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Underground > Comic Books >

comic books after 911

10:45 / 13.09.01

this may be a bit early, and i understand a lot of people are still in shock, but I find that rationalizations help me cope, apologies for the ones who don't share this.

Remember Columbine? "Trenchcoat brigade" and all that, it may have speeded Ellis's leaving Hellblazer. And since then, high school shootings seem to be almost absent as a theme (to my knowledge). But Colombine was internal, the ugly face of America.

So my question is about the direct and indirect effects of all this in comics. As a direct effect, images of planes ramming into buildings (al la Authority) may simply be dismissed as too strong. I mean, both writers and artists may be subject to some rulings. What about depicition of terrorists? Will it be allowed or will terrorism be banned as a theme?

Worse than this, and maybe this is my real point: most of these people are american, and I believe they are sensitive people, both Writers and Artists. They depict mixtures of their imaginations with the world they see. In what ways will these images and this anger seep into their output? Is it possible to see a writer making a story about "those damn towel heads" and terrorist attacks and effectively using a biased self-righteous tone against the "arab terrorist stereotype"?

Comics have taken since the eighies a careful political tone now and then. I'm not sure about the way Hussein, for instance, was portrayed, but I think at the most he was mocked. But now this is serious. And when it came to portray serious politics, the US government usually was no better than the others. Hawksmoor could beat Suharto into a pulp but he also would take no shit from Clinton. Will we see a more friendly tone toward the US establishment?

Opinions, please

- Mercury

(P.S. - If the Invisibles was still going...well, king mob would have to restrain himself a bit, right?)

11:36 / 13.09.01

Originally posted in the Diamond thread.

My roomie bought a bunch of comics today. I was pretty happy considering I spent the entire day sleeping or watching the news. It's so weird how your view of the world can change so drastically.

"Fury" read completely differently from how I would have seen it just days earlier. US War Machine, with it's back cover saying "Invincible." The Authority, and its plot involving the Third World striking at our opulence.

I thought it was me, but my roommate laid his comic down and said "I don't think I can take any more violence."

Almost everything I see brings me back to yesterday.

I'm not about to advocate censorship, but, to be honest, I'm willing to bet that many people will be feeling the same way while reading extremely violent comics. Numbers may drop, and really, it's all about the numbers.

On the other hand, traditionally comics have been the basest form of propaganda during wars. It's possible sales may jump because of people who are thirsty for blood. I hope not.

The funny thing was, talking to my roommate, we agreed that this was like the other half of Columbine. The comics we bought which contained individuals fighting didn't disturb me. It was the slam bang pseudo-militaristic battles that gave me pause.

12:30 / 13.09.01

quote:Originally posted by moriarty:
...traditionally comics have been the basest form of propaganda during wars. It's possible sales may jump because of people who are thirsty for blood. I hope not.

I like to think that sales jump because people need to escape the reality of whats happening in the world around them. Hopefully they just want to see Superman catch planes as they fall from the sky or bend the barrels of enemy tanks and put a stop to war.

But I wouldn't be suprised if an issue of Authority that showed the team destroying Afghanistan became the hottest book of the year.

13:15 / 13.09.01

I actually considered this exact same thing, that such themes as that prevalent throughout Fight Club ("civil disobedience chic", as it were), to say nothing of the end scene, may become taboo for some time now.

A friend thinks otherwise -- he insists that nobody believes Hollywood (or any mass media, for that matter) is going to snap and bomb the White House... the only real reason high-school shootings became such a forbidden subject was because Columbine was, frankly, much more personal and distressing on a human (rather than general) level than the WTC disaster.

Hmm, that last sentence sounds dangerous, in retrospect.

(flame shields up)

13:28 / 13.09.01

I know this sounds silly and I don't know if it really works in this thread, but do you think the networks will ever play the "Simpsons" episode where Homer goes up both towers of the WTC looking for a bathroom?

Ellis

13:33 / 13.09.01

I don't think everything will be censored/ cut out just because it contains the WTC, it would be too absurd and cost too much.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

17:58 / 13.09.01

You'd think that that would be patently ridiculous (the Simpsons/WTC consorship idea), but hearing that the Spider-Man trailer (which features criminals being caught in a web made between the buildings of the WTC) and even the poster simply because it contains an IMAGE of the WTC reflected in Spidey's goggles. Hollywood seems to be erring severely on the side of caution (Big Trouble and some Schwartzenegger film [like it matters] have been indefinitely delayed because of terrorist subject matter).

