Comic Book Culture:
An Evolution From Subculture
To Popular Culture Staple
Popular Culture is everywhere. Everywhere we look, everywhere we go, there is something new and exciting on television, on film, on the radio, or in a magazine that can qualify as American popular culture. Some things are highbrow, some are low, but all can qualify. One area of popular culture though, that has for decades, since the early thirties been on the lowest of the low-brow, comic books, specifically Comic books dealing with Super heroes like Batman, Superman, and the Avengers, is starting to make itself known as a major instrument in the American popular culture sphere in the past decade or so. The question that must be proposed is why? Why are comic books becoming more mainstream in popular culture? What makes them so appealing to the culture at hand? The comic book film industry has brought in more than a billion dollars with films like “The Dark Knight” and “The Avengers”.
My research question then is to explore what exactly caused the evolution of comic book culture to rise from a smaller subculture into a major part of the American popular cultural sphere. I feel that this is a very precise area to explore and dissect the subculture of Comic books and how it has transformed into one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the United States today. Along these lines, a follow up question must be asked. Just how does the evolution of the comic book culture into the mainstream affect the members of this subculture? From the writers and illustrators, all the way down to the convention creators and the die-hard fans. How does the evolution of the subculture into a billion dollar industry affect their dedication and worship?
My research will focus on two main questions. I will focus on the historical concept, as well as the comic culture as a subculture. The historical approach will allow me to prove the evolution of comic books, from the formation of DC comics and Marvel Comics, to the boiling point of it being launched into the American Pop Culture realm of the mainstream. In regards to the cultural concept of the subculture, I believe it is important to take a look at the culture as a whole, focusing on the fans that make it so intriguing.
I will frame my overarching question by referring to various textbooks on the matter. Some of these include but are not limited to “Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books” by Jean Paul Gabillet, “DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes” by Les Daniels, “Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World’s Greatest Comics” by Les Daniels, “Comic Book Culture: Fan boys and True Believers” by Matthew Pustz, “Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon” by Will Brooker, as well as many other journal articles. These texts will help me to illustrate the history of the Superhero comic book evolution I plan on discussing. I will also examine the culture to understand why its members invest so deeply in it. I will tackle this question by interviewing fans of the medium via a questionnaire. The questions I will ask include Who was their favorite comic book hero and why, were other comic book heroes important to them, why they are a fan of the comic book genre, was there something in comics that they could not find elsewhere, what got them into comics, how often they read them, and finally why do they think comics and the culture that surrounds them are so large and vast now. It is through all of these factors that I will prove that the major reasons for comic book fans being comic book fans are because it gives them an escape from their day to day lives, they can see themselves in the heroes, moral guidance, and finally the ability to hear great stories told.
History
The most important factor to turn our focus toward when discussing the cultural study of comic books and their fans is to first explore the history of comics and how it evolved from a lowly art form to the cash cow it is today. When you look at the history of the comic book industry, the focus always comes back to the two perennials, Marvel Entertainment and DC Comics. Yet, this was not always so.
According to the book, “Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books” by Jean-Paul Gabilliet, DC Comics all started with one man, Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson. As the story goes, Nicholson was one of the headliners of Comics Magazine Company. According to Gabillet, “The first themed comic book was Detective Pictures Stories #1 which was released by the company in the fall of 1936.”(Gabillet, 15) This comic in description was your typical crime and detective comic. After Detective Pictures Stories #1, which went on for six issues, Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson launched Detective Comics. As the story goes, “Detective Comics was to embody the rise of the publishing outfit founded by Wheeler-Nicholson.” However, because of the outrageous debt that Wheeler-Nicholson was in, this launch was much delayed. The main creditor in Wheeler-Nicholson’s debts was Harry Donefeld. Donefeld, also a publisher, saw a way for the both of them to make money and equally erase the debts that Wheeler-Nicholson owed. In the deal that was proposed, Wheeler-Nicholson and Jack Liebowitz, the accountant of Donefeld, created a new publishing house, aptly titled, “Detective Comics Inc.”, otherwise known to the world as DC. (Gabillet, 15-17)
Two of the most prolific characters in the DC Universe, Superman and Batman, followed. As is the history of any origin stories, these two heroes could not be more different, but also share significant similarities. With Superman, the creation of a hero took many turns, the most notorious of which came in 1934. According to the text in “DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes” by Les Daniels, we get a very in depth look at what it took to make the iconic superhero. “The ultimate version of Superman was born one night in 1934, when Jerry Siegel found new ideas coming so fast that he couldn’t sleep. He wrote several weeks worth of newspaper strips, then rushed over to see Joe Shuster, who spent the day drawing with the writer by this side. In the space of twenty-four hours, the job was done. “ (Daniels, 21) All of this laid the groundwork for what would embody Superman. Daniels goes on to say, “The combination of unique abilities, flashy costume, and secret identity created a new kind of character to which Superman gave his name: The Super Hero.”
