Marvel Entertainment’s EDITOR IN CHIEF, C. B. Cebulski, is ethically unfit to sit in the top job at Marvel Comics... a leadership role he attained on the backs of yellowface and cultural appropriation by pretending to be Japanese (i.e. Akira Yoshida) to get a job that was intended for a Japanese writer to work on manga.

The Marvel/Disney executives who promoted him despite knowledge of these actions are also unfit to lead.  To continue to promote someone, who is fraudulent and blatantly violated company policy to get ahead at the expense of underrepresented voices, to lead a global brand that reaches millions is unethical.

Beyond committing cultural identity theft, Cebulski's contributions to stories including Japan and Asia are from a white man's perspective, but was believed to be an "authentic" Japanese voice and thus seemed to validate the negative stereotypes found in Marvel comics.

The harm done is best summarized by Kelly Kanayama, the comics critic and scholar. “[Cebulski] presented a vision of Japanese culture that was just different enough to seem exotic, but that aligned with Western biases about what Japanese culture—and Japanese people—were really like." Marvel executives told Bleeding Cool that Yoshida had stood out for his apparent ability to write “well for an American audience—something [the company] had struggled with in the past when seeking authentic voices.” (because he IS WHITE and not an authentic voice) Yoshida’s pastiche likely vindicated much of Marvel’s previous stereotyping around Asia, which has often been extensive. The X-Men regularly pop over to Japan to fight against (and occasionally hook up with) a revolving cast of ninja, yakuza, and mechanized samurai; Iron Fist and Doctor Strange both trained in ambiguously Himalayan magic cities. Then there’s Psylocke, a mutant who stands as an unintentional metaphor for “Orientalist profiteering”: a white mind in an Asian body. (The Atlantic, December 2017)

Using this fake persona, Cebulski got gigs writing at other publishing companies, such as Dreamwave Productions and Dark Horse Comics. Eventually, another Marvel editors contacted "Yoshida," inviting him to be a contributor — which is what led to the X-Men and Thor titles, among many others. (Washington Post, Dec 2017)

Cebulski didn't just use a fake name, he created elaborate lies about this fake person's life story, doing interviews, etc.

"For example, in 2005 industry blog Comic Book Resources profiled Yoshida, citing an interview with the author. The profile said he grew up in Japan and was a childhood fan of comics. His father was an international businessman who often brought him to the United States, where he learned English." (Washington Post, Dec 2017)

This made headlines in 2017 when Cebulski was promoted to EiC and people wanted him to step down, but Marvel did nothing. THEY ALREADY KNEW and despite the public backlash, STILL DID NOTHING. They even have a webpage still up crediting Yoshida.

This is the epitome of corporate irresponsibility, cultural appropriation, white privilege, and doing harm.

There was no punishment. No consequence. No career hit.  Cebulski just went on to get the top job.  

But someone with this kind of judgment, who has never faced consequences for this, and speaks about this issue so flippantly (quote below), DOES NOT DESERVE the top job.

“I stopped writing under the pseudonym Akira Yoshida after about a year. It wasn’t transparent, but it taught me a lot about writing, communication, and pressure. I was young and naïve and had a lot to learn back then. But this is all old news that has been dealt with, and now as Marvel’s new Editor-in-Chief, I’m turning a new page and am excited to start sharing all my Marvel experiences with up and coming talent around the globe.” - C. B. Cebulski

The fact that Marvel allows and supports sweeping this under the rug shows their lack of leadership, morals, and courage.

This only resurfaced last weekend b/c a Marvel colleague, Steven S. DeKnight, tweeted:

"I had no idea. I love writing for Marvel comics, but this changes the equation. Drastically. There are so many great editors there. To allow a man who climbed to the top through cultural identity theft to remain in that position is unconscionable."