Another Native-themed comic book debuted last year. Created by Gary
Petras and Dave Hoover, WILDE KNIGHT is the polar opposite of KODA THE
WARRIOR (ICI #107). Whereas KODA is an instruction manual about
living the warrior's way, WILDE KNIGHT is an escapist fantasy about a
wayfaring warrior woman.

WILDE KNIGHT #1 introduces Cheyenne Wilde, a bow-wielding
Diana as deadly as she is beautiful. Let's see what the comic has to
offer:

The good: Hoover's artwork--the color cover and black-and-white
interior--is gorgeous. Ms. Wilde has typical Indian traits such as
being in tune with nature and motivated by dreams. Petras's plot
about white supremacists is all too relevant. Dialog such as "those
ignorant savages had this land and were too stupid, lazy and helpless
to hold on to it" is convincingly racist.

The bad: With her topknot of hair and centerfold body, Wilde looks
like an exotic European model--a Catherine Zeta-Jones or Raquel Welch
type--not an Indian. She wears an impractical buckskin bodice she has
trouble keeping on. If it isn't obvious she's a "wild thing," her
name (both parts, "Cheyenne" and "Wilde") screams the point. (See
"Why So Many Cheyenne?" in ICI #26 for more on that subject.)

The story gives her no tribal culture or history, divorcing her
completely from reality. Except for the pseudo-Indian trappings
(e.g., the talk of spirits and visions), she could be a white woman
who's "gone Native." In fact, if you replaced the neo-Nazis with
frontiersmen, the story could take place any time in American history,
so devoid of context is it.

If Wilde isn't enough of an Indian herself, she has a wolf companion
named Dakota. (Could wolves and hawks possibly be more overused in
Indian comics?) Her mentor is a loinclothed elder, the clichéd
grandfather figure. He lives in a cave furnished with spears,
pottery, and a tipi (!). After counseling Wilde, he dies
unhappily--the usual fate of superfluous sages.

If "Cheyenne Wilde" doesn't sound untamed enough, she goes through a
baptism of fire and is reborn as "Wilde Knight." Like Marvel's
Punisher, she hunts down the bad guys and executes them without
bothering to establish their guilt. She pincushions one of them with
four arrows, one in the eye, proving she's as vicious as they are.

The ugly: Wilde appears unclothed a dozen times. The comic seems to
be an excuse for softcore nudity and violence, not a genuine attempt
at Native storytelling. The final two pinups of the naked and
voluptuous heroine suggest WILDE KNIGHT's true purpose.

Is Cheyenne Wilde the sexiest savage ever to grace a Native-style
comic? Probably. Do we really need another killer Indian (see Scout,
Butcher, et al.), even if she's a babe? I don't think so.

Co-creator Petras sent me the following note on the series:

"I hope you enjoy the books. I do not have any Native American
background but it is a subject and a people and a culture that
has interested me from early childhood. I just wanted to do
something positive with the knowledge I have gained from all the
reading/research."

All I can say is, keep trying, Gary. <g>

Welcome to Amin

A new artist, Amin Amat, is taking the reins of PEACE PARTY. He's a
graphic designer and comic-book illustrator who apprenticed with the
renowned Klaus Janson. You can learn more about Amin at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/biograph.htm and see samples of his work
at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pp4sneak.htm . We look forward to
great things from him.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics