Hi All
Here are this week’s lecture notes as well as the links to the comics and cartoons we saw. Once again, sorry that last class was delayed because I missed a ferry connection. However we did manage to go through the comic genre pretty thoroughly.
Please remember Tuesday the 6th’s class is cancelled because I have to fly to New York for an On Campus interview. On Thursday the 8th I will give out information about the Cracked Listicle Project. If you have a group of people you are already interested in working with, send me an e-mail with their names. (Your group should have no more than 5 people). Otherwise we will put the groups together on the 8th. We will be presenting the listicles on the 29th. Final essays will be due April 10th.
The LAST 100 page has several speeches by Evita Perón including the one in which she demurred running for president and then “caved” to the pressure of the people. As well as her radio address in which she renounced her candidacy. You can check those out under “More resources”
Here are the links to the comics we saw:
Humor
Super Clemente Rescata a la Mulatona (YouTube video Spanish Only)
(And also, because I mentioned it in class, the TV Tropes entry for Woobie)
Sci Fi:
Also did you know that the comic Cyber Six was originally made in Argentina by Carlos Trillo, before the rights were sold to a Japanese company and turned into a TV series?
So for this weekend’s blog, discuss your opinion on the relationship between comics and culture. Are comics merely forms of brain-rotting escapism? Or are they, as Oscar Masotta explains, inseparable from their historical moment and context? Discuss one comic you found particularly incisive in its comments on Argentine society.
Interesting topics for research papers and or Cracked Project:
Comparison between Lisa Simpson and Mafalda (any influences there?)
Representation of Childhood in Mafalda
Representation of Race/Class in Clemente (I saw you all cringing there)
Evita Peron’s use of the media (link with some of the themes of No?)
Transgenderism in Cyber Six
The Sci-fi genre in Argentine literature and popular culture (Borges/Cortázar etc.)
I think that comics can be more that “brain rotting” and considering how some were able to escape the eye of the Junta government, quite successful in getting their point across to their readers. As an art form, I think they portray not just the artists abilities to create but to demand that their readers think outside the box and question their environment, all while providing entertainment. I enjoyed the bite of the Malfalda comics, for example the one where Malfalda hears the adults talking about not being able to change the world now that they are older. I think it shows some of the complacency and fear that absorbed the older generations, as they were aware of the hopelessness of their situation under the government at the time.
I think comics are inseparable from the historical context, which I believe makes them incredibly interesting. Just like books sometimes, comics seem to be a reflection of what is going on in the country in which they are written. However, they come accompanied by images, which attracts even more people and makes it accesible to children. I particularly like Mafalda because I think it was a comic that a lot of children read and, in my opinion, it it heavily influenced by the politics of the time. Yet people sometimes did not think of the political aspect of the story and simply enjoyed it, not realizing how much they could be impacted by what the comic was telling.
I agree that comics are inseparable from their moment in history and the context in which they are made. These two things dictate the themes and even the plot of comic books. Under a dictatorship it is reasonable that creators would make the political situation part of the environment in which the comic takes place. Like books, a comic has the same ability to judge and criticize the government. Especially if comics is a medium that is under-censored then comics have the ability to take on a more political and critical dimension.
I didn’t personally like any of them mostly because I do not like comics or graphic novels cause I find them annoying to read but that’s just my personal taste. Still, I recognize its potential as a serious form of art.
I also think comics are inseparable from their moment in historical moment and context. As in Argentina, Korea also used comics as a method to criticize politicians, social movements and other occasions. I think comics is one of the genre that satire social conditions implicitly, and helps people think about social conditions and incidents without giving them pressure to be serious. Comics is the popular culture that people can enjoy with ease, but can be also very stinging. However, that also makes authors to be careful writing their comics because it can distort one’s purpose.
One of my favorite comics was Mafalda, as it criticizes social conditions in perspective of child (who is a bit mature and censorious than usual children). It can make people laugh, but at the same time, it criticizes sharply about current social conditions.
