KAMALA POWERS AHEAD

IN 2014, Marvel Comics debuted its new superhero, a PakistaniAmerican teen named Kamala Khan from Jersey City. The first Muslim Marvel comic book character to headline her own series, she attracted overwhelming response from comic fans worldwide and even sparked dialogues about the MuslimAmerican struggle. “Her success was unique because there was already hype even before we released any stories about her,” says one of its creators Sana Amanat, a Pakistani-American herself, in an interview.

“Aside from what she represents and what it means to people, her whole storyline is great. She’s a fantastic character — very relatable, funny, engaging, awkward and yet she’s so idealistic.

“I’ve been very lucky to work with such incredible people behind the scenes. The strength lies in the consistency of our care for Kamala and her stories. We’re lucky to have support from the get-go.”

Shape-shifting superhero Kamala, who received her powers after being exposed to Terrigen Mists, was also created by editor Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona.

As Marvel’s content and character development director, Sana oversees Marvel’s continued efforts in expanding its group of characters across the company’s various platforms, ensuring that the storytelling and characters are relatable to today’s audiences. In addition to being the editor for comic books including and it’s always been Sana’s mission to highlight diverse characters.

“When I first started work in the comics industry, I felt like an outsider. It was frustrating for me as it was an industry that celebrated misfits and outsiders, which is a contradiction,” Sana, 34, explains.

“I truly believe that comics is a fun space but I knew there were people like me who might not have felt comfortable with the industry at large.

“So my team and I did a lot of work to engage with the community and make sure to highlight content and characters that are relatable to women in minorities in particular. At the same time, they’re essentially great stories about great characters, period.

”Some of their efforts include launching the Women of Marvel panels and podcasts, and giving talks about the need for representation in storytelling.

Thanks to her contribution, Sana was named a part of 2016 New Guard of America’s 50 most influential women. And last year, she got to represent Marvel Entertainment and introduce former president Barack Obama (he’s a Kamala fan) at a Women’s History Month event.

Marvel Comics hopes to work towards providing a suitable Marvel character for every kind of Marvel fan.

“It means a lot to me that I see more kinds of people becoming Marvel comics fans. I want to sustain that and give them a comic that they love so that they can connect to it; and introduce them to other different characters and universes.”

Read more of the interview below. A Muslim mum whose daughter wants to be a writer told me, “Right after 9/11, it was a toxic time to be a Muslim in America. Seeing Kamala has given so much hope not just to me but my children as they would be living in a different kind of world.” She had tears in her eyes. It was beautiful because you don’t realise how meaningful Kamala is to people of colour.

I also had this Caucasian man in his 60s coming up to me at a comic convention. He said “I’ve been collecting comics my whole life, and I have to say is my favourite ever.” That was just mindblowing because such distinct people from opposite walks of life are all really loving this character and what it means to them.

There are different kinds of personalities, but it’s all about balancing the superherolike, inspirational qualities with who they are as a regular person. That duality is what makes them relatable. We think about their civilian identity and flaws, and from there we include these fantastic qualities that we desire to have. As editors, we make sure that every comic book we put out is informative enough for a first-time reader. We make sure new readers understand who the characters are from page one and what’s going on. Also, if someone isn’t necessarily familiar with the Marvel films, games or animation, when they pick up that comic book for the first time, they’ll know what to expect from the superheroes.

Comic books are a fantastic art form. We’re doing a lot to educate our audiences about what’s fun about it from a young age. If people want to experience a great story about characters they love, the best place to start is through a comic. I don’t believe it was hard. We have a great team who had the same vision. It started with and to an extent, but the scene was already changing. People jumped on because it was working. People wanted different stories to be told, and I was lucky to be a part of it because it’s something very close to my heart. We’ll continue to have such support from Marvel and I’m excited to see what we can do next. I want to get to a point where Marvel isn’t viewed as a boy brand anymore. Instead, it’s a brand loved by fans of all backgrounds and experiences who enjoy great stories and characters. I’ll make that happen, God willing.

I have a few nieces. I can’t pick one, they’ll be mad at me, but they’re all my Ms Marvel. (laughs).