In terms of comics though (check out the new Punisher for some striking coments about fully fueled jet planes), it does change the way at least I'm reading them. Things like the climax of Akira Book III, even E is For Extinction have sort of gone past just spectular scenes of action, but now have a very odd and sincere resonance. At least for me, being a New Yorker, there's no more bubble protecting the boundary between spectacle and real life. I look at Akira and I wonder about all those people in those buildings. Whereas it was difficult for me to sort muster up any real sympathy for the death of millions of invisible Genoshans, I mean, I'm not devastated by this fictional loss, but still, there's a lot more of an effect on me in such stories. Who knows. Maybe I'm a complete wuss but, it's just very different. The fiction bubble has popped.

Benjamin.

18:04 / 13.09.01

they're already spending a bunch of money digitally erasing images of the WTC off friends. personally, i think the money would be better spent on medical and counselling aid for real life human beings who went through the trauma. but what do i know?

18:39 / 13.09.01

totally off topic, although I won't be able to read "Marvel Boy" again in the same light, looking at the topic heading that date (especially expressed the american way of month then date) is the same as the emergenct "quick" phone number of america too.

Strikes me as odd, and that's all I'm allowing it to do...

20:18 / 13.09.01

Remember the end of the first issue of Marvel Boy? Where MB, the avatar of the new age of Horus, flys a plane straight into the tower containing Midas, the gold-plated millionare?

Well, er..

Not to mention the same thing happening to Magneto in New X-Men..

And the end of Fight Club..

This is going to lead to a lot of slightly wishy-washy meme related talk, isn't it?

20:30 / 13.09.01

in case anyone is interested, i got this off the 'tart forum:

quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jessica Abel and company are planning a mini-alternative-comics get-together this weekend as well for those who are interested. Here are the details:

=-=-=

THIS SUNDAY!

Everyone who planned all year to come to SPX (Small Press Expo) and made new books, everyone who is missing all their comix friends, everyone who loves comix and hates terrorism, come to SP-Xiles!

We are all depressed and distraught, but we want to get together and talk about, trade, and buy and sell comix. Amazingly generous comix aficionado Charlie Oarr has offered his loft in Williamsburg to us to hold an impromptu, Mexican-market-style comic convention.

Time: 12-6 PM SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16

Exhibitors: Anyone who has anything to sell or trade, bring a blanket to set up on (no tables, it's all on the floor), and a $5 donation for our host (who asked for nothing, but we'll donate anyway), and your COMIX!

Guests: come for free. Buy lots of comix and support the scene.

Let's not let these fuckers get us down. COMIX-LOVERS UNITE!

Address: 51-55 Nassau Ave. Apt 2a, corner of Guernsey and Nassau
Door gate faces Guernsey. There is a triangular park across the street.

If we overflow the apartment, as we KNOW we will, we will cross the street and set up in the park.

Subway instructions:
The G train is closest. Get off at Nassau and walk two blocks SW to the intersection of Nassau, Bedford, and Guernsey.
You can also use the L. For the L, get off on Bedford Ave walk down Bedford to where Nassau and Bedford cross. The apartment is on that corner.

Charlie is making a map, which I will post on my site as soon as it is available.

We're trying to arrange a place to hang out afterwards, and will post the info on my site as soon as it's available. http://www.artbabe.com/nycevents.html

Let's get together!

Jessica Abel, Matt Madden, Ellen Lindner, Sarah Varon, Gabe Soria, Tom Hart, Leela Corman, Alban Raustenstrauch

PS Pass this info to anyone who wants or needs to know about it. Bring everyone!
------------------------------------------------------------------------

sounds like a good way to celebrate community. i think that's a good thing to do at a time like this.... ]

yawn - thing's buddy

21:02 / 30.12.03

it's amazing how different comics have changed since 911 innit.

yawn - thing's buddy

21:03 / 30.12.03

what?

you daft hump!