This publish is Filed Under:
Home page Highlights,
Interviews as well as Columns
KC & Cow
by KC Carlson
I commonly dislike speaking about comics for youngsters — mainly since I feel like I shouldn’t have to. I grew up in an age where practically all comics were meant for youngsters (at least all superhero comics). early in the marvel Age of Comics, Stan Lee as well as the marvel Bullpen made their superheroes a bit bit much more advanced by including much more human relationships, showing that there were genuine people under the mask, as well as ultimately telling much more topical (and political) stories. This made all the difference in getting their fledgling line of comics discovered by a mass audience– even while dealing with seemingly impossible distribution problems. Although they were aiming for a somewhat much more mature audience, these comics still might be — as well as were — checked out by kids.
This is no longer so.
Aquaman impales a foe on the cover of Aquaman #3.
For much better or for worse, contemporary superhero comics have mainly grown up with their visitors (and creators), telling stories with much more mature themes as well as content, including enhanced violence as well as gore, sexual situations, mental issues, as well as other myriad situations. Indeed, numerous of the most mature comics are clearly identified for their meant audience. It’s been argued that it’s now a much different world as well as youngsters can deal with a great deal much more than they might in the past. however for the last a number of years — perhaps longer — it seems that many of today’s comic creators don’t even think about that younger visitors may be a part of their audience. many superhero comics today are peer-to-peer experiences, adults composing for other (hopefully) like-minded adults. Superhero comics for kids as well as young teens have mainly been left behind.
Batman & Aquaman from All new Batman: The take on as well as the Bold.
I comprehend that both marvel as well as DC have devoted kids’ comic lines (and great comics they are). however I likewise understand from years of retail experience that provided a option between a cartoony-drawn Batman as well as the sleek, mysterious version in his “regular” comics, nine times out of ten the youngster will want the “real” thing. part of it is the “forbidden fruit” element that makes it much more attractive to kids. When I was a kid, I was purchasing comics off a magazine rack where Playboy as well as other exotic publications were just feet away from the comics (albeit, typically up high, as well as either wrapped in plastic or hidden behind cardboard blinders). Of course, I was fascinated by that — however I couldn’t purchase them, since vendors understood not to offer them to me.
Kids will always want to checked out “up” from what they’re expected to be reading. First, since it’s a challenge, however mainly they want to be reading the exact same things they see older siblings or parents reading. I keep in mind having a hard time to checked out science fiction novels long before I was able to grasp advanced scientific ideas as well as other much more mature circumstances in those pulpy reads. (Which made re-reading extremely pleasurable later.) as well as deal with it, exactly how numerous times can you checked out The bit Engine That might as well as The Poky bit Puppy before going insane?
As great as they are, I believe the marvel as well as DC kids’ books are only efficient as entry-level books for incredibly young kids. I suspect that adult fans/parents purchase them for their youngsters as well as delight in reading them together. then those comics are provided to the kids to keep — the happy parent attempting to share their like of comics collecting with their offspring. That many of the comics are based on cartoons the youngsters see on TV is likewise a huge element in getting them hooked.
But when you set youngsters loose in a comic book store, as well as they see first-hand whatever that is offered — presuming they aren’t completely overwhelmed — they’ll want the much more mature, exotic “forbidden fruit”, as well as the game is over for “cartoony”. youngsters understand when they’re being talked down to or fobbed off with a sideline. They don’t want the “kiddie stuff” when they understand what it is.
Tiny Titans
Which is one of the reasons why these books don’t do extremely well in comic shops — unless the adult clients are purchasing them for the above reasons, or for nostalgia, or just since they are riotously funny, like the outstanding small Titans. Further, when youngsters discover out that the Batman they’ve been reading isn’t the “real” Batman, exactly how interested are they gonna be in continuing with the cartoony man they’ve been reading? youngsters aren’t dumb. With stuff like this, they understand what the score is.
Not sufficient Kid-Friendly Superhero Comics?
Static Shock #3
I believe the genuine issue is — where are the superhero comics for 10-15-year-olds? There are definitely none at the new DC — however there might be. ideas like static Shock as well as the new Blue Beetle would be ideal for that age group, if DC wasn’t so thinking about shock violence as a storytelling tool. There are four eco-friendly lantern books — couldn’t just one of them be SF action experience without body parts? as well as there’s a billion Batman books…
And exactly how about something for girls? women would like superheroes if they didn’t have to put up with the young boys only mentality that so numerous present superheroes are stuck in. women like superheroes, too. (I know. I married one.) as well as a great deal of women (although not enough) are now producing comics.
