UI 055: What I learned From Comics and Superheroes (part 1)

I have been a comic book and superhero fan since I was a young boy.  My comic book experiences were almost entirely due to my friends generosity.  My friends bought them (or their parents did) and I got to benefit from their libraries.  I especially liked Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, X-Men, and the Hulk (just to name a few.)  And what made the fantasy even more fun was when the comics came alive - being made into kitchy television shows, animated series, and of course the major motion pictures.  These comics weren't just entertainment for my friends and me, they were so much more.

These Superheroes and the stories in the comics were a source of debate and conversation regarding many of life's ultimate issues.   Is there good and evil?  If so, what is the best way to deal with evil?  Does  good always really triumph over evil?  What about the evil who may be mightier? Is everyone equal in terms of abilities or contribution?  Can people change?  Are some cultures better than others?  These and many more issues were debated by us as young boys.

These superheroes were not just fluff fictional stories designed to be fillers of our time, or keep us occupied so we didn't annoy the adults on a rainy day, nor were they just eye candy.  NO.

These comics were filled, like I said, with super yet normative human dilemmas.  For instance, Superman was an alien who was fostered by an American couple in Kansas.  They taught him humility, responsibility and that he had a moral obligation to act good.  Though he was different he could fit in with the American culture.  We also learned what Superman thought of most human men.  To him they must have seemed typically meek and mild mannered, as that was his personality when he acted like Clark Kent.  And he may be right.  Many men unfortunately will not stand up and fight for what is right, and that is a real problem.  We need men to be strong, and strong willed to battle those who have chosen to act viciously towards our fellows.  Superman had ideals and he was not going to let them be swayed by peers or media.  He wanted people to focus on battling real evil and not petty differences among friends and neighbors.  Oh, and something else Superman did - He was always encouraging people and showing them that they are stronger and more capable than they think... they just have to be willing.

And then there was the Hulk.  I loved the Hulk.  Here's how I identified with the Hulk: I too have another side of me, and I must battle it constantly.  Bruce Banner was a calm, thoughtful, articulate scientist... but don't make him angry!  Yes!!! I could totally identify with this character.   The Hulk rage was like a tantrum I would throw as a child (perhaps even as an adult), but it is up to me.  And when it is happening it is ME who is doing it.  It's a choice.  And by the way it is not easy to act on the choice.  It takes tons of effort to control your emotions, and not let triggers set you off.  The Hulk taught lessons that our youth today terribly need to hear - THE GREATEST BATTLE YOU WILL FIGHT IS WITH YOURSELF!

Another great lesson, was that if you can learn to control your emotions rather than your emotions controlling you, then you can also learn to harness that energy and use for good.  What a concept!

And Spiderman...  Look Peter Parker was also a lot like me and many of my friends.  Not cool among the guys, not popular with the girls, and nothing about him seemed extraordinary or special.  Plus, he lived alone with his Aunt (after his Uncle Ben is murdered).  Because of these reasons, I could totally resonate with Peter Parker.  I was (perhaps still am) a geeky dork who is average at best in the talent department, plus I lived much of my childhood alone with a single mother.  So we seemed to have some circumstantial similarities.  But of course Peter Parker became AMAZING once he was bit by the radioactive spider... where's the great lesson in that?

For me the lesson was in knowing that we all have something to offer.  Often times, our amazingness comes from adversities we have faced.  And most often these are tough circumstances for which we had no responsibility for their occurrence - they happened to us. And though they happened to us, we can decide how we will react to them. My spider bite was in the form of severe migraine headaches.  At least that is what they were diagnosed as, I am not clear what they are or were.  But my point is that these "headaches" that I have had for as long as I can remember (meaning my earliest recollections include these things and I believe they were diagnosed when I was 5 or 6) became a part of me like the venom from that radioactive spider.

But Peter Parker gained spider like abilities, what did I gain from migraines?  One cool thing I gained... a tremendous tolerance for pain.  This has proven to be extremely beneficial throughout life (e.g. sports, bodybuilding, martial arts, trauma).  Where others would restrict themselves for fear of pain, I could charge forward.  Therefore it allowed be to excel in many physical and mental venues, and do things most people would never dare to do.  I learned that pain is just pain... How I deal with it is up to me.

Severe migraines also forced me to deal with something many people never deal with until much later in life if ever... Fear of death.  For a long time, since I was a kid, a boy, I remember over and over again when a particularly bad migraine would happen I would simply think "This is it."  Like a Californian expecting a catastrophic earthquake, I kept in mind that with every great migraine, it could be the end of my life, or worse a catastrophic stroke leaving me incapable yet alive.  This constant reminder was at times depressing, but I learned to get over that and instead cultivate a spirit for life.  I developed the attitude that I want to live as much life as I could before I die.  So I live fast.  I don't procrastinate, and I battle "wasting" time.  Thus, I have lived a very intense, intentional, and purposeful life ~ knowing that at any moment it could all go "poof."