According to the website, DC Comics, the origin of Superman, “The most recognized superhero in pop culture, Superman has been elevated to mythic folk hero status. Rocketed to Earth from the dying planet Krypton, baby Kal-El was found by a farming couple who named the boy Clark Kent and raised him as their own. Discovering his enormous powers, they instilled in him strong moral values- and inspired him to be a superhero. Superman has everything- strength, speed, flight, invulnerability as well as his renowned X-ray and heat vision.” (DC Comics)
But even more can be established about the Man of Steel. As the comic book genre seeped into the main stream of popular culture, arguably the most famous comic book character ever created began to set his own footing. As Hollywood began to gain more traction over the decades and into the 1970s, comic books were among the industries that were beginning to boom. During the so-called “glory days” of the 1960s, the popularity of comics and superheroes alike gave way to ample opportunity to illustrate to the world that heroes like Superman could be accepted on the big screen. It was around this time, that we saw the emergence of the man of Steel in the film, “Superman The Movie”. According to the Daniels text in a chapter titled, “Superman The Movie: Making a Film Fly”, we get the inside look at the emergence of Superman on the big screen saying, “Superman The Movie was the first serious dramatization of a super heroes exploits to draw big crowds of adults as well as children.” (Daniels, 174) This was obviously a huge step for comic books into the mainstream, mainly because men and women of all ages were finally able to see their imagination come to life in the realm of comic books. And even though there were nitpickers here and there with the movie, Daniels says, they did one thing right. “Superman the Movie succeeded in making comic book material respectable entertainment. “In a way,” says Christopher Reeves, the actor who portrayed Clark Kent and Superman, “we were the laboratory experiment. Because we succeeded, the others came on, from Batman to Dick Tracy to even The Flintstones.”(Daniels, 175) This film was just the beginning for Comic books on the big screen. Following “Superman The Movie” was “Superman II” and “Superman III”, but Superman took a detour of relevance in film with the release of “Superman Returns” in 2006, which did well commercially but poorly among the major fan base. It was not until this past year that Superman was revitalized with the origin film, “Man of Steel”. Not only did this film do well commercially, but also it brought back in the perfect middle ground tone of being both light and dark all at once. It was through these films that gave way to Superman being presented strongly on television.
Superman on the small screen has always been interesting. The first version, post Christopher Reeve, was “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” starring Dean Cain and Terri Hatcher in the title roles. According to the text, the show wanted to focus on the relationship between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, which worked for a little while. The second version of Superman on television came in the essence of “Superman: The Animated Series”. This series, which lasted for around four years, set the bar for superheroes in cartoon form, alongside “Batman: The Animated Series”. The last and most recent rendition of Superman on television came in the Warner Brothers prequel drama, “Smallville”. According to Garry Westfahl’s, “Superman in Comics, Television, and Film”, “Smallville”, “depicts Superman in more human terms while presenting the Bildungsroman, otherwise known as, the moral and psychological growth, of a young alien struggling to understand his powers and his proper role.” (Westfahl) With this description, as well as what is stated above in the film and television representations of the Man of Steel, it is easy to see how far Superman has come since his introduction way back in 1938.
