Good news: I’m not your “mate.”

This is one of a dozen negative messages about Snowguard I woke up to this morning, so I’ll kill a bunch of birds with one stone and not dig into this again if I can.

I didn’t “cave” to any pressure. I wanted to add a Canadian-Inuk hero to Champions because I thought it would be something interesting to explore and help fuel memorable stories. Good or bad, that’s on me.

There was/is no mandate from on high and no one is telling me what to do beyond the normal cycle of editorial feedback and approval when it comes to doing work-for-hire comic writing. After four years of writing at Marvel I decided to exert a tiny bit of influence and create a new Canadian superhero. The only “agenda” I have is a “Maple Syrup Agenda”, bringing some new Canadian content to the Marvel Universe.



Beyond the cultural aspects of Amka Aliyak’s heritage, I want her to be an ongoing member of the Champions because it shouldn’t be a big deal to have her in the mix (And it is a mix. We have a large cast of characters so Amka won’t always be in the spotlight). Dani Moonstar and Forge have had similar roles in New Mutants and the X-Men in the past. Amka is not the first and won’t be the last.

I’ve done research to try and be sensitive and get the cultural aspects right, but it won’t be perfect. That’s okay. Better to try and fail (and learn and improve) than not attempt it at all.

I hope there’s interest in Snowguard beyond this initial burst of media coverage.

I hope readers get on board Champions and enjoy the series.

I hope we’re able to use these stories to lift people up and entertain them.

I hope it’s a way to bring new voices to the forefront.

The fact that you’re firing off insults about a character who hasn’t even been fully introduced says more about your agenda than mine.

