rez life is certainly one of the things we're trying to do with 'Scalped,' but at the same time, it's a fictional crime book, so in a sense we're also exploiting the setting," Aaron said. "But I've approached the project from the get-go with a tremendous amount of respect. I'm not nearly pretentious enough to think my little comic is going to make any sort of difference for the average Native on the average American rez, but I still think it's important to try."
I'm contesting his claim that he's depicting Prairie Rose (i.e., Pine Ridge) as it really is. Not to mention his claims that he respects Native people and that non-Natives can learn from his stories. About all they'll learn is that Indians are criminals, thugs, and lowlifes.
If he depicted Prairie Rose fairly and accurately, I wouldn't mind that it's not representative of the Indian experience as a whole. The question is whether his depiction, considered on its own merits, is fair and accurate. I say it isn't.
>> What I mean is that if there were a variety of comics depicting Indian life, wouldn't you be more accepting of this book because different sides would be shown? <<
I'd be more accepting of his choice to use the overused Plains setting and culture. I'd still question whether his depiction was fair and accurate.
>> Is it really that this book is so bad, or is it a lack alternatives? <<
It's primarily bad in terms of stereotyping Natives. If you want a crime series and don't care about Native stereotypes, it's reasonably well written and drawn.
>> Obviously as a writer you know that a status quo needs to be established. It was established in #1. I think you raise valid points, but not for a first issue. <<
I've read a lot of first issues that established a lot more than SCALPED #1 did. Reread the first issue of WATCHMEN, DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, or SANDMAN if you don't recall how engaging a single issue can be.
>> If we're to believe that the lead was sent undercover, would it make sense to show the positive sides of the reservation or the culture? <<
Sure, why not? Think of a comic where the characters were pretending to be something they weren't. How about THUNDERBOLTS #1? The characters didn't have to be bad to prove they were villains in disguise.
>> Now if the series was a year old, and there was still no sign of traditions or any positive characters then you'd have a much more valid point. <<
It's six-plus months old now and the point has only grown more valid. There are few positive characters and no signs of genuine traditions.
>> And I understand your issue with only showing negative aspects of reservation life, but in terms of story, the lead hasn't really been in a situation to see any other part. <<
That was a choice on Aaron's part, not an unalterable given. If he'd written the first issue differently, it wouldn't have been a problem.
>> But the scene at the store in White Haven rang way too true for me. I used to work at a Circle K just off the Tohono O'odom reservation and it was a soul killing job. <<
I didn't complain about that particular scene. In general, I don't have a problem with negative scenes. My problem is that Aaron didn't balance the negative scenes with positive scenes.
>> Hopefully no one is reading this book to gain insight on the Indian community. <<
They probably aren't reading it with that goal. But they aren't reading it with the opposite goal—to immerse themselves in a fantasy world that has nothing to do with real Indian life—either. In other words, they're probably neutral on the issue of gaining insight. If there's insight to be gained, they're willing to gain it.
If SCALPED presents itself as authentic, or Aaron implies it's authentic, people may take its depiction seriously. In fact, they may absorb the depiction by osmosis even if Aaron denies it's authentic. From vocabulary words to scientific concepts to foreign cultures, readers pick up things whether an author intends them to or not.
Of course, Aaron isn't close to denying that his depiction is authentic. Here's another quote from him:
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.
In other words, he's claiming his depiction of rez life is reasonably accurate. He wants readers to believe they're getting the real thing or something close to it.
If someone reads this interview, or just picks up the comic, he has every reason to believe (and no reason to disbelieve) that the depiction is real. With its analogues to Pine Ridge, White Clay, and Leonard Peltier, it has a veneer of authenticity. Aaron assures us he's done his research, which you do only if you're trying to establish your book's bona fides.
>> I'm reading the book hoping for a spin on the crime drama, in an unfamilar setting. <<
It's an unfamiliar setting you expect to learn more about from the book, right?
I'm not sure what spin you're looking for, but to me SCALPED looks like a lightweight concoction of corruption, gangs, shootouts, and martial arts. An excuse for cheap violence and sex. It's nothing compared to a fine series like The Sopranos or The Shield.
>> Hopefully this book will get better in both of our eyes. <<
Alas. After six issues, it's about the same.
Rob
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