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Sunday, 4 July 2004
Bubbles
One of the biggest criticisms levelled at comics - aside from their repetitive, recycled nature - is the fact that they are dominated by one genre or type: superheroes.

I could get cute and claim that Hawkman and Hawkgirl encompass science fiction,romance, supernatural, detective and fantasy right there. They proved that the earliest superheroes - created in wartime - were not exclusively preoccupied with the ideological battle between Allies and Axis (though spy and war comics flourished, as did superheroes in the Theatre of War).

In ensuing posts I will explore the histories of non-superhero comics.

Posted by berko_wills at 3:02 AM NZT
Updated: Sunday, 4 July 2004 5:23 AM NZT
Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink

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Thursday, 8 July 2004 - 10:47 AM NZT

Name: Iain
Home Page: http://senbe.blogspot.com

Remember that the criticism of comics dominated by superheroes only applies to American comics. Superheroes never really took off in Japan and Europe to name the two cultures that have accepted comics as a standard medium (i.e. it's considered no more "adult" or "childish" than television, non-illustrated text, cinema, etc, etc.)

Are you going to cover the histories by genre (e.g. crime, romance, horror, humour, etc.) or purely chronologically? Either way, good luck!

I should also point out there's been some interesting work done on British girl's comics by academics that you may want to chase up. Check the UTS library.

And one more thing, I've responded to your comment on my site regarding the political compass, so feel free to respond in kind.

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Thursday, 8 July 2004 - 3:54 PM NZT

Name: Grant

(1) No, you're perfectly correct though there are still a large concentration of Aussie fans who don't look far beyond superheroes. Well even that's contentious: I've noticed a lot more manga in the shops, not as much Lieutenant Blueberry.

(2) It will be a potted history really. Just dipping in and seeing what I can find and augmenting this with my own knowledge; much as I was doing with broader topics.

(3) Oh yeah, interesting. I've quite a bit in the way of British comics that I can cover.

(4) I'll be sure to do so!

Thanks, as always, for your comments.

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