Comic Books: History and Impact on Society

Comic Books: History and Impact on Society Comic books hold an undeniable significance in modern history. Three aspects of significance include the history of comic books, the use of comics for social commentary, and the cultural impact comics have had on our daily lives. Comic books had humble beginnings, soon they grew into a major threat during Cold War era American society and then became an outlet to hippie counter-culture in the 1960s. The earliest ancestors to comics can be found in caves, little stick men spearing blob-shaped beasts. Rodolphe TÃ ¶pffer is considered by many to be the Father of Modern Comics. TÃ ¶pffer was the first to comment on the interwoven nature that words and pictures held, The pictures without the text, would have only an obscure meaning; the text, without the pictures, would mean nothing (Fingeroth 2008, p. 12). In 1895, Richard F. Outcaults character, the Yellow Kid, was the first successful reappearing comic character. In 1935, Max Gaines found funding to begin reprinting comic serials into paper bound books, or comic books. Through the 1940s and 50s comic books were a main focus of attack for Dr. Fredric Wertham. Wertham claimed that comics were corrupting the morals of kids; this included accusations of Batman an d Robin having homosexual tendencies, that Supermans power of flight distorted a childs understanding of physics, and that Wonder Woman gave young girls the wrong impression of the role of women in society (Coville 1996, para 19). In 1954, the industry responded by instituting the Comic Code Authority (CCA), which handed out seals of approval to comics it deemed passed its strict criteria. This included censoring all gore, any story without a happy ending, and nearly any form of sexuality (relationships had to uphold the sanctity of marriage). Although the CCA had no legal authority, shops wouldnt sell comics without the seal which led to a decline in the comic book industry in profit and creativity. Enter the 1960s and the emergence of the hippie counter-culture. A product of this era was the development of underground comics, or comix, which was a direct reaction to the rules of the CCA and the idea of the institution as a whole. Artists within the underground comix scene focused on adult-themed topics, such as hallucinogen use, pushing sexual taboos and rejecting established views of morality, religion and social class. Two huge influences in the scene include Robert Crumb and Art Spiegelman, whose work could be found in record stores and head shops. In the early 1970s mainstream comic brands started to pick up on these more serious topics, which led to the weakening of the CCA. The 70s also saw a shift in focus amongst comic books, relevance to real life issues became the dominant idea. This led to stories about drug abuse, racial prejudice and a peppering of feminist thought. Ethnic minorities also had more roles in comic books, if still secondary and stereotyped. The 1980s to the present day have seen a shift in comics towards graphic novels, emotionally complex characters with human weaknesses, politically stimulated story lines, gritty dystopian-esque cities and a prevalence of anti-hero protagonists (Coville 1996, para 16-23). The history of comics is so rich in detail that this could be considered just the tip of the iceberg. One thing is clear though; the comic book industry rebounded from serious attacks and became stronger than ever, pushing for personal expression amongst its artists and writers. As made evident by the past 40 odd years of comics, the reflection of real life social issues has been a popular trend. Hot topics that are still relevant to this day include the views of women, LGBT persons and ethnic minorities within society. Women have had a role in comics since their creation. Early depictions of women usually put them in the role of damsel in distress/ plot device or purely as a sex symbol. In 1940, the first true, although mostly unheard of, female superhero was created: Fantomah (Markstein n.d, para 3). Fantomah, along with other early female comic protagonists Wonder Woman and Sheena, fell into the Jungle Goddess category. The role of the female was put in the background with the creation of the CCA. Female characters didnt find a positive voice in comics until the 1980s and 1990s (Felton n.d., para 1). Series such as Love Rockets, Ghost World, and Tank Girl promoted strong portrayals of women, often with feminist leanings dealing with the exploration of se xuality in positive ways and the dismissal of expected roles in society. Gay characters also began to make an emergence during this same period. For example, the series Y: The Last Man toyed with the idea of all the men in the world but one dying off at once. Not only did it take a serious look at the complete reinventing of civilization through the hands of women, it delved heavily into lesbian culture: the views of women as masculine and feminine, theories of dominance and ideas of where man would be in a female dominant society. A more mainstream example would be Batwoman, who was recently written as an openly gay character in the series 52 (Gustines 2006, para 2). Ethnic minorities have been in comic books for the past 100 years, but they were usually given stereotypical, often outright racist, roles with no depth of character. Nowadays there are countless comic book characters of color that are portrayed in the same light as white characters. Examples of this