The Tales of the Really White Vigilante began as a valentine of sorts to East Austin.  Originally intended to simply be a book documenting the places, businesses and buildings of East Austin before they get replaced, torn down and cleaned up by the current wave of gentrification, the book morphed into something larger, almost overnight.

The idea behind the book started on a cold bike ride home across the East Side with a friend after spending a couple of hours at a party that was decidedly different than most East Side throw downs: instead of the normal scraggly and bohemian crowd, the party was laced with hipsters, frat boys and a variety of folks who rarely were seen east of I-35.  As I pedaled past some anti-gentrification graffiti in a font produced in photoshop, the Mexican wrestling mask clad Really White Vigilante was born as a running joke. 

A story was built, buttressed by romance and a sound foundation of the irony of a white man fighting white folks for the privilege of living with the underprivileged in the long overlooked neighborhood of East Austin.  The story also surprisingly took on an autobiographical feel, incorporating various incidents and themes that have been running through my head about gentrification, life, art and relationships over the past year. 

The majority of the story was written over a plentiful amount of beer and Dr Peppers at Rio Rita, which also plays a significant role in the comic itself.  I recruited Ian Shults to paint the cover, itself a spoof of Captain America Number One, and convinced my good friend Corey Goering in Kansas City to incorporate a variety of old comic book ads 'digitally re-mastered' to fit the themes of the book.  Nine months of dutiful writing, drawing, inking and insomnia culminated in the finished book.

The comic book is a tale of change and is a reminder of what is at stake when neighborhoods and a city undergoes drastic change.  I've seen the affects of gentrification, both positive and negative, in the various cities that I've lived in, and I hope that the book is an enjoyable and funny, and helps to foster a healthy discussion of the things that Austin is losing and what it is gaining by the rapid development that is occurring throughout the city.

Michael Schliefke,
October, 2007

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