The characteristics and philosophies of the man of steel, according to the text, “Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way” by Thomas and Matt Morris, depict Superman as a “Christ-Like” figure, saying “The classic superhero Superman in particular bears many similarities to the central Christian figure, Jesus Christ.” (Morris, 207) Superman and Jesus both have strange circumstances surrounding their arrival on earth. Both share amazing entrance stories and a parallel stranger-citizen dynamic. Perhaps most significantly, both are uniquely able (in their own ways) to help out the average Joe.”(Morris, 207-208) What this tells us on many levels is just the massive amount of symbolism of the savior that is deep within the Superman mythos. Additionally, this is something that I can agree with, as a fan of Superman, as well as a Christian man. It can be seen very easily the symbol of Jesus Christ in Superman.
Superman’s darker counterpart, the caped crusader, otherwise known as Batman, truly needs no introduction. In the article, “The Birth of Batman: A Hero by Design” in the Daniels’ text, we see the influences that shaped Batman, as well as how he came about. In this article we learn, “Batman, the company’s second major character, was inspired by visual images from sources that included a Renaissance master and a Hollywood Villain, but the immediate inspiration was the success of Superman.” (Daniels, 32)
Now that the history of how Batman was started we can take a deeper look into the origin of the Caped Crusader. We can take a look at what made him who he is today, which his major adversaries are, and what is laid deep into the Batman mythos. The story of Batman is not an easy one to tell. As was stated above Hollywood villains inspired his creation as well the renaissance. But the origin of Batman is one that is a bit more interesting. According to the book, “Batman Unmasked” by Will Brooker, he lays out just what we all need to know about Batman. In the text he tells the story of how he was given the “Bat-Bible” on a summer day in 1998, which laid out what each writer would need to know about The Dark Knight. In it, we learn “His name was The Batman. A dark, mysterious character of the night, he is stalking the streets, defying criminals with intelligence, athletic powers and state of the art gadgetry, terrifying enemies who dare cross his path. “ (Brooker, 37) This description, being vague in presence, lays the groundwork for the legend of The Batman, but what about the true origin of the hero in question?
Brooker and his “Bat-Bible” go even deeper. The origin description goes into it as so, saying, “In Gotham City, the child orphaned by a killer’s gun sharpened both his mind and body to a keen razor’s edge. With his young partner Robin, the Boy Wonder, Bruce Wayne became a cancer on the underworld in the form of the Dark Knight Detective. The Batman.” (Brooker, 38) It is here that I would have to disagree with Brooker a little bit. I would not say that Batman is a cancer on the underworld. I would argue that the underworld is the cancer, Batman is in a sense, the surgeon, the chemo if you will, meaning that he may take some good down while driving out the bad.
Going even deeper into the characteristics of The Caped Crusader, we learn even more about him, “He has never had superpowers. He succeeds through ingenuity skill and integrity as he faces everything the criminal world can throw at him. He is a man dressed as a bat who seeks revenge on the criminal community who murdered his parents in cold blood in front of him when he was a child. “(Brooker, 29) As was stated above, what set in stone the origin of Batman was the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents. The major villains that have gone toe to toe with Batman over the years include but are not limited to, The Joker, Bane, Ras Al Guhl, The Riddler, Two-Face, and many more.
These descriptions of Batman set the foundation of the psyche and philosophy of the hero in question. This is important to see as we dive deeper into his history and how he emerged as one of the most polarizing figures in the comic book industry and popular culture as a whole. With this said, we can take a closer and more evolved look at Batman in popular culture and how he is portrayed in fandom as well. Most academics and comic book fans alike can agree on few things. But what they can agree on is the fact that most people do not want Batman to be seen as “campy”, in other words, in other words, seeing him as less then conflicted and dark. There are two major areas where fans and authors have moaned and groaned alike, but the first one to look at is that of the Adam West version of Batman on “Batman” which ran from 1966 until 1968. What makes this version of Batman so ridiculous is just that, it is ridiculous. Brooker says, “The paunchy, portentous Batman played by Adam West, is generally seen by comic fans as a clown whose inaccurate version of the character has unfortunately become the predominant image in the mind of the general, non-comics-reading public.” (Brooker, 171) It is with great distaste that I would have to agree with Brooker in this sense. As much as I love Adam West and all that he has done for popular culture and Batman in particular, this was never the way Batman and his dark origin story should ever have been portrayed. In my personal view, specifically Kevin Conroy portrayed the best version of Batman in animated form. It was with this version that we were able to see the darkness, as well as the grittiness that we had come to expect with the Caped Crusader.
