After reading Heidi MacDonald’s The Beat! at the PULSE regarding the cover image for Checker Publishing Group’s Winsor McCay: Early Works, Vol. 1, SBC decided to contact Checker to see the reasoning behind the cover. The following is a statement that SBC received from Checker’s publisher, Mark Thompson:
“In answer to the item headed “Race Relations #2” in Heidi MacDonald’s column on the Pulse December 10, and to a handful of direct inquiries (Rory Root, Tim O’Shea, others):
In short, The Tales of The Jungle Imp strips (from which the cover image was culled) are the main sales handle for the book, never before having been reproduced in their entirety. From a historical perspective the images are from the period where McCay became a professional cartoonist. It was my decision to approve a cover which promoted the presence of that material within the book. In hindsight, Checker Book Publishing regrets the size and prominence on our cover of an image with potential to inflame racial sensitivity, and also the exclusion of other images from McCay’s work which may have served to dilute and lend context to his stereotypical depiction of Africans. Subsequent volumes of Winsor McCay: Early Works, of which twelve volumes are planned, will not contain such images on their covers, nor will a second printing of this volume in the event that one should become necessary.
That said, we never considered leaving the Jungle Imps material out of the book, nor will we hesitate to publish other McCay work containing stereotypical imagery (which it often does) in future volumes. We equate dilemma for those putting out a Gone with the Wind DVD…do you remove the Oscar winning performances from the film…due to their negative depictions, or do you assume that every reasonable person understands that this was pre-1960’s. It was the times. Fast forward to 2003- much more racially offensive material is easily found by just turning on MTV. The mistake was not made with the same malice and forethought of say; a Jack Chick comic. Future volumes will pay special attention to avoid being racially insensitive while maintaining the artistic integrity of the original work.
