Hi, all.
I recently received a comment concerning Ethan's ethnicity, which read, "I didn't realize Ethan was supposed to be Asian." Just in case you all didn't realize (or didn't read the description in the 'About' section), yes, Ethan is intended to be Asian. However, it was never emphasized in either the story or the illustrations, so don't feel bad. I always thought that giving Ethan thick black hair and slightly smaller eyes was evidence enough, but I've been drawing this character for so long, I'm not the best judge. And I'll admit, there are certain pages where Ethan looks very Anglo.
Honestly though, I'm surprised this didn't come up earlier. It was always an issue while I was doing 'Tails'. None of my friends thought that Ethan looked Asian enough (if at all). Ethan was always intended to be a representation of me, not a replication (hence why I always refer to him in the third person). I tend to think of Ethan as what I'd like to be (handsomer, taller, quirkier, always has a good hair day).
Just to be clear, this is what I look like (it's dark chocolate that I have in my mouth):
And this is what Cartoon Ethan looks like:
Observe and compare. Cartoon Ethan looks about as Asian as Cartoon Jackie did in 'The Jackie Chan Adventures'. I guess I can blame mainstream American media (easy enough scapegoat), where Asian characters always tend to be white-washed in some way. Remember Grunge from 'Gen 13'? Kwai Chang Caine from 'Kung Fu'? Or how about the upcoming 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' film? They didn't even bother to cast an Oriental kid for the lead role. It's internalized, being an Asian-American. You grow up wanting to look more...well, white. (I speak for myself, not for every Asian-American kid.)
But I know I'm not alone. How many of you have read 'American Born Chinese' by Gene Yang, where the main character wishes he was a white kid? Or 'Shortcomings' by Adrian Tomine? These stories really hit home, and capture the self-doubt, self-loathing, self-deprecating self-image that a lot of Asian-Americans have. I went through that stage myself. Over it now.
Of course, none of this really matters, because you can enjoy 'Tails' no matter what race, creed or gender you are. And if you enjoy it less because Ethan is Asian, then you have a real problem...
But still, I wanna ask you, the readers, for your opinion. What ethnicity did you think Ethan was? Leave a comment at the bottom of this page or shoot me an email, don't be shy. This is kinda like a social experiment for me. And don't worry about sounding politically incorrect =P
i dunno, i don’t really see ethan as a member of any particular race. he’s just a guy who loves animals and is having a bit of tough luck getting the job he really wants. granted, that’s not all he is, of course, but that’s just what springs to mind when i think of him.
I personally could tell that Ethan was Asian. But this discussion brings an earlier question of mine to mind– were Ethan’s parent’s meant to be Asian? Or was he adopted? His parents certainly didn’t appear to be Asian (at least in my mind), but then again we haven’t seen much of them yet.
Just a thought.
hey Ethan, I’ve been enjoying Tails a lot, thanks for all the work you’ve put into it
to be honest I hadn’t though about his ethnicity until just now when you brought it up, but when I was made to think on it there was probably a tiny part of me that thought “oh he’s probably Caucasian”, probably because like you said he doesn’t beat you over the head with “looking Asian” combined with my own default characterization, me being a white dude or being influenced by American media or whatever else has shaped me over the years.
If you’re alright with him being no-ethnicity with me than you just don’t need to bring the issue up. However if you would prefer that it was known that he was Asian-American perhaps you could flatly say it on a characters page and not worry about it again, or drop an obvious hint somehow. If you know the Eve character from Meredith Gran’s Octopus Pie I remember being the same way, not thinking she was a particular ethnicity and somehow it was revealed that she was Chinese American, in such a way that I internalized the fact and moved on, not feeling like it had hit me over the head, understanding that it is an important part of her but didn’t define her 100%. If only I could remember how Meredith did it…
I would also recommend American Born Chinese to anyone who wasn’t read it
Ethan’s parents are also supposed to be Asian, but I guess that was lost in translation as well. I didn’t want to make them stereotypical Asian parents, so this is how they ended up. You can just pretend he was adopted then =P
I’m also more than okay with people not recognizing any specific ethnicity, which is why I didn’t draw too much attention to it.
But this is interesting to hear from all of you, all your different interpretations, which was the point of the blog.
Thanks, folks!
I definitely thought Ethan was Caucasian. That might be because I’m Caucasian, or it might be because most mainstream American media uses Caucasians as main characters by default, like you were saying. I could probably name a couple of reasons why I think it’s hard to draw blatantly Asian characters in black and white ink drawings, but I might come off sounding racist by genericizing features, so I’ll skip it.
I can’t say I thought about it at all until you brought it up, but frankly, he does look a lot like you, so obviously he can’t be too bad a representation of a young Asian guy. So maybe the issue here is really that white Americans think that non-white characters should specifically “look different”, which isn’t necessarily in line with reality.