I think comics are much more then just a form of brain-rotting escapism. They are an important source to express the feelings of the citizens through an indirect thoughtful process. In Mexico, we have a couple of artists that are famous for their weekly comics they make summarizing any important political issue that has been happening. I find them as a way to indirectly make fun and criticize a certain subject without diving to deeply into it. I really enjoyed the comic in which Mafalta says “MAMA, vos que futuro le ves a ese movimiento por la liberacion de la muj… no, nada, olvidalo.” The reason why I found this comic particular incisive for the Argentine Society is that It really depicts how the woman are being treated and seen in the society.
Cualquier forma de lenguaje sugiere la necesidad de crear un vínculo de membresía entre los individuos de una sociedad, por extensión la literatura proyecta la multidimesionalidad de dicha sociedad. Los comics son cómplices de la vanguardia cultural en circunstancias históricas y sociopolíticas que lo ameritan, es por ello que no deberían ser tomados como sólo una forma de escapismo artístico. Por otro lado, no es sorprendente el hecho de que haya sido difícil encontrar formas políticas de acabar con el movimiento puesto que el género indeterminado y humorístico. A mi parecer una de las colecciones mas complejas es “Mafalda” por Quino, dado que sus personajes son activistas del cuarto poder a través de los valores e ideas que representan siendo a la vez el resguardo de un movimiento en insurgencia.
I believe that comics effectively intersect with culture by capturing current real-world or fictious situations in society. They let readers know about the authors individual thoughts as well as the opinions of the larger society. Comics are inseparable from their historical moment/context due to the fact that more often than not, the characters in these comics portray someone/people of significance. They comment on current real-world situations and often incorporate humour as a way to address serious issues that need to be told to the public. By doing so they provide humour to readers as well as addressing critical politically/economically driven issues in the country/world. The comic that I found most interesting was Super Clemente, when he was rescuing La Mulatona. I liked this comic because I found it to be funny in the way it is shown and the characters it includes. I also found it interesting how Clemente makes references to the ongoing regime in Argentina but does so ever so slightly.
I like the commic books that we saw in class. Personally, I think comics are a great way to inform people or make them understand about some political stuff that is going on in the country. If we take the example of Mafalda, there are jokes that without context it would be impossible to understand. Also, I think that it is a great way to let people know that they are not the only ones feeling or thinking the way they do. By doing comics with this topics you can be sure that all social classes will have access to it and make sure that your message is getting accross all the country.
I don’t find comics to be ‘brain rotting’ – I believe that they are heavily reliant on history and context and culture, and that’s why it may be difficult for us to understand the implications and symbolism in older comic strips. I believe they provide social and political teachings in a way that’s more entertaining and in many cases humourous, and makes it alot more palatable, especially to younger audiences. I especially love Mafalda for this reason – it’s short, snappy, and funny, and is loaded with socio-political commentary.
This does not mean, however, that they can’t also be escapism – a big part of any comic is entertainment, so even with elements of reality weaved into the tale, there’s still that means to escape from the world around you.
My opinion is possibly biased since I grew up on comic books, but I personally believe that comics and graphic novels are an incredible story telling format. A combination of image and text make difficult concepts easier to understand. The easy to read style also make it so that more people are willing to read about something complicated. Comics also have a history with dealing with controversial politics or social issues and getting away with it, perhaps because they are considered low-brow. Sci-fi/fantasy comics like El Eternauta especially get away with more political statements because it’s made-up, fictional, outrageous etc and /clearly/ cannot be about something based upon real life, in the same way that dystopian YA fiction like Hunger Games and Divergent have been disregarded/dismissed even though they critique very real problems in society.
I did not read many comics growing up, but I realize their value in telling stories or for sending a message…in terms of political comics. Comics are another medium to reach an audience and allows those behind them to reach more and more people. Some people do not enjoy or have the time to read long stories or articles, so this a good substitute for some, especially younger audiences. The combination of both images as well as text allows for an easier understanding of some concepts and can add humor to a miserable subject. I would not say that comics are even close to “brain rotting” and although it may be hard for some to see their value, comics offer important social and political teachings in a casual format.
Comics are just another form of media – they can be an incredibly convincing political tool, or a powerful form of escapism, just like print literature or T.V. One of the interesting thing about comics, in my opinion, is that the “purpose” of the comic relies on both the author and the reader. An author could pour tons of hidden meanings and allegories into their story, but it becomes up to the reader to pick up on all of these. In some ways, comics are the best medium for disguising a message- you can create a double facade with the art and the words. In this way, comics are a good way to skirt oppressive regimes rules that might seek to control the spread of information.
