Hello there! I'm curious about something I hoped you might shed some light on for me. When writing a character with a strong dialect in comics (Rogue, for example), what is the typical protocol? In screenwriting, it's frowned upon to write in dialect (rath

Wow, this is a great question. Let me see if I can do this justice.

Here’s the thing, ethnic or national dialect is a serious minefield in comics, when done carelessly.

There is definitely something about print on the comics page that amplifies attempts to portray a strongly accented voice.  Something that comes across as a sensitive and honest portrayal from an actor often looks absolutely hideous on a comics page, typed out (usually, but not always, by a white writer).

If an Hispanic actor says a perfectly dignified line in a manner that shows that his English is accented (I’m not talking about offensive racist portrayals), all that dignity and humanity shows through and it hits the ear naturally and humanely, it’s just a person talking. English might be his second or third language, there’s no intrinsic value placed on the inflection.

But with the fewer visual and audible clues in comics, it can really come across as caricature very very quickly. The long history of racist and well-intentioned-but-still-clueless portrayals of non-Native English speakers in Western comics doesn’t help.

So my feeling is, tread lightly, be sensitive, consult experts, and watch very closely for cliche, they can be hurtful very quickly regardless of your intentions. I have a few portrayals in the past that I wish I had downplayed a little more, as the comics page really multiplies the effect, particularly out of context. And that can be really hurtful.

The PLUS side is, comics allow lots of visual and verbal clues that serve the same purpose but are less problematic to look at. You can have another character remark on a character’s accent and the reader will slot that information in immediately and add that to the character’s voice.

I think accents and dialects are one of the reasons why so many Western comics writers are leery of creating characters that weren’t born in the U.S.A., but it’s obviously a bad excuse. It just takes a little bit more effort and a willingness to listen.

So, think of it as a powerful spice, used cautiously and sensitively, it adds to a wonderful flavor. But too much ruins the entire dish.

People want variety, they like to see a diversity of characters, but that means we have a responsibility to be accurate and thoughtful about it.

I hope that makes sense!