How Comics Stories Reflect Social & Political History

On this presentation, I have explored a key importance of comics, in that the can tell complex stories, and express difficult ideas in a simple way. Comics are considered as an important and suitable teaching tool, taking into account its power in helping the reader to improve critical thinking skills. The most important reason why comics are ideally suitable as a learning material is that they are naturally motivating and engaging, and have an extensive appeal to adults and children. I have provided an overview of how readers deal with perceptual aspect of comics, called 'visual language' that consists of a drawing style, spacing panels (closure) and the sequences of words and images relationships.

The key idea was the nature of the visual language allows a lot of flexibility in the manipulation of the overall meaning in comics. Both the words and the images used as a structure of a montage. The structure of train strips can be exploited with narratives by translating sound into visual events that can be reinterpreted by the reader. Comics can help to guide the readers through a mix of words and images to gain and realise meaning.

I focused on the ideological analyses of comics that can take on an abstract and symbolic narrative form, which helps to identify social responsibilities within the comic culture. I used a selection of influential works to demonstrate the dominating ideological values in comics, for both adults and children. For example, the comparison images of Tintin in the Congo book explore interpretation of racist propaganda in a comic strip format for the younger reader, expressing political values during that time. On the other hand, Spiegelman's Maus was a key underground graphic novel that challenged the mainstream comics by using a form of popular culturing serious historical events of World War II.

Comic’s Relationship to Social History and Ideologies

The word ‘ideology’ tends to describe how people believe certain things about the world that may not reflect the reality as they are beliefs rather than scientific representations, for example, a nation. In some ways, the shared common beliefs of a community may be considered as a common sense of ideology, and they are often concerned about the protection of the individual and society as a whole, therefore, Ideology is strongly related to issues of sociological tradition. Focusing on the relationship of comics to the questions of ideology and how it connects to history, comics authors often took controversial ideological positions when bearing in mind history. Stuart Hall is a cultural theorist, and he has noted that ideology works by linking ideas together in certain ways and denying other kinds of connections that may make. Ideologies then, like living bodies, are constantly evolving (Smith & Duncan 2012 p. 225). People often create histories to create a sense of identity.

A study by Stuart Hall suggested that;

“Ideologies do not consist of isolated and separate concepts, but in the articulation of different elements into a proper chain of meanings. One of articulating the elements differently, thereby producing a different meaning.” (Magnussen 2000, p.18)

Comics offer different generations of characters and influence within a historical context. Comics may have been based on imagination, but they reflect ideas and problems of social- cultural artifacts. In comics, everything must have to mean, and it has to connect to a historical context. Comics combine printed words and pictures in a unique mostly entertaining and engaging way. How comics fit in with the social-political context of many countries takes into account such major trends as, democracy, and individualism. Individualism tends to be portrayed in a positive light when it has associated with freedom, as a sense of people's every day and shared identity and beliefs those who are bonded together principally by the relation of loyalty, shared values, and concerns. The main social characteristics of ideology shape our ethnicity. It gives us our sense of identity (Kivisto 2011, p.93). The scenes of war and ethnic cleansing in Europe and Africa were one of the characteristics of a political issue. Comic narratives have shown that they have engaged in racism, gender discrimination. In fact, the subject matter in comics is not necessarily humorous, but dramatic; the seriousness varies widely.

Resources:

Kivisto, P. (2011) Key ideas in Sociology, (London: Sage Publications)

Phaidon) Smith M.J & Duncan R. (2012) Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods, (New York: Rutledge)

Ideologies in Comics: A case study of the Tintin in the Congo Book

An Ideology can support the domination of one group over another. When one group becomes dominant, a crisis is never far away. The one who dominates the others has a different value system. This raised the issue of how a comic book can help readers to recognize the values in a society. In order to answer this question I looked at in details of Herge’s second adventure book called Tintin in the Congo. An important, and a major person in Herge’s life was the Abbot Wallez, a manager of a catholic newspaper. Abbot Wallez was a very political, fascist man who admired Hitler during the Second World War. In Belgium, the Church and Fascism coincided in a weird way. Wallez wanted to create a supplement for the young people, which at the same time would entertain the children, and guide them to his political ideas. Then, he discovered Herge, and he encouraged him to invent a young hero, a catholic reporter who would be devoted to defending the noblest causes throughout the world. It was the birth of Tintin in 1929. Just because of Tintin, the newspaper printed many more copies, in order to satisfy demand. It was a brilliant idea, and the newspaper was terribly successful.

