Kellogg's Cereal Box Cartoon Raises Racial Questions For Father

CHICAGO (CBS) -- At first, it appears to be one of the innocous brain teaser cartoons on the back of a cereal box.

It challenges kids (and, sure, adults, too) to find certain details contained throughout the illustration.

However, Saladin Ahmed, a novelist and Marvel comic writer, noticed something else.

The only dark-skinned character on the Kellogg's Corn Pops box in the cartoon was a janitor.

"Why is literally the only brown corn pop on the whole cereal box the janitor? This is teaching kids racism," Ahmed said in a Tweet to the cereal manufacturer, Kellogg's.

Ahmed allowed that it may be a small thing--it's just a cartoon, afterall. Until, he said, one stops to consider the subliminal impact.

"When you see your kid staring at this over breakfast and realize millions of other kids are doing the same ..." he said in a subsequent tweet.

In a statement, Kellogg's said: "Kellogg Company has respect for all people, and our commitment to diversity and inclusion has long been a top priority. We take feedback very seriously, and it was never our intention to offend anyone. We apologize sincerely. The package artwork has been updated and will begin to appear on store shelves soon as it flows through distribution."

Ahmed, according to his Twitter profile, is from outside Detroit.

Kellogg's is based in Battle Creek, Mich.