It was the Batman in the 1980s, the darker, non-whimsical Batman that most fans side with contrasted to the Adam West version. This was shown and illustrated in the graphic novels of Frank Miller, specifically “The Dark Knight Returns” and “Batman: Year One” which portrayed the darker elements of Batman. What this era of Batman led to, were the film versions of Batman. The first of these were the Tim Burton directed and written films “Batman” and “Batman Returns”. These films set the stage for the animation empire that would envelop DC Entertainment with “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Adventures of Batman and Robin” both circa 1993-1994. These films and these cartoon series, combined with the animated films that DC was putting out at the time, gave way for the glory days of DC Entertainment. But as is seen in many an industry, one slip up can all but doom a franchise. One cash grab can hurt an art form for decades. This is just what happened when Joel Schumacher was given the directors chair in 1995 for two films.
Enter the films, “Batman Forever” and “Batman And Robin”. These films were essential cash grabs for Warner Brothers as they went away from the true source material and moved more for commercial success. The first film, “Batman Forever” starred Val Kilmer and Chris O’Donnell as Batman and Robin, as well as Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey as Two-Face and The Riddler, respectively. With such a star-studded cast, what could make this film such an atrocity in the eyes of the comic book fans? According to Brooker, it was pretty simple, saying “Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were, therefore, identified in the press primarily by what the were not; that is, by their difference from the previous Batman. They were not Tim Burton films, they were not “dark”.” (Brooker, 296) In more blatant terms, he states, “Where the identification of homoeroticism in Schumacher’s Batman and Robin is less explicit, the comparisons drawn- Broadway shows, circus acts, Ice Capades, Disney Parades and the 1960s TV show- nevertheless have overtones of baroque camp. “ (Brooker, 297) How atrocious these films were, and the damage they did to the character of Batman, especially with “Batman and Robin”, can be seen in George Clooney’s portrayal of the caped crusader in the film. Brooker argues, for example, that, “George Clooney took a mea culpa publicity tour where he apologized constantly for killing the franchise.” (Brooker, 305) Another quote comes from an article at “Business Insider”. In the article, Clooney, “kept a photo of himself as Batman prominently displayed on his office wall, as a cautionary reminder of what can happen when you make movies solely for commercial reasons.” (Business Insider, Robinson) It was not until 2005 that Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment decided to make a stab at another feature length Batman film. Between this time of 1997 and 2005, they made various animated films focused on Batman including but not limited to “Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker” and “Batman: Subzero”. But the reemergence of Batman in a feature length film ended up being a big risk but an even bigger reward.
In 2005, British writer and director Christopher Nolan was brought on to completely rework the tone and respectability that was lost in the Schumacher films. In an article in Newsweek by Devin Gordon titled, “Earning His Wings” from June 6, 2005, we see just how big of a comeback this was for the franchise, “After four films about the caped crusader, beginning famously in 1989 with Tim Burton’s gothic original and ending infamously in 1997 with Joel Schumacher’s benippled Bat suit, the franchise suffered a run of aborted reboots until Warners brought in Nolan, the fitted mind behind “Memento”, whose- no-frills approach was just what the bloated Batman saga needed. His pitch: lets start from scratch.” (Gordan, 54) The breath of fresh air that Nolan and his main actor Christian Bale brought to the franchise was well worth the risk. “Batman Begins” did what “Superman The Movie” did all those years ago, bringing a breath of fresh air to a franchise and pushing an industry like comic books into the popular culture main stream. This was the starting point. After Nolan’s “Batman Begins” film set the groundwork, they were able to bring in Oscar Nominee Heath Ledger to play the villain, The Joker. Not only was his portrayal good, it was so good that it landed him a Oscar win for best supporting actor, albeit posthumously, and made a superhero film, “The Dark Knight”, one of the largest grossing films of all time.
