With the recent popularity of all things comic what are the benefits to the comic industry and to the art community. Will other comic companies follow suit and join large conglomerates? Will all the ideas of Marvel be exhausted in the span of a decade on the movie screen? Will the remakes cease if the comic industry continues to go from paper copy to big screen?
A good way to look at this is from an outsider' viewpoint as well. DC is owned by Disney competitor Time Warner and also airs its shows on Time Warner channels like Cartoon Network with shows like Gotham, Flash, Green Lantern, Young Justice, and the comedic Teen Titans Go not to mention the cinematic movies coming out. Yet, the DC comics are still going really strongly. This suggests that in DCs case, they've found a healthy boundary. Will Marvel do the same, or will Disney's acquisition of Marvel be the comics downfall and hand victory to DCs Time Warner? – SpectreWriter9 years ago
Of important note would be the changes we have seen in comic delivery since the acquisition. Namely the short cycle of comic titles as they tumble in a continuous cycle of reboots. Gone are the days when a series could live to see issue 300, as most barely make it past 34. This has become painfully evident since the Disney/Marvel merger, and shows no signs of leaving. Also the rise of comic "events", which span multiple series and many books. These broad strokes events appear to be aimed to getting readers to branch into multiple series more-so than anything. They existed in the past, but in far fewer iterations, and with much less frequency. – ApeX9 years ago
Under capitalism, monopoly is defined as "good business." Also, the notion of "exhaustion" has always been questionable. – T. Palomino2 years ago
The term "Woman in Refrigerators" was coined by comic book author, Gail Simone. It is a trope in comics that a female character is killed or brutally injured by a villain, giving a reason for the hero to hate the villain even more. The trope can be insulting to women because of how it uses female violence as a cheep way to get emotion from a reader. What should writers do to avoid this trope? Can this be hard for writers to want to tell a compelling story, without having to kill a female characters? Does this mean you can't kill any female characters, even though male and female deaths happen all the time in comics? Is there a difference between killing a female character for story reasons, and killing a female character for a cheap gut punch.
This is an interesting observation. I agree that the trope is demeaning to women and I believe that an added reason for its popular use is simply that almost all superheroes are male. The death of a loved one provides for a dramatic and compelling plot twist, however, in these stories, the victim is bound to always be female unless the superhero is depicted as homosexual, which, is not common.
As for your last question, there is definitely a difference and I believe it depends on the story and how it is written. A perceptive reader will be intelligent enough to distinguish between if the death is integral to the story or if it is meant simply as a cheap thrill. – ArynSkyn9 years ago
One question that I think should always be asked after the death of a character, be it female or otherwise, is did they die for reasons related to their own story or somebody elses? In short, was their death a fitting conclusion to their story arc, or a speed bump in one belonging to a different character. If the former, all well and good. If the latter, the question that then needs to be asked is, was this an organic part of that character's story which, looking back, we can see it building up to, or was it pulled out of thin air for no other reason than cheap emotion. If the first one, okay so long as you don't do it too often. If the latter, definite fridge stuffing. – Winter9 years ago
I think there needs to be a fair balance. Simone came up with the list because it was happening entirely too much. A majority of female characters were being brutalized, raped, or killed for the advancement of other character's plots - not their own. While the trope can be used and sometimes might be necessary, it should not be any means be the norm. Writers should push themselves to find more creative ways to help their characters advance, and pay attention to the fans pf these female characters. – SomeOtherAmazon9 years ago
Look at the rise of cosplay in modern culture, and speak to this once dark convention niche. Speak to key influences (Big Bang Theory, cosplay models, rising comic/gaming culture, etc…) and hypothesize how cosplay has become more accepted (or not) compared to what it was even as early as a decade ago. I would also recommend including social media and outlets like Imgur and Reddit as influences. Conclude with an educated opinion on whether cosplay is here to stay, or whether it would eventually shrink back to subculture status. This topic is categorized as comics, however modern cosplay taps: gaming, movies, literature, anime, and much more.