I could go on and on about the lessons I have learned from comics and superheroes, perhaps I will do another part of this as a series.  But here is why I started thinking about this...

There was something else that these comics did for us as kids, or at least of me... It was an indoctrination into Americanism.  These comics helped foster a patriotism in my young mind.  They made me feel a love of country, and sense of pride, and sense of gratitude for being an American.

Why?  Well there was a lot of overt patriotism in the characters themselves.  Superman and Wonder Woman's costumes for example seemed joyfully patriotic.  And then you had the unmistakable Captain America - Steve Rogers who really looked like a superhero version of the American flag personified.  Even the casual admirer of these superheroes would be influenced by these patriotic suggestions and narratives.

And then just a day or so ago I read this from the Wall Street Journal and it really got me thinking about a silent loss that has occurred for our youth.

How Liberalism Became Kryptonite for Superman

A graphic tale of modern comic books' descent into moral relativism.

 

By

CHUCK DIXON And

PAUL RIVOCHE

 

 I read the whole article on the podcast, but as it is a WSJ article for subscribers I am only including the link above.  Though other sites may have it up.

 

This article by these two men who are involved with that industry got me thinking about why I stopped engaging with comics in general.  They lost their way over time.  They become more and more watered down and politically correct.  To a secular kid who was obsessed with morality and figuring out good, evil, truth, justice, and other major issues addressed explicitly or implicitly by these Superheroes - promoting everyday folks to develop super character development and understand super ideals.  Slowly the tide shifted and these moral giants were vanishing and being replaced by characters I couldn't or chose not to identify with.

 

Thankfully, from what I have seen in the 21st century movie versions, they seem to be coming back to some of the ideals that were promoted early on in the comics.  And that is great since kids are more likely to watch a movie than read a comic.  But once the movie is over... what is there to reinforce the character development.  Hence, we need a come back in the comic world of wholesome, values driven Superheroes who battle Evil villains.

 

The authors of the WSJ article mentioned the Comics Code Authority (CCA).  Interestingly, I believe that was created as a reaction to potential government censorship in the 50's due to a theory that comics may contribute to inappropriate behavior in kids or criminality.

Below is from the original CCA.  Judge for yourself if they are "liberal" or "conservative" in nature:

 

 

The Comics Code Authority 
(as Adopted in 1954)Code of the Comics Magazine Association of America. Inc.
Adopted on October 26, 1954, the enforcement of this Code is the basis for the comic magazine industry's program of self-regulation.PREAMBLE The comic book medium, having come of age on the American cultural scene, must measure up to its responsibilities. Constantly improving techniques and higher standards go hand in hand with these responsibilities.

To make a positive contribution to contemporary life, the industry must seek new areas for developing sound, wholesome entertainment. The people responsible for writing, drawing, printing, publishing and selling comic books have done a commendable job in the past, and have been striving toward this goal.

Their record of progress and continuing improvement compares favorably with other media in the communications industry. An outstanding example is the development of comic books as a unique and effective tool for instruction and education. Comic books have also made their contributiuon in the field of letters and criticism of contemporary life.

In keeping with the American tradition, the members of this industry will and must continue to work together in the future.

In this same tradition, members of the industry must see to it that gains made in this medium are not lost and that violations of standards of good taste, which might tend toward corruption of the comic book as an instructive and wholesome form of entertainment, will be eliminated.

Therefore, the Comics Magazine Association of America, Inc. has adopted this Code, and placed strong powers of enforcement in the hands of an independent Code Authority.

Further, members of the Association have endorsed the purpose and spirit of this Code as a virtual instrument to the growth of the industry.

To this end, they have pledged themselves to conscientiously adhere to its principles and to abide by all decisions based on the Code made by the Administrator.

They are confident that this positive and forthright statement will provide an effective bulwark for the protection and enhancement of the American reading public, and that it will become a landmark in the history of self-regulation for the entire communications industry.

CODE FOR EDITORIAL MATTER

General Standards Part A

1. Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals.

2. No comics shall explicitly present the unique details and methods of a crime.

3. Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority.

4. If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.

5. Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position which creates the desire for emulation.

6. In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.

7. Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gun play, physical agony, gory and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.

8. No unique or unusual methods of concealing weapons shall be shown.

9. Instances of law enforcement officers dying as a result of a criminal's activities should be discouraged.

10. The crime of kidnapping shall never be portrayed in any detail, nor shall any profit accrue to the abductor or kidnapper. The criminal or the kidnapper must be punished in every case.

