Comic Artists Plan Black and White Protest

'Minority' strips not interchangeable, say fed-up cartoonists

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 6, 2008 3:01 PM CST

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Comic Artists Plan Black and White Protest — The cast of Aaron McGruder's "The Boondocks," arguably the most successful breakout among minority-penned comic strips. Due to "token" policies of some editors, argue protesters, achieving syndication is difficult once a perceived quota has been met on strips by and featuring minorities. (United Features Syndicate)

Sick of seeing colleagues turned down by newspapers that already have their fill of cartoons depicting minorities, artists of color are planning a draw-in Sunday, the Washington Post reports. The minds behind strips like "Candorville," "Herb and Jamaal," and "Cafe con Leche" will wield their pens to portray a white reader writing off comic strips like theirs as "tokenism."

"I'd be shocked if an editor ever looked at a new white strip and said, 'We already have a white strip,' " says Darrin Bell, creator of "Candorville." But one syndicate rep argues that race is at most "a minor" factor. "How much uproar am I going to have if I drop a strip I currently run and replace it," he says. (More comic strips stories.)

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