Week 2 According to Horricks (2004), how have perceptions of comics as a media changed?

Scott McCloud's definition of comics (1993).

A: Starting with a quote of a cynical comic analyser made in 1955, Horricks (2004) leads in with discussing the negative ideologies that surrounded comics in the 1950’s. Including one man’s extreme tirade expressing that by banning comics ‘we are reducing the chances of war and preventing the further perversion of the world’s childre.” (Bill Pearson, cited in Horricks 2004).
Although noting that this radical mindset has been lifted from comics, Horricks expresses that these concerns have just been moved onto other forms of media (ie gangster rap) and that this way of thinking will forever be attached to some form of media, as evidenced so repetitively throughout history.
Calling comics (or graphic novels as they are more commonly being reffered to as) ‘the invisible art’, Horricks (2004) explains the process in which they are a fictional story that incorporates sequences of images to help the story telling process. In Hergé’s (1935) The Blue Lotus (a pioneer in the comic genre) Tintin strolls through streets drawn to replicate an authentic Chinese street, proving that through fiction, realism is a close ally. 
This idea is something that is perhaps the meaning behind the both feared and revered art of creating comics. Although in my opinion it is still not a mainstream genre, it is one that is being reviewed in noted newspapers all around the world and being studied in universities again, on a worldwide level (Horricks, 2004).

Horricks, D. (2004) The Perfect Planet: Comics, games and world building in Williams, M. (ed.), Writing at the edge of the Universe. Christchurch: U of Canterbury Press.

McCloud, Scott. (1993) Understanding Comics (Week 2 Powerpoint Presentation)

Week Two

What does Khordoc think the Asterix series does better than Hergé’s Tintin? 

Khordoc believes that the Asterix series has better sound effects in the stories. Catherine Khordoc mentions that the pictures are a huge part of any comic book, however in the Tintin series the text and speech takes up half of the panel, so therefore “the series is nonetheless quite reliant on the text” (Catherine Khordoc,2001). 

Catherine states that the Asterix series have better ‘onomatopoeia’ and therefore has a superior list of noises and sounds that the characters make or hear, that add more calibre and realism to the stories then Herge’s Tintin does.

 In relation to Asterix doing sound effects better then Tintin, Catherine Khordoc goes on to say: “In the case of Asterix,the story, despite certain variations, is fairly similar in most of the episodes. The representation of sound is therefore one of the numerous strategies in this comic which contributes to creating humour, which is the series’ main purpose.”(Catherine Khordoc, 2001).

Khordoc, Catherine. 2001. The Comics Book’s Soundtrack:Visual Sound-effects in Asterix. Critical Reader 2. Pg 31-32. 

Week One

Do you think comics are a children's or adult genre/media?

I believe they are for both children and adult. In the reading ’Introduction: Tintin, an imaginary hero in real life’, It is said “From children, first learning to read to aged Tintinophiles. Each finds its own level of understanding and appreciation”. (Michael Farr, 1991).

 I believe this quote to be true, a child at the age of six can enjoy a comic’s drawings and the follow-along storyline with amazement and excitement, as a fifty year old can enjoy the subtle or not so subtle jabs at political history during the time of print. An example of this is in ‘Tintin and the blue lotus’ with a Japanese invasion. This is from a true occurrence in history where the Japanese invaded China in September 1931 after an explosion at a railway, which is then mimicked in Tintin and the blue lotus (released in 1936), as the ‘evil Japanese man’ blows up the railway and then Japanese soldiers invade China.

As a child I enjoyed looking at comic books for the story being depicted in the drawings, and it was interesting reading Tintin now at the age of twenty and understanding some of the jokes or seeing how political and even racist some of the stories were. A child can enjoy the adventure, as an adult can enjoy the giddy excitement that makes them feel like a child again, but also the extra enjoyment of understanding the underlying meaning of some of the old comic books.

Farr, Michael. (1991). Introduction Tintin: an imaginary hero in real life. Pg 5-6. London.

Week 1

Q: According to the second Farr extract (p.50-59), how did Hergé research China for The Blue Lotus?

A:It is believed that previous works of Hergé’s 'conformed to the pictures or cliché’s held in the 1920-30’s' (Farr p.51) of society, which is why when The Blue Lotus was released, its realism and accuracy was a big draw card.

Following the urgings of a priest who was chaplain to Chinese students, Hergé made contact with a sculpture student by the name of Chang Chong-chen who helped him develop a love of China and encapsulate the true China in his Tintin adventures, rather than just  succumbing to the (what would now be considered as racist and terribly controversial) stereotypical China of the time.

Hergé looked ‘further for pictures of the real China…with Chang supervising the representation of vases, furniture, screens and wall hangings.” (Farr pp.51-52).
The politically allegorical ‘The Blue Lotus’ is also noted for ‘skillfully…camouflaging” (Farr p.54) the contemporary politics of China by incorporating these issues heavily into the storyline.

I think this Tintin adventure is great in the way it has such a heavy storyline with such a political agenga, but still manages to appeal to a child audience who religiously follow (but remain naïve to the underlying ideologies of the work) Tintin’s story of journey and adventure.

References

Farr, M. (1991) Tintin: the complete companiom. London: John Murray.

Hergé. (2005; 1935). The Adventures of Tintin: The Blue Lotus. London: Methuen.

Weekly Blog 2 – Comics As Graphic Novels II

According to Horricks (2004), how have perceptions of comics as media changed?

During the 1950s New Zealand conservatives, and liberals alike, were concerned by the ‘new’ popular genre of comics - they believed the new form of literature to have an adverse effect on young readers (Horricks, 2004). Having lived through a moral panic of a popular genre in 1999 - Marilyn Manson’s music being linked to the Columbine Shootings -  I can easily comprehend how a society can jump on the band wagon when it comes to fearing and framing the unknown.

Over time, it would seem that the panic of the comic genre has moved from new popular genre to new popular genre, and will continue to do so as long as technology advances and genres continue to be created.  Today, comics and graphic novels are being accepted more and more in the world of classical literature and can be found reviewed in the newspaper and online, studied at colleges and universities, and referred to in academic journals (Horricks, 2004).

As society shifted their perception of comics from negative to positive, authors such as Herge gained freedom to push topic boundaries. For example, in the story of Tintin and The Blue Lotus, Herge included political reference by adding a poster in the background of frames on pages 6 and 7 that read (in Chinese) ‘abolish unequal treaties’ and ‘down with imperialism’. I think the ability for comic authors to be able to discuss and introduce ideas from the outside world, and their own utopian world, gives this popular genre an edge that other classical and new genres might struggle to achieve.

Horricks, D. (2004). The Perfect Planet Comics, games and world-building. In Williams, M, (Ed.), Writing at the Edge of The Universe. Christchurch: U of Canterbury Press. 

Hergé. (2005; 1935). The Adventures of Tintin: The Blue Lotus. London: Methuen.

week 2

i still TIN TIN is THE MAN .. comment if you agree? please :)

Week 1

TIN TIN IS THE MAN!!