by Nick Dowell
When comics hit mainstream popularity in the mid-1900s, you
either saw them in terms of funnies in a newspaper, political satire, or
superheroes. Fifty years later, comics are still popular, but they are starting
to branch away from the traditions in which they were rooted. Now, comics tell
long, sweeping stories and are as good for spreading a message as several
novels or movies that do the same.
According to Rachel Marie-Crane Williams, a teacher at the
University of Iowa who recently gave a presentation at Ball State, comics are
more than just superheroes and jokes. There are dozens, if not hundreds of
comic books that branch away from the action and focus more on the drama of
life. Some major topics she mentioned were relation ships, coming out, coming
of age, traveling, and illness. Using the medium of comics, these stories are
able to explicitly show emotion instead of give a description in text. Instead
of reading about fear or sadness, a reader is able to experience it.
After Williams’ presentation, Christy Blanch, a webcomic
artist and owner of Alter Ego Comics in Muncie, was asked whether or not
this emerging medium for storytelling would be avoided by people who have been
part of the comic book world for years.
“Any comic book fan wouldn’t be turned away,” she said.
“There’s a difference between real comic fans and fanboys.”
Williams seemed to agree, mentioning the many classes she
has taught that focus on the genre. When asked how she thought women were being
treated in comics as a whole, she spoke with much optimism, saying that
conditions have generally gotten better. She especially attributed this in part
to manga, saying that it gave women more agency in stories. She finished our
talk by mentioning a project she is currently working on about the Detroit Race
Riots.
Comics used to belong to nerds. They helped create the
superhero sensation filling our TV and movie screens today. But now there is a
new movement in the genre, one that focuses less on action and more on people
and their stories. They are becoming a bigger part of general mainstream media,
which allows for writers to tell their tales in ways they may perceive as
better and get the attention they may deserve.
Photo credit:
Originally written by Alison Bechdel in Are You My Mother?
Photo credit to telegraph.co.uk
Photo credit:
Originally written by Alison Bechdel in Are You My Mother?
Photo credit to telegraph.co.uk