would be superhero es such as Storm, a black woman who was leader of the X-MenÂÂ ­, and Cyborg, black male leader of the Teen Titans. Not to mention nearly the entire cast of Love Rockets who are of Mexican descent. One of the earliest well-known black superheroes, Black Panther, has recently gone through a revival. Reginald Hudlin, Black Entertainment Televisions President for Entertainment, who wrote the new series has stated: The reality is that theres been so few black characters who have their own book, who have been consistently published, let alone a black character who has been written by a black writer and the perspective that comes from that (Gustines 2006, para 7). In closing, the effort being made to turn comics into tools for personal reflection on ones values seems to be growing significantly. Established views are being challenged in a creative format, with people having control in how much they want to expose themselves. Lastly, the cultural impact of comic books on the world is noteworthy; film and television adaptations of comic books throughout the world and their acceptance as literature, the extension of the fictional superhero identity into real-life groups and individuals donning costumes, and the use of comic books to push ideological views has had a resounding effect on society. Though adaptations of comics had been put onto the big screen for many years, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon serials being prominent, it wasnt until 1978 when the first Superman movie was released that audiences and film makers took it seriously (Booker 2007, pp. x-xi). Superman was extremely popular, and until nearly a decade later it reigned as the most well-known comic movie available. With new progress made into computer-generated imagery (CGI), the trend was ready to take off. Dozens of comic book movies and television shows have been made, a good amount of which arent superhero related, thanks to the nearly infin ite potential of CGI (10 Interesting Comic Book Facts You Probably Didnt Know 2009, para 6). These include classic superheroes such as Batman, Superman and Spiderman that have been replicated and assimilated in foreign countries. Another notable trend is the view of comic books as legitimate literature, such as Art Spiegelmans Maus receiving a special Pulitzer in 1992 and Alan Moores Watchmen being entered into Time magazines 2005 list of 100 Best English-language novels from 1923 to the present (10 Interesting Comic Book Facts You Probably Didnt Know 2009, para 8). By now it can be claimed that superheroes are indeed a part of our society, but some individuals take it one step further. Take for example the New York based real life superhero Terrifica. Terrifica dons a blond wig and red boots, complete with red cape and utility belt at night. Her mission is to prevent drunken women from being taken advantage of by sexual predators, which keeps her mostly in bars and party scenes. Her arch-nemesis, Fantastico, is a full-time seducer of women, whom Terrfica has been known to peel women off of (Robinson 2002, para 4). It sounds like a joke, but there are dozens of real life superheroes in the world. Another is A ngle-Grinder Man, a resident of the London area who travels around at night, in full costume, with an angle-grinder that he uses to cut off clamps he finds on peoples cars. He even has a hotline (Superhero takes on clampers 2003, para 1-4). A far more touching example would be the group who call themselves Superheroes Anonymous. This is a group of costumed heroes who have been walking the streets of New York since 2007, handing out food and support to the homeless (Superheroes Anonymous 2010, para 2). A comic being used as a vehicle for ideology goes way back to the original serialized character, Yellow Kid. Though the premise of Yellow Kid and his colleagues was lighthearted and whimsical in nature, the underlying theme and artistic style of the comic was seen as a critical satire of the severe poverty following the industrial revolution. All the characters were dirty, rag covered, homeless-looking children who poked fun at upper-class customs (McAllister et al. 2001, pp.1-2). J. R obyn Goodman made the observation that throughout popular comics in 1909 to 1914 over 80% of the cartoons reflected anti-suffragist ideology (Goodman in McAllister et al. 2001, p. 9). Topics that have been covered such as the blossoming of underground comix and the progressive feminist/sexual views between the 1960s and current comic books can be seen as forms of ideology being present too. To clarify, comic books as a whole have affected our world culture in profound ways. It can be said that they are engrained in our psyche; through print, film and television they have reached millions and have cemented archetypes and ideologies along the way. By now it should be clear that comic books are here to stay. Even after grievous attacks the medium of comic books has triumphed and made its place in society known. They have grown with us; as children we see the world as black and white, and comics reflected this by depicting battles clearly as good versus evil. As we grow older the shades of grey start to take shape and to mirror this, comics have taken on ambiguous topics and played with our sense of morality. While there are many who have no interest in comic books, its near impossible to find someone who has never heard of Superman, Batman or Spiderman. Yes, comic books truly are a significant man-made facet of civilization.