Hmm, I always thought Ethan looked Asian, even before I read the description, because in a way he reminds me of a good friend of mine who is Chinese.
But then again, I live in Ohio where for some reason Asian-Americans abound, so I see them a lot.
I thought Ethan was Asian all the time – but I guess I read the About-section before getting to the comic. But there are little hints that make the ethnicity easy to believe, and comparing to other characters.
But you’ve slendered your face for Ethan quite much
Honestly, I never gave it any thought until you brought it up here. Cartoon Ethan looks like Cartoon Ethan and, since his ethnicity isn’t an issue in the comic, it’s simply a non-issue as far as I’m concerned. I can see, now that you mention it, that Cartoon Ethan looks more Anglo in some places, but he also looks distinctly more Asian in others. But for me, Cartoon Ethan’s ethnicity is precisely as important as what type of cat Garfield is.
I never noticed Ethan’s ethnicity, although if I had, it would have made him MORE appealing. I’ve always been attracted to asian men, filipinos in particular.
I honestly thought he was white.
One of the cool things in real life is that, occasionally, you discover new things about people you think already know.
I didn’t event think about Ethan’s ethnecity. (I read the “about” section after the first few strips.) So now i think, yeah, he does look asian.
Honestly, I didn’t take the time to consider Ethan’s race. He doesn’t look particularly “anything” to me. Perhaps this is mostly just from my view as someone who’s not-much-of-anything “white”. I’ve got the blue eyes, dark hair, freckles… all the genetic odds and ends that make me nothing in specific (and happen fairly often in this melting pot of America). Unless a cartoonist has gone out of their way to represent someone as a specific ethnicity, I think it’s easiest (and most beneficial) to self-identify with a character and feel life from their perspective… however that’s interpreted by the reader. Like I said, perhaps this is coming from being one of the majority and not feeling a pull of strong ethnic roots… perhaps it’s from being an artist myself and knowing that sometimes characters are just a base visual hull to put a life into for others to identify with… and perhaps it was just me not paying attention.
Regardless, it’s an interesting discussion to bring up and I’ll look forward to others’ statements.
(and keep up the awesome narrative and artwork… I’m excited to see where Ethan goes and I check in every single day)
I guess thought he was Asian, personally, but it didn’t even register with me! I don’t notice stuff like that. Mind, I am vastly inattentive, but still! I LOVED American Born Chinese! Checked it out from the library and read it like 12 times. Made my bother… i mean… my BROTHER read it! it was really good.
Hey Ethan! Just started reading a little while ago, and I’m a big fan!
See, I thought Ethan was Asian from the start, or at least half-Asian, but then I saw his parents, and they didn’t look Asian to me, so I was like “Meh, guess he’s white…Heck, I have some one-eighth-Native friends who somehow look Asian, so whatevs”. But apparently I was wrong! So…what’s the deal with his parents? Is his mum Asian? Is he adopted?
Keep up the great work! Great to see a character who works to help animals!
I thought it was fairly obvious that Ethan was of Asian descent. Smaller eyes could’ve indicated being older or that he was of that particular ethnic group (I assumed the second since others would have the typical caucasian sized eyes while he would have a dash along with the iris/pupil). Along with the shape of his nose, straight jet-black hair, facial structure fits in with what is typical of Asians. Of course there is variety, but in every ethnic group or culture there are certain aspects that may be either physical (native Japanese people will have “sharp teeth” due to the fact they eat/drink something extremely hot for example and then eat/drink something extremely cold which weakens the teeth’s enamel (me thinks, that’s the word) to the extent it breaks, or those of Mayan descent — the shape of their skull/face), mannerisms (idioms, etc), or beliefs/attitudes.
I would probably have guessed that Ethan was white, but I’d already heard it mentioned that he was Asian before I started reading the comic.
Either way, author and creation are both very cute
i would’ve guessed native american or asian. maybe hispanic.
i just started reading–this shit looks good. keep it up! we need more good webcomics!
I actually read the intro to “Tails” before I looked at the strips, due to a technical error which delayed my reading it online, so I knew right off the bat the “Ethan” was of Asian extraction.
I never really thought about what race / ethnicity he was, but by default I figured he was White. I thought Ethan was a White boy because all of your characters have about the same sized eyes. I guess he didn’t look any more chinky-eyed then the next person. I realized he was asian after reading the about section. That’s when I realized he looked just like you. Besides, his parents looked White to me also. I don’t think it helped that it was set in Manhattan where there’s nothing but whites and high-yella’ / oreo’s out there XD;;;; As diverse as NY is, we all know the majority of other ethnicities hang out in the other boroughs and even they are getting genderfied….
