Comic Books and Ideology - Book Report/Review Example

Comic Books and Ideology Comic Books and Ideology Comic books are magazines devoted to funny strips and ideologies are orientations that characterize the thinking of a group or a nation. From their different definitions, it is good to note that the two refer to different things. All the same, the two have something in common. They both concentrate on traditional beliefs. Comics deal with traditional heroes as the ideology focuses on the traditional political belief systems. Comics and ideology is a book that offers several useful essays that talk more about the American superheroes and mostly focuses on the Wonder Woman, Superman and many more gay characters in the comics (Mathew, 2001). I personally agree with the book, as it has power of influencing a large number of citizens in the United States to promote moral uprightness. Comics succeed best in propaganda affairs, as the readers do not realize when getting into it through comic works. Therefore, when comic work focuses on changes for a better future, the society ends up getting saved. The War Comics always supported the government of America by glorifying war without concentrating on racism. This was because they were written by patriots who were interested in earning victory for their nation. This was in most cases achieved. The United States government happened to be interested in using the comic books as they proved to be influential, thus very effective in communication and controlling the thoughts and mindset of the public. This went as far as determining response and performance in war, especially the World War II. In favor of the public, the comic books also exposed important occurrences that would happen and fail to reach the public. These included the deaths of people such as the list titled “women refrigerators”, where a protagonist’s woman had been killed and put in a refrigerator. The list also contained a number of many more women who had either been killed or separated from their powers. The government too used comics in approaching its enemies in a persuasive manner whenever conflicts came up. Such comics were written with hope of encouraging the citizens to act in favor of the government such as by disclosing to the military some secrets of an enemy in war. Whenever such efforts bore fruits, it meant great achievement to the government, thus the nation’s victory at large. This just expresses how of help comics could be. Though comics happened to expose naked body parts of women, they helped to implant the character of being submissive in women to their men. This helped to shape up relationships between men and their women, as it was all that men required from their women. Comics also helped in discouraging racism by having pictures of the blacks. This was not pleasant to the whites, but it supported moral uprightness which meant they slowly killed racism. Comic writers always enjoyed the benefits of being famous, as the comic books were very familiar and a large number of citizens made a habit of reading them (Historian, 2003). Comics were well published in United States in 1986, and were known as the ‘Nam’. This was a monthly comic book written by Vietnum. I agree with the comic book being so influential because it succeeded in promoting the males to be more superior as compared to the females making the females to remain submissive under the words and orders of their men. This happened to spread in numerous societies, making it a custom to practice amongst the members. I also agree that comics are the most successful in propagandas, as they again reach a large number of people. Propaganda only succeeds if the media is very effective as far as spread of information is concerned. With the high rate of passing information experienced in use of comics, propaganda naturally gets created. Many Americans get attracted to the comics as they are funny, thus making it a habit of reading them every now and then. This is how they became fast spread and effective as far as communication and spread of news are concerned. Comic superheroes had great influence in pieces of advice focused on by many parents and schoolboys in terms of war. Pictures that featured in comic materials also helped in achieving the government’s aim of inciting the public to rise against the enemy in times of war (Historian, 2003). I also agree with the fact that War Comics also strived to maintain the righteousness in every rival because the American government, mostly categorized as the good soldiers won the battle against the evil counterparts, the enemy. War tales that other artists sidelined in their features were featured in the war category of comics. They for example featured the North Koreans and the Chinese who were never featured in any other media. This shows they were more open when it came to such conflicts. Together with the fact that they exposed more powerful war tales, these serve the reasons as to why the war types of comics attracted many readers nationwide. The antiwar comics also expressed the impacts of attacks by the enemy during the wars and the government later gained influence in using them to reach villagers and influence them to share with the military the secretive ways of the enemy. The more these activities happened, the more propaganda took place by the help of the comic books. The comic writers also represented the progress of such wars in their works such as the killings that took place. This was done in topics such as the “women in refrigerator” list which included an antagonist’s girlfriend, whom he found having been killed and her body locked in a refrigerator. Such works of the comic, having reached so many people, were used in inciting the male heroes to take effective measures with urgency. Sure enough it succeeded in bringing about strive with effectiveness and better performance as compared to earlier occurrences. The posting of that list also brought about the debate on proper treatments to women and equalization of both genders. This enriches morality in the society (Historian, 2003). With the above supporting information, I agree with the comic books and ideology to be the most influential media as far as reaching the public and spread of information are concerned. This is because the propaganda has featured as existing in the impacts of the comic books. The American government itself appreciated the comics as the best way and most effective way of reaching the public. During wars the military needed help from the villagers in reaching and learning the ways of the enemy, and the surest way was by use of the comic materials. The only secret is that they are entertaining with funny messages that at the end of it happen to pass particular information. This therefore draws many Americans, both young and old towards reading the comic materials. The foundation of all the impacts brought about by the comic materials therefore, happens to be the fact that they carry along with them so many readers. This therefore makes passing of information to a large number of citizens, acquiring opinions from large population and even influencing the attitude of many Americans far much easier, as compared to by use of any other media (Gordon et al. 2001). Through the help of comic books, the traditions and cultural practices have been altered. The perspective as to which gender is balanced was influenced too. This was all as a result of acquiring great influence over large population in the United States. Comic writers, with all the fame became great people winning the favors of being familiar nationwide. Even with all the critics that never lacked, the comic writers were able to absorb the shock, as they had a whole magnitude of supporters behind them, in every moves they made. In conclusion, the comic books successfully addressed social issues such as the immoral behaviors that took place in the United States. The representations made in the comic books showed how the Americans misused sex and exposed the female naked bodies, which later on effectively helped to cub the situation socially. This also included the gay activities. The writers’ reactions to them helped in controlling the public’s attitude towards such immoral behaviors and at the end of it all doing away with it as a culture. This played part in greatly reducing it, even if not completely doing away with it. The woman’s role was also tuned to submissiveness, as they should submit to their husbands. This favored the harmony in relationships between men and their women. There was guidance too in choosing of careers for women so as to help them identify what they would do best and participate in nation building. Comic books also acted as the link between the government and the citizens through updating of the news and spreading of the information. All these were the impacts of comic books boosted by its character of popularity. References Gordon, I., McAllister, M. & Sawell, E, (2001). Comics and Ideology. Pieterlen: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers Stromberg, F. (2003). Comic Books and Ideology. Mathew, J. (2001). Comics and Ideology. Pieterlen: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers Read More