h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.h2g2.com/A440182

I wrote this article because I felt there wasn't too much out there about my favorite topic - mainstream comic books. It discusses why comic books are important to American society and touches on why they are a valued and valid form of art and social commentary.

I liked this article. I thought it was a thoughtful and well-written treatment of a subject that probably not many people would think to take seriously.

My only suggestion is that, as you're focusing specifically on American comic books and American society, perhaps you might consider changing the title to reflect this. Maybe something along the lines of The Social Relevance of Comic Books in America, or The Social Relevance of American Comic Books. Not a big change, but as a non-American I think it's important. Bear in mind that you're dealing with a global audience. The title at present gave me a misleading impression that you're dealing with the subject of comic books in a universal way, whereas it's only one country that you're talking about.

(Some might take offence and see it as more evidence of Yankee cultural imperialism, but not me, no sir, did I say that?... )

Also, perhaps you might give it a few sub-headings to break it up a bit.

Nice article though. I'd like to see more of this kind of cultural studies material in the Guide - beats the usual boring stuff...

I hadn't considered the "American" aspect of comic books. All those insightful modern commentators the article mentioned, who contribute to the burning social issues in comic books today... are British. It really *is* an international medium.

Beside that, I agree: well written article, we need fun articles like this, but put some headings in.

I get too wrapped up with my nationalism sometimes. I apologize. I'll edit the article and give a more "international" tone. I'll through in some subtitles as well.

Thank you for the criticism.

Okay, I finished revising the entry. Please let me know what you think of my revisions.

Yeah, that seems more worldly-wise. I think most Westerners (apart from hardened cynics) should be able to relate to the values you mention.

Perhaps I'm being a bit too hard a taskmaster here, but... how about a few more examples to illustrate your argument - maybe outline a scene or two from a Batman / Superman / whatever comic to help demonstrate how these characters reflect those values.

One mistake... 'freedom, equality, and liberty'. Shouldn't 'fraternity' be in there somewhere?

and a typo - 'fasist' - 'fascist'

What about those self-stlyed "graphic novels" - comic books in all but name - where do they fit in your classification?

As a side issue, you should really include a link, at the very least, to http://www.h2g2.com/A219052 - "Adult Comic Books".

Nothing on my personal favourite, 'Preacher', I notice... You say that you can't make a meal of mindless sex and violence but take no point from the 'mindful sex and violence' camp...

Jim, LOF

I see I have a bit to reply to here.

First, if any of you notice any typos, grammar problems, etc... Please let me know.

Second, if you have any suggestions for fleshing out the article, I would love to hear them. I'll throw in a few more examples... I just need to think about them more. (I wrote this article in about an hour or so while I was at work). I was thinking of perhaps changing examples into entire articles, sort of like comic book - book reports, and adding links to the examples. For example, I can write about the fear of nuclear winter during the cold war and how it affected comic books in the 80s, drawing examples from Frank Miller's Batman:Return of the Dark Knight and Ann Nocienti's Daredevils and using the origin of the Hulk and some other characters as historical content.

Third, if you can suggest more links, please do. I'll review them and most likely add them to the article.

Fourth, I didn't specifically mention Preacher, but I did mention Ennis, who, unless I'm mistaken, created and writes the Preacher (he is also currently doing a bang-up job on the Punisher BTW). By doing so, I was trying to remove comics like the Preacher from the first category of fluffy nonsense comics, and place it within the avant-guarde classification.

In case any of you want a clearer idea of what I have in mind by the three broad classifications I mentioned, think of the fluffy meaningless sex and violence art over content version of comics as an attack on Image comics and its ilk. Vertigo comics is by far the best example of the more popular avant-guarde comics, but I would also place things like Cerebus and most other independents in this category. Then for the mainstream comics, you can think of the bulk of the titles of DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, and other major publishers falling into this category.

BTW, for any of you who are reading this that are comic book buffs and want to read a title that has a great story, amazing art, and an incredible sense of the mainstream comic book industry and its history, pick up the Sentry by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee. Its up to issue #3 (in New York anyway). This comic is a real Marvel insider's treat.

This is a pretty insightful article, and I think you've said everything that needs to be said. However. I do think it's a little too general in scope - but in fleshing it out, how do you draw the line?