I had a whole ‘nother rant about white washing. But to avoid spilling family drama and utter loathing for the skin I’m in, I’ll spare you…. Or should I say myself…
I just assumed he was white. I thought Sin might be Asian, though…
Well, I never thought about his ethnicity, it doesn’t mean anything to me, I just thought he looked cool. Then again, I have lived in Japan for a year now, and pretty much everyone was Asian, so that has kind of become my norm.
I didn’t really think about his ethnicity much, except to recall the author is Asian, and this comic is clearly meant to be if not a representation of his life, then a reflection of some kind. What I really focused on was the veganism. As a vegetarian who’s only animal products are local honey and thrift store wool sweaters, it was a real treat to find this story.
I could tell Ethan was meant to be asian, what was confusing me was that his father appears to be blonde. I mean both parents do, but it is much more noticeable with the father. He speaks like English is quite secondary to him, but he looks white. It’s an odd thing.
Interesting how so many people are saying they didn’t assign a race to Ethan as they were reading it, or thought of him as “without ethnicity”, or “all ethnicities”. Especially considering the fact that there are some ethnicities he definitely does not</i share characteristics with.
I think it’s indicative of a lot of things about our culture that a character who’s quite obviously not black is considered “neutral”. It’s that disappearing white person thing.
Just musing.
Great comic! Just found you via a link on Curvy.
I thought Ethan was asian at first, then I thought he looked white, maybe mostly becouse of his father, who lookes very white. But it’s not like it matters, I like the strip just as much either way.
- The sweden girl
actually, i always saw him as asian (when i read the first few sentences i thought you were going to say he WASNT, i was kind of surprised haha)
i thought it was fairly obvious to be honest
Just started the series and honestly never thought about what race he was but when its put out there I can see him as a, as you put it, “White Washed Asian. But other then that very good comic and rather enjoying it. Now part of my daily routine even though the update days are Tuesday and Thursday.
I never really considered Ethan’s ethnicity, because I like the character so it never mattered to me. Still doesn’t. I can see the asian influence, for sure, but something about his jaw line occasionally makes me see a bit of native American in him.
Keep it up!
*wonders what happened to my comment*
I wasn’t completely sure that Ethan was asian until his dad started yelling at him (“WHY YOU YELLING!?”) which is so classically fob asian that I was then sure.
To the observant reader, his race should not prove to be a mystery, but obviously there are fairly dense people out there…
anyways, love the comic, its very different and interesting
Regarding your question about how we perceived Ethan’s ethnicity…I’ll admit I read the “about” info first. But I still think Ethan looks Asian and I have no problem perceiving him as Asian when I read the comic.
Something that has come up in discussions over The Last Airbender film is that many white Americans are so used to seeing some sort of obvious codifier to denote “Asian-ness” that they can’t recognize someone as being Asian without that. They believe that anime characters (even those who are explicitly Japanese) look white because the (often stereotypical, exaggerated) features they usually see as coding a person as Asian are missing or not prominent enough. In other words, if they don’t see yellow skin, thick glasses, buck teeth or slitted eyes, they feel like the character is not coded as Asian, even if they KNOW that real life Asian people don’t look like that. This kind of perception is deeply rooted in the heinous idea that white = neutral, and to signify someone as non-white, you must code them as deviating from “the norm”.
All of which boils down to….I love the way you draw Ethan, and I see him as Asian and not at all as a whiter version of you.
I figured Ethan was American Mutt, like me.:) I It’s NOT the same as the neutral-white thing. People assume I’m big-W white all the time, and I’m not, and yeah, it’s really frigging annoying that unless a character or a real living person looks notably “different” they’re just assumed to be part of the upperclass grouping.
Then again, I tend to assume most people in America to be more polygened than they may appear. My own cultural prejudice at work, maybe?;)
I did get that his dad at least was 1st Generation immigrant, from the broken English, but I’d never assume a particular ethnicity from that. I stil wouldn’t . And “acting” Asian…um. That’s even more problematic. “Asia” covers an enormous variety of cultures, you know?
Also, don’t really see Ethan as “you”. Even though he is. I mean, when I read your blog, I don’t think of it as Tails-Ethan’s blog, you know? That’s…that’s kinda weird. I hadn’t thought about that before. Off to ponder.
I thought he was a mutt, too. It’s the mix of the eyes, the really pointy nose, and my interpretation of the dad as some persuasion of white.
I was thinking from the start that he might be asian, but I wasn’t sure beacause he doesn’t look that asian to me. But I’m kind of tuned in to asian stuff being a student of japanese language myself.