Neo-malthusian theory Essay

â€Å" Explain the neo-malthusian theory with relevance to the current world situation† The term neo-Malthusianism was first used in 1877 by Dr. Samuel Van Houten, one of the vice- presidents of the Malthusian League. Neo-Malthusian theory is derived from Thomas Malthus’ proposition that limited resources keep populations in check and reduce economic growth. Neo- Malthusianism was not just a campaign in favour of birth control; it was particular perspective on the effects of population on human conduct and behaviour. It tried to justify the growing impoverishment of working people by pseudo-scientific theories of â€Å"absolute over-population, and diminishing returns on the soil†. The neo-Malthusian movement therefore was different from conventional Malthusian position on two counts: it stressed on birth control methods and also identified the working class with the problem of overpopulation. The overcrowded industrial slums were identified as sites of moral deg eneration. However, some key facts on the neo-malthusian perspective must be identified. They believe that everyone can contribute to society, secondly, population increases geometrically and food supply/ subsistence increases arithmetically. Also, they advocated race discrimination and thought that Birth Control, war epidemics are used to promote capitalism and alleviate misery of the masses. In contemporary societies today, it can be observed that there is an existent division of people, whether it may the rich or the poor, financially stable or financially unstable, or most commonly known, The Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat, as mentioned by Karl Marx. Neo-Malthusians strongly believe that all the individuals in society can contribute to society no matter the division and which class they may fit in ( upper or lower class). They did not specifically measure the amount of contributions that each class were able to present but mainly focused on how the contributions of one class was beneficial to the other, (lower to upper), Marx would however argue that the Bourgeoisie only engage in such activities as it is more beneficial to them and it only helps exploit the Proletariat. It can be observed in society today, that the proletariat are exploited through a term called alienation, this is where the proletariat are cut off from consuming the goods they produced. For e.g. sweat shops in China, proletariat are forced to produce goods/services for little to almost no income and after the good has been  produced they are unable to obtain it as it is too pricy. It must be noted that there has been change in society today, as some individuals of the lower class are able to experience upward social mobility, and thus this reinforces the neo-malthusians suggestion that everyone can contribute to society, not only to the benefit of the capitalists but to the proletariat themselves. As it pertains to the population and food supply it can be observed that in societies today, 3rd world societies to be specific, the food supply to population ratio is quite uneven. The Neo-Malthusians, who agree with Malthus, would not only argue that this is due to the population growing at a faster rate than the food supply but this is due to the drainage of resources. As it known, that the world has limited resources, and they would argue that these limited resources help keep population in check. They state that population increases geometrically and food supply/ subsistence increases arithmetically. Subsistence in this instance may be defined as â€Å"just enough† for human survival. As it pertains to the process where resources become exhausted, it can be noted that in many third world countries of the Caribbean (Antigua, Dominica) , Agriculture is used as a major source of income, however due it being done over and over the soil is ripped of it nutrients which is needed to help grow various crops. Even some simple resources are becoming scarce to societies today. For e.g the current situation in Antigua and Barbuda, where the population there are currently experiencing a shortage of portable water even though water by itself is there in abundance. Even though they have the technology to produce such resources they are in no economic position to maintain the technology. However, critics may argue that there are mechanisms put in place to help sustain goods(food). Namely, the increase in prices of various products (inflation), they would state that this could cause indivi duals of the population to purchase/consume smaller quantities of different goods and would therefore cause the ratio of population growth and food supply to turn towards a more even figure. However, the neo-Malthusians may however argue that this doesn’t help the problem of excess population growth since the individuals who produce most of the population (lower class) would not be able to afford these goods. The socialists consistently maintained that the hue and cry over population was a way to divert the focus from the core issues of inequality and class struggle. For the socialists, the real issue  was unequal access to resources than rising population. According to them, there was enough for everyone, provided resources are shared equally. The problem lay in the lack of equal distribution, with the bourgeois and the propertied class unwilling to give up the large share of resources under their control. As noted The neo-Malthusian movement was different from conventional Malthusian position on two counts: it stressed on birth control methods and also identified the working class with the problem of overpopulation. The overcrowded industrial slums were identi fied as sites of moral degeneration. This diverted the debate on population from issues of poverty and unequal access to resources, to birth control per se. In fact, the assumption was that access to commons or availability of resources would give the poor little reason to abstain from having more children. Neo- Malthusianism thereby reinforced the ideology of private property, individualism and capitalism. The neo-Malthusian position found favour with the elite sentiments on the issue of overpopulation. The elite, threatened by the growing numbers of commoners, considered birth control as an important means of checking future conflict over their property. It can be observed that such an argument is true, as in societies today, many individuals seek to install security systems on their homes, cars and other fixed assets, these individuals are usually members of the upper class. They do this as a means to try to prevent members of the proletariat from obtaining their assets. Theft is a common issue in most societies today, one problem can also lead to another, theft to homicide. All of which are blamed on the proletariat as they are unable to provide for their families after they engage in mass reproduction. For example, in third world countries today it is usually children of the poor that drop out of school at an early age that engage in violent activities and are usually beggars at th e side of the street. Paul Ehrlich is a very vocal and prominent neo-malthusian. He wrote the book â€Å"Population Bomb† which warned us of a coming mass starvation because of over-population and pushed population control (abortion and birth control). He encouraged government intervention into the population issue. Lastly the Neo-Malthusians advocated race discrimination, it can be observed in societies today that there is not only a division of class, but also of race and color (Black and White). This may have stemmed from slavery however and is still present in society today. It is usually the blacks who partake  in agriculture and hard labor work while the whites who are in the offices and even though their work may not be as hard they still gain higher incomes. No need to debate as the top three richest individuals in the world today are White. In conclusion, it can be observed that the neo-malthusian theory follows Mathus’ theory that the world’s resources will not be able to support the population at a certain point, and the populati on will turn to chaos, finally resulting in extinction of humans. It indicates a correlation between food and population growth, and lastly they saw abortion and birth control as a way to slow this decreasing resource that the future holds.