I think that comics are a part of culture, and they can be a brain-rotting escapism, usually they are more than that. They are created in the specific context of country’s political or/and social situation. The dictatorship and strictness of the social life obviously influenced the creators and it makes sense for them to put subtle, or not so, plots in their work. I think that comics have a lot of symbolism and context in them, that might not be open to everyone, or people that did not live at the time of their creation. I have heard and seen some of Mafalda before the class. I think its very witty and really transcends borders, as it is known and loved by people in many places. I think it’s interesting how some comics can have such heavy political subtext, but a person can only realize or see it with time.
Comics in Latin America was an escape valve to criticize political events in the past, nowadays Latin America enjoys a more flexible press freedom although self-punished even, I liked your point of view
Culturally comics are another form of pictorial images in a deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or produce an aesthetic response in the viewer.
I don’t believe that they are a form of brain-rotting escapism, but mealy another form of literature, relaying information to a reader. Comics can portray certain context to their viewers and can deal with relative media to what is happening in society on a simpler and usually comedic stance. Comics can relate to mass media and not just children but also to adults due to the iconic images or characters. I personally liked Mafalda because she got adult context through the perspective of a child.
I apologize that I did not notice I missed this blog post. I definitely think that comics reflect their historical contexts, but also show how the audience may interact with a historical perspective or event. Mafalda is a witty child that understands the effects of the military government upon the social and economic aspects of the middle-class Argentine. Mafalda questioned the adults in her society which is something that young Argentines began to have to do as they saw their society collapsing around them. Comics are a way of relating to the truth and showing it in a way that may be more aesthetically appealing without seeming too threatening as well.
I think comics (and cartoons) are without a doubt relevant to the social context of the place and period in which they are produced, and, perhaps even more so in Latin America, where implicit forms of criticism became necessary to avoid the wrath of violent dictatorships such as the ones which marked both Chile and Argentina in the 1970s and 1980s. Although it is not one we studied in class, i beleive my favorite latin american comic strip is Gaturro, an Argentine Garfield of sorts, created in the early 1990’s. It sends clear messages, most of them social critiques of the situation in Argentina. One strip i remember was of Gaturro asking his neighbor if he felt there was a climate of insecurity in Argentina; the latter answers ‘no, of course not’, then follows by saying that ‘now, to take out the garbage to the street corner, i dress like this’: he is wearing a whole suit of armor and carrying a sword, sending an obvious and hilarious message to his audience.
Comics are in no way brain-rotting forms of media and that thought never came to me. As a kid I grew up reading Archie and occasionally a superhero comic, and now I notice that the authors are constantly trying to promote values, so it’s very clearly a form of political and cultural socialization. In Argentina, Mafalda is clearly in no way brain-rotting. It encourages discussion and criticism of the situation around you. Additionally, and I am no psychologist, but to have kids thinking about their environments in critical but hopeful ways can be very progressive. Comics very much represent the state you are living in and they change just like TV, radio, the news, and any other form of media does.
I think that it is quite dumb to say that all comics are only brain-rotting escapism. I mean, sure, some certainly are, but just like with everything you read, it is important to consider the socio-cultural and political context in which they are written and then debate if they are possibly more meaningful than they initially appear to be. What makes comics more interesting than other forms of art is their incorporation of words and pictures. This, in a way, makes them more accessible than books, which are just words, or fine arts, which are just pictures and sometimes difficult to interpret.
My favorite comic from class was Clemente. I don’t speak Spanish, but I loved the clip of Super Clemente we watched so much that I showed it to my mom and sister at home. We were all laughing even though the words made not much sense to us (though I tried to translate what I could from memory in class). I thought that it was great and really really brave to so explicitly make the villain who kidnaps Mulatana an exact look-alike of the finance minister at the time! I think that for Spanish speakers, it made light of the serious deficit problem in Argentina. It was so crazy to me that the ransom for Mulatana was equivalent to the deficit of the country. I really loved that one, and I’m generally not a fan of comics of cartoons, but something about how the Latino artists incorporated politics into children’s media was so attractive to me, and I’m really glad I got to see it.