What about underground comics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? There's adult comics, and then there's *naughty* adult comics, like Faust. Also I think the role of Superman in WWII deserves a mention. He was used as a propaganda tool to promote patriotism (not that there's anything wrong with that...) He appears as a "secret weapon" to trounce the Nazis/Japanese in several books from that time period. Check out the Smithsonian collection of Superman comics - pretty cool! They even have that famous Superman comic where he's lifting a car on the cover.

Maybe you should consider writing about how the role of comic books have changed over the years. They used to be a surreptitious way for adults to tell kids not to steal or do drugs; today their scope is much broader.

I found a few Brit comics - two Strange Days (Eclipse Comics) and Johnny Nemo - in a used bookstore one time. They are absolutely fabulous, at least in terms of artwork. Strange Days is one of those Eclipse products that includes three or more stories in a single book. Also for a very funny little series, try Zooniverse, by Fil Barlow. As for American products, my favorites include the Electra series by Frank Miller, anything by Bill Sienkewicz (especially Strange Toasters and Daredevil) and this odd derivative little series called Nexus (by Steve Rude and Mike something-or-other).

It's right that comics be taken seriously, but I think your opening sentence leaves a lot to be desired. If you're looking for stories of heroism and life lessions, I would recommend the entire corpus of world literature as a place to start!

Also, if the intention of the article is to draw new readers to comics, then I would focus on what you call the 'avant-garde', as titles such as Preacher, Strangers in Paradise, From Hell are the ones that are most accessible to people with little interest in the spandex side of things.

I didn't say that comic books were the only place for heroism and life lessons, just one of the last ones remaining. Perhaps I should have added some qualifiers, such as 'contemporary' and 'popular'.

There are only one complaint I have with literature and the avant-guarde front of comic books - they aren't accessible to everyone, especially younger people and less philosophical types. Don't get me wrong, I love them both personally. I wouldn't have spent four years of my life earning a major in English and a minor in Philosophy at Columbia University if I didn't enjoy great literature and meaningful stories. (I'm rereading Moby Dick as we speak, and my old college professor, Andrew Delbanco, wrote the introduction for the version I have in hand. My background is literature - its what I read for fun).

'Serious' thinkers seem to have an aversion to 'spandex' stories. I don't understand this. I think its short sighted. You want to read some amazing stuff, read the six-part story arc that ran through the Spider-Man titles back in '89 by JM DeMatteis and Mike Zeck where Kraven kills himself. It may have been about two characters that on the surface are 'cheesy' and 'spandex' but it broke right through those boundaries without losing its mainstream audience as well.

And even the boundaries of mainstream 'spandex' characters aren't nearly as confining as you may think. Have you ever read Amazing Spider-Man #31 - 33 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko? I first read them when I was six, and I'll tell you, they taught me lessons about why we are here on earth that I carry with me to this day, as silly as that may sound. Anyone can understand those issues who is intelligent enough to read on a second or third grade level, yet they are universal in scope in the values they carefully promote. If you consider yourself any kind of comic book collector, I highly suggest you check out these issues, even if you have to get reprints. It speaks of the triumph of the spirit which is only possibly when one realizes that they are given life and their individual gifts for the betterment and protection of the ones they love. Basically, it best sums up the driving spirit of Peter Parker - with Great Power comes Great Responsibility. If we all lived up to that, especially intellectuals, politicians and social leaders, then this world would probably be a much better place.

Stan Lee is a genius not only for his imagination, which unleashed the horde of Marvel Comics on us, but for his understanding of humanity and his ability to bring this understanding across to children. Who is a better, more valuable teacher - the man who teaches a thousand children to read and function, or the man who teaches one man to write? The answer is that they are both equally important. 'Spandex' has its values just as much as 'avant-guarde'.

*applauds*

Horses for Courses - even tellytubbies has it's uses...

I agree! All I was saying is that if you want to attract people who have no interest in or look down on comics as a medium, it might be easier to first show them material that seems more 'intellectual' or 'relevant' and not as flashy or colourful, which will be associated in their minds with kid's stuff. Once you've convinced them that there's nothing childish about the medium itself, then you'll have an easier time persuading them about the merits of superheroes.

Actually, when you put it that way, that's a very good point.

I'm going to have to some rethinking of this article. I'll try to revise it over the weekend if possible.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review Sin Bin' to 'The Social Relevance of Comic Books in Western Society'.

From Peer Review Sin Bin to Flea Market