It's time to get to know the first-ever twink Captain America a little better!
Back in March, Marvel announced that they were introducing the first gay character to take on the Captain America mantle and now we're chatting with the character's masterminds to get the scoop on what went into his creation!
The United States of Captain America is a new series launching this Pride Month from Marvel Comics. It follows Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson as they take a road trip across America to find a thief who stole Captain American's shield. What they find instead is the Captains, everyday people who have been inspired by Cap to become heroes in their own communities. Aaron Fischer, the Captain America of the Railways, is one of those heroes.
Writer Josh Trujillo and artist Jan Bazaldua spoke with Out to talk about what went into making the first-ever gay Captain America.
Trujillo, who wrote Fischer's origin story, said one of his favorite parts was coming up with a signature look. "The overalls were something Jan Bazaldua and I settled on really quickly. They felt true to the character and were more practical than a super suit. Plus, I just think the overalls look cool."
"We tried to give him a simple appearance since he is a street boy who lives in LA, someone who could only make his suit with what he had on hand," Bazaldua added. "And we just tried to give him a kind look, someone who did not have resources or large amounts of money but has a huge heart and a great desire to help people like him."
Bazaldua also said the two of them were excited to take "a very American and very macho symbol," and make him gay. But really, they're not trying to make a controversial character, they just want people to see Fischer and treat him like a normal superhero.
Trujillo also says he looked to real people he knows when creating Fischer. "I'm inspired by the people in my life, like my siblings who work for non-profits and in medicine. Or friends who are foster parents or teachers," he says. "These are people who take action every day to help each other, and Aaron is very much following their example."
He also wanted to make sure that Fischer was someone who resonated with real-life queer people, and that includes sharing in our struggles. That's why they decided to make the hero unhoused. "It's important to Jan and I that Aaron faces real problems impacting queer people," he says. "The housing crisis is something I'm confronted with every day in Los Angeles, and queer youth are among the most vulnerable. Only by drawing more attention to this can we hope to make a difference, and help the unhoused in our communities."
The United States of Captain America #1 is written by Christopher Cantwell and Joshua Trujillo, with art by Dale Eaglesham and Jan Bazaldua, and is available everywhere comic books are sold June 30.
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