鈥淐aptain America doesn鈥檛 wear a beard and a turban, and he鈥檚 white.鈥�
Vishavjit Singh looked at the boy who uttered those words, and then he looked at himself 鈥� a skinny, bespectacled, turbaned, bearded Sikh in a Captain America suit.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 offended, because I knew that this kid was going to have this image of me, a Sikh Captain America, forever in his mind,鈥� Singh said. 鈥淭his image has so much power to it that it opens up conversations about what it means to be American.鈥�
Representation of non-Abrahamic religions and spiritual traditions, particularly in the mainstream comics universe, is minimal. Even when they are portrayed in comics, their presentation, as Singh and others in the field point out, is often inauthentic and sometimes negative.
Recently, however, comic book writers and academics who study the intersection of religion and comics , which they say is happening because people close to these faith traditions are telling these stories with a reverence and sincerity that resonate with a wider audience.
A Sikh superhero with a message
Singh鈥檚 journey to make that connection began after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, triggered . Having faced hate and exclusion throughout his life, he decided to spread his message of kindness and inclusion by capitalizing on the appeal of comics and superheroes 鈥� an area where he found Sikh representation to be 鈥渧irtually zero.鈥�
He suited up as Captain Sikh America in Manhattan for the first time in summer 2013 鈥� one year after a self-proclaimed white supremacist opened fire inside a , killing six and injuring four others.
New York's reaction to Captain Sikh America was joyous.
鈥淪trangers came up and hugged me,鈥� Singh said. 鈥淧olice officers wanted photos with me. A couple wanted me to be part of their wedding ceremony. I felt I had a certain privilege I鈥檇 never had before.鈥�
In 2016, Singh gave up his full-time job to travel around the country to schools, government agencies and corporations to share his story and educate youth about his culture and faith. He doesn鈥檛 speak directly about religion but rather the core values of Sikhism.
鈥淚 talk about equality, justice and about the universal light being present in every speck of creation,鈥� he said.
Africana religions in comics
惭补谤惫别濒鈥檚 heralded better representation for Africana religions in the U.S., according to Yvonne Chireau, a professor of religion at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. However what is seen in Black Panther or other comics is a synthesis of different African religions and cultural practices, she said.
For example, one page might talk about the Orishas, divine spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba faith of West Africa, while another might feature Egyptian gods. One of the first superheroes with African religious roots, Chireau said, was Brother Voodoo, created in the 1970s by Marvel publisher Stan Lee, writer Len Wein and artist John Romita. He was the first Haitian superhero.
The turn of the last century was a time of revival for Black-centric comics, she said, adding that immigration from African and Caribbean countries, including , led to increased understanding of religious practices originating in those places.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely gotten a lot better and much more authentic because the people who are telling these stories care about those religious practices,鈥� she said.
Incorporating Black mythology and spirituality
Brooklyn-born Haitian American comic book writer Greg Anderson Elys茅e said he didn't learn about African and Caribbean religious traditions until he was a teenager. Elys茅e was raised Catholic, but he now considers himself agnostic. For the past decade, he鈥檚 written comics about Is鈥檔ana, the son of Anansi the Spider, the god of wisdom, knowledge and mischief in the Akan religion of West Africa.
What drives his vision and his creativity, Elys茅e said, is the need to see more Black mythology, deities and spirituality showcased with the same level of respect as European fairy tales and Greek mythology.
鈥淲hen I went looking for anything on African spirituality in the bookstore, I found it in the occult section as opposed to the religion or mythology section,鈥� he said. Common and witchcraft are colonialist narratives aimed at demonizing Indigenous spiritual practices, he added.
鈥淲hen I started going to ceremonies and rituals, I saw how much power there is in it. When we know who we are 鈥� whether you believe in the religion or not 鈥� it fills you with joy, a purpose and a sense of being.鈥�
Elys茅e is excited and relieved by the reaction to his work.
鈥淲hile this is entertainment, you also don鈥檛 want to offend those who believe in it and truly get so much power from it,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ome of my portrayals of these religions in my comics may not be 100% authentic, but there is a level of research and respect that goes into every piece of it.鈥�
Zen comics that heal, ground and center
Zen Buddhism has informed much of John Porcellino鈥檚 work. For over three decades, he has produced and self-published King-Cat Comics and Stories, a largely autobiographical mini-comic series. Porcellino was drawn to Buddhism in his 20s after what he describes as a period of intense mental suffering and health problems.
