Former Superman Colorist Gabe Eltaeb Says Another Reason He Left DC Was “Racism” And Treating POC Like “Victims”

JB Augustine |

Mar 15, 2022

Colorist and creator Gabe Eltaeb is disclosing more reasons why he left DC Comics last year. Overall, his self-exile was due to the modification of Superman’s motto that replaced “The American Way” with “For A Better Tomorrow” now that Clark’s bisexual son Jonathan is wearing the cape and fighting climate change.

Reacting to the casting of an actress of color as the redhead Carrie Kelley in The CW’s Gotham Knights pilot, Eltaeb revealed he also parted ways with the declining publisher because of “racism” and tokenizing of non-whites as “victims” that always need help.

“Another reason I left @DCComics,” he tweeted, “the racism from leadership treating us POC like we were ‘victims’ to be saved.”

Eltaeb, who is North African and son of a Libyan immigrant, added a personal story from 2016, right after the Presidential election. “Day after Trump won, an editor emailed me saying something like ‘people like her would protect people like me,’” he wrote.

With three laughing, teary-eyed emojis, he concluded his post wondering, “How are you gonna protect me? I VOTED TRUMP.”

Disgusted by alterations made and creative liberties DC has taken with the Man of Steel recently, he not only bolted from DC but left Publisher Jim Lee a long passionate message as to why. “You probably hate me and think I am a fool but [I] couldn’t stay silent any longer,” Eltaeb said.

“Your parents decided to immigrate to America, Jim,” he continued. “This country and its heritage and the blood spilled gave you everything you have, not South Korea. Even if the decision to remove the credit American culture had in creating Superman is out of your hands…it is so ungrateful for you to go along with this.”

Eltaeb didn’t disclose what Jim Lee sent back to him but he made it clear he didn’t want his fans or anyone going after Lee out of respect for the Publisher’s privacy and that of his family.

Eltaeb would rather comic readers and his followers help him restore the “American Way” principle to the industry. To do this, he is producing a graphic novel christened, appropriately, “TRUTH, JUSTICE, AMERICAN WAY.”

https://youtu.be/PGCa63Cuoqc

Fully backed, the IndieGoGo supporting his project still has nine days left and is accepting more backers. The “64 pages of full color, action, and adventure” with “Heroes you can believe in!” ships worldwide and has several tiers of perks. So you ought to be able to get your copy today.

The crowdfunding campaign currently has raised $37,397 from 568 backers.