Review of Hamlet, performed in the lowry, salford quays Essay

On Wednesday 3rd of November, the A-level drama groups from Queens Park High School went to see a version of Hamlet performed in the Salford Quays Lowry theatre. Directed by Japanese Yukio Ninagawa, he has added Japanese influences into the traditional Shakespearean tragedy. The design of the set used artistic impressionism: The barbed wire represented the conflict present within his mind. As well as this it was a useful medium to cordon certain areas of the stage. The light bulbs also representing conflict, which are regularly used in Shakespearean plays; in this case used (as with the barbed wire) to evince the conflict beginning in Hamlet’s mind. The light bulbs would alight and sway to signify a monologue, and were also a type of imagery demonstrating the mind- the light bulb is commonly used to mark an idea. The doors around the edge of stage were used to replicate the idea of an open space, and gave the stage an incredible sense of vastness. By using these doors and certain lighting, the director was able to indicate different times of day: during the scene with Hamlet and the ghost, the light gradually moved around all of the doors and successfully created the feeling of a rising sun. The costumes worn by some characters appeared unusual; the ghost king (although written to be Norwegian) wore a Samurai costume, and the entertainers wore costumes relating to the native kabuki or no theatre of Japan. Shakespeare would probably have used clowns or a similar type of act to demonstrate the murder of Hamlet’s father. The reason for this stems from the Japanese director, Ninagawa, who used his own culture to influence some aspects of the play. This was interesting when it came to the setting of the play, as it did not tie with the written adaptation which -as mentioned earlier- was supposed to be based in Norway, and there were no references to this. Other costumes were used well to represent different circles within the play- royalty and those associated were dressed in red: a royal colour. Ophelia and her family originally dressed in white, possibly symbolising purity and truth, until Polonius joins the King and Queen and also dresses in red. Horatio dresses in similar plain black clothing to Hamlet, but wore a blue scarf that could have been used to differentiate him from the royal family. The two scholars that appear at the King’s request both wear grey, high-class outfits and look very much like scholars. The final groups of people to explore are the Polish army, the leader of which wore a very modern leather coat- a mark of high status and power. The major costume changes that occur are when Gertrude asks to speak to Hamlet- at which point she wears a light blue, flowing gown, representing her purity and innocence, and the underwear worn by Ophelia, showing her in a dishevelled and unkempt state. The main sound effects occurred at the beginning of each act; rolling thunder, which accompanied the swaying lights. Music was used namely in the performance by the Kabuki theatre. During Ophelia’s madness, she vocalises some sonnets written by Shakespeare. Songs are also sung by the gravediggers, although they feature only for a short while and do not contribute much to the play as a whole. Overall, the design of the play was well thought out, and the director was able to use the space, lighting, sound and costume to create a well-devised and creative atmosphere. In comparison the setting and design of the play, the acting did not contribute in such an involving way. All characters were able to project their voices, which made the audience able to competently hear what the characters where saying. But emotion and expression were lacking in many of the characters e. g. one of the most well known lines of the play ‘dear Jochum, I knew him well’ -spoken by Hamlet- was rushed and miscued. In a similar way, the characters of the King and Gertrude were greatly over-acted. The actors who demonstrated the best character development and realism were Polonius and Horatio. During the scene where Polonius ‘forgets what he was going to say’, many members of the audience believed that he had forgotten his lines, inducing laughter and amusement; exactly the reaction that Shakespeare intended. Horatio gave an excellent performance at the end of the play, producing ‘real tears’ and a very convincing sadness at the death of his best friend Hamlet. The performances of both of these characters were consistent throughout the play. Due to the barbed wire on the stage, some of the movement seemed restricted, such as the sword fight between Hamlet and Laertes, where it appeared that they accidentally knocked the wire causing it to shake and distract the attention of the audience. The body language of each character was questionable: Gertrude and the King both had over-exaggerated arm movements, whereas Hamlet appeared not to over-use large movements such as pointing and flailing arms. Polonius had an interesting twitch in his right arm, which at first