Comic books: not just for white dudes any more.

Of course, they never were. Comics fans have long cut across race and gender lines. Superheroes appeal to anyone who likes stories of heroism and adventure in fantastical worlds, and with their box office clout, their popularity is soaring. But, outside of indie comics, the characters on the pages and the creators behind them are still trying to catch up with their readership’s diversity.

We take a look at two local creators who are tired of waiting for the big publishers to diversify. Jazmin Truesdale is working to launch a multimedia line focused on a team of ethnically diverse female superheroes. In his new Princeless spinoff, Jeremy Whitley offers another self-reliant young woman of color in the lead role. We also interview Rob Pierce, the producer of a new documentary about a failed Superman movie starring Nicolas Cage (!).

The Triangle is a hotbed of comics talent and activity, and these stories only scratch the surface. To learn more, visit area shops such as Chapel Hill Comics, Capitol Comics II in Raleigh or Ultimate Comics in Durham (owners of NC Comicon, Nov. 13–15), which is about to expand into Raleigh. Excelsior!

The INDY comics issue!