Read Comics? Pop Garbage? Valid Art Form?
So, I wanted to toss the ball to you guys. What's your take?
So ... do you feel a bit embarassed when you pull one out on the subway? Do you have a basement full of comics enshrined in acid-free storage? Do you lament the passing of the educated American into the pit of ignorant comics?[:o)]
Way back in the 60's we would beg my parents for comics when we went on trips. In that century, people thought we were guaranteed to have brain rot if we read comics. Hasn't happened yet though, ... has it???
As usual I apologize if this has come up before but the closest discussion I found was on anime, I think.
[:D]
So ... do you feel a bit embarassed when you pull one out on the subway? Do you have a basement full of comics enshrined in acid-free storage? Do you lament the passing of the educated American into the pit of ignorant comics?[:o)]
Way back in the 60's we would beg my parents for comics when we went on trips. In that century, people thought we were guaranteed to have brain rot if we read comics. Hasn't happened yet though, ... has it???
As usual I apologize if this has come up before but the closest discussion I found was on anime, I think.
[:D]
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Generally speaking, I encourage kids to read anything they WILL read. Comics, with limited exceptions, are probably better, comparatively speaking, than sitting in front of the TV, which requires zero brain power. I grew up with comics, and I'd still read them today if I had easy access to them (e.g., my grandmother buying them for me, but she's been dead since '63).[:D] 0 -
I would tend to agree with rossowmn on getting kids to read anything they will. Harry Potter has been a miracle for that, though I find it unreadable.
I guess I outgrew comics at about 13, but I must admit I sure wish I still owned some of the comics I had over the years. They would pay for a nice vaction today. To Australia.0 -
comic writers: writers who lacked talent and couldnt find real work.
mebe we's can figure it out, ya know? uhhh, stop blastin your trap.
look out! krauts! zip! ping. pow! budda budda budda.
theyre strafing us! rat-atat-tat.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz.[8]0 -
i am going to be civil.
i am going to be nice.
i will wait until someone starts eating thier own foot.....0 -
My Kids were raised without comics, cartoons, or video games. This wasn't mandated to them, they just chose books, outdoor activitities, and a little TV. They all were always action oriented.
I was raised on 10 cent comic books, and have often thought about acquiring some of the old ones just for pleasure. However, I never do. I just get books - softcover being my favorites - and watch TiVo.
Doug0 -
quote:Originally posted by aramisvi
i am going to be civil.
i am going to be nice.
i will wait until someone starts eating thier own foot.....
...When I was a kid, I chewed my toenails. Does that count? Oh, this is about comics, not disgusting, impulsive, personal hygiene.
...Reading is reading. Beats sitting in front of a cathode ray tube, getting blisters on your thumbs.
...When comics were a dime, then twelve, then fifteen cents, I read all the Sgt.Rock and Sgt.Fury that I could afford. This is going to sound strange, but living out in the country, with no friends my age around, I learned some social skills from comics. I refer to Archie, Veronica, Jughead, Reggie, Betty, (Mmmm) and the gang. Like the war comics, they portrayed a pretty diverse cross section of personalities that one is likely to encounter in real life. Would you call Twain's Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer garbage? Books are an entry into a make-believe world, but a smart kid will pick up on a lot that others may dismiss as fantasy B.S.0 -
reading is not reading.
quality reading is reading.
writing is an art form.
reading it and understanding the form is reading.0 -
quote:Originally posted by bobski
reading is not reading.
quality reading is reading.
writing is an art form.
reading it and understanding the form is reading.
Reading is reading
The quality certainly may vary however.0 -
quote:Originally posted by bobski
reading is not reading.
quality reading is reading.
writing is an art form.
reading it and understanding the form is reading.
...With all due respect, I was smart enough to be able to tell the difference. In grade school, I was called to task for plagiarizing poetry that the teacher just could not believe that I could write. She was wrong. This was at the height of my comics reading period. I continued to write poetry well into my 20s. Comics didn't rot my brain. They pointed out what I was taught....the difference between proper grammar and writers' license to use the language to fit the character. My grammar, spelling and punctuation are far from perfect, but I still cringe when I hear a double negative. Reading poor writing can teach one as much as "good" writing.
.....Edited for spelling....[:D]0 -
I am a comics addict.
I have been comcis-free for about five days... but that's only because they come out but once a week.
Admittedly, it's probably more socially acceptable to pull out a copy of "Over Eighty and All Nude with Donkeys", but I still enjoy the four-color exploits of idiots wandering around beating the living hell outta each other.
Yeah, the stories suck since they're churned out by hacks who couldn't write their own names much less a compelling story and the characters, if they have any character at all, are poorly rehashed, recycled wannabes cribbed from other sources. When they die, they come back in ten issues and everyone other than the Punisher stays the same age despite having been around since the 1940's.
But what can I say? For all of the tepid writing, grotesquely malproportioned art, and feeble storylines, I've still got a soft spot in my heart for 'em. For all of their idiocy, occasionally you come across one that is honest in its efforts and even though you've seen the story a billion times before and it seems to make no sense that Spider-Man would still be fighting Roy Orbison Doctor Octopus after all these decades, it still manages to entertain you, if even for fifteen minutes.