Herge, (1960) stated at one of his interviews;

“I was an employee in a newspaper and there was a room above mine. There was a writer and above the writer, the reporter, he was the great traveller who travels the world and I wanted to make from Tintin, precisely a reporter for his first journey, the thing, which seemed to be the most important to me at the time…” Yes, until that moment, drawing the adventures of Tintin was a game, it was a joke, real little joke.”(http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ixjx_tintin-et-moi-2-8- french- english- su creation)

Tintin was in Congo to inspire his readers with colonial and missionary zeal. The publication of Tintin in the Congo reflected perfectly the spirit and mentality of the times. The young Herge reflects the society and colonial attitudes of the time. Much later, these adventures in Congo would be accused of racism, of which Herge tried to absolve himself in a letter to a reader. It was a period when it was the most natural thing, for a country to have colonies. In 1931, Herge was only 24, this period of colonising was called civilizing. Herge actually did not volunteer to create this book, but was told to do so by his editor, providing a story for Belgian children that would make them proud of Belgium’s role in the Congo. Every school studied the Congo child in Belgium (Pierre 2009, p. 26-27).

The relationship between the two countries was begun in 1908, by Leopold II, King of Belgium. Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State. When he turned the colony over to Belgium, he burned the archives of his ironically named Congo Free State to destroy the evidence of his crimes. Heran the Congo brutally, using a mercenary force for his own personal gain. Leopold extracted a fortune from the Congo. His harsh regime was responsible for the death of an estimated 5 to 15 million Congolese and the Congo became one of the most infamous international scandals of the early 20th century, before eventually Leopold was ultimately forced to relinquish control of it to the government of Belgium. Native life in the Congo was considered of no value. The main reason for this was natural rubber, produced by trees in Congo. It was a great source of income for the nation. The prospering Congo colony, with happy blacks being grateful to Belgium is a myth, fabricated as part of a strategy to make money coming from the Congo seem clean, to unite the interests of Belgium and the Congo and above all, to deny and hide the past. This strategy was very successful both during and after the colonization. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpibEk3lUg0 (2004)

From the New York Times, September 1, 1998, BOOKS OF THE TIMES,

'King Leopold's Ghost': Genocide With Spin Control, by Michiko Kakutani

Herge created a new world for Tintin with a simplified but realistic representation. He filled the strip with his own sense of humor and created supporting characters such as Coco, allowing the reader to engage with them. Tintin in the Congo came under criticism for its depiction of Congolese people, with several campaigners and writers seeing the work as racist due to its stereotypical portrayal of the Congolese as lazy and ape-like as ignorant as well as stupid. When reading a comic as an ideological statement, a simple comic can offer such material open to interpretation. It is a quicker way to gain overall sense of the meaning of a comic by figuring out what the images are representing.

Figure 20. Tintin in the Congo book, page 36

Figure 21. Tintin in the Congo book, page 36

The comic strip can confirm that a train comes down the track and crashes into Tintin’s car. The train carrying the Congolese had been badly damaged when it struck the car on the railroad track thus injuring the Congolese. They are now dressed in European clothing in a funny way. Tintin apologizes to the passengers. “ I’m so very sorry!” A Congolese man says” Wicked white man!” for the damage and hurt Tintin has caused. An angry women says, “ See what you do to poor, little black boy,” pointing to the bump on his head, the only time the story blames a white person for harming a black. It was a superficial injury but the blame seems somewhat unfair because Tintin had already apologized for the accident. The Congolese passengers are too lazy and afraid of getting dirty to help to get the train back on to tracks. Tintin gets the blame, but persuades the Congolese to help put the train back onto the tracks.

