If Lucy Liu can be Watson, why can’t Sherlock be brown?
This concept art for a new Sherlock Holmes game isn’t new. Former Starr Mazer artist Christina Antoinette threw it together a while ago, but for whatever reason, it’s found new life on Twitter over the past few days. The image has caught on like wildfire, catching the attention of Rain World co-creator Bright Primate, Vlambeer’s Rami Ismail, former Dtoid Show fill-in host and current television personality Anthony Carboni, and many others.
Enthusiasm for the concept is high, though I’m already anticipating some naysayers frowning on the “arbitrary” decision to make this Sherlock Black. “Diversity for the sake of diversity is just as racist as regular racisim!” they may quip. To those deliciously self-assured, self-appointed experts on racism, I prepared a preemptive retort:
‘Like it or not, race still exists in the minds of most people. Pretending that it doesn’t won’t make it go away. We consciously and/or subconsciously associate certain skin colors, facial features, and other signifies with certain feelings, cultural concepts, and/or ideas. Those associations are different for everybody, which is fun. Having an open dialogue about those associations without shame or fear of being seen as ‘racist’ is a wonderful way to get to know yourself and others, provided you don’t dip into hate speech or other destructive practices.’
‘So why is this Sherlock Holmes Black? Probably for the same reason he’s Steampunk. It’s a fun way to play off of our preconceived concept of an iconic character, proving that their character can persevere through alterations in their place in time, reality, society, etc, while also expressing something new. Feeling something simultaneously familiar and fresh from a character most of us have known about all our lives feels good, if you let it. That goes double for Blasian Link.’