Subculture
What drives men and women to invest their money, time, devotion, and admiration so deep into these characters that they live, breathe, and digest all of these countless stories of fiction? Like I said above, the foundation has been laid out of what has gotten this lowly subculture into the mainstream, making the comic book industry a cash cow now for the many years to come, whether it be through the comics themselves, the films, the television shows, the video games, and so on, but what is it that drives these fans to invest so deep into a culture that it consumes their entire being? As I have argued from the beginning, I believe these men and women are looking for something to believe in. More accurately, they are looking for a savior, someone who battles for good against evil, in a world that is so corrupt and so vile. To articulate my argument, I will first take a look at the culture as a whole, and follow it up with interviews with the devoted fans, to present my rationale directly in their own words.
As was said before, comic book culture started in most accounts as a sub culture. A subculture, then is described at least in the book, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style” by Dick Hebidge, as many things saying first “The meaning of subculture is, then always in dispute, and style is the area in which the opposing definitions clash with most dramatic force.” (Hebdige, 3) Going further, he states, “ The word ‘subculture’ is loaded down with mystery. It suggests secrecy, masonic oaths, an Underworld.” (Hebdige, 4) While this is a true definition of what a subculture is, it does not truly describe the subculture of comic books. We can spend all day diving into the history of comics and looking at the analytical side of the culture, but it is all for not if we cannot talk with the citizens that inhabit such a culture.
When looking at the culture of comic books, where it really started, according to the book “Demanding Respect: The Evolution of the American Comic Book” by Paul Lopes, he states that what makes up comic book culture of “fans, artists, publishers, shops, conventions, fanzines, internet electronic bulletin boards, and websites.” (Lopes, 131) Lopes goes deeper as to describe in great detail what the culture truly is. “Unlike most fandoms revolving around popular art, comic book culture revolved around an entire medium of expression that survived both aesthetically and commercially on a specialized direct market of fans. “(Lopes, 131)
With comic books, the culture is made up obviously of comic book readers, but where the real bulk and meat of culture has developed is in Comic Book Conventions. According to the text, “Comic Book Culture: Fan Boys and True Believers” by Matthew Pustz, specifically the Chapter titled, “Origins of Comic Book Culture”, the history of the conventions dates back to the 1960s, saying, “Comic book conventions began as an outgrowth of comics fandom in the early 1960s. Since many early fans had been active in science fiction fandom and its regular gatherings of fans, professionals, and dealers, the development of a comics- specific convention was natural.”(Pustz, 158) It goes without saying that these conventions were and still are important to the culture in question. But Pustz goes even further saying, “The conventions, then, are important for how they illustrate the way in which interaction and the resulting boundaries work to create a specific comic book culture.”(Pustz, 157) The most obvious convention that draws the most fans the San Diego Comic Book Convention, otherwise known as San Diego Comic-Con, has established itself as the biggest draw for the culture, as Pustz states, “For comic book fans-especially fans of mainstream comics-Comic-cons can be overwhelming, a glorious excess of comics and comic art, much of it for sale in the densely packed dealers room.” (Pustz, 159)
One of the more interesting things that Pustz touches on in his book on comic book conventions is that they are much more than just costumed people running around an arena. According to Pustz, the whole convention idea starts with the dealers, “For comic book fans- especially fans of mainstream comics- comic-cons can be a glorious excess of comics and comic art, much of it for sale in the densely packed dealers room. This area is the largest and most centrally located, literally the heart of the event.” (Pustz, 159) He goes on to detail that although there are the major comic book dealers at these tables, there is some diversity, “Most are comic shop owners looking to sell their back-issue stock. Some bring recent issues that they have over ordered.” (Pustz, 160)
This cannot be overstated, though. Although this is the major point of comic conventions, there is much more to do there then empty your wallets and pocketbooks. As Pustz describes, “Conventions also feature a variety of other activities that give fans a break from the commerce of the dealer’s room, Artists’ alley, and publishers area. Most conventions include panel presentations where fans can hear professionals talking about their work, the history of the industry, or their plans for their current comics. A variety of other activities fill up the rest of the convention schedule. Trivia contests (often focusing on the superhero comics of the silver age) are often popular, often pitting a team of professionals against a team of fans, sometimes in a game-show format. Other media are also important, as many conventions include rooms devoted to role-playing games, Japanese anime, or science fiction films. “ (Pustz, 162,163)
