An Iranian Hero for a New Generation of Girls
According to Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), a meeting on the challenges of hero-making for Iranian girls, along with the unveiling of the second volume of the ‘Roshank’ comic, was held at Shahr-e Ketab-e Alef. In this meeting, activists in the field of children’s and young adult literature and content production discussed the necessity of creating indigenous characters and Iranian superheroes for girls.
The Lack of Iranian Characters Among Children is Evident
Shirin Mehrabian, editor-in-chief of Komika Studio, referring to the results of research conducted on popular characters among Iranian children, said: In recent years, a study asked Iranian children about their favorite characters, and all ten chosen characters were non-Iranian. This issue was an alarm bell for cultural stakeholders; because despite Iran’s rich literature, we have few stories from which a lasting and vibrant character can be created; a character that enters areas such as stationery, clothing, toys, or even cinema.
She continued: For a character to become lasting, continuity in narrative is important; meaning their adventures should be published in various formats and at intervals so that the audience can live with them. The publishing industry must move in this direction. In the audience assessments we conducted, we found that the genre of illustrated stories and superhero stories has the greatest impact.
Mehrabian added: One of the important challenges is the issue of copyright. Because producers usually prefer to use foreign characters to avoid paying royalties. Whereas if we move towards creating Iranian characters, we must consider a sustainable economic mechanism to support the creators of these works.
Roshank, A Girl From the Lineage of Gordafarid
Mahmonir Dastanpour, author of the Roshank comic, said at this meeting: Comics are not new in our culture; they have previously existed in forms such as curtain-reading. In Roshank, we have introduced a girl who is similar to Gordafarid; a girl with a motherly form and the characteristics of an Iranian woman.
She added: While writing the script for the Shahnameh animation, I realized that visual works have the capacity to enter homes and connect with children. Character creation means introducing the heart of a character and giving life to them. We have abundant raw materials in our literature for creating superheroes; we just need to introduce them to children in a new language.
According to Dastanpour, Roshank is set to present a new image of the Iranian heroic woman: She is not like the female heroes of international literature; she possesses special intelligence and power that is appealing to children. We tried to introduce her in such a way that, like a salesperson who believes in their product, she presents her product with enthusiasm.
Iranian Women Possess Innate Wisdom and Intelligence
Masoumeh Yazdani, a writer and expert in children’s and young adult literature, spoke about the characteristics of Iranian women: Roshank is a character rooted in Iran’s cultural elements. Iranian women have long been compelled to be intelligent and prepared due to their geographical location and cultural background; because Iran’s nature is tough, and one must possess wisdom to live in such a land.
She continued: Iranian women always fluctuate between their emotions and intelligence, but they make wisdom their guide for action. She is not self-absorbed or fighting aimlessly like anime heroes; if she fights, she fights for wisdom and to protect her homeland. Like Gordafarid, whose goal in battle with Sohrab was to defend Iranian soil, not to defeat the enemy.
Yazdani concluded: This thought is dependent on our history and geography; Iranian women have used their wisdom for survival and transcendence, and this makes them a lasting role model.
Economy Must Serve Culture
Maryam Jalali, a professor at Shahid Beheshti University and a specialist in children’s and young adult literature, also spoke at this meeting, emphasizing the link between culture and economy:
The work of economy must serve culture. Just as the character’s clothing must be Iranian, the story’s environment and atmosphere must also arise from the heart of our culture.
Referring to the history of female superheroes in the West, she said: From the year 2000 onwards, with the rise of the feminist wave, female writers were encouraged to create superhero characters; works like Little Women were formed during this period. In these works, gender concepts were redefined, and then technology was added to change the definition of a superhero.
Jalali explained: Traditionally, a superhero is someone who possesses power, responsibility, and a spirit of sacrifice. But in the last two decades, the female superhero is a more mature teenager who balances tradition and modernity and does not lose her connection to her own culture.