I think this would fit better in the Arts category. As a cosplayer myself, I think that it's important for whoever is writing this to discuss the occasionally toxic nature of the art - incidents of bullying and harassment are sadly too common through internet and in real life. – DullahanLi9 years ago
Excellent point! I am a cosplayer myself and I agree whole-heartedly. I wish I had thought to classify this in the Arts, that would be a far better fit. Not sure if I can re-classify a topic after submitting it. The harassment, bullying, and sexism that can exist around cosplaying is a great bit to include. Sad as it is, it's become such a prominent aspect of being a cosplayer. – ApeX9 years ago
Yeah; I'd love to see this in the Arts section. It's a huge topic with a lot of angles, so maybe it's worthy of more than one article. In the Arts section, a focus in the article could be an examination of all the custom-made pieces that often go into elaborate costumes -- not only sewing, but custom jewelry and metal-casting for buttons or other embellishments; wood-carving; etc. – Monique9 years ago
One aspect that would be good to explore is the movement from a craft and skill (I made this!), to a consumer culture (I BOUGHT this!). How the second has (potentially) diluted the attention and appreciate of the art the first represents. – carboncopyben9 years ago
Would anyone be interested in reading an article about the connection I see between Pre-Raphaelite art – and the group which immediately followed which I call the "British Romantics" – and their influence on contemporary illustration in comic books and graphic novels? My main argument will likely be: even if "Victorian" art fell out of favour for a time with the general public it still played a major role in art education for many of the successful fantasy illustrators/ comic book artist of the 1970/80s. This trend hasn't diminished with current comic book artist, if anything with the revival in the general interest in this genre of art (PRB and British Romantics) their influence has grown with artists and readers. I'll attempt to show this by comparing the artwork of both groups of artists and pointing out where the influences seem most apparent (to me anyway). What do you think?
I think that is an awesome idea. I work in the gothic period which touches and overlaps with the romantic tradition so I am always looking for interesting takes on that time. I am not sure how many other history of art geeks are on here but I bet you will be able to put a sufficiently interesting argument together that you will peak the curiosity of all art lovers. I definitely think you should do something along these lines, I am looking forward to it! – DClarke9 years ago
Thanks. It may be interesting to add some gothic references to my analysis, too. – Jeff MacLeod9 years ago
I'm finally on sabbatical so I can complete this essay, I hope to post something in the next month (or so).
– Jeff MacLeod9 years ago
With a Peanuts movie coming out, the gang is finally coming back together. They are all different in many ways? Lucy is a proud girl, impatient and yet has a softer side in her crush on Schroeder. Why does Lucy like Schroeder? Linus’ inner wisdom or strong belief despite young age like his Christmas lecture, what they all think of Snoopy and why. Sibling relationships seem distant: Charlie and Sally, Linus and Lucy.
Alfred Pennyworth, known to most as "Alfred", has been a longtime servant of the Wayne family. At his father's dying wish Alfred decided to carry on the family tradition of serving the Wayne family, which has taken him on a whirlwind adventure as a butler to not only Bruce Wayne, but to Batman as well. Batman fights crime in it's many forms, however it appears (from time to time) that Alfred is little more than a slave to his masters wishes. The web of secrets he must keep has, on occasion, robbed him of his free will. His master's activities have also forced Alfred to compromise his personal wishes/ethics more than once. Discuss the relationship between Batman/Bruce Wayne and Alfred. Is Alfred a free man?