I believe that comics can be very useful to better understand historical context and moments. Most comics, like novels, have an underlying theme that the author or creator is trying to present. When looking at the Mafalda comics I really enjoyed the spread with Felipe speaking to his mother. She asks “Felipe, can you go buy milk?” and he replies with “Sorry, mom, I’m busy.”, finally going on to say “ However, they respect that lie from a grown up.”. To me, this is an example showing that those in power can say and do things that those below them can’t, they can “get away with murder”. This connects to Argentine society as while Peron was in power he could effectively do whatever he pleased, while if somebody else did that same thing they could be imprisoned or punished.
I believe that comics are far more than forms of brain rotting escapism. Many comics I looked at in the readings were had incredible historical significance, and were far from forms of brain rotting escapism. They were incredibly successful at getting their political message across. Through, the readings I was particularly intrigued with the comic Mafalda. Although, it is seen as a child comic on the surface with a child depicted and simplified language it is far from it. The comic Mafalda achieved not only humour with its readers but, also almost always had a deeper underlying political message. Comics such as Mafalda had the impact to shape peoples opinions while also making you laugh. We even see the importance of comics today for giving for giving us political context and meaning and also a powerful tool in respecting tragedy and heartbreak. We saw this with the illustration by a Vancouver artist depicting the florida school shooting in a powerful image. Comics like this have a powerful message for people young and old.
I feel that the comics are more than just a form of brain-rotting escapism. The comic is an important source of art to express the many feelings of the citizens, through a useful indirect process. Mexico has a couple of artists that are very famous for their weekly comics, they make summaries of any important political issues that have been happening it’s just like another way to express the news but in a more kid-friendly way. Many people find comics to be a very indirect way to make fun of and criticize a certain subject without going into to much detail. I really enjoy the Mafalda comic where she is looking at the dictionary and finds the definition of democracy. It then shows Mafalda continuously laughing in the next couple comic slides, and her parents seem to have no idea what she is laughing at. It is funny to imagine that such a small girl would be able to understand such a complex idea and be able to identify the corruption of the government. It just shows that comics are not only for pleasure but they are able to express something more.
Comics are an engaging and accessible text form. Personally, I have enjoyed reading graphic novels and comics throughout my life, they have provided me with both escapism as well as adventure, information and learning. Comics are important as they are able to communicate so much in little text, as provided by images and non-textual visual depictions. In class, we have analyzed Mafalda comics; these texts have provided us with important insight onto Argentinian culture and criticism of the time Mafalda was written. Evidently, comics such as Mafalda can provide important archival and learning material for even scholarly purposes.
According to artist and writer Scott McCloud, comics are a particularly effective medium to convey raw human experience and to recount history; he argues that the symbiotic juxtaposition of image and text upon which graphic literature is built should be considered a culturally legitimate literary artifact born of Germany (Eulenspiegel), France (Tintin et Milou), and the United States (Maus) which has transcended the initial moral arguments made by psychologists such as Fredric Wertham. Mafalda, to me, seems to mimic the style of Herge a fair amount and also has the flair of Charles Schulz; the comics manage to present multi-layered opinions on controversial issues in four moment-to-moment/subject-to-subject panels. Comics should not be considered escapism in general (although this is true of many comic series); artists such as Art Spiegelman and Apostolos Doxiadis have been recognized by art-literature greats for “Maus” and “Logicomix”, each of which recount heart-wrenching and deeply philosophical stories in graphic form which could be ranked alongside “Night” and “Austerlitz” in terms of encapsulating the early Twentieth-Century.
In my opinion I believe comics have the potential to be much more than just “brain-rotting”. Although depending on the topic, if they’re based on something realtievly educational with real world applications then comics are definitely beneficial toward the youth. I particularly enjoyed Mafalda, mainly because the historical and cultural aspects surrounding it. Learning about it in class, the comic gains so much traction in the Latin community that it actually influenced politics. The comics would often include very subtle political messages on current affairs of that time. Even though the Argentinian people at the time probably didn’t realize it then, but the comics they were reading actually influenced the masses and in turn the political life in Argentina.