appeared to be nervousness of the actor, but on further investigation, was an intentional manoeuvre used to depict his slightly psychotic character. Ophelia created madness in her character after the death of her father by moving in a lyrical fashion, as though not really aware of her motion – a successful tactic. Directors will use the versatility of the Hamlet script to create different relationships between characters, either successfully or unsuccessfully. Ninagawa made the following choices: The relationship between Polonius and Ophelia was interesting, because although at the beginning of the play Polonius chose to treat his daughter with disdain, Ophelia was quite obviously very disturbed and depressed about his death. This was perhaps conveying the true to life concept that one will love family no matter what the situation. Another relationship including Ophelia is the intimacy between herself and her brother – without knowing the characters, the audience may have been fooled into thinking that Ophelia and Laertes are lovers, as they kiss. The kiss appears to have a romantic nature rather than the kiss the audience would expect within a family kiss. This could result in the audience being ambivalent about the relationship between Ophelia and Laertes. Ninagawa does not pursue the romantic relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet or Claudius and Gertrude, which the audience would expect to see some evidence of- at one point, the actor of Gertrude tried to embrace Claudius who pushed her away, and there was very little contact between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet is an interesting character within himself, showing signs of contempt towards other characters, being indecisive and uncaring. It is within the monologues that the audience is exposed to the real Hamlet, which Ninagawa has chosen to portray as acting madness, as opposed to becoming crazed. The final relationship being considered is that of Hamlet and Gertrude. At the beginning of the play, the actors did not express sort of bond, and the first contact they appear to have is in Gertrude’s closet, where she is moderately sexually harassed by Hamlet. This could have been executed in a much more perverse way, which fortunately the director did not choose to do. The acting in this version of Hamlet leaves a lot to be desired as lines were forgotten, words were misused and the some actors seemed lacking in direction. I feel that having heard the story of Hamlet after having seen the play, there was much that I misunderstood from watching and listening to the characters. Although true to the text, some of the words were spoken without expression and misinterpretation became easy attention lapsed. Having spoken to other audience members, certain key characters became easy to listen to – despite the difficult context – and even enjoy. The set and costume was admired for the provocative nature and was a success in almost all aspects. Overall, the play captured most moments that were significant either with the use of design or the skill of the able and talented actors.

September 11, 2001 A Series Of Disastrous Events - 1616 Words

On September 11, 2001 a series of disastrous events occurred in New York City, New York. Al-Qaeda planned diplomatic events known as suicide attacks. This is one of the saddest days in history, and as everyone knows September 11th was the day that shook the world. This tragedy should have never transpired in the first place. However, it did. Most of America can tell you that they remember exactly what they were doing where they were on September 11th. Fortunately, for some children they were just too young to remember these devastating events. Targeting the World Trade Center was all about a Symbolic Importance, Economic Ramifications, and the Body Count. Al-Qaeda wanted to†¦show more content†¦The terrorists flew two of the four planes into two skyscrapers at the World Trade Center. The collision caused the buildings to become engulfed in flames which led them to give way. Another plane demolished part of the United States Military Headquarters. Know as the Pentagon which is located in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Officials came to the conclusion that the terrorists on that plane intended to destroy either The United States Capitol or The White House. Passengers on board the planes fought the terrorists and prohibited them from reaching their goal. In all, 2,996 people were killed and over 6,000 were injured. Close to 200 civilians jumped from extreme heights in the decision to end their life painlessly and quickly to avoid the scorching fires. As stated above 19 terrorists were responsible for the crashing of two active planes. These men were all affiliated with a â€Å"militant Sunni Islamist† multi-national organization led by Osama bin Laden that was known as Al-Qaeda. The management philosophy for this group had been illustrated as centralization of decision and decentralization of execution†. 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