I'm not as learned on the Batman Universe as I'd like to be but whoever does take this up, I would suggest acknowledging the fact that as Bruce's caregiver since the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne which makes Alfred something of a father figure as well as Butler. This, in my opinion, serve as a fair balance between free man and servant. On one hand, Alfred is responsible for Bruce's life but on the other, Bruce decides how Alfred acts. How are these two relationship between father and Butler reconciled and does Alfred do a good job in reconciling them? – SpectreWriter9 years ago
Interesting thing about Alfred; he is the only member of the bat family that is aloud to carry a gun. He is not a slave because he quit being a british spy to be a butler instead, plus Batman cares for Alfred like a farther figure. Alfred can also talk back to Batman when he is out of line, clearly showing he is not scare to be around Bruce. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
I agree that an analysis of the Bruce/Alfred relationship could be a fascinating one, but Alfred is far too much a father figure for Bruce to call him a slave. He is deeply loyal and loves Bruce like a son, which keeps him from leaving, but he is also the only who can be openly sarcastic and critical without censure. On many occasions and in many ways Alfred has been the last line of defense for Bruce's health and sanity; if he wanted out, he could have let that happen time and time again. So "slave" is the wrong term... but they are an extremely co-dependent pair. – Monique9 years ago
I agree that I went a little on the nose with this one. I think what I was really tring to get at was the secrets that Alfred keeps, which have been thrust upon him without any level of actual consent. Could he actually leave that life behind knowing what he knows. Does what he know bind him to Bruce/Batman more so than his employment, and how does that affect he freedom? He certainly signed up to be a butler, but to be the many other things he has, maybe not. Great points raised by all. – ApeX9 years ago
My understanding is that Alfred became a father figure to Batman. In one issue where Batman was seemingly killed, Alfred says that he "lost his son". Perhaps this attachment differentiates Alfred from slaves? Maybe Alfred chooses to stay and keep Bruce's secret like a father overlooking a son with problem. – idleric9 years ago
Modern comics highly regard the anti-hero as the new go to stereotype. Gone are the days of shining knights, and in their stead stand deeply flawed "heroes" who are thrust, most unwillingly, into roles that beg them to save the day. Conduct a comparison between heroes of old and modern comic heroes, and determine whether there is a place for the old "white knights" in modern comic franchises.
This is a very interesting topic. There are people who consider the "white knight" to be an idealized hero that may come across as one dimensional. A good addition would be to discuss whether or not the anti-hero is adding complexity to the character. – missmichelle9 years ago
Great idea! I think that it would be interesting to see how cultural mores/ethics have changed as well as how taste has changed to support these "new" superheroes and what they stand for – DClarke9 years ago
Might be worth looking at potential shifts in readership from entertainment (far as I'm aware comics use to be the norm to read) to wish fulfillment. The anti-heroes might be seen as easier to relate to while still maintaining the admiral qualities that the readers want in themselves. – WingerZ9 years ago
I feel like we live in a very post modern world that favors realism over illusion. Many people like to see themselves in their heroes so that the common humanity is clear. It's much harder to get attached to a character that we don't see as flawed. I think that's just the world we live in right now- we don't want idealized caricatures of what life is supposed to be, but something a little more raw and relatable. – SomeOtherAmazon9 years ago
on the same note I wonder if this is a good thing. Do the idealized characters inspire us to be better versions of ourselves? Do we lose that in these anti- hero types? – SomeOtherAmazon9 years ago
Explore the psychological identities of Hugo Strange, the Batman villain and one of the very few to have discovered the identity of the Batman. Does he have any psychological complexes? He seeks information but if he had all the information he wanted, what would he do with it? Does he seek to give Batman therapy? Would he be a good villain to use in future films and if so, why has he not appeared yet?
You could talk about how he is portrayed in differently in other mediums, like The Animated Series, the Arkham games, and of course, the comics. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
Looking at his portrayal shots media types I think, if you could research the rumor that the arlsm city game and the last of the Batman trilogy were originally supposed to use him and had similar plots. This could go along way to discussing his use in future films – fchery9 years ago
What I have always enjoyed about the character is the sense of self-awareness that he portrays. I think that an exploration of his relative balance between Ego and ID might also add value. – ApeX9 years ago
It would be worth having a look at his character in the Arkham City game. It showed his obsession with Batman/Bruce Wayne, with having power etc. He was a really excellent addition to the series. – Jamie9 years ago
