In 2021, the comic strip Niala, published by Glénat, was also caught in the storm even before its publication. This comic strip was accused of sexism and racism by “fetishizing” black women. “We are fed up with this representation which tells us that the settlers are courageous and deserve a reward,” read the petition requesting the removal of the book.
Editions Dupuis withdraw from sale a Spirou album deemed racist and sexist
A few years earlier, in 2017, it was Mami Wata, an adventure of Bob and Bobette, which was singled out. At issue: a racist and stereotypical representation of the black man. Faced with the controversy sparked in Flanders on social networks, the publisher had to apologize.
Thousands of books, including Tintin and Asterix, destroyed in schools: “We bury the ashes of racism”
Asterix has not escaped controversy either. It was in 2015, on the occasion of the release of Caesar’s Papyrus. At issue: the representation of black characters with full lips and a pronounced accent. An accusation that can be applied to many other albums by the indomitable Gaul, namely those in which pirates are represented, and the Domain of the Gods.
Even the Smurfs have had their controversy on the subject of racism. In a book published in 2011 and entitled Little Blue Book. Critical and political analysis of the Smurfs’ society, the author Antoine Bueno analyzes the Smurfs’ society and judges that it could be perceived as communist, Nazi and totalitarian… Let us also remember that the Smurfs’ first album, Les Schtroumpfs black, remained banned in the United States for a long time. In question, the color of the black Smurfs and their violent and stupid character. The album published here in 1963 was only published in the USA in 2010, the black Smurfs having become purple, like in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon dating from the 80s.
The Spirou album deemed racist and sexist which was withdrawn from sales is number 1 on Amazon: “It must be banned everywhere by the publisher”