When looking at the comic book conventions, Lopes touches on a report filed by fan girl journalist Susan Pierce in a piece for the “Arkansas Democrat-Gazette” on what the conventions truly mean. “For fans, it’s a chance to approach a favorite creator to get an autograph or mumble shyly how much you love his stories; to attend panels exploring myriad facts of things called comics; to buy mass quantities of the books; and to tote a portfolio of drawings around in the hopes that an editor will faint dad away at the glory of obvious genius. What is immediately obvious though, is how seriously most fans take their favorite reading material. They compare notes about what they like and dislike, speculate on what might happen, or trade gossip as though they were discussing close friends and relatives.” (Lopes, 136-137)
One final issue in the evolution of the culture of the comic book industry is that of comic books as a medium. Comics started out in newspapers and in print, then moved on to different media of television, film, and video games. But as comics have gone onto TV and film, the physical copies of comic books have always stayed the same. That was, until recently when they went digital. According to an article by Darren Wershler titled “Digital Comics, Circulation and the Importance of Being Eric Sluis” most of the major comic book publishers are moving towards digital which helped put the culture into the main stream, saying “Digital comics, then, is an evolving assemblage whose cultural significance shifts as new hardware, software, genres, modes of distribution, publishers, policies, authors, and audiences enter the mix. “ (Wershler) Going a little further, we get to see how the digital revolution has transformed comic books. In an article titled “Digital Revolution Transforms Comic Books” by Elizabeth Lee, “Creators of comic books say while the books themselves are not as popular as they were decades ago, comics are undergoing a technological revolution that many in the industry think will generate a new generation of readers… The idea of reading a comic book on a digital device is catching on worldwide. Comixology has more than 25,000 titles in its online store… Many in the industry say they hope the digital format will attract a new generation of comic readers, boosting business for both the virtual and real world.” (Lee) What this shows us, more than anything, is that as comics move toward digital and adapt to the future, they are more than likely to gain many more fans.
Interviews
But the culture is so much more than just conventions and comics. By talking with various participants, it can be seen that the culture is so much more. During my research, I spoke with three individuals, all of whom had rather interesting backgrounds, and for the most part have been life long fans. All three of these men spoke on a plethora of subjects but had a few strong things in common. The first is that they are self-professed comic book nerds. The second is that they were deeply affected by DC Comics. The third is that they chose and identified with comics for a lot of the same reasons. These interviews go hand in hand with the research conducted by Pustz in his book, “Comic Book Culture: Fan Boys and True Believers”. I will be referencing back to the Pustz research to base my claims of just why comic book fans are so invested in a culture like this one.
In my research with talking with avid comic book readers, I discovered many things. There were four points in particular of what drew these readers to the genre in the first place. The first is relying on superheroes for moral guidance, moral conviction, and of hope. Evidence of this was presented in all three of the interviews I did. The first, in an interview with a peer by the name of Cameron Diaz, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering from Houston, Texas, in response to why he is a fan said, “For me, it was because I could connect to a character who I knew wasn’t real, but I could kind of follow in his footsteps because his motives were true.” (Diaz) When I discussed the same topic with a second interviewee, Brad Phillippe, a sophomore at Johnson County Community college, commented that, “I have looked up to the Blue Lanterns in the Green Lantern Universe because they stand for hope and its something I can really resonate with.” (B Phillippe) On the topic of his favorite comic book hero he said, “Definitely has to be Kyle Rainer, of Green Lantern. I got into Green Lantern about five months ago and I started to read the series where Kyle Rainer becomes the white Lantern and, just his ability to master all of the elements of the emotional spectrum, where as no other Green Lantern can. It’s just insane that he is just a really cool character.” (B Phillippe) Going one step further in evidence, my final interviewee, Tim Phillippe, a musician in Austin, TX who has been participating in the entertainment industry, said on the topic of Superman saying, “He is a great influence and love of mine. He is a Christ like superhero too. Superman is fully man and fully like Jesus was, that’s the great part about him, and he really does want to do so much good. He embodies Jesus and that’s what I like about him. (T Phillippe) It is through these quotes as evidence and can thus conclude that one of the major elements of being a part of the comic book culture is because of the need for moral guidance, moral conviction, or hope.
