Rucha Sharma speaks to Marvel's Sana Amanat on her Muslim-American superhero, Ms Marvel
Marvel Comics launched a new series with a new character called Ms Marvel in 2014, and the world of comic book lovers has never been the same since. The creative forces behind the story of Kamala Khan – a Muslim-American teenage girl with superpowers living in New Jersey – were writer G Willow Wilson and Director of Content and Character Development at Marvel Entertainment, Sana Amanat, now responsible for what is viewed as the Golden Era of female superheroes.
Amanat, a 34-year-old Pakistani-American woman from New Jersey, has a degree in political science from Columbia University. She moved to Marvel Comics in 2009 after the indie comic book company she as working for downed its shutters. In her six years with the comic book giant, she transitioned from a story editor to the first director of content and character development. While growing up on Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's X-Men comic books, she identified with the mutants who were trying to find their place in the world, and yet was unable to see her authentic representation. So when the time to pitch for Kamala Khan came, she drew from her experience to tell the story of someone who is struggling with identity.
"People get stuck on checking boxes and they start forgetting about the human beings building those narratives," says Sana, recalling the time she explained the idea behind Kamala Khan to former President of the United States of America Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama (her real-life superheroes). "about what she means to the comics community, for pop culture and what it says about the American identity."
Khan's first ever appearance in the comic books shows her sniffing a bacon burger and sighing because of her religious dietary restrictions. As Amanat describes her, Khan started as a young girl, who feels a bit uncomfortable in her own skin and wants to be so much bigger and better. Khan writes Avengers fanfiction and is in awe of the superheroes around her. She's unpopular with the kids in school and maybe this is why when she gets the superpowers of shape-shifting, she feels all over the place. Khan turns into a blonde, a leotard-wearing avatar of previous Ms Marvel, reflecting the struggle of all immigrant population that wants to live the American dream without giving up on the power they all harness from their heritage.
To make the story relatable, Amanat joined forces with G Willow Wilson, who already has a strong comic book portfolio that included Vixen series with DC Comics, Cairo and Air with Vertigo Comics. "I look for someone who already has a body of work, ho can write drama and action at the same time, has a sense of humour, knows how to write visually so that the artist can take that and then build into a comic page," says Amanat on why she chose Wilson.
Amanat has worked on several Marvel titles including, Daredevil, Hawkeye, Rocket Raccoon, and Captain Marvel, and aims to make sure the content stays fresh, not repetitive. "Even if I am trying to tell a story about a character that hasn't been around for a while, I make sure the story itself plays with genre and the visual style or tone in a way that's unexpected."
Marvel movies have become best way to reach a larger audience for Marvel comics, and Amanat says she will be thrilled if Ms Marvel features in one. She's also promises that something very exciting is on the cards for Marvel Comic Book fans in a few weeks time. Here's hoping that Amanat's efforts will turn the notion of 'comic books for boys' on its head.
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