The Unlikely Heroes

PC comics Indie artists lead the way as comics enter a new era of inclusivity.

- Garrick Webster

The overweight teenager who’s bullied and teased, but shrugs it off with a laugh. The disabled reporter who remains dignified, even when a prominent politician mocks him. The transgender individual, humiliated by not being allowed a toilet. Or the Down’s syndrome child with a heart defect, who fights for life through multiple open-heart surgeries before the age of one. They’re all heroes – absolutely – but you’re unlikely to read their stories in comics.

Yes, there are blind and wheelchair bound heroes. There are gay superheroes too, here and there. And the outsiders – orphans, mutants or anti-heroes – are well represented. Mainstream comics are becoming more diverse, but for some creators it’s not coming quickly enough. So they’re doing it themselves via indie publications that are both stunning and inspiring.

Metaphase is a great example. It was written by comic fanatic Chip Reece, whose son Ollie has Down’s syndrome (DS), and features a hero based on Chip’s young boy.

DREAMING BIG

“The comic idea came mostly from my wanting to eventually share my love of comics with Ollie, but then discovering that there were no characters with Down’s syndrome in the stories. I wanted my son to be able to see characters like himself doing amazing things, so he could dream just as big as I did as a kid.” With a script for a 10-page teaser, Chip got artist Kelly Williams on board (see Industry Insight, far right) and eventually Peter Simeti at Alterna Comics agreed to publish it, with some funding coming via a Kickstarter campaign. Now anyone can buy it on Amazon.