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Does class effect how we look at comics

When I first came into class I had a very closed view on comics. The only kind of comics that I thought existed were super hero comics. In addition I had no idea how a comic book were set up. When I started to read "understanding comics" I realized that there is much more to comics than just a bunch of pictures with word bubbles put together to make an action scene. Sometimes the authors put scenes without any action to either build suspense or just to create a certain mood or feeling as in a movie. Comics are a medium that I have not looked at closely in the past, unlike movies or television, but after studying them for a brief period I have come to realize that they are not that different. For example, how a movie is shot and how a comic is drawn are ways of getting a certain message across. Also, in understanding comics the author describes the different styles or drawing, such as western and eastern. This example is true in movies as well. The eastern authors tend to show more scenery and intricate details as opposed to the westerners who care mostly about action and adventure.
In addition to how a comic is drawn I also looked differently upon the history of comics. Before enrolling in the class I knew that most comics had a certain progression and that they probably didn't look the same today as opposed to when they were first published. What I didn't understand was that there was a shift from the first comics to the idea of a superhero. That the great depression and other factors that were happening in society greatly influenced what was being drawn on the pulps that were being distributed. For example ideals such as a rural boy moving to the city and becoming the iconic superman had a great effect on the population of America at the time. In retrospect not only did Superman have an effect on America, but society greatly effected what was being drawn. All in all my view of comics has drastically changed from when I first started this class and I am sure it is going to change even more.

Comments

J Chambliss said…
Understanding the interaction between culture and perception related to the U.S. experience is crucial to comprehend why popular characters are worthy of study. Keep pushing to understand how comic characters are creating reality within their pages. What assumptions are they manipulating to achieve the story on the page?
September 17, 2011 at 10:13 AM
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