Key Takeaways:
– Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko drew inspiration from Asian cultures for the world in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
– This cultural approach translated to DiMartino's book series Rebel Genius, where he embraced the Italian Renaissance era.
– Rebel Genius provides a unique take on fantasy involving creativity and art as a source of power.
– Avatar: The Last Airbender was Nickelodeon's response to the demand for a Harry Potter-like story, yet the series broke away from traditional fantasy tropes.
Avatar's Asian Culture Influence
Avatar: The Last Airbender creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, pushed boundaries by infusing their world with inspiration from various Asian cultures. This approach paid off as the story's unique cultural aspects garnered a significant amount of interest among fans. So much so, this strategy continued into DiMartino's novel series, Rebel Genius. Here, he sought to explore another part of history left untouched in Avatar, taking inspiration from an entirely different region.
Rebel Genius: A delve into the Italian Renaissance
In Rebel Genius, DiMartino constructed a world much like our own during the Italian Renaissance. The story crafts an innovative narrative where art holds an intrinsic power. Some characters own Genius—small bird-like entities, representing one's creative potential. It's fascinating, yet controversial since owning a Genius is prohibited. Hence, those blessed with such talent convene clandestinely to learn sacred geometry and channel art.
DiMartino expressed that he saw a yearning among audiences for exploring fantasy realms reflecting our planet's diverse cultures. He wanted to challenge the trend of confining fantasy settings primarily to medieval or English origins. This sentiment resonates among many contemporary fantasy authors.
Encouragement towards Global Diversity
This encouraging shift is apparent in numerous fantasy writings today. From exploring East Asian influences in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao to focusing on cultures from the global South in works like acclaimed film Black Panther. Genre expansion to embrace a wide array of settings and cultures around the world is creating a rich tapestry of enchanting stories.
Breaking from the Traditional: Avatar and Harry Potter
Interestingly, Bryan Konietzko revealed that Avatar was Nickelodeon's response to wanting something more Harry Potter-esque. Despite this, Konietzko and DiMartino opted for an approach that deviated from the conventional hard magic system seen in the Wizarding World. They created Avatar, which challenged many established fantasy tropes.
The Road Forward
With the amped-up activities of Avatar Studios, Paramount aims to elevate Avatar: The Last Airbender to match the scale of franchises like the Wizarding World or Star Wars. The universe of Avatar continues to expand, delving deeper into individual character stories and the history and future of their world.
This enriching expansion of the fantasy genre, inspiring more culturally diverse settings and stories, fosters an exigent dialogue: it is time to broaden the landscape of fantasy narratives across the globe. As proven by Avatar: The Last Airbender and Rebel Genius, viewers and readers alike are eager for more diversity in the worlds they explore through stories.
