Taulbee Jackson is a first-year intended communications major
from Cloverdale, Indiana.
CHRISTA SCHROEDEL / THE DEPAUW
Comic books have been one of the most popular forms of pop culture for decades. They allow us a glimpse into the eye of American Society. From characters like Batman, Captain America, Spiderman and others, the American pop culture has a way of transforming itself into a collection of idealistic values held by the public.
For example: in the 1930s, characters such as the Green Hornet and Batman hit the scene. Deciding that ultimately money was of no concern, they used their wealth to help people in the world, proclaiming people need to believe in their own values to live a fulfilling life. Conveniently, these characters debuted in the 1930s during the Great Depression. This self-reflection of fiction to reality exhibits how intimate and subtle the context of pop-culture can be.
In the 1940s, Captain America, the Star-Spangled Man himself, was launched to the presses with fervor and patriotism behind him. The first four story arcs of Captain America’s comic series were actually about punching Nazis. With World War II in high-gear, Superman also helped people feel safe at home, letting our citizens know that, no matter how hard things get overseas, there is a hero in all of us.
Then the 50s came around, with the Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter. This was during the Red Scare after WWII, and both characters were drawn mostly green (the opposite of red on the color wheel). Not to mention both characters were tasked with becoming a sort of “United Nations of the Universe,” dealing with political squabbles across the galaxy. This illustrates the idea that Americans were becoming okay with the idea of intervening in International Politics as Communism spread throughout the world.
Spiraling off the Red Scare came the early days of the Cold War in the 60s. Consequently, Marvel Comics released Iron Man, an arms dealer turned super hero. Additionally, Marvel hit a home run with the teenage audience by publicizing Spider-Man in the same decade. Spider-Man reassured people that in such a time of confusion in the world, it was okay to be confused on a personal level. Additionally, Guardians of the Galaxy revealed just how serious the Space Race was becoming, throwing the American public into stories about a group of people in space, dealing with evil villains.
While dealing with the Cold War, terrorist attacks at the Olympics and the impending resignation of President Richard Nixon, the 1970s birthed super heroes such as Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus. These four X-Men Characters hailed from all corners of the globe and fought together to protect what was right. The Punisher debuted to comic books in the same decade. Blurring the line between what was good and what evil, The Punisher was not afraid to kill in order to achieve the values Americans so desperately wanted to see put in place.
The 1980s gave us Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. These stories combined not only the innate fear we had of natural disasters such as Mount St. Helen’s eruption, as well as the constant threat of nuclear bombardment (from situations such as Operation Opera, or President Reagan’s decision to station nuclear missiles in western Europe). In an attempt to break up the monotony of dark content, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were conceived, specifically to parody serious comic books like Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns or Daredevil. With its goofy portrayal of action, TMNT became a smash hit with younger audiences looking for entertainment and inspiration.
1990s brought us a slew of gunslinging and demented superheroes such as Deadpool, Hellboy, Spawn, Gambit and Bishop. These characters draw parallels to the Genocide that was taking place in Rwanda, the Rodney King Trials and divorce rates skyrocketing to an all time high. With unrealistic depictions of the world on television, thanks to cheesy shows such as Seinfeld and The Fresh-Prince of Bel-Air, comic books were one of the only ways people could realistically express themselves in the 90s.
Finally we reach the 2000s where almost every major comic book hero specifically ran an issue about 9/11, where said heroes were giving support to all major relief efforts in New York City. Additionally, the 2000s gave us Runaways, and Kick-Ass: two comic books that clearly depicted teenagers being obsessed with the internet, being unsure of themselves and the idea that in a post-9/11 world, everything is completely different. The latter idea was also reinforced with the “Marvel Civil War” storyline, pitting hero against hero, in an attempt to create a huge crossover event showing Americans that we are weak when we stand divided.
Comic books are not a thing of the past. They are the stuff of society. They are a way that people can truly express themselves in a medium that allows you to be visually stunning, and psychologically stimulating.
The sheer amount of creativity needed to create new stories for a character that is nearly 40 years old is immense. With new movies about superheroes being released every year, comic books are now more relevant than ever. An investigation into the mythos of Marvel and DC may prove to not only be entertaining, but eye opening.