dark_administrator: Katara from Avatar: the Last Airbender looking fierce with the text "Racebending Revenge" (racebending revenge)
dark_administrator ([personal profile] dark_administrator) wrote in [community profile] dark_agenda2010-06-04 11:04 pm

Announcement: the Racebending Revenge Ficathon

Four weeks from today, on the 2nd of July, 2010, a live action movie will be opening that replaced the entirely chromatic cast of its animated TV version with all white main leads except for a brown villain. The show is Avatar: the Last Airbender, and [livejournal.com profile] racebending has been a fandom-motivated protest against it that has led to a wider organisation against whitewashing in Western media.

In support of the cause, we would like to announce a challenge ficathon:

Re-write one or more white characters in the fandom(s) of your choice as chromatic/non-white/PoC, in a story of at least 500 words, with some acknowledgment of how the racial difference would make a difference to the story being told.

ETA Gender-bending and Alternate Universe (AU) stories are permitted, though we ask that you focus on the racial implications of the difference between canonical character and the reenvisioned one.

For inspiration, you can turn to the chromatic re/casting posts masterlist, as well as collaborate with fanartists or vidders who might wish to participate.

Stories posted to the challenge collection at AO3 will be revealed on the 2nd of July, 2010; if you wish to post them elsewhere, we ask that you do so on the same date, and link to them at the dreamwidth community journal.

Some critics of the chromatic recasting meme pointed out that racial identity was integral to the characters because whiteness was not in fact a blank slate. We agree. We want to know how a man called Sherlock Holmes in Victorian England would function if his skin was the colour of soot, or what Latino Dean and Sam Winchester would do to convince people to trust them, and if Buffy the Vampire Slayer can be Asian and still save the world (a lot).

Please comment to this post in order to sign-up. You may mention the fandom(s) and/or character(s) you plan to racebend if you wish to let other people know that someone is doing them, but it is not necessary, and we welcome multiple takes on a character or fandom.

If anyone would like to help out with graphics for headers and icons for this comm here and over at A03, we would be delighted!

ETA: Our challenge is live, but we still welcome submissions! Our master list of fanworks is available at Racebending Revenge Challenge Fanworks & Resources, and links to fanworks for the challenge may be made there. We also welcome fanworks at Racebending Revenge Archive of Our Own Collection.
quinara: Sheep on a hillside with a smiley face. (Default)

[personal profile] quinara 2010-06-05 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, brilliant, thanks!
torachan: (Default)

[personal profile] torachan 2010-06-05 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Great, thanks! :)
stultiloquentia: Campbells condensed primordial soup (Default)

[personal profile] stultiloquentia 2010-06-05 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, boy. I'm really tempted to take a crack at Egyptian Daniel Jackson, but DEAR GOD, I am already so over committed this summer!

Who would make an interesting Anishinaabe or Coast Salish character? I'd be starting a little farther along on the knowledge quest....
trouble: ShuLen from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, with "Heroine" (Heroine)

[personal profile] trouble 2010-06-05 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Is there any way I can help you in this endeavor? Because that is the most awesome idea.
alcyone: (green)

[personal profile] alcyone 2010-06-05 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Hee! Yes, please. What were you thinking of?
zippitgood: sliver of a moon above a bare branched tree (gen - night time sadness)

[personal profile] zippitgood 2010-06-05 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
This concept is fascinating. I'd love to sign up but I have several other commitments.

Have you considered making this a yearly/montly/etc contest? Because that would be so awesome if there was a challenge like this regularly.
lea_hazel: Wonder Woman (Fandom: DC)

[personal profile] lea_hazel 2010-06-05 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
minoanmiss: A detail of the Ladies in Blue fresco (Nubian Minoan Girl)

[personal profile] minoanmiss 2010-06-05 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)
All I have to say is ZOMG YES.
irrelevant: (buttload of darkness)

[personal profile] irrelevant 2010-06-06 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds good to me. :) Signing up, probably for DC comics. Character... um. No idea yet.

Question: can we genderbend as well as racebend?
alexseanchai: Katsuki Yuuri wearing a blue jacket and his glasses and holding a poodle, in front of the asexual pride flag with a rainbow heart inset. (Default)

[personal profile] alexseanchai 2010-06-06 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
Somebody asked that upthread in context of Michelle Yeoh as Batman. Answer was yes.

I'm not formally signing up, but I have a suspicion I'll be recasting multiple Supernatural characters. Probably three of the Horsemen.
starlady: A typewriter.  (tool of the trade)

[personal profile] starlady 2010-06-06 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks for the prompt reply.
sanguinity: woodcut by M.C. Escher, "Snakes" (Default)

[personal profile] sanguinity 2010-06-06 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
For years, I thought Black Canary was... Makah, if I remember right. I was sooooo crushed when I found out that apparently this was not canon, but a scene or two that I had misunderstood. Crushed, I tell you.

[personal profile] ex_troublesteady667 2010-06-06 08:26 am (UTC)(link)
This is an amazing, amazing idea. I'm signing up; I'll do something from DC Comics.
lady_ganesh: A Clue card featuring Miss Scarlett. (ageha (RH plus))

[personal profile] lady_ganesh 2010-06-06 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Hooray, this was my question too!
raven: [hello my name is] and a silhouette image of a raven (Default)

[personal profile] raven 2010-06-06 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Oooh, it sounds fabulous. I have a question, though: would it be okay to write something like - pure example, here - the white characters in Star Trek as though they weren't white, but do a collection of drabbles about lots of characters, rather than 500 words about one? I kind of want to play with how they would all interact, too.

[identity profile] daystarsearcher.livejournal.com 2010-06-06 04:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm in! Now to decide on a character...

[identity profile] jordan-the-kid.livejournal.com 2010-06-06 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm in. Nathan Algren, I choose you!

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