Tannhauser wrote - "Oh, come on.....the Sandman is totally for kids. Goth kids, to be exact. It's that eternal difference between gothic books (books written in a gothic style) and gothic books (books read by goths)."
I have to respectfully point out that your using a gross description. In the interest of semantics, I consider the term kids to refer to individuals aged 5-18, possibly to 21. Sandman did appeal to kids who fit the goth mode - listened to the Cure, black hair, black eyeliner, liked vampires (sorry for the stereotyping, goth people, nothing personal)- but it has long been acknowledged by dealers, creators and other readers that the book brought in an adult audience, particularly a female audience. The themes of loss, identity, and responsibility that are discussed in Sandman appeal to a broad spectrum of people and Gaiman's writing is sophisticated for adults, but not pandering to younger adults. Sounds like you have a gripe against The Sandman.
Tannhauser also wrote - "Anyway, isn;t the problem here that comics (meaning comic books, i.e. A5 American stuff) *aren't* for kids? That the main consuming audience of comics is aging all the time, as they are both too expensive and too hard to find for kids to pick them up in any appreciable amount, except perhaps for the newsstand reprints of the X-Men and the Avengers, which I suspect I would find utterly incomprehensible were I a kid?"
I've heard this before from many people but the answer is no.
You've applied circular reasoning that comics must be for kids because the main consuming audience is for kids. That doesn't need to be the case as seen in Europe and Asia where graphic novels are a respected and popular form of entertainment.
Perhaps you mean that the type of illustrated book refered to as a "comic" is meant for kids while adults are meant to consume a different type of book like a "graphic novel" or "sequential fiction." Please clarify. I don't think you are though.
Again, I hardly think something like "From Hell" is meant for kids. It is a book that demands diligence, an interest in history, and the ability to find personal relevance with a setting that contacts vastly different social mores and values. To say nothing of the ability to rationalize the horror of butchered prostitutes. Do you really think kids want mutilated whores in their comics..
..wait a minute...strike that question...I forgot which Board I'm posting on...
These Barbelithers are into strange things.
But seriously, don't let your perceptions be boxed in by preconceived notions of a medium's audience. Art has the curiuos ability of reaching across ages, whether from 5 to 78 or from the stone age to today.
Sax - good point. |