As a punk rock fan, Porcellino saw commonalities between punk and Zen because 鈥渢hey are both concerned with the essence of things rather than appearances.鈥� Both are ways of life 鈥� simple yet nuanced.
He gave the example of a wordless story titled 鈥淥ctober,鈥� featured in King-Cat鈥檚 30th issue, that shows him as a high school student walking home one night from school. When he gets home, his mom asks him to take the dog outside; as he steps out, he sees the stars.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the experience of being in everyday, mundane life ... and then suddenly breaking through to some kind of transcendence,鈥� he said.
Porcellino views these comics as a healing presence in his life.
鈥淭hey are an important part of my spiritual practice,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ny time I have a major crisis in my life, my first reaction is to sit down and start making comics and put my focus into that. It just helps ground me.鈥�
Why representation matters for children
Teresa Robeson, who wrote a graphic novel about the 14th Dalai Lama, said that even though her mother was Catholic and raised her in the faith, her grandmother was Buddhist. She grew up in Hong Kong, with memories of relatives praying to Buddhist gods, taking in the fragrance of burning incense and the sound of Buddhist chants.
Though she practices neither Catholicism nor Buddhism at this time, Robeson jumped at the opportunity to tell the story of the in graphic novel form because the book focused on a pivotal moment in the spiritual leader鈥檚 life, when he fled Tibet for India after the Chinese occupation.
Robeson liked the idea of representing a religion and culture that do not get much attention in media.
鈥淐hildren鈥檚 books are like mirrors and windows for kids,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 helpful especially for children of immigrants who don鈥檛 often see themselves in mainstream literature. They don鈥檛 see anyone who looks like them or prays like them. At the same time, it also helps kids who are not Asian or Buddhist to learn something about those communities.鈥�
The comics renaissance in India
Amar Chitra Katha was a comic book company started by the late Anant Pai in Mumbai in 1967 as a way to teach Indian children about their own mythology and culture. The first title was 鈥淜rishna,鈥� an important god in Hinduism and protagonist of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the religion鈥檚 main sacred texts.
Pai was an engineer turned comic books seller who used varied marketing techniques, including walking around with planks, nails and hammers in his bag so he could build shelves for bookstores that refused to display his comics because they lacked shelf space, said Reena I. Puri, the company鈥檚 executive editor and a 35-year veteran of the business.
Pai started with Hindu mythology and gods but soon expanded to other faiths, releasing a globally successful comic titled 鈥淛esus Christ鈥� and others about Buddha, Sikh gurus and Mahavira, who founded Jainism. Later came secular comics about historical figures and folktales.
But religion remains the mainstay of Amar Chitra Katha, and books that teach children about faith, history and culture are also the most popular in the diaspora, Puri said.
鈥淢ost recently we鈥檝e also portrayed (Indigenous) religions and have gathered folktales relating to these traditions from all over India,鈥� she said.
Amar Chitra Katha comics faced criticism in the past for their portrayal of gods as fair-skinned and 鈥渁suras鈥� 鈥� often the antagonists to the gods 鈥� as dark-skinned with demonic facial features. But that has changed, Puri said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e educated ourselves and realized that our ancient texts were not as racist or colorist as we may be today,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e correcting those misconceptions now.鈥�
Atheism, paganism and ... Lucifer
British comic book writer Mike Carey is known for his 2000-2006 DC Comics series 鈥淟ucifer,鈥� which depicts the titular character鈥檚 adventures on Earth, in Heaven and in various realms after abandoning Hell. Carey counts himself an atheist who went to Sunday school only 鈥渇or the fun, stories and chocolate.鈥�
Carey portrayed Lucifer as the 鈥渟on of God, but as a rebellious disobedient son who wants to find himself as distinct from his father.鈥�
He has also explored pagan themes, particularly what he called the 鈥渨eird interface between British folklore and British religious traditions.鈥�
Carey delved into the concepts of faith, God and morality in a series titled 鈥淢y Faith in Frankie,鈥� which tells the story of a teenager with a personal god called Jeriven who gets jealous of her boyfriend.
Even though many of his comics and novels explore religion and ethics, Carey said, he has never 鈥渇elt any temptation whatsoever to believe.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e become more and more entrenched in that position, because organized religions are like any organization that sustain themselves, amass power, wealth and authority,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o I鈥檝e never really grappled with religious issues. What I do sometimes is explore, play with and tease out moral issues that were important and meaningful to me.鈥�
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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This story has been updated to correct that Reena Puri鈥檚 title is executive editor, not managing director.
Deepa Bharath, The Associated Press