The second point to look at is that fans can see themselves in the heroes and in the stories. It can be argued that comic book fans can see themselves in such heroes like Batman, Superman, and the Green Lantern Core. In my interview with Diaz, he mentioned how Superman became his favorite superhero, saying,
“My favorite comic book hero would have to be Superman. Growing up as a child, I first began watching “Smallville”, which is a television series representing Superman as an adolescent growing up through high and college and so forth to where he becomes known as the one called Superman. And during that, he shows a lot of weaknesses, which allowed me to connect with him on a more personal level. For instance, when I was growing up, I had a lot of insecurities, being a heavier set guy, and so that allowed me to connect with him other than having super powers. “ (Diaz)
A second example of this is found in interview with Tim Phillippe. He referenced his love for both Batman and Superman and said, in relation of his admiration for Batman, “He gives a lot more than he gets. He is fiscally wealthy, but at the same time, everyone around him dies. On top of that, he still tries to do good. He doesn’t give up, even to the point of death. He does it all without superpowers and that’s pretty awesome. Batman is always one hundred percent, one hundred steps ahead of everybody else. “ (T Phillippe) In reference to his conflicted love and annoyance with Superman, he said,
“Superman, on the other hand has been called a god. And in every aspect of it, aside from omnipotence, he is one. Superman could fix everything in the world, but he doesn’t do that because he wants a ‘personal life’. Bruce Wayne has to have a personal life, he has to openly be his billionaire to run this company or else there is no funding to be Batman as a whole. Clark or Superman on the other hand, has personal relationships, and can keep those relationships because he is a only friend with about four or five people, and could just be Superman, in a way that’s his selfishness and arrogance or the human side of him. But Bruce, back to why he’s my favorite, is he can actually take down Superman. Superman can kill him if he wants, but he doesn’t. (T Phillippe)
One final piece of evidence in my interviews come from the one conducted with Brad Phillippe, who commented that he is a fan of the culture because, “The comic book genre, it just, even though the characters are already established, you can kind of project yourself on to them. You can live vicariously through them in a way that not many other pieces of media can give you.” (B Phillippe) Again, it is through the evidence put forward in my interviews, that we can conclude that comic book fans in this culture can actually see themselves in these heroes.
A third point that drives these fans to invest in the genre is that it gives the fans an escape from their uneventful lives, from the mundane as it were. This point was made in all of my interviews, as well as through various readings.. Under the question of why comics and the culture are so large now, Brad Phillippe said, “I feel it’s a generation of people that want to get out of the mundane aspects of their lives. Like office workers, restaurant workers, and all of these things, they want to get out of that kind of thing and the way they do it is to live vicariously through their comic book heroes. “ (B Phillippe) The second piece of evidence I discovered that supports this point came from an interview with Diaz. On the subject of why he feels people like him are so invested into the culture, he said,
“I think the reason people read comics is the same reason people go into false realities. It is a way to escape their present situation. I’m not saying that is what all comic readers do, myself, I do it for the kind of admiration and adventure that I would like to have or that I would like to know how to deal with. But for most, I feel that it is a chance to escape their reality and look up to someone who can be human like but at the same time have super powers or super abilities to overcome an obstacle that we may not be able to. “ (Diaz) This is an interesting point to make with what Diaz mentioned because it is what most believe.
