Good or Evil? Comic Books and Their Influence on Kids
Are Comic Books Art? Fiction? Are They Good Reading for Our Children?
The comic book's first step up from book was to Television. Cartoon's made from Comic books became popular in the 1970's-1980's, such as X-Men, SpiderMan, and Batman. These cartoons were fun for all ages, and became classics instantly.
The next step came when D.C. took the leap, and made one of it's most popular characters into a movie on the silver screen. Superman was only a pioneer in this case, eventually having four movies to his name, and a wealth of fans. Batman came out in 1989, and the idea immediately latched on, spurring the creation of Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, and in 2005, Batman Begins.
The idea of turning comic books into movies was picked up by Marvel in the late 1990's, and they countered D.C. with a multitude of block busters like SpiderMan, X-Men, The Incredible Hulk and Dardevil. Action figures, stuffed toys, coloring books, full length novels, and other merchandise were then added to the tally of things touched by comic books.
The next question is though, is it for you?
Comic books have their place, for a certainty. They are easy reading, and fun reading. The characters and plots are memerable, and the illustrations are unforgettable.
How much though, is too far?
In some comics, the violence and blatant sexual advances rival that of infamous video games like Grand Theft Auto and the Resident Evil series. Some persue practices or customs that are tied to the occult, whereas others dabble in matters of society, like homosexuality, and drug abuse.
The real question is, who do you want teaching your kids about those things, you or the comic book?
True, not all comic books are bad, and some are quite benefitial, but constant vigilance is necessary to keep your kids from being expossed to these things.
Another common problem is this: Kids don't recognize the amount of imagination [make believe] in comics. Some become so involved with the ideas that they forget that crime fighting is a job for the police, and that death is permanent.
Why not talk to your kids about it? Making sure they understand that imitating what they see in comic books is not a good idea is the first step in keeping it 'good, honest fun.'
Comic books, and indeed, books and movies of all kinds, are intended to be fun, family enjoyment. Keeping in mind these few points, can help you keep it that way.
Enjoy!
Published by Romona Lorelli
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22 Comments
Post a CommentWhereas comics go they arent't read anymore as in the 90's, the source of entertainment is tv and video games. The truth is, adults don't understand that some children can look at violonce and gore, and others can't. As a 14year old kid i know that parents don't understand that times have changed, and that children wont be entertained by some comics or toys that often, they want action and surreal situations where they have all the power. They want a place to go to when theyfeel sad, a place with no worries just releasing stress. Surely some people have their diaries to express their feelings to, but somepeople just like to express their anger by playing these action games. So, for that reason i suggest to all parents; if your son asks for a violent or gore games, try it out. give it to them. see if you spot any kind of difference on his attitude or behaviour. if he begins getting violent, take it away from them. SO to all parents, take care of your children, but be honest, and think about what you did when you were his age. kthxbye :)
children easily adapt the methods and means used in the books by the hero and villain for success in their future plans ahead. sadly children get attracted to these violent means and practice it in their little world without thinking of its repercussions in their life.
I agree that comics books appeal to children for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the colorful pictures, the witty dialogue, the action, and the creative array of characters. However, I disagree that all comic books are safe for children if you just break them down Barney-style; the first comics to be made weren't geared towards kids, but towards soldiers fighting in WWI and WWII. Do you think those were innocent and family-friendly? And in defense of their intelligence, children are far more perceptive than adults realize. They understand that a man can't really lift a million-ton truck or leap tall buildings in a single bound or shoot spiderwebs from their wrists; they also understand that these heroes are human, and make human mistakes. They see the world of their favorite characters as something whimsical, something unattainable but fun to read. And you know what? The world, real or not, is not perfect. It has imperfections. It has blood and violence, foul
I say that comics are both good and bad for Childrens learning,I Only wish that all good books were comics,Like the novel 20.000 leages under the sea,that was a good book and read,I wish it was a Grafic novel or comic,but it was not,It is all about Imagination in Novels,More Novels should be Comics or Grafic Novels,Kids don't know what they are missing in reading great Novels.
hat's how it's been in the comics. Well, I think when he had the symbiote he could shoot it from the bloodstream but yeah, he has machines that shoot the web fluid.
`http://www.dozenkids.com
surely kids of an age where they are shielded from certain adult topics have their comic books bought for them? if you dont want your child to read something that is intended for an adult audience then DONT BUY IT FOR THEM. much like the GTA games, people know what happens in them and therefore you dont buy it for your kid. But people should remember that the more you shield a child from something the more they want to find out about it because you are then making whatever it is into a bigger dewal. Also children usually find stuff out anyway.
I'm currently writing my dissertation on graphic novels and there seems to be this idea that they are aimed at children and are frivolous or superficial, or mostly about superheroes. i would say that many graphic novels, or even comic books are not aimed at children. the one's aimed at children are things like 'marvel heroes' which is usually placed in a newsagents alongside the beano or dandy.
"The real question is, who do you want teachin
Oh, by the way, oh self righteous keepers of the sacred flame, I love comic strips and comic books, have been reading them and collecting reprints for over 65 years. I am well aware that they are read by different age groups. Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent really foundered on this point. The kids he was concerned about were reading Animal Comics by the fellow who later produced Pogo, not EC Comics which mostly appealed to older teens and adults. I even know why comics are called comics even though perhaps most are not funny and embrace many literary genres. Well, see you in the funny papers!
I like your article. Your critics in the comments here are right that there are some things you don't know. but this is true for some of them. "comic strips and comic books are entirely different things." Well Martin-know-it-all, please explain why so many comic strip characters have also appeared in comic books and vice versa? Spiderman has a daily comic strip as well as appearing in many comic books, etc., etc., too many examples of these crossovers to mention! It's nice to know that self-righteousness is not confined to religious people. However, one important fact which makes this subject difficult to generalize about is that there are so many comic strips and comic books out there, probably at least 300 titles in each category. Never the less you have made an excellent point. There is no substitute for good judgment and parental oversight.
I disagree that children cannot tell the difference between the level of imagination in comics and real life. Although some themes are certainly too mature for young children, comics are a way for children to explore adult world concepts in a safe, predictable manner.
agh I went off. Let me just say do your homework and try to appreciate the fact that adults like me and others have put ratings and warnings in place to satisfy you so that you cannot touch the movies, comics, or games that we as adults enjoy responsibly. Did you even SEE the warning on the GTA game cover that it was "M" for 18+?!