The other example is the priest introducing him to their mission: “ That’s the hospital… And there, the farm school… And there in the middle is our chapel…When we arrived here a year ago this was all bush. …” Tintin’s dog Snowy responds, “ Missionaries are the tops!” This scene has given a strong suggestion that Belgian children should feel proud of their African Empire. The whites brought them the best education, justice system and true religion and so on.

The Human Right lawyer David Enright in UK opened a campaign about alleged racism Those who spoke out against ‘Tintin in the Congo’ accusing the Africans of resembling apes, slip back into the status of socially acceptable opinion. Defenders of the comic looked into the opposite direction, by asking whether this book would turn a child into someone whose words and actions would slip out as socially acceptable. We may face difficult questions related to history and politics and witness the recent international flap over Tintin in the Congo when criticized as racist by the British Commission for Racial Equality, and the comic was forced to be relocated by Borders from the children’s section to the adult section of bookstores in the United Kingdom and the United States. It is only by carefully analyzing the issues of history, politics, and representation that one can adequately grasp the meanings of French-language comics, including those in translation that are migrating and reaching new readers around the globe. (McKinney 2008, p.4)

After much debate, it was agreed to publish the 1931 version, in 1991, making it the last of the Tintin books to appear in English. The new edition was published for a subculture of adult comics fans. This outcome wrongly suggest to the general public, that there is nothing wrong with the ideas on which the work is based, while in fact these do require critical debate and analysis. An ideological analysis brings a clear understanding of how this comic participates in larger social conflicts. (Smiths & Duncan 2012, p. 224- 233)

Resources:

McKinney, M. (2008) History and politics in France Language Comics and Graphic Novels,[ Internet] (USA: The University Press of Mississippi) Available from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/arts/Doc?id=10425142&ppg=15 (Accessed 10th August 2012)

Stuart Landau P. (2002) Images and Empires Visually in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa, (USA:

University of California Press, Ltd.) Thompson, H. (1991) Tintin, Herge and his Creation, (London: Hodder & Stoughton)

McAllister, M.P., Sewell, Jr., E. H., & Gordon, I. (2001). Comics and Ideology (New York: Peter Lang)

Herge Interview,(1960),Tintin et Moi, [Internet] available from <http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ixjx_tintin-et-moi-2-8-french-english-su_creation> [Accessed 1st April 2012]

David Enright, (2011), Tintin in the Congo should not be sold to children, The Guardian, [Internet], available from <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/04/tintin-in-the-congo?INTCMP=SRCH>, (Accessed 20th August 2012)

Smith M.J & Duncan R. (2012) Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods, (New York: Rutledge)

Underground Comics

Comics can also be alternative instrument for readers to learn about our visual culture. Underground comics in general have opened up new ways of reflecting the popular culture. They can be used for many purposes and it can be as versatile as any other medium. They can educate people morally and can inspire empathy.

The former Underground Cartoonist Jay Kinney suggests that;

“Most comics just amuse but underground comics have helped to expand the scope of the comics. Underground Comics are genuine art form and have as much as a right to explore sex, politics, psychology and drugs as do other art forms.” (Estren M. J. 1993 p.109)

In the protest movements in the1960s, the most important cultural arrangements were the new wave of humorous and hippie-inspired comic books. The underground artists used the comic book as a practical medium of changing social issues and lifestyles. People said, “What are the underground comics! And I think the best way to define them is the absolute freedom involved. I think that‘s real important, people forget what it was all about. That was why we did it, we did not have anybody standing over us saying, No, you can’t do this or You can’t show that, we could do whatever we wanted” (Sabin 1993, p.95).

Figure 17. Zap Comic by Victor Moscoso.