The fourth and final point to make is one of why the genre is as big as it presently is today. I would argue, that the reasoning for the evolution from a subculture into a popular culture powerhouse is that it is the ability to tell great stories, along with new technologies that can paint these stories in the mainstream, in print and in film. When talking about the question of why he was a fan of the genre, Brad Phillippe said, “Yea I would say so. It’s mainly the stories. There’s stories that other pieces of media like TV shows, movies, and video games, they wont really touch, that comics can really give you. Video games will touch on a certain subject, but not touch a comic book subject with a ten foot pole.” (B Phillippe) Diaz made a second comment. On the question of what are things about comics that he cannot find anywhere else, he said “The storytelling in comics is almost unparalleled, just the fact that each scene, not only in emotion and action, but it gives the chance for the reader to become engaged in the text. Comic Books allow you to make up the scenes in your own minds, it almost allows it to become more realistic than watching it on a screen. “ (Diaz)
The most compelling piece of evidence comes from Tim Phillippe. The first piece comes from the same question presented before Cameron Diaz, asking whether there are things about comics that he could not find elsewhere, he replied “There’s always a good story to tell and these stories you cannot find anywhere else. Also, the ability to collaborate creative talents for art is pretty rad. In comics you can show things that you could not get away with in motion pictures. When the 1980s hit, people wanted more edginess. Comics are also very realistic.”( T Phillippe) When I prodded him a little bit further on why comics and the culture that surrounds them are so large now, his response astounded me saying,
“Disney and Warner Brothers, the two companies that both now own DC and Marvel. Also Nostalgia, that’s a big one. Everyone was a 90s kid and nostalgia brings people together. Popular culture has a way of recycling things. “Star Wars” and “The Muppets” are both still relevant, mainly because of the sub cultures of these things as counter culture. These sub cultures were thriving and doing ok, but what launched them was when Disney and Warner Brothers sent their ad agencies in and now we have big budget comic book films every year or every couple years. They kept pumping comic books, specifically things like Batman and Superman, into the culture through the avenue of comics and cartoons; they never truly stopped making comic book culture. I think it’s more noticed now, the comic book culture because of social media and advertisements and marketing, also all of the films and shows on Netflix. But where it truly went from a counter culture to a culture is because it is not nerdy to like comic books any more, to read them is still borderline, but to know a bunch of shit about Superman and Batman, its not nerdy. Back in the day, you would get beat up for that, for wearing a cape. But now, in today’s day and age it’s normal. But on top of all of that, the cherry that is on the whip cream of the cake is Joss Whedon, the king of nerds. This guy made “Firefly”, a show that is so popular on a counter cultural level that it ran for one season back in 2004 and is still popular and constantly watched by people on Netflix and is featured majorly at all of the Comic Cons. That guy got so much notice for doing that and “Buffy” and “Angel” that he got chosen to make “The Avengers” and made a billion dollar movie. They brought in the king of nerds, that’s how they are doing this. Comics are relevant because they are bringing in their own creators to make their culture relevant. (T Phillippe)
What he said astounded me on many levels mostly because its true popular culture recycles and makes things that should be relevant, constantly relevant. Comic’s emergence as a popular culture icon is due to the fact that when a subculture gains such a strong following of devotion, that major studios like Disney and Warner gobble them up and make them relevant.
In conclusion, we have taken quite a journey through the history of comics as a subculture as they become developed into an icon of popular culture. I focused solely on DC Comics, while also providing the history of the comic publisher and its two powerhouse icons of Batman and Superman. I explored the history behind Superman and Batman, looking into the origins of the heroes, as well as where and how they were discovered on the screen both small and silver. We then discovered what the history of the culture looks like in the aspect of conventions. Finally, we dove into the interviews I conducted with the devoted fans of the genre in question. We discussed the questions of who was their favorite comic book hero and why, why they were fans of the genre, what got them into comics, and why they thing the genre and culture is so big today and why. It is through all of the evidence put forward that we can conclude that the main reasons the fans are so devoted is because they rely on them for moral guidance, the fans see themselves in the heroes in question, they give them the ability to gain an escape from their mundane and average lives, and the ability to tell a great story along with the great new technologies that pass them along in the popular culture. It is important to note that with comics now a popular culture entity, it is not only the studios establishing them. With comics being intertwined into the fabric of mass media now days, the only question left to answer is how long will they be around in the culture. I would argue that, as is tradition with all forms of pop culture, comic book culture would be recycled through in the mediums. It is safe to say comics are not going anywhere anytime soon.
Works Cited Page
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My Story. 