Jason Aaron responds to criticism over sexualized Pocahontas character in King Conan # 3

Writer Jason Aaron has already commented about the recent controversy surround his depiction of Pocahontas in his King Conan book, namely King Conan # 3!

This stems from Pocahontas’s appearance in Jason Aaron‘s King Conan where an older Conan the Barbarian encounters a beautiful woman stranded in an island who turns out to be this universe’s version of Pocahontas named Princess Matoaka, a name that also refers to the real life Native American princess.

She’s drawn showing way more skin than her Disney counterpart. She’s actually dressed like a character for the King Conan books too if you think about it.

Also some people on Twitter complained that they used a 12 or 13 year old girl’s identity and turned her into a femme fatale character always scantily clad which was flagged by Native Americans on the microblogging site.

In recent developments, it looks like criticism about Aaron’s use of a real-life historic figure has reached him and puts in a commitment to avoid doing it again. Here’s his statement he originally shared via BleedingCool.com

In KING CONAN #3, I made the ill-considered decision to give a character the name of Matoaka, a name most closely associated with the real-life Native American figure, Pocahontas. This new character is a supernatural, thousand-year-old princess of a cursed island within a world of pastiche and dark fantasy and was never intended to be based on anyone from history. I should have better understood the name’s true meaning and resonance and recognized it wasn’t appropriate to use it. I understand the outrage expressed by those who hold the true Matoaka’s legacy dear, and for all of this and the distress it’s caused, I apologize. As part of that apology, I’ve already taken what I was paid for the issue and donated it to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. The character’s name and appearance will be adjusted for the rest of this mini-series and in all digital and collected editions.

What do you think of the developments as well as the initial controversy brought forth by Jason Aaron’s Pocahontas in King Conan # 3? Leave a comment below Follow me on Twitter at @thefanboyseo for more geek news and updates!