Black April
 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M1fwrc4ah-...+Tan+April.jpg

So wanna talk about it?

See every time I bring up the depictions of April O'Neil as a black woman on the internet someone always pops up snarling, insisting that she never has been depicted as a black woman outside of fanfics and when I give concrete evidence like this they make up some excuse like non-canonicity or that's it's just a colorised version and does not count or something else like.

Now I know these arguments usually come from rather unpleasant people and I'm not one of the people who claim she was always intended to be black (the details behind her creation are fuzzy) and thus she should always be depicted as black.
But I still find it a bit confusing why it would ever really be a big enough deal to either rage against or demand everything else to correct itself after it.

April O'Neil is a fictional character and nothing about her suggests that she'd have to belong to one racial group or another so what's the problem?

I seem to recall that when Eastman and laird were first coming up with April, they toyed with the idea of making her black...either that, or they named her after a black friend(?)...or something else. I can't place it exactly, but I do know for certain that there is something in the past that connects April with a black woman, just for the life of me can't remember the details right now

I may be wrong, but I think Mirage April was based on the girlfriend Eastman had at the time. Or something like that.

could be...but I just can't shake this thought about a black friend, or classmate, or something when they were first thinking her up....

I dunno, "ruined childhoods" and threatened loss of fanboy lust if the April they know and love lust for is "changed" and no longer the "same person"?

Harmless imo. Hell, Baxter has been both black and white, right? Though I suppose few people are too emotionally attached to him to really care.

The world isn't ready for a black April.

And you know this how, exactly? If it were pulled off well, I wouldn't be opposed to it.

After suffering through a white Eric Sachs Shredder, you really think we can handle a black April?

Alright, found the reference I was thinking of...

In Eastman's "Artobiography" he says that April was concepted in Pete's notes as an Asian character and then named after a black woman that Kevin once knew. So I think that's about as black as she's going to officially get.

The idea of an Asian April, however, seems like it would've fit nicely with the whole Japan/martial arts angle. Though thinking about it, that may have been exactly why they opted not to go that route - perhaps it'd make the book even more "asianish" then they were looking for.

If we can handle Stockman being a white guy in the OT, we can deal with April returning back to being an African American.

Shredder being asian is part of his background, April's race isn't very important to her character.

Designed to be Asian, named after a black woman, turned into a white woman... geeze, April, who will you be next. lol

Did the concept of Karai exist around the same time? Maybe someone thought it would have been "overkill" on supporting cast female characters if they're both Asian. :roll: Token white girl semi-main character for majority white America? Hm.

What is that comic in the OP actually from, anyway?

TMNT Vol. 1 issue #32

As far as I know, that issue is the only one where April is colored dark skinned, and she is a reporter in the issue.

Edit. I might be completely wrong on the reporter part, as I've got a complete iron blanket on the story.

I think Eastman & Laird's memories of April's original ethnicity contradict each other. Eastman tried to work in elements of his then-girlfriend while Laird simply envisioned her as Irish Anglo heritage. Her appearance in issues 2-3 seems to support Laird's view while her makeover in issue 4 and following started to favor Eastman's vision. Issue #32 (from which the above scan was taken) was an Eastman/Bode collaboration, but it's also possible the full-color reprint made her skin tone appear a bit darker than intended; her complexion looks considerably lighter on the cover to the original B&W printing.

Ultimately, it was David Wise modeling the animated version after Fujiko Mine from Lupin III which has probably cemented her pop-culture icon status more than anything else.

TBH, Mirage April always came across as mixed to me with the way her hair was.

April was also colored with dark skin in Tales of the TMNT #7, and she was a reporter in issue 33.

Personally have no problems with it. In the grand scheme of things it changes only as much as you let it.

Not sure why April's race is even a discussion topic. What does it matter what race she is? Sure it is confusing seeing her different looks in some of the comics but in the end does it really matter?

The only human character's in the TMNT universe whose race matters should be Shredder and Splinter (if Splinter was originally in human form and mutated into a rat, of course). Their Japanese roots play heavily in their backstories with their rivalries and especially with Shredder's connections to the Foot Clan etc.

While I never gave April a thought, I always wanted Casey to be portrayed by a Black man.

?????Where is this source???? I swore April was suppose to be hispanic, I thought Eastman and Laird noted it in the Ultimate collection notes??

so..
 

you basically just want Shaft?

Eastman's "Artobiography"

Ditto; I always read Mirage April as being black or mixed.

I have zero problems with a black April, or a Latino April, or an Asian April - it'd just be another evolution of the character and could be really positive. Either way - I honestly can't understand why people would get their knickers in a twist over it.

Obviously it's not set in stone or anything, but "O'Neil" is a VERY Gaelic, Irish-Protestant name with a long history (although it later spread into some Scottish families as well). At the very least, it's about 99% most likely that anyone with that last name would be of Celtic descent. Obviously, names get legally changed, passed around through marriage, things like that. But statistically speaking, a non-Caucasian with that name would be super-rare.

Stranger things have happened. I worked for a white Irish guy whose last name was Juarez. Still no idea how THAT happened.

My family name is McBride and I'm "non-Caucasian". I also have a friend with the middle name O'Neil because it's his mother's maiden name who is also "non-Caucasian". In the US it's possible, especially given its history.

Oh it happens, it's just unlikely.

I'd be down for African American April. I've been saying for years that Captain America could be African American and that would add so much more depth of emotionality to the character (e.g. A villian saying "The star on his chest once represented the demise of people like you" in trying to get into his head). Sorry about the tangent haha.

The only skin color I'm concerned about when it comes to the TMNT is green! The skin tone of any other character changing wouldn't phase me at all, though I will admit I have a thing for redheads, so the original animated April will always be my crush.

Yeah, I've got an Irish surname and the vast majority of my ancestry is Irish... but I actually look more Italian (due to my great-grandmother on my mother's side having a fling). Go figure. I have to work so hard at staying pale; if I get the slightest bit of sun, I go olive in an instant! :tgrumble:

Everyone knows her ethnicity is "paper and ink".

For African-Americans I don't feel that it is, actually because of the history of the US.

Good one. :lol:

His father was either Spanish or from a Spanish-speaking country, I'm guessing? Sounds like a logical explanation to me.

OT April will always be my preferred basis; so no.

I wouldn't actually mind an incarnation where April is Black. her race isn't important to her character, so if they do change her race, then it's not like an entire part of her character is altered.

April could very easily be of mixed race/heritage and retain the Irish last name. In fact, I really prefer that idea, and it does seem like it might have been possible from the earlier Mirage comics. But the '87 series really cementer her appearance-wise as a white redhead, so... here we are.

Weird how that show also white-washed Baxter Stockman... Though thankfully that was set right by the 2003 cartoon and the "correct" version of Baxter seems to have stuck.

I personally like her being Irish American.