Besides, I don't drink, smoke, do drugs, or gamble... what other vice am I supposed to engage in?[;)][:p]0 -
I read "Madd" magazine as a kid ( my favorite)....
No, i do not have a vat in acid-free storage, but I do laugh when I rifle through the collection.....0 -
I gotta check on dinner, but i will be back to post on this. 0 -
No comics, but I do still read the juvenile books. "White Fang," "Big Red," etc. I'm a bit embarrassed when I go to the library, but I guess everyone is accustomed to seeing me in the Juvenile section by now.
I guess you might say Jim Kjelgard is my favorite author..
On second thought..If I could still buy the Donald Duck series, I'd probably do it.0 -
When my children were little I surprised them with this offer. "I will buy you as many books as you want, comic books included. There are two limitations. First nothing nasty or tasteless. Second you have to read the current book before you get the next book." They took advantage of me as much as possible. Most were comic books but there were others such as Nancy Drew. A few years ago the subject of Dad's free books came up. Dad I'm happy you gave us all those books and comics but why did you? I answered "At that time there was a lot of news about illerate's graduating from high school. I tricked you into learning how to read."
I have heard the saying: You can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink. It is also said you can send your children to school but you can't make them learn. I didn't make them learn they did it all on their own.[8D]0 -
ok, now i'm done with dinner, and "americas got talent" time to post.
I'm not going to get into a history lesson aboout comc books, but I will tell you what they did for me.
Growing up in rural WV (yes there are some urban type places there), there sure wan't a lot of things to do. Comics became my way to escape from the confines of my existence there. I could fly, solve crimes, try new experiments, climb walls and all the things that heroes did. But i also learned from them. Comic book writers do their research and write about nuclear physics, anatomy, problem solving and other skills. The code of conduct that Superman adheres to is pretty universal but deeply rooted in American culture. Batman used inductive reasoning to solve the cases he worked. Spider-man used humor as a way to break tension. X-men taught the lesson of acceptance.
Through the writings of Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Wil Eisner, Joe Quesada and the Kubert trio, I learned those lessons. Couple that with the up bringing that my parents followed, they were a big compliment, a reinforcement to the values mom and dad taught.
Because of the comics I read, I became interested in science and chemistry, photography, and art.
Because I read comics, I found many friends that I never had before. People I never thought would have read them, who never would give me the time of day, quickly found a common ground on which we could relate.
The stories written in comics are more than what they seem. They are not the vision of a single person but a combination of works by 2, 3, or more. One person writes the overview or outline, the next draws the panels telling the story in pictures instead of words, next is the inker who defines the art work and gives it that "pop" that makes it jump off the page. The writer takes it back and adds the dialog and the colorist gives us the red of the flapping cape, the black of the mask and the blue skys that bring it all to life.
Now I love a good book just as much as the rest of you, but I owe that love to read to the comics I read in my youth. They taught me to read and imagine the characters in a novel as they move through the story. And admit it, strip away the super powers, we all have strived to be like Superman in some way or another by not telling a lie, standing up for your beliefs, or by being that kind of role model for the next generation of our families.
So don't insult or degrade a kid when they say they want to be a comic artist or writer, they could make a really good living that way. Plus they are going to choose what kind of retirement home to put you in later.0 -
aramisvi,
Well put.0 -
Aramisvi,
I too learned much from comics. Through comics I learned that Norse and Greek gods spoke Elizabethan English. Radiation, far from being a dreadfully dangerous energy form, would imbue you with fantastic abilities. Unstable molecules were not radioactive and in fact made great uniforms and mutants were not the freaks down the street whose kids chewed on dog toys and garden hoses, rather they were noble, if misuderstood, beings who were born with mighty powers and responsibilities.
But seriously, comics were like movies - except you could take the comics home and enjoy them over and over again.
I still read them and enjoy them. There's a lot of good stuff out there - even the so-called "kid's stuff."0 -
EMM,
Thank you.
Ba Sardo,
I still pick one up every so often. The imagry and stories still catch me.
If I were to go home to visit one day soon, I plan to bring my collection back with me. At last count I had over $8000 at the 2002 prices. No idea whatthey are now. If I could sell them, I could pay off some bills.0 -
aramisvi,
If you ever get a list up and are willing to sell, you let me know - I might be interested in buyin'.[8D]
(NOTE TO MODS: I hope this doesn't violate the rules of trying to sell or buy stuff on the forums - such was not my intent. If so, let me know and I will remove this response)0 -
Aramisvi,
There's a lot of good people working in the field nowadays and especially now that comics are starting to be recognized as a legitmate form of pop entertainment, the talent sticks around a little longer.
Of course, you still have idiots like E or MTV or Spike TV singing the praises of the overhyped hacks in the field, but what can you do?0 -
EMM,
you got a deal. Email me and let me know what all you're into.
Ba Sardo,
I agree. The medium has had a bad rep for many years, but some great artists have come into their own from a start in comics. Frank Miller has expanded to graphic novels and Alex Ross has taken things to a new level with his paintings that none have rivaled.0 -
WHat's "E" or "MTV"? I'm cable/satellite deprived..... 0
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