later in the narrative. Mr. Popo has demonstrated the ability to magically create objects from seemingly out of thin air, for example a flying carpet which he uses as transportation in the anime story arc Garlic Junior Saga, though the character is also depicted as capable of flight or levitation using ki. Unlike series protagonist Goku, Mr. Popo can teleport instantly to a desired location without requiring the use of an energy signature to home in on. In the Dragon Ball Z anime, Mr. Popo has a brief match with Son Goten and Trunks who have transformed into Super Saiyan form where he holds his own, blocking or dodging several hits and even appearing unfazed after being struck by a kick. Controversy and reception The Dragon Ball media franchise, particularly the anime adaptation of Dragon Ball Z, has long been popular with black communities around the world, as well as hip hop culture and art movement. For many African Americans who grew up watching Dragon Ball anime, Mr. Popo is regarded as the only notable example of black representation in the series. Nevertheless, by the early 2000s some commentators began referring to Mr. Popo as a derogatory stereotype in the style of blackface, a controversial form of makeup historically associated with stage and film caricatures of African Americans, or a representation of the antiquated racial term sambo. In her article written for The Christian Science Monitor in May 2000, Weatherford alleged that Mr. Popo represent a depiction of individuals with African heritage from a white supremacist perspective, and that characters like him are known to a far-reaching audience of children through cartoons and product tie-ins. She suggested that such stereotypical characters could adversely affect the malleable self-image of black children, and noted to her bemusement that "racist stereotypes that would shock Americans don't raise an eyebrow in much of Asia". In 2001, the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University declared that Mr. Popo is an example of a racist caricature in modern fiction. The Jim Crow Museum later published on their official website a letter written in response to their article from a reader who disagreed with their assertion that characters like Mr. Popo are deliberately anti-black in design. In a retrospective discussion about the character, Ramsey Isler from IGN suggested that it is easy to label Mr. Popo as a racist caricature if the character