Comic books are a uniquely American cultural creation, making them a fitting subject for the study of American history. Comics not only mirror the interest and opinions of society, but they also often help to change society by spreading new ideas and widespread sentiments. Comics have influenced our desires, our attitudes, and even our fears. They began to peak in popularity in terms of commercial success and cultural significance during the 1930s, coined the “Golden Age of Comic Books” which lasted until the 1950s. During this time, comics provided a source of cheap entertainment, they helped Americans cope with the New Deal villains, and they even inspired Americans to fight during World War II.
The Golden Age of comic started with the Great Depression, a time where Americans looked for new and different ways to brighten their moods amidst poverty. At the worst point of the Great Depression, in 1933, one in four Americans who wanted to work were unable to find a job. Thus, Americans sought cheap forms of entertainment, and comics provided that during the thirties and forties. At ten cents a comic, they were slightly cheaper than a ticket to a movie and because they could be read more than once, they could be traded among friends.
Aside from needing a cheap form of entertainment, the people of the United States of America also needed a hero during the Great Depression and thereafter, and comics afforded them exactly that. The early comic book heroes, such as Superman, did not fight super villains, but instead took down the real villains of the New Deal era: corrupt stock brokers that sold faulty stocks, evil bosses who refused to provide safe working conditions, and even a United States Senator that conspired with a munitions ...
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...form of popular cultural entertainment was something that may corrupt the hearts and minds of the youth. This brought an end to the Golden age of comics. Comics would no longer serve again as the cultural force they once were but looking back on their past, one can see how important their cultural impact was on the nation in a time of need.
Works Cited
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Krensky, Stephen. Comic Book Century: The History of American Comic Books. Minnesota: Twenty-First Century Books, 2008. Print.
Murphy, Keith. “The March of the Superhero Patriot.” Graphic Novels/Comics @ Suite101. 30 Sept. 2009. 7 Aug. 2011. .
Inspired by the way comics were able to illustrate the events of WWII I decided to investigate to what extent did comic books influence American perceptions during World War II. Comics turned into an apparatus to exploit racial and social contrasts and outlet for wartime purposeful publicity. The Golden Age of Comic Books portrays a period of American comic books from the late 1930s to the mid 1950s. During this time, present day comic books were initially distributed and quickly expanded in notoriety. The superhero model was made and some surely understood characters were presented, for example, Superman, Batman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, and Captain Marvel.
Takaki, Ronald. Double Victory: A Multicultural History of America in World War II. N.p.: Little Brown and, n.d. Print.
Most avid comic book fans would agree that they were less than enthused when Marvel Studios decided to reboot the Spiderman movie franchise in 2012 – just 11 years after the quasi-successful run of the original trilogy (Proctor). As one of the aforementioned avid comic book fans, Marc Bernadin, writer for “io9” (a technology and lifestyle website), rightfully questioned this decision by stating, “in this day and age, does Spidey have to be a white guy?” (Bernardin). This question fueled an Internet phenomenon that forced creators and fans alike to re-evaluate the way that they see the characters they love so much in terms of their race. Media makers and content creators have an ethical responsibility to “represent the many facets of humanity” (Petrou, Jan. 27). ‘Race-bending’ is when a content creator dresses a character as someone of a different race, or changes the race of the character entirely from one race to another (Ibid). In this paper, I aim to explore the influence of social media on race-bending, as it applies to comic book culture and its meaningfulness to the fan community. My principle arguments will draw from an examination of the Marvel comic universe, the #donald4spiderman campaign and the “Amazing Spiderman” movie franchise in order to show that through the power of social media, we are changing the way we root for heroes regardless of their race or ethnicity– moving society forward as a progressive culture.
In the 40s, comic books had a large audience. There would have been at least a dozen people in your class who read comics, claims Chabon. A few years later in the 70s, there would have been less than a dozen but more than one or two people who read comics. Now, it is hard to find more than a few people that you know who actually read comics. If you read comics today, you are considered unique. Children are loosing interest in everything that stimulates the mind in a positive way. Chabon claims that the obvious decline in interest in comic books should make authors want to take initiative and fix the
Kallen, Stuart . A Cultural History of the United States through the Decades: The 1950's . San Diego, CA: Lucent books, Inc. , 1999. Print.
Allen Moore’s sordid depiction of twentieth century life presents a complex world, where the distinction between a virtuous hero and a villainous wrongdoer is often blurred. In stark contrast to the traditionally popularized portrayal of superheroes, whose unquestionably altruistic motives ultimately produce unrealistically idealized results; the realistically flawed characters of Watchmen exist in a multi-faceted world characterized by moral ambiguity. America’s imperialistic ambitions have long been justified as an expression of American idealism. Much like the portrayal of superheroes in popular culture, America’s intervention in foreign affairs was portrayed as the result of a clearly defined problem, where American intervention was necessary and consensual. The Watchmen exist in an American reality that does not depend on them as the archetypal hero as demonstrated by the fact that their presence is not necessary to the survival of the world.
Canada: America's Best Comics, L.L.C., 2000. Verne, Jules. A. The "Captain Nemo" New York: Vincent Parke and Co., 1911.
Schraff, Anne E. Daredevil American Heroes of Exploration and Flight. Berkeley Heights: Enslow, 2014. Print.
In 1941, Stan Lee, the creator of the Marvel universe, released his firs comic book about the patriotic hero Captain America. This comic was released during World War 2 to give the Americans a sense of hope and to let people know that we’re not alone. Marvel does a good job with its comics because they want to show you that even when times get tough, as long as you have hope things will get better. A good example of this would be Spiderman. When his Uncle Ben died, his last words to Peter were, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Spiderman goes on to
Klock, Geoff. "The Bat and the Watchmen: Introducing the Revisionary Superhero Narrative." How to read superhero comics and why. New York: Continuum, 2002. 25-26. Print.
Epstein, Dan. 20th Century Pop Culture: The Early Years to 1949. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001. Print.
American popular culture is quite serious because we find the “voices” that write, play, film, photograph, dance and explain our American history. George Lipitz notes that historians can learn a lot about the process of identity and memory in the past and present by deciphering the messages contained in popular culture forms such as films, television and music. As stated by George Lipsitz, people can either work for the economy and state, and against the population who take in the messages or they can work in a positive way as memories of the past and hopes for the future.
McCloud, Scott. “Time Frames”, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York : HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.
Every child in the United States has heard or read the Marvel and DC comics books. If you have not then you have probably have heard of their characters like the famous star spangled hero, Captain America, or the Dark Knight himself, Batman. Both Marvel and DC has influenced the children and adults of American in its darkest times. The great wars affected many by its poisonous grasps, and its victims sought comfort with the antidote provided by the marvelous illustrators and writers of comic books. Now their cinematic counterparts are here to inspire the 21st century. The Marvel and DC cinematic universes have similar content, they both have unique characteristics that set them apart.
To conclude, the graphic novel Watchmen presents the non-fantastic representation of a superhero, implying that not all heroes are like Superman. This notion is explored within the novel by mentioning the realistic motives of the characters choosing to become superheroes, by Rorschach’s representation and through the heroic reactions of the New Yorkers to a street crime. These elements all contribute to Watchmen’s uniqueness and complexity as a superhero comic.