Wonder lady as well as Supergirl are tailor-made characters for young woman visitors — yet the DC young boy mentality has bent as well as twisted those characters so far from their original function — turning them into male-fantasy characters — that I commonly question if they charm to anybody any type of more. in spite of its general excellence, I cringed when I checked out the new question lady #1 — certainly not for kids. any type of bit women that may unintentionally stumble across it will most likely be scarred forever when a equine is violently killed in an early scene. I believe the only thing worse would be if they had killed a unicorn.
Many marvel books are most likely alright for younger readers, as numerous of them stick quite close to common superhero action. Although one has to question exactly how much patience they’d have for Bendis-style yak-yak-yak speaking heads or political as well as philosophical arguments among the mutants. I’m losing my patience with these books. less gabbing, much more hitting. (Okay, not really. however you understand what I mean…)
Bone
I look at the large success that non-superhero kids’ comics like Bone as well as Diary of a Wimpy youngster as well as others are having outside the direct market. The huge two have frankly done a lousy task in getting the word out to younger visitors about exactly how excellent many of their traditional characters are — having already skipped a couple of generations of young visitors by not having comics offered all over like they utilized to be. Granted, there’s excellent media understanding of the characters from films as well as animation as well as other licensing efforts. however where are the comic books? youngsters can’t drive themselves to specialty comic book stores, as well as possibilities are they can’t trip their bikes there either. (Do youngsters even trip bikes anymore? as well as if they do, are they enabled outside their own neighborhoods?)
Action Pact
Archie & good friends delight in Halloween
Halloween is best around the corner. We provide out comics, as well as we’ve discovered that our home is one of the much more prominent to see since of it. (Kids from other communities come by particularly for the comics.) We utilized to have a huge backlog of dupes to select from, back when we were still getting comps, as well as it was quite simple to discover a stack of kid-friendly comics to provide out. Of course, we always purchase a few bundles of the specially-produced Halloween comics that a number of publishers release, however we’ve discovered that a great deal of the youngsters are dissatisfied when they get those. They inherently comprehend that the half-size style is not a “real” comic, as well as they’d much choose getting a 10-year-old superhero book or an old Archie comic instead.
The issue is that it’s getting harder as well as harder to discover present superhero comics that we can provide away without freaking out the community parents if they occur to see them. situation in point: this year we’re going to have a lot of unwanted DC new 52 #1 comics — however we couldn’t potentially think about providing any type of of them to to youngsters (or even the teens), because of the over-the-top fierce as well as sexual content, in spite of exactly how they’re labeled.
I likewise comprehend that marvel as well as DC these days are fairly lean operations general as well as don’t always have the resources to dedicate to solving the issue of getting properly created comics into the hands of youngsters as well as young teens. however because both of these business are now had by huge media conglomerates, they ought to be able to resolve the problem. It’s difficult to believe that Disney wouldn’t understand exactly how to get age-appropriate material into the best hands, as well as while Warner isn’t immediately kid-friendly, they sure understood exactly how to market the hell out of Harry Potter. Warner wants the DC Characters to be the next huge thing, “replacement” Harry Potter, however one wonders exactly how they’re going to do that with much of the new 52 being on the decidedly mature side.
I just want a few of the big-name superheroes that young boys as well as women are naturally drawn in to to be appropriate reading for them again. Is that so wrong? I understand present comic creators want to compose for themselves as well as their buddies, making superheroes for adults in part to validate their continued work in the field, however why can’t the youngsters (under 15) have some, too?
I comprehend numerous of the difficulties included in getting comics in the hands of kids. however then again, I keep hearing over as well as over about exactly how the the number of people that checked out and/or gather comics is diminishing every day. beloved Smith just discussed this last Friday in his outstanding column about collecting back issues. even the old near-mindless Hulk would most likely comprehend that if you don’t keep trying to grow new visitors by getting them when they’re young, quite soon you aren’t going to have any type of readers. like what is happening best now.
But then again, that old Hulk was cherished by kids. Do you believe today’s youngsters provide a fudge about a Hulk that’s having issues with his ex-wife as well as father-in-law as well as may not be as powerful as he utilized to be since he has dad problems as well as other mental trauma?
Yeah, I didn’t believe so either…
KC CARLSON: Grumpier than usual. root canal surgical treatment will do that to you.
WESTFIELD COMICS is not accountable for the dumb things that KC says. particularly that thing that truly irritated you.
