Beyond Superman

Whether or not you read them, it’s hard to deny that comics have always had a huge impact on American culture. Kids rush to read the “funnies” section of the Sunday paper, and big-time movie studios have been capitalizing on comics’ success for years.

Comics are still widely read by certain crowds, but the content and style of comics has evolved to appease new, more sophisticated audiences. Comics have emerged from their original funny, action-oriented form and have taken on important social and political issues in the form of editorial cartoons and in politically charged comic strips.
Whether or not you read them, it’s hard to deny that comics have always had a huge impact on American culture. Kids rush to read the “funnies” section of the Sunday paper, and big-time movie studios have been capitalizing on comics’ success for years.

Comics are still widely read by certain crowds, but the content and style of comics has evolved to appease new, more sophisticated audiences. Comics have emerged from their original funny, action-oriented form and have taken on important social and political issues in the form of editorial cartoons and politically charged comic strips.

A changing genre

While comics are still popular to some extent today, their popularity has declined since the advent of other forms of entertainment, such as television, movies, and video games.

“On the whole, comics don’t sell nearly as well as they did 50 years ago when readers — mostly young boys — didn’t have as many entertainment options as they do now,” said Curt Gettman, editor of Unicorn Mountain. “On the other hand, comics have never been more popular with adults — including women — in the U.S. than they are right now.”

Despite this change in audience, however, the classics still remain popular among some readers; superhero comics are published largely by mainstream publishers like DC and Marvel. Independent publications, like Unicorn Mountain, publish different kinds of comics.

“[Modern comics] tackle subject matter which often reminds us of our ‘real’ everyday lives,” said Mike Woodfill, sales and marketing associate for Unicorn Mountain. “This has helped to increase both comic fans and writers and illustrators.” Such everyday subject matter has also attracted women to the industry, Woodfill said.

Last weekend, the Small Press Expo was held in Bethesda, Md., which gives artists a chance to share their new material and interact with readers. Several Carnegie Mellon students attended the event, along with the staff of Unicorn Mountain. All profits from the Small Press Expo go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which aims to protect the First Amendment rights of both readers and creators of comic books.

“[Every year,] I hope to meet awesome artists, read, and see some inspiring art, listen to some informative people, and hang out with my friends,” said Julia Stein, one of the students who attended the Small Press Expo. Stein, a senior majoring in art and creative writing, also writes and draws comics.

Reading comics may be popular, but it is also popular to write them. Unicorn Mountain Music Director Tim Brown believes that the appeal comes from the ability to express yourself without worrying about creating a coherent whole. In comics, unlike other forms, the pictures tell a lot of the story, leaving room for disjoint writing.

“It’s a complete escape or a complete way to express yourself, your life, or your ideas,” Brown said. “Comics are ... gaining a lot of respect in their own right as to being works of art.”

Creation

“The best comics — ones that succeed from an artistic perspective — are a seamless blend of both writing and illustration,” Gettman said.

Stein begins by creating the story, which can take months to complete. She then divides the story into pages and begins actually drawing the comic. “For me, depending on the size of the page, it can take from one day to two weeks to complete,” she said.

After drawing, Stein scans her pages into a computer, and then they are cleaned up, printed, bound, and sent to family, friends, and publishing companies. Some comic book artists draw directly on the computer.

Coming up with ideas is a different process for different people, and it varies depending on the genre and length of comic being published. Stein writes realistic stories, characteristic of small-press publication.

“[For me], every story is laced with autobiographical experiences and fictional elements,” Stein said. “Sometimes the story is inspired by a person or an idea and sometimes it’s a throw-up of emotion and memory.”

There are a few different forms of comics. Traditional comic books, using both illustrations and writing to tell a story, are published by either large mainstream companies or small independent companies. Graphic novels, another form, are similar to comic books, but they are long (about the same length as a regular novel) and respected as literature. Last are comic strips and cartoons, which are either a funny scene from a story (Peanuts and Dilbert, for example) or a political message (editorial cartoons). Comic strips, especially those that come out every day, can be stressful because of the deadlines, though it allows artists to reach large audiences.

“Whether it’s a 30-page graphic novel or even a single-frame comic, the key is to tell a story,” Woodfill said.