This is a misleading statement because right after the end of WWII, America was going through important rebuilding times that required unity and growth for the country as a whole. And it was, after all, a time of development and financial prosperity for the U.S. But with great pride and freedom there was also more than a hand full of issues that the country was dealing with as well. The list began with civil rights and women's rights, and it also included comic books, of course. The comic book industry was being bashed by every parent in the country, along with several teachers, doctors, and other adults. After the war, when superhero comics essentially went down the drain in terms of popularity, the industry went down the route of crime, horror, and everyday news stories. To the children in which the comics were targeting, the stories were awesome, of course. But to adults they were corrupting the youth of America one gory tale at a time. With the war just ending, the American people began practicing more family values and peaceful activities, meanwhile their kids were reading the opposite in their "literature". This lead to a good amount of tension during this time period for the American population.
Throughout the 60’s, comics were at the forefront of social transformation. Possibly the best example of this is through comics reflection of the public’s view of the Vietnam War. At the beginning of the war a majority of Americans fully supported the cause. The idea that communism, the most evil idea conceived, could spread first through South-East Asia and eventually to the US lead Americans to accept the need to occupy Vietnam. However as the war progressed it became more obvious that it was less to defend democracy and actually just a proxy war against Russia. As support for the war diminished, comics greatly altered their position on the war to question the causes of the war, and whether the US should actually be there. The comic Iron Man accurately represented this shift in support as he stopped dealing arms, and took a moral stand against their use. As well as Vietnam War culture, comics also accurately portrayed youth culture in the US throughout the 60’s. Comics suc...
Comments