representation

Before the Comics Code Authority comics told stories. Yes, many were silly, some were obvious rip offs of others, but, in the main, they told stories. They tended to love America, wish all people were treated equal, and offered new ways to look at old problems. To be honest, they had problems too. Societal racism was a constant thing and comic creators were no more immune to it than anyone else. Some confronted it, others continued it. I could do an entire dissertation on race in comics and still not scratch the surface. But, after the Comics Code, any sense of nuance died. Any attempt to tackle social issues was shelved. For a simple example, Batman, in 1939, was a vigilante who killed and worked with the seedy underbelly of society to mete out a larger theme of justice. After …? Bang, zoom, pow. The Batman of the ’60s. [Read more…] about Stay Home and Ignore People