I think comics are great! I don’t think they’re too mind rotting unless its something like MAD magazine, but even those are still full of political and pop culture references. I thought the Mafalda comic series was really interesting in the way that i reflected society in Argentina. The medium of comics can be manipulated in so many fun ways that it makes it a powerful method to express controversial of difficult opinions. Quino uses Mafalda for satire and the style of the comic strip helps it come off as light and optimistic.
The relationship between comics and culture is one that has shown to be an overall useful, effective and humorous tool when it comes to discussing the themes of politics and society in Argentina. I think Mafalda makes great use of this tool. It is effective because it emphasizes the absurdist nature of a little girl, who is typically thought of in real life to be naive and immature, to be rather an intelligent and well-informed individual in comparison to the ignorant and unreasonable quality of the people in power. Mafalda’s popularity likely stems from its natural ability to speak for many of the people in Argentina all at once. In this sense, it could be argued that Mafalda embodies a character that “tells it like it is” and in particular this notion is consistent throughout the comics.
I think that there is an inseparable link between between comics and their historical context, while I am sure there are some comics that avoid political commentary, the majority of comics and art aims to reflect the realities of the current political landscape and analyzing comics is a great way to see how the masses interpreted the politics of the time. I think what makes comics a particularly strong form of political commentary is how accessible they are to the masses, you do not need to have high literacy or socioeconomic status to access and understand these comics. Take the comic Mafalda for example, this comic is written quite simply, often with little words, and it is meant to reflect the realities of the time, thus when any member of the working class picks up a comic they are able to understand and relate the points being made. When anyone is able to pick up a simple comic with few words and little context given and immediately understand the political point that is trying to made, I think it implies that there is a sense that the issues within society are apparent and not individual. They allow people to analyze their own struggles with the government, but also help them realize that this problem is apparent throughout the country and there needs to be change. It essentially builds a community and expresses the discomfort with the regime and society that individuals had been feeling but might have been unable to express. It also provides a sense of comedic relief and a way to laugh at such serious issues. Thus, I completely agree with Masotta because without the historical context, the comics would make no sense, since whole point is to portray a realistic analysis of society from the perspective of the masses who are living it.
With regards to comic culture, I think it is another form of gaining new knowledge and perspective. Granted, there are some (bad) comics with only purpose is to make an easy profit and lacks much insight. However many comics, offer a deeper insight and a meaningful critique to the political culture. Such as the Argentine comic of Mafalda, at first glance its merely a childish comic, however once reading it, one gains a deeper perspective with the political issues Argentina faced. Mafalda, the main character, is a young girl who is known to speak her mind and ask lots of questions. Much like children her age do. The twist in this comic is that, she speaks of things she unknowingly experiences under a totalitarian regime. The characters in the comic also represent different aspects the Argentine society. Making this comic very influential, not only in Argentina but in Latin America because it speaks the truth.
I think that comics are inseparable from their historical moment and context and thus are more than just forms of brain-rotting escapisms. This is what makes comics interesting as they can hold so much importance and a hidden message. The fact that some comics were successfully able to get away from the Junta is interesting as it allowed them to get their point across. I found the Mafalda comics particularly interesting as it allowed a sense of humour to exist in a repressed society. Mafalda would have been accessible to children and younger people and thus had a wider effect on the public. Mafalda, I believe, affected the political situation at the time, however, some merely read the Mafalda comics without realising the political aspects. This is very interesting as the comics would have hidden messages.
Comics are not simply brainless escapism, watching any comics from the ones listed to something in north america such a charlie brown it is clear that the comics are representative of the time period of which they come from. Charlie Brown for instance takes morals from the world wars as seen when snoopy drives his doghouse like a world war fighter jet. Mafalda and Charlie brown are almost parallels in culture, both politically charged comics teaching lessons and influencing the culture and youth of the countries which they appeal to. Mafalda’s impact on Argentina is clearly profound even just by watching people in modern time react to the comments with the amount of affection they have for them. I personally enjoy looking at both the comics because the comics are so intrinsically linked to the mentality of the era that it almost feels like a time machine which brings you back to the era and shows you a glimpse of what it was like.