We couldn’t contain our excitement back in 2013 when Marvel introduced 16-year-old Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who is also known as the superhero Ms. Marvel. Khan is not only an Asian American superhero who can kick butt, she’s a woman we can look up to and relate to.
To highlight the fact that Ms. Marvel battles issues faced by many Asian Americans, comics writer G. Willow Wilson says that Kahn “struggles to reconcile being an American teenager with the conservative customs of her Pakistani Muslim family. Like a lot of children of immigrants, she feels torn between two worlds: the family she loves, but which drives her crazy, and her peers, who don’t really understand what her home life is like.”
Much to our excitement, it was recently announced that the Ms. Marvel series is a finalist for the first-ever Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity.
“The nominees for the first ever Dwayne McDuffie Award reflect the best of what a comic book can be,” said Matt Wayne, the Director of the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity. “[They] reflect Dwayne’s aspirations for the comic book industry. They are diverse, inclusive and forward looking.”
Dwayne McDuffie was an accomplished comic book writer and television writer & producer who co-founded Milestone Media. He also worked on comic book titles such as DC’s Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Justice League of America and Marvel’s Fantastic Four. Although he passed away in 2011, this Diversity Award hopes to continue his vision of superheroes that can reflect all readers.
“I am so proud that my husband’s personal mission to include a more diverse array of voices – both in content and creators – is able to continue now through this award in his name, by encouraging others who share his vision of comics, characters, and the industry itself better mirroring society,” said Dwayne’s wife, Charlotte McDuffie.
The winner of this award will be announced at the first-ever Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity ceremony which will be held at Long Beach Comic Expo on Saturday February 28th.
Feature image courtesy of www.themarysue.com
