It seems like all of my favourite things are constantly being ridiculed in one form or another. Professional wrestling is always lauded as being “fake,” although I prefer to think of it as a relative term. It's not truly “fake” in my eyes. Staged, per-determined, and scripted all do indeed apply. But, World Wrestling Entertainment defines itself as sports entertainment, not a true sporting competition. Thus, I feel that the term fake is incorrect, since it as such admits to being entertainment and not fake, as in passing itself off as something it is not. Squidbillies on Cartoon Network is constantly being lauded as low-brow humour. But, still humourous indeed. I imagine many people miss the countless references to Atlanta and the North Georgia area that only those of us with a working knowledge of that region will appreciate and understand. Since the fourth instalment, Halo is under fire for being too repetitive, even though every yearly Call of Duty is basically just a re-skinning of the last iteration. Even my beloved Transformers has caught flak with Bay at the helm.
Maybe the pictures are to blame. I did once hear someone say that comics rely on pictures so much because their readers can't process “big” words. I've seen some pretty big words in comics. These days, the comics are so inundated with real world situations and technology that I've learned quite a bit from them. Big words? I'm still trying to figure out the proper pronunciation of some of the names I saw in Star Wars comics years ago.
The pictures are merely there to bring the words more to life. I mean, if you really think about it, any comic can be put into a word only format, and any word only book can be put into graphic novel format. While some stories may lend themselves more easily to one format or another, they are not locked into it. Any good wordsmith or artist with a want can convert either. I even saw a few years ago The Bible in comic form. I'm sure some believers may see that as a mortal sin. But, I think it's a good outreach tool to hold the attention of children and interest them. Also, how many text books have illustrations? Many, but they aren't scorned as low brow.
The haters as I like to refer to them also seem to think that comics aren't very deep or layered. They couldn't be further from the truth. I've seen some very heart wrenching stories in my time. Just because pictures accompany the story, it doesn't mean that they are any less serious and/or carry less meaning. My readers can laugh if they want. But, I was very moved by the death of Captain America. He was one of my first heroes and a symbol of the values and things I hold dear.
Comics more than anything else are a matter of relativity to me. They all mean something different to everyone. So what if the words are inter-laden with pictures? They can still have just as much meaning as words without them. I once saw a picture that had Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man kneeling before a young boy who was crying. The caption said, “Don't worry, Timmy. We're all orphans too, and look at how we turned out.” Now, I consider myself a pretty rough and tumble man. But, that image almost brought me to tears.
I realize that Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, and Peter Parker are all fictional characters. But, here in the real world, there are lots of orphans. I was blessed enough to be born in a household that had both parents in it. And, until my mother's death 23 years later, they stayed together through thick and thin. It’s hard for me to grasp the concept of living without one, if not both parents growing up. But, many children are forced to. I also imagine there is a huge hole in their soul as a result of this. Many probably feel hopeless in such a dark world. But, what if even one child saw this particular picture and it gave them hope and encouragement to live an empowered and successful life, rather than wallow in their sorrows? Children respond to these kinds of things. I think that it is a therapeutic tool that could be used far more often.
So, in light of all of this information, why are comics still a joke and laughed about in the mainstream? I have no clue. They have always been a part of my life and always will be. They are how my mother taught me to read. Maybe some other new breakthrough will emerge and give the naysayers reason not to jeer the medium. At least Hollywood seems to have seen the light.