The late 1960s, comic books dealt with social and political subjects like sex, drugs, rock music, human rights and anti-war protest. For this reason, these new comics became known as ‘comix’ to set them apart from mainstream comics and to emphasize the ‘x’. Moscoso was one of the most important artists of ‘Zap Comix’, the underground comic magazine started by Robert Crumb. He was present from the first issue of Zap in 1968, also using his graphic style with vibrating colors, illegible lettering and vintage graphics in his comics. Zap comics is the best known and one of the most popular of the underground comix The pioneers of comics were self- styled hipsters and iconoclasts who both rejected and built on prior traditions. They too harbored subversive tendencies, in some cases revolutionary, political ideas, and were to a degree associated with a radically democratic realignment of politics. (Hatfield 2005, p18)

Figure 18. Maus by Art Spiegelman

The book is about Art Spiegeman’s devastating account of his parent’s persecution at the hands of the Nazis and it famously depicted Jews as mice and their tormentor’s as cats. This well crafted work of art generated a sense of empathy, it is impossible for the readers not to feel some sense of empathy with the main character “Maus”.Spiegelman became a key figure in the underground comix movement of the 1970s, both as cartoonist and editor. The public perception of comic books was of adolescent power fantasies. It was credited with changing the public's perception of what comics could be at a time when they were considered to be for children, and strongly associated with superheroes, but Spiegelman allows the reader to step into the eyes of another to make independent judgments. A reader is required to make meaning and the meaning of the work will depend on the individual’s particular interpretation. (http://www.victormoscoso.com)

Figure 19. Palestine Comic Book by Joe Sacco

In late 1991 and early 1992, Joe Sacco spent two months with Palestinians in the Occupied territories, traveling and taking notes. Upon returning to the U. S in mid-1992, he started writing and drawing Palestine, which combined the techniques of eyewitness reportage with the medium of comic-book storytelling, to explore this complex and emotionally weighty situation. Thus the medium of comics has been used to tackle serious political subjects from the Holocaust to Palestine. The comics have connected with the Islamic Revolution, providing a unique and personal insight into historic events and the political situations, taking the reader to places where news, even cameras cannot access. The mainstream comic books industry were well known for various genres, including superhero, science fiction, western, war, horror, romance, and humor and the comics industry published a set of guidelines that was meant to reassure legislators that their content would not corrupt a younger audience in the US. The Comics Codes Authority (CCA) established in the mid-1950s prohibited excessive violence, sex and drugs, although Underground Comics did not participate in the code and did not abide by their strictures. After 1960s, comic book readers changed, getting more mature just was the content. The underground cartoonists had accurate political awareness for the subject matters therefore the visual impact of their works were always striking and they were seeking to make a sense of historical events.

Spiegelman once said;

“It's a done deal. There are museum shows that will include comics without blinking an eye. And bookstores all have their sections for comics or graphic novels or whatever they're calling them. Universities are teaching comics. It's now part of the culture without having to be something to apologize for”. (Fischer 2004 p.5)

The self-publishing technologies and absolute political freedom of underground comics is forming the ideological scope of the comics industry. The underground comics influenced mainstream comics and social messages by encouraging artists to retain ownership and copyright of their characters to form independent companies as an alternative to the traditional “work hire” system. (Sabin, 1993) Underground comics cultivated a more considered approach to the art form, less dependent on the taboos and more open to the possibility of extended and ambitious narratives (Hatfield 2005 p. x).

Resources:

Sabin, R. (1993), Adult Comics: An Introduction, (London; Routledge)

Sabin R. (1996) Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels: A history of Comic Art, (London: Phaidon)

Estern M. J. (1993) A History of Underground Comics [Internet], California: Straight Arrow

Available from <file:///Volumes/DECEMBER/TINTIN/History%20of%20Underground%20Comics%20-%20Mark%20James%20Estren%20-%20Google%20Books.webarchive> (Accessed 10th December 2012)