2008 Woodie Awards
Comic Books: The American mythology
I am willing to put myself out there, to commit social suicide, to defend the indefensible position: comic books are cool. They are, really. They are cool. They are relevant. They are not just fantasy. They are the American mythology.
The popularity of "Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2," "X-Men," "Sin City" and the upcoming release of "Batman Begins" proves that while there is still a stigma surrounding the books, the stories are in fact entertaining. But why? Because comic books, as outlandish as it sounds, are in the same tradition as the myths of ancient Greece.
Comic books are merely fantastic stories about the American experience. Superman is the immigrant story. Spider-Man and Batman encapsulate the ideas that, in America, anyone can do great things. These stories espouse the collective values on which America was founded.
Superman, for example, is just a fictionalized version of the immigrant experience. Superman, born "Kal-El" on the planet Krypton, was sent to Earth as a baby when Krypton exploded. When he landed on Earth his adopted parents changed his named to the particularly waspy Clark Kent.
Countless immigrants who passed through the gates at Ellis Island shared this experience. While most were not escaping an exploding planet, these young immigrants were escaping a harsher life. Loving parents put their children on a crowded boat and sent them to a better place. When they landed on the doorsteps of America, their adopted parents gave them new names, American names (Dubinsky to Dubin for example). These children grew up, just as Superman, to espouse "American values." They grew up believing wholeheartedly in things like truth, justice and the American way.
Not only that, but for better or worse, each immigrant had two faces, his or her American face, the face of Clark Kent, and his or her Old World face, the face of Superman. In essence, Clark Kent represents their assimilation, the way in which their new home tried (albeit not very hard in some cases) to embrace them.
The popularity of "Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2," "X-Men," "Sin City" and the upcoming release of "Batman Begins" proves that while there is still a stigma surrounding the books, the stories are in fact entertaining. But why? Because comic books, as outlandish as it sounds, are in the same tradition as the myths of ancient Greece.
Comic books are merely fantastic stories about the American experience. Superman is the immigrant story. Spider-Man and Batman encapsulate the ideas that, in America, anyone can do great things. These stories espouse the collective values on which America was founded.
Superman, for example, is just a fictionalized version of the immigrant experience. Superman, born "Kal-El" on the planet Krypton, was sent to Earth as a baby when Krypton exploded. When he landed on Earth his adopted parents changed his named to the particularly waspy Clark Kent.
Countless immigrants who passed through the gates at Ellis Island shared this experience. While most were not escaping an exploding planet, these young immigrants were escaping a harsher life. Loving parents put their children on a crowded boat and sent them to a better place. When they landed on the doorsteps of America, their adopted parents gave them new names, American names (Dubinsky to Dubin for example). These children grew up, just as Superman, to espouse "American values." They grew up believing wholeheartedly in things like truth, justice and the American way.
Not only that, but for better or worse, each immigrant had two faces, his or her American face, the face of Clark Kent, and his or her Old World face, the face of Superman. In essence, Clark Kent represents their assimilation, the way in which their new home tried (albeit not very hard in some cases) to embrace them.
