Tyson Hesse's Diesel Ignition

Hello again everyone! It has been a while since my last post, sorry!! I'm teaching compressed English this semester and it has been eating up so much of my free time. Anyways, I wanted to take some time to write about my new found love for Tyson Hesse and Diesel. Diesel is produced by BOOM! BOX which is associated with BOOM! Studios. Their target demographic is children, however, there is some great content for adults as well. Diesel is a fantastic summer read for your kids, cousins, nieces, and nephews (and of course you!).

Diesel does several things that should be noted. We have a female protagonist of color that is an engineer and adopted. This is important in shattering the children's book  formula of white male protagonists with "traditional" family lives. This gives girls (specifically girls of color) a chance to have themselves reflected back by entertainment media. Additionally, this gives boys and children that are not minorities a chance to see and imagine as something different from their normal. Girls are fed a steady helping of male protagonists (unless they're a princess) constantly in fantasy and adventure stories. As a society we  do not bat an eye at this massive inequality. As an unrelated example, look at the Disney Store. You will notice every single female hero from Marvel is missing from all of the merchandise. Society doesn't bat an eye at this injustice to girls that like super heroes and adventure. This is where Hesse comes in. He creates a space for those same girls to explore and fantasize in. This is critical for boys as well, as it allows them to explore and fantasize as girls in the same manner girls are forced to by male dominated media. 

Another major thing Diesel does that is greatly important is that it talks about race, racial identity, and racism in a way that children can understand. This is vastly important in teaching children compassion. An example of this is in part 5 When Dee and Bull enter a new town. Bull (Diesel's adopted brother) says, "People like me aren't exactly welcome in most places, Dee. Most of the world up here considers Steersmen to be dirty and uncivilized. So they 'encourage' us to relocate where we won't be seen." Dee interjects with a "What!? But that's not fair!" Bull responds with, "What, you thought my people lived among the Overlanders' garbage because we like it? Welcome to the world outside of Peacetowne" all Dee can say in response is "Hey! I don't think you're uncivilized!" (Hesse 5). This is a fantastic moment because it resonates the minority struggle as well as innocence with prejudice. Dee doesn't understand why her brother is treated poorly due to his physical appearance (horns). Dee loves her brother, and is mad that other people will judge him based off his physical appearance before getting to know him. This is a struggle that is all too common in our real world. The masterful thing Hesse does with Diesel is that he doesn't shy away from these real issues, rather he confronts them head on in a way for children to understand.

Another moment that perfectly displays racism in a way children can understand is when Dee has a flashback to her and her father. This scene closes the graphic novel. The scene starts with Dee and her father talking about flight. Her father says, "But. . . what if you could never fall? What if you could fly over the clouds?" Dee responds with an innocent "But we are flying!" (via airship). Her father clarifies by saying, " Sure, in a sense. But what if you could fly with your own arms? Like a bird?" Dee squeals with excitement as her father lifts her up above his head. This is where it gets heavy, her father then says, "what if you could fly with your own arms. And then one day someone took your arms away..." Dee Responds with a "That sounds sad." "that would be sad. And what about the person that took your arms away?" A roughly 5 year old Dee responds, "I would hate that guy" "....me too" is her father's response as he hangs his head down in shame. (Hesse 8). (spoilers: her father is accused by Dee's siblings of starting the war with the bird people and taking their wings.) This scene shows the innocence of children and helps to bring light to racial injustices. It is putting the reader (child) in the shoes of the oppressed person. In this case they are the main antagonists of book 1. This forces the children readers to then feel empathy for a group of characters that have been panted as the "bad guys" the entire time.

I spoke briefly abut the concept of "traditional" families above. Dee has one of the most interesting family dynamics. Dee is the youngest of 5 siblings and the only girl. All of the siblings (including Dee) are adopted and have various beliefs on the morality of their adoptive father. Many of the siblings don't see him as a father, yet they all see one another as actual siblings. I found this very interesting because it shows that familial bonds can transcend blood relation. It is important that "non-traditional" families get a turn on the media carousel because the "traditional family" that is forced down peoples throats isn't even the majority. We are a diverse and complex nation of people, it is foolish to think that every family will fall under the same umbrella. That being said, Diesel does a fantastic job at showing other types of families and how they function. 

Diesel (Dee) is such a charismatic character.  I think we all know someone like her (my brother!) and that makes her so charming. She's rambunctious and makes mistakes. Hesse isn't afraid to let her get burnt by the choices she makes. It is important that she learns by trial and error as most children do. This humanizes her and makes the message of the book sit with the reader better.

I honestly really enjoyed this graphic novel. The art is cute, the characters are playful, and the message is good. It is a shame that there is only one book out currently! I am eagerly awaiting the second book. Again, I recommend this as  some fun summer reading for you and your small ones (I'd say about 8+ years old).

Thank you again for reading! I promise I'll start using more digital copies soon so I can post actual scenes.

-Tory