But this reminds me of something I thought about before. I remember meeting a Maroccan guy when he hadn’t been living in Norway that long, and then meeting him again years later, I hardly recognized him because he looked a lot more Norwegian. I guess the face changes when you use another language and maybe behave differently. So if that’s true, then an Asian-American would look different from an Asian living in Asia… Or maybe I’m just over-thinking things…
I forgot to say that I’m a first-time reader and I love your drawing style.
I could totally tell Ethan was Asian!
At first I didn’t pay much attention to Ethan’s race – I was thrown off as others were by his parents, so I thought perhaps he was half-asian – your intent for him to be asian was definitely clear with the eyes but sometimes when his expression requires larger eyes he appears more anglo.
First – sick comic, in the best sense. I found tails on Questionable Content’s sidebar, and you, sir, basically rock. I’m a “young adult” (whatever that means) from New York, and this rings true. I feel like I already know this Ethan guy, it might even be why…
I never thought to question Ethan’s ethnicity. For me his character was made of explicit references and little details – he’s a vegan from the upper east side. He volunteers and writes comics – which implies to me self-direction, and the self-doubt that comes from trying to have integrity. He’s indy, maybe not quite a hipster, probably has a ten speed ‘coz he doesn’t obsess over a fixie. When I walk through the boroughs of such a diverse city, there are a million characeristics more “important” than a persons ethnicity. It ends up being just another part of one’s look, a detail amidst thousands. Maybe coz I’m white and never had to deal with those racial issues…It just doesn’t show up on my radar.
I guess I assumed he was a random white guy, because that’s what I am. Yeah, Ethnocentrism.
I thought asian or mixed, but not an issue, other than ‘oh, he’s CUTE.’ But I wish he’d handled his stress better – seems like he wanted to break up and just used this as an excuse.
I always thought Ethan was Asian, I just had a hard time figuring how. This is merely a reality based problem. My friend Jenn is Chinese 100%, she was adopted, as was my Korean friend Mike. But their faces don’t fall into what most people associate with being 100% not white. All it has taught me is prepared to be surprised. Where a person comes from is less a story of the face, and more how they feel about the background and family they have. I always figured if these feeling were a big part of Ethan they would show up, like in “Shortcoming” (that artist is amazing, I fell in love with his art at first glance).
On a more aesthetic note, your drawings are right on for the lines and positioning of his facial features. In real life, the main tip off would be the color and shading of his skin, not his eyes or cheek bones alone. It pulls together all the other elements of his face. Races are a collection of features, and some people may miss it, but it is not for your lack of accuracy. Your drawings are extraordinary and dead on.
Brody M. B.
I thought Ethan was from somewhere in Studistan or possibly Sexmania. It’s a subtle feature to capture, but I think you pulled it off well.
Chloe and I read Shortcomings a few months back and thought of you (your life is going a bit better than his, to say the least). And that picture makes me think of m2m and it’s many delights of dubious veganness.
I think Ethan looks a little different across a few sets of frames…there is one set where Ethan does look somewhat Asian…at least in the “comic” sense of what Asian looks like…and then there are a few where he looks as though he would be Italian or possibly Spanish (Spain specifically). Just my two cents. I’ll be emailing you about the web design gig.
I just assumed Ethan was an american mutt with traces of asian and german. never really payed too much attention. great comic by the way. if i’m not mistaken I came across your comic between weregeek and dorktower. looking forward to more. and ethan’s voice sounds like adam sandler’s in eight crazy nights…in my head at least. just an afterthought
Honestly, I thought he was some sort of Russian (which, technically, is asain :p)
Ethan himself is pretty ambiguous, but his dad and mom remind me of Russians quite strongly.
Hey, it’s cool man. I totally understand the point of view and to be honest I wasn’T concerning myself so much over such things while I started reading Tails. The first pages made me laugh enough while letting me meet the characters
Keep on going and keep posting your opinions or view as you like! Good things comes from different point of views.
I have no problem with ethnicity (at least I hope I don’t…).
I thought Ethan was Korean, from the scenes at his mum’s. Don’t know why. Not that it matters much.
Keep doing what you’re doing, I (and several of my friends an relations) love your stuff
Ugh. Got here via an ad. Fortunately, after reading this little pity party post, I won’t be reading the webcomic. Thanks.
I thought he was Punk.
-S
Thanks, S, but it’s no biggie. He’s entitled to his opinion =T
Funny how things work, though. I wonder if the “wanting to be white” thing might be more “wanting to be someone else”. I always wanted to be native american/pacific islander. Probably it’s more likely to be pronounced if you’re in a minority that gets crap from the majority though. In any case, I definitely remember envying the “exoticness” or something.
hmm well this was the first one i read (forwarded by someone)
http://tailscomic.com/2009/06/07/prologue-pg-3-of-3/
and i read the side column bit before i formed any opinion. i guess i assumed new yorker / american first rather than any ethnicity.