American comic book

Comic books are contemporary forms of art that touch in the categories of art, literature, and entertainment. From DC and Marvel (which are my personal favorites) to the other comic book companies and brands that are less known by the outside readers, there is a broad range of comic book characters and story lines. Like art and literature, comic books and their characters, styles, and icons change over the course of time. Similar to entertainment in general, these changes are made to better the…

Contrary to what people say we all judge books by their covers! When we look at comic book covers there is often a clear representation of a certain genre. The genres have varying art styles to match, along with color schemes, even certain words that trigger certain genre expectations. This is prevalent, especially in the 40’s with Plastic Man # 19 and True Crime Comics #2. The true crime genre was undoubtedly one of the most memorable genres of comics during the 40’s. It had highly deplorable…

in a faster way. In recent years, there has been a spike in sales of comic books due to the vast amount of superhero films and television series being produced. Although some readers may not realize, many comic books and graphic novels “address many of the same issues and concerns found in more traditional types of literature” (Butcher and Manning 67). In an age where images allow students to comprehend what…

Comic books on the surface appear to be simple. However, beneath that surface lies much more depth than the images give off. The making of comics and how each individual scene is drawn, and laid out has much more complex workings than most readers would expect. Ella Cinders by Bill Counselman and drawn by Charles Plumb is one such example of how much depth and thinking goes into making comic strips. The strips themselves talk about the adventures of a woman named Ella. Beneath that, every little…

Johnna Rizzo.Rizzo is a well known writer who resides in Washington D.C. This article discusses comic books and why they have become popular. Comic books became popular in the 1930’s, during a time of hardship known as the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, comic books became a way for anyone who needed some sort of cheering up. It did not matter who they were and their age, or status, the comic books were there for everyone to feel relief. People saw comfort in these superheroes…

“The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see.” John W. Tukey. Comic books and graphic novels are expected to have colorful graphics and plain dialogue. They display fantasy worlds filled with buff heroes and busty women or cartoon animals and loveable sidekicks. Maus by Art Spiegelman is a story about the Holocaust, but in comic book form. It tells the story of his father, Vladek Spiegelman, and his encounters during the Holocaust as a Polish Jew.…

Created in 1968 and running until 2016, Zap Comix was a ground-breaking and defying comic book that defied convention and societal law (Comic Code) it became a model for the Comix movement. A comic that has evolved with the ages taking a progressive and often regressive stance on ‘hot topics’ of the time. In Zap Comix Issue 1 Crumb describes himself as a ‘raving lunatic’ through the use of self-caricatures in this case; Flakey Foont and Mr. Natural. Showing from the get-go Crumb wasn’t one to…

occurring throughout America despite the fact that it was after the Civil Rights Act was passed. Media had a ton to do with the racism that was going on in the country. The source of media that had a major impact was motion pictures. The African American community were hardly pictured in movies nor were they given the lead role. Which then lead to the time period that was know as the blaxploitation era. Blaxploitation was a genre of movies where it was nothing but an all black cast and…

perhaps refer it as a haven— a disparate realm void of burdens of society, enabling one to pursue in the attainment of knowledge. For some however, school is what Matt Groening explicitly states within the title of his works: school is hell. Groening’s comics are fused with hilarity: the generalization of teachers and students, the sardonic remarks about the hierarchical structure of the institutionalized setting. His portrayals of school life are cynical, even sarcastic at times. Still, it…

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel and autobiography that encompasses Marjane Satrapi’s life as a child in Iran’s Islamic Revolution. Satrapi writes a beautiful story but her use of graphic imagery really allows readers to connect and understand to her personal and mental growth. Throughout the story, Satrapi goes through a great change in personality which is fueled by her residence in revolutionary Iran. Her personality matures and is greatly affected by the repression and the…