Although I am a great comic book fan...I found this article in the Times (thanks to the blog entry in Putu the Cat) which shows comic books in a negative light...as also comic book lovers...I just posted it here to be "objective" ! :)
Is it really true that women do not go into comic books stores ? I seriously doubt it. I personally know many women, who simple adore comics...and not all comic books stores have to be musty and dark and smelly...in fact, quite the contrary. Some of the biggest book stores have entire sections dedicated to Graphic Novels (which have evolved from Comics), which have carved their own niche in the literary world, due to their unique story-telling abilities and visual imagery...showing at times the handicaps of not just written prose but also moving images. Some of the best books I have read have been comics/graphic novels and some of the greatest visionaries, in my humble opinion, have been their authors.
2 comments:
Good point Sibin. Graphic novels have been some of the most influential sources in my life.
However, there is some truth in the article. Simply as it relates to all forms of expression (if you consider comics - artful expression of some kind). Movies being the most popular kind (and now computer games), there is still argument raging whether people try to imitate movies/games.
Truth is - sometimes they do. There was a study that i read about the time organized crime started to imitate the people in Godfather, after the movie came out. The lifestyle, the antics, the language, etc. Now, violence in movies is carried over in real-life bank robberies and so on. There is some nexus, that any form of expression has. Influence.
You and I have gotten influenced more or less the right way. But if you want to know how much women are objectified in comics, try some Japanese Manga (start with Manga man Kazuo Koike books). I do enjoy Manga, mind you! But they are graphic in many ways than one.
-sarat.
I agree that some elements in society react in a violent manner, as a result of movies/books/comics/etc. But is it fair to lay the blame on these mediums ? These "anti-social" elements would have caused havoc anyways, and these movies, etc. just provide them with an excuse.
In my opinion, the creator/artist should not be blamed for someone else's faults...he/she is just doing what they do best - being creative ! And how ! So, saying that violent images/movies/books etc propogate violence, is unfair - I mean some of the bloodiest wars and murders and anti-social activities happened when these media did not exist - say the dark ages in Europe !
( p.s. : posted here again, originally posted in Sarat's guestbook : http://books.dreambook.com/smkocher/main.html )
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