May 7, 2018
Asian Heritage Issue
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 17
“Wham! Bam! Pow!” now featured at the Wing Luke
Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
“Wham! Bam! Pow! Cartoons, Turbans
& Confronting Hate,” an exhibit of
illustrations by Vishavjit Singh, whose
cartoons emerged from a tragedy — the
9/11 attacks — is currently on view at the
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific
American Experience in Seattle. The
display, which features cartoons, photos, a
shield selfie station, a turban video
installation, and an interactive space,
opened this month and runs through April
14, 2019.
A Sikh American with a turban and
beard, Vishavjit was a target of fear,
anxiety, and ignorance after the terrorist
attacks in 2001. Verbal insults and threats
fluctuated depending on news coverage.
Concerned for his personal safety, he
turned to humor and comics — one of his
childhood loves — to create Sikhtoons. His
simple imagery often has an edge that
pierces
stereotypes,
prompts
self-
reflection, and promotes action while
adding a missing perspective to the
comic-book genre.
Horrified by a 2012 deadly attack at a
Sikh Gurudwara (house of worship) in
Wisconsin, Vishavjit decided the world
needed a new superhero. At the urging of
photographer Fiona Aboud, he cast away
self-doubts of body image and put on a
Captain America suit and turban,
transforming into “Sikh Captain America”
— a superhero on a mission to fight bigotry
and hate.
Vishavjit’s alter ego has been featured
on national media, including “Totally
Biased,” a comedy series with W. Kamau
Bell. On the show, New Yorkers were
interviewed to find out their definition of a
superhero.
One interviewee responded: “More
muscles. Taller. Whiter.”
Since then, Sikh Captain America has
made appearances at comic cons, political
rallies, and schools, sparking dialogue and
challenging common perceptions of what it
means to be an American superhero.
“Wham! Bam! Pow!” follows Sikh
Captain America’s journey as he reflects
on being Sikh American and discovers the
heroic power of compassion.
Many of Vishavjit’s cartoons focus on the
idea of “turbanphobia,” or an irrational
fear of turbans and the people who wear
them. Others address racial diversity or
highlight struggles in dealing with racism.
One cartoon looks at Disney’s racial
diversity onscreen and off. Another
celebrates one of Sikh America’s biggest
stars, Darsh Singh, the first Sikh-
American NCAA basketball player, who
overcame racism to become an online hero.
In a riff on artist Grant Wood’s “American
Gothic” painting, the artist uses the
famous image depicting a farmer and his
wife and flips it with a Sikh couple in
turbans forced to answer where they are
from.
“Wham! Bam! Pow! Cartoons, Turbans
& Confronting Hate” is on view through
WHAM! BAM! POW! “Wham! Bam! Pow!
Cartoons, Turbans & Confronting Hate,” an exhibit
of illustrations by Vishavjit Singh, whose cartoons
emerged from a tragedy — the 9/11 attacks —
is currently on view at the Wing Luke Museum of
the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle.
Vishavjit’s cartoons address the idea of “turban-
phobia,” or an irrational fear of turbans and the people
who wear them, as well as racial diversity. One car-
toon celebrates one of Sikh America’s biggest stars,
Darsh Singh (left photo), the first Sikh-American
NCAA basketball player, who overcame racism to be-
come an online hero. In a riff on artist Grant Wood’s
“American Gothic” painting (right photo), the artist
uses the famous image depicting a farmer and his
wife and flips it with a Sikh couple in turbans forced
to answer where they are from. (Images courtesy of
the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American
Experience)
April 14, 2019 at the Wing Luke Museum
of the Asian Pacific American Experience,
located at 719 S. King Street in Seattle. To
learn more, call (206) 623-5124 or visit
<www.wingluke.org>.