11. The letter of the word "crime" on a comics magazine shall never be appreciably greater than the other words contained in the title. The word "crime" shall never appear alone on a cover.

12. Restraint in the use of the word "crime" in titles or sub-titles shall be exercised.

General Standards Part B

1. No comics magazine shall use the word horror or terror in its title.

2. All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted.

3. All lurid, unsavory, gruesome illustrations shall be eliminated.

4. Inclusion of stories dealing with evil shall be used or shall be published only where the intent is to illustrate a moral issue and in no case shall evil be presented alluringly nor as to injure the sensibilities of the reader.

5. Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism and werewolfism are prohibited.

General Standards Part C

All elements or techniques not specifically mentioned herein, but which are contrary to the spirit and intent of the Code, and are considered violations of good taste or decency, shall be prohibited.

Dialogue

1. Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols which have acquired undesirable meanings are forbidden.

2. Special precautions to avoid references to physical afflictions of deformities shall be taken.

3. Although slang and colloquialisms are acceptable, excessive use should be discouraged and wherever possible good grammar shall be employed.

Religion

1. Ridicule or attack on any religious or racial group is never permissible.

Costume

1. Nudity in any form is prohibited, as is indecent or undue exposure.

2. Suggestive and salacious illustration or suggestive posture is unacceptable.

3. All characters shall be depicted in dress reasonably acceptable to society.

4. Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities. NOTE: It should be recognized that all prohibitions dealing with costume, dialogue, or artwork apply as specifically to the cover of a comic magazine as they do to the contents.

Marriage and Sex

1. Divorce shall not be treated humorously nor represented as desirable.

2. Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at or portrayed. Violent love scenes as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable.

3. Respect for parents, the moral code, and for honorable behavior shall be fostered. A sympathetic understanding of the problems of love is not a license for moral distortion.

4. The treatment of love-romance stories shall emphasize the value of the home and the sanctity of marriage.

5. Passion or romantic interest shall never be treated in such a way as to stimulate the lower and baser emotions.

6. Seduction and rape shall never be shown or suggested.

7. Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.

CODE FOR ADVERTISING MATTER

These regulations are applicable to all magazines published by members of the Comics magazine Association of America, Inc. Good taste shall be the guiding principle in the acceptance of advertising.

1. Liquor and tobacco advertising is not acceptable.

2. Advertising of sex or sex instruction books are unacceptable.

3. The sale of picture postcards, "pin-ups," "art studies," or any other reproduction of nude or semi-nude figures is prohibited.

4. Advertising for the sale of knives, concealable weapons, or realistic gun facsimiles is prohibited.

5. Advertising for the sale of fireworks is prohibited.

6. Advertising dealing with the sale of gambling equipment or printed matter dealing with gambling shall not be accepted.

7. Nudity with meretricious purpose and salacious postures shall not be permitted in the advertising of any product; clothed figures shall never be presented in such a way as to be offensive or contrary to good taste or morals.

8. To the best of his ability, each publisher shall ascertain that all statements made in advertisements conform to the fact and avoid misinterpretation.

9. Advertisement of medical, health, or toiletry products of questionable nature are to be rejected. Advertisements for medical, health or toiletry products endorsed by the American Medical Association, or the American Dental Association, shall be deemed acceptable if they conform with all other conditions of the Advertising Code.

(text source: Comics Magazine Association of America. Facts about Code-Approved Comics Magazines. New York: the Association, 1959.)

 

Were publishers of our current children's television, internet, video game, and comic hold themselves to these same rules and standards, I would argue we would have much better behaved and morally thinking youths in our society.

 

Therefore it is our task to support those who are fighting to bring these ideals back to media that is enjoyable, educational, and influential for our kids.  It is good for our kids, mostly boys, who really need these kinds of ideals and lessons... and role models.  Our society desperately needs morally thinking, action oriented, ambitious boys.

 

In fact, I will argue that another thing I learned from these Superheroes is that girls like amazing men.  No super hero's mild manner alter ego ever wooed any girls, but his super-amazing side sure did.

 

Look, if you were like me and did not grow up religious and did not have a constant male role model then these characters were invaluable for male maturation.  What boy didn't want to be Superman?  Honorable, honest, generous,thoughtful, romantic and yet strong, aggressive, ambitious, confident, and best of all courageous.   When Lex Luther would beat him down and weaken him with kryptonite the Superman knew that it wasn't just himself he was fighting for - NO, he felt a moral obligation to defend the rest of the good people and fight for noble principles - like truth, justice, and the American way.

 

We all have a choice in how we behave and live our lives.  We all have a choice in the attitudes we hold for ourselves, others, and our general philosophy of life.  These Superheroes taught me to be ambitious, think big, do good, and keep battling my greatest enemy - MY SELF!

 

Till next time...