Condoman

Condoman is an Indigenous Australian superhero created in 1987 as the mascot of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention campaign encouraging condom usage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Depicted as an Indigenous man in a red, black, and yellow costume inspired by the Australian Aboriginal flag, he initially appeared on posters in North Queensland with the message "Don't be shame, be game – use frenchies!" (using a slang term for condoms, later changed to "Don't be shame, be game – use condoms!" for wider distribution). Condoman was designed to promote safe sex practices as the AIDS crisis began to arrive in Australia, and would come to be recognised as an important symbol in the history of HIV/AIDS in Australia and as a successful case of Indigenous-led healthcare initiatives.

Background and design

When human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), first appeared in Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians were identified as a particularly vulnerable demographic. Indigenous Australians have disproportionally poor health outcomes when compared to the non-Indigenous Australian population, and healthcare workers feared that HIV had the potential to devastate Indigenous communities.[1][2]

Campaign

The original posters depicting Condoman included the text "Don't be shame, be game – use frenchies!", utilising a slang term for condoms that was common in North Queensland at the time. Later versions of the poster distributed in other parts of Australia changed this to "Don't be shame, be game – use condoms!",[5] while versions of the poster used in schools carried the more discreet message of "Protect yourself!".[6] The character proved popular, and Smallwood went on to film an educational advert with schoolteacher and James Cook University football player Richard Blackman playing the character of Condoman in a costume sewn by Smallwood's mother. The advert, filmed at a football carnival, depicts a young Indigenous couple preparing to have sex for the first time when Condoman jumps out of a tree with a box of condoms in hand, telling the teens "Don't be shame, be game! Use frenchies!".[2] Actors playing the character would appear at Indigenous cultural events to distribute condoms and promote safe sex by directly engaging with community members,[1][7] and in 1991 an actor dressed as Condoman appeared at the Sydney Easter Show to hand out child-friendly material.[6] Further merchandise produced with Condoman's likeness and messaging included t-shirts, stickers, fridge magnets, frisbees, hats, and badges.[6][7][8]

The Condoman campaign would be relaunched in 2009 by the 2Spirits program (formerly the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV/AIDS Project) with the goal of providing safe sex education and reducing the associated stigma, particularly for Indigenous gay men, sistergirls, and people living with HIV.[9] The new campaign included a redesign of Condoman and the addition of new characters, including Condoman's female sidekick Lubelicious and a cast of villains representing sexually transmitted infections and relevant stigma. Educational resources, comics, radio messaging, and new costumes for live events were produced as part of the new campaign.[10]

alt	A comic-style poster depicting a dark-skinned male superhero in a red, yellow, and black costume holding a small box in one hand. The text on the poster reads: "Condoman says: Don't be shame, be game – use condoms!"
first date	1987
creator	Gracelyn Smallwood
designer	Ingrid Hoffmann
portrayer	Richard Blackman
based on	Phantom
nationality	Australian

Background and design

Campaign

Reception and legacy

References