Voici un autre dessin de Milo et Kida du Disney « Atlantide, l’Empire Perdu » (cf. post du 14 mai) que j’ai adapté d’un dessin publicitaire des animateurs Randy Haycock et John Pomeroy.
La rumeur court que le film d’animation « Atlantide, l’empire perdu » serait prochainement adapté en film live… Vrai ou faux, ce classique Disney mésestimé fêtera ses 20 ans l’an prochain et je rêve de produits dérivés faisant justice à la vraie première princesse noire et guerrière du studio : Kida ! Voici ici un dessin que j’ai adapté d’un dessin publicitaire des animateurs Randy Haycock et John Pomeroy.
Kidagakash was Atlantian, and she was brown-skinned, but she was not Black. She was a woman of color, yes, but she was not Black. “Black“ is not interchangeable for anyone who is darker than snow white. ”Black“ is not simply being brown-skinned. Blackis being Black.
I don’t know much about Atlantis but the few things I have read are of Atlantis originating from or having ties to Africa. Critias said Atlanteans had conquered parts of Libya and Eygpt.
If people want to code Kida as Black, that’s alright with me.
Surely though, if Disney announced her as the first Black Princess back in 2001, people would be offended as her African heritage is not apparent and her skin is light. Only after Tiana, do people stretch and say she’s the first in defense of Disney’s lack of representation. There is actually some people who are proud of being represented by Nala rather Tiana, as Nala kept her “true Africanness throughout the film” while Tiana was a frog for majority.
While Atlantis is fictional like Maldonia. I think the reason why these people above thought Naveen was Black is because Fictional Country + Brown Skin = Black to them.
There are extensive mythos on Atlantis, and I haven’t read all of them but I do know that the Greeks believe that Atlantis was the realm of Poseidon and Cleito. Regardless, they are still myths and don’t have much to do with Disney’sportrayal of Kida, which was not being “Black”. Someone who is Black is someone who is of African descent; given that she is part of a mythical race of people, she isa woman of color because she is not White, but calling her “Black” is completely inaccurate, and diminishing Tiana’s role as the first Black princess is completely unfair.
Her not being Black has nothing to do with her skin color; I’ve seen Black people who are that light, but that doesn’t change the fact that Kidagakash is Atlantean. The Disney story was that Atlanteans were a human race like everyone else around 10000 B.C., but then a comet crashed and broke off a large chunk of Earth which fell into the sea; the people somehow adapted and built their fortress underwater. They were never meant to be Black, they were not presented as Black, because they are not Black by any means. They’re people of color, though fictionally, which is great in and of itself, but they are a fantasy race presented with 0 ties to Africa or any other continent for that matter.
Thus, like I said, I’m willing to smack anyone who says that Kidagakash was the ‘first Black princess’ and that Tiana shouldn’t be heralded as such because she was “second” or “typical”. Kidagakash is a wonderful character. I absolutely lover her, as I love Tiana. They were bothmonumental parts of my childhood—though one a LOT later—but taking away the fact that Kidagakash represented a strong, fantasy woman of color to diminish Tiana’s being Black is ridiculous. It’s not about being “truly African”, or skin color or whatever, it’s the fact that she wasn’t Black and was never presented as Black.
It robs the series of its diversity anyway, considering that Dr. Sweet was a non-stereotypical Black man who was unquestionably Black and not mixed, Audrey was unquestionably Latina and even spoke Spanish, and Kidagakash was the strong, woman of color deurotagonist who came from a fantasy race. That doesn’t mean she can’t be inspirational to women / girls of color, to me it means the opposite; making her “Black” just misses the point for me.
Very insightful, thank you for the correction!
May I just add that even though Princess Kida is ‘Atlantian,’ millennia of ancient lore depicted Atlantis at the Strait of Gilbatrar, which is where Spain and Africa meet.
Kida was also voiced by Cree Summer, an African American voice actress, who’s known for voicing Susan Charmichael in Rug Rats and Valerie Gray in Danny Phantom.
Both female characters were also established as African American.
A lot of the Atlantian culture Disney gave the animation was also inspired by multiple African ethnicities—especially their masks. I’m not labeling Kida as any race, those are just additional facts.
I was asked if there was a model sheet for Kida’s queen outfit at the end of Atlantis. I found this original model sheet (top) among my piles as well as an earlier exploration of the costume (bottom). Hope this is helpful. Maybe I’ll see some Queen Kida cosplay at ComicCon this year? Here’s hopin’!
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. First off, I’d like to thank this board for taking the time to hear my proposal.
Now, we’ve all heard of the legend of Atlantis, a continent somewhere in the mid-Atlantic that was home to an advanced civilization possessing technology far beyond our own that, according to our friend Plato here, was suddenly struck by some cataclysmic event that sank it beneath the sea.
Now, some of you may ask, why Atlantis? It’s just a myth, isn’t it? Pure fantasy. Well, that is where you’d be wrong.”
I recently had the chance to do a photoshoot at the Field Museum of Natural History as Milo Thatch and I could not have been happier with the photos from my lovely friend Sen.
I’ve decided to do some underappreciated Disney characters and Kida was at the top of my list! Atlantis: The Lost Empire was like… my favorite movie when I was a kid and it hurts that Kida isn’t considered a Disney Princess.
