University of Cambridge To Study Comic Books

It’s no secret that the comic book faces an ongoing stigma. In the 1950’s, Superman and Batman were hidden under the bed sheets amongst Playboy. A super powered imagination was considered near pornographic to the staunch conservative adults of the era. Chalk the scarred reputation up to Fredric Wertham’s “Seduction of the Innocent” and the soon-to-be established writer restrictions AKA the Comics Code Authority. Heaven forbid Papa catch you viewing brightly colored spandex and flowing capes, what was then thought to inspire what every red-blooded Christian-American parent dread: latent homosexuality. Hah!

Occasionally comics actually do fit the billing of immature drivel. Throughout the vast and diverse history of one of Americas few genuine art forms, though it pains me to admit it, some really are nothing more then glorified wrestling matches. Fast forward to the 1980’s! We’re publicly shown (through writers like Alan Moore, Neil Gaimen, and Grant Morrison) that the so-called lowly comic books of old inspired brilliance. Since superhero inception, we’ve been introduced to deeply underlined religious parallels, moral motifs, and ethically empathetic power-fantasy themes. It merely takes a keen eye to notice them.

Fantasy has always mainly been considered lesser by the narrow mainstream critics. Heck, comic books were once thought to only appeal to either children or the mentally slow. Most people view it as nothing but mindless amusement; they ignore what’s called applicability and condescendingly criticize those who love things like comics or science-fiction as needing to get out more or having impractical hobbies. Any and all fiction, from classic literature to comic books, no matter how fantastical, can be practically applied to your very real life. This is why we study English, playwrights, or film to begin with. Most people are just too lazy to view entertainment as anything more, that doesn't mean that it can't be made into something sensible. For example: Batman can introduce you into the real-world of psychology, through Thor you can gain knowledge on actual history and mythology, Hellboy for the occult and archaeology, and just the general concept behind all superheroes can educate you on ethnics. The list goes on and on. These stories can act as a springboard toward knowledge, you just have to have an authentic interest in learning. The greatest form of educating is one that's masked in entertainment.   

"I think the Cambridge lady is actually trying to insult comic books in her quote. Read this section closely:  "we can offer something that addresses the same needs but also deals with the themes in a critical and ethical way"  She's essentially saying that comics are generally unethical and that the main reason to study them is so they can work out why kids read them and then take out the bits they don't like. "

"Hate to burst the bubble, but Concordia University in Montreal has had a graphic novel course for a few years now.  "

"Well I think that the university's study of comic books' effects on the youth is probably most relevant to society nowadays. I think it's obvious that more kids now than ever are reading comic books. "

With all due respect, that's not true at all. Compared to the 40's, 50's, and 60's, comic books are a dying industry and have taken a significant dive when it comes to mass appeal. The analogy I always draw is with the video game industry. What that is to today, the comics business was to yesteryears. All kids read comics back in the day, but how many actually read the actual comics themselves today? Sure they all watch the films, buy the toys, and wake up Saturday mornings for the cartoons, but the actual comics are something else entirely. It’s become an adult driven medium. This is exactly why they branched out into the field of films and video games, to get more mass attention, so the major companies like Marvel and DC wouldn’t go extinct. This is also probably why comics are getting their long overdue praise now, film attracts more people and when it's done seriously, it'll garner serious analysis.