Xah Lee, 2006-05
The following are some random notes in reading Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics.
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud. (amazon.com↗)
This book is largely a analysis on the nature and form of comics, with a brief exploration of its history.
First, he defines what is comics. Namely, that of Sequential Art.
Maus↗ (1972), is a holocaust memoir written in the form of comics. By Art Spiegelman↗ (b1948). Maus won a Pulitzer Prize Special Award.
The following are some random notes in reading Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics.
Reinventing Comics, by Scott McCloud. (amazon.com↗)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles↗ (b1984) started out as a random mocking crotchet, and by happenstance became a instant mega hit that made its creators: Kevin Eastman↗ (b1962), Peter Laird↗ (b1954), millionaires.
It spurred a era of comics speculation by investors and growth of comics.
There is a The Creator's Bill of Rights ↗, as a attempt to put more power to artist than comics corporations.
A opportunistic moralist moron: Fredric Wertham↗ (1895-1981).
«Dr. Fredric Wertham (March 20, 1895 – November 29, 1981) was a German-American psychiatrist and crusading author who protested the purportedly harmful effects of mass media—comic books in particular—on the development of children. His best-known book was Seduction of the Innocent (1954), which led to a U.S. Congressional inquiry into the comic book industry and the creation of the Comics Code. »
The ignorance and persecution of the masses based on moral psychology lead to the creation of: Comics Code Authority↗, which are basically self-censorship by the mainstream comics industry.
William Gaines↗, the publisher of EC Comics↗, which eventually become the publisher of Mad (magazine)↗.
Reed Waller↗, creator of Omaha The Cat Dancer (1986), has been a victim of moralists's obscenity charges. .
above: Olympia (1863), by Edouard Manet↗ (1832-1883). (full size). This painting arose a brouhaha among moralists in its time. See Olympia (painting)↗.
Mike Diana↗, a underground artist persecuted by the moralists and convicted of obscenity.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund↗ (http://www.cbldf.org/), was created to fend off mass ignorance and censorship that can check comic's growth.
Ariel Dorfman↗ (b1942) and Armand Matterlart wrote “How to Read Donald Duck: Imperialist Ideology in the Disney Comic” (1984). She also wrote Death and the Maiden (play)↗, which made into a film. (btw, i haven't read the play but the film is excellent!) The subject of the film is about sex torture and confession.
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Page created: 2006-05. © 2006 by Xah Lee. (excluding mirrored pages or images.)