Do you think comics are a children's or adult genre/media?
I think comics can be a genre for both adult and children. Generally speaking, most people might think that comic is a genre for children because it seems like the images of comics are designed for a taste of children but, indeed, adults can also have fun by reading the comics. Personally I used to read comics a lot more when I was a kid than I do now but still my friends and I still read them for fun and sometimes it feels good when reading comics reminds me of the old times. Meanwhile, not every comic has both children and adults as targeted audiences. It may depend on what materials comics contain. Deeply looking into that, I think it's up to author's intention whether to make one particular comic for adults only, children only or for both. In my opinion, when authors make up a stroy of comics, they need to consider what sort of themes and materials they are going to use for targeted readers because children, young people and adults all have different perspectives thus see things differently.
For example, in the story of 'The Adventurous of Tintin: The Blue Lotus', the writer's used opium as a material which is not suitable for children at all. Thus I think the comic is more likely to be a genre for adults. Adults have more knowledges and they are aware of what and how bad the opium, smoke and guns are. There might be different thoughts and views on it.
I agree that comics can be for both children and adults, but with regards to Tintin (The Blue Lotus) in particular, you write that it is not suitable for children at all, that you think the comic is more likely for adults - this I don't agree with. Tintin, whether it be the character himself or the large body of work in which this young, lovable, moral, quiff-haired, globe-trotting journalist appears in, has for many years appealed to both old and young. Georges Remi, AKA Hergé, wrote himself that Tintin was aimed at “all young people aged from seven to seventy-seven” (Farr, 1991, para. 18) and having sold over 120 million copies and having been translated into over fifty languages (Farr, 1991), this statement may just as well be true.
ReplyDeleteOf course, you make a good argument with your mention of opium in Tintin and the Blue Lotus. This theme, along with others such as Hergé's obvious political agenda (re portrayal of Japanese blowing up the rail line in the Blue Lotus), are major points in your favour – you are right, these themes are perhaps not suitable for children, that is, if they even understand the political satire in the first place. The smoking of the opium in the Blue Lotus, well, it may simply relate to the idea of Orientalism. Said (1977) writes that the Orient “is an idea that has a history and a tradition of thought imagery, and vocabulary that have given it reality and presence in and for the West.” (Said, 1977, p. 89). To relate this idea of the Orient to the Blue Lotus, it may be that children reading this comic may have seen the use of opium simply as another example of the exoticism of the Orient. Opium may be part of the imagery of the Orient, brought to their minds in history lessons on the Opium Wars of the 19th Century, perhaps. The Opium Wars are a well know part of China's (recent) history so it would come as no surprise that children who were reading Tintin in the pages of le Petit Vigntième in 1930s Europe, and even in hard-cover , mass produced comics today, would know of the opium trade.
At the end of the day however, I think that, not only Tintin's, but most comics in general, their appeal to both old and young is justified. For the children, it may be the adventures, the images (whether they are simply stereotypical images or not) of far-off places, and the hero/role-model that they may see in Tintin, that appeal. For adults, it may be the political satire that is lost on the younger generations that appeals, or maybe it runs deeper – a desire to feel that sense of adventure enjoyed by the younger readers? Whatever the case may be, I certainly feel that Tintin at least, is for both children and adults.
I agree with David`s opinion. Because The Blue Lotus of Tintin contains unsuitable things like dealing gun and driving a car as well opium. Normally, Tintin`s characters like Tintin and young children who help Tintin solve a problem looks young and innocent but they use a gun regardless their age. That gun is not a toy gun. If the young man shoot the gun, a bad guy would die or hurt. I know The adventure of TinTin is a comic for children so there is not happen like kill some bad guy. However, even though they do not kill some one, I think it is enough to say that the young man using a gun would have a bad influence on young men for their mental. That is so bad!!! Using gun and driving a car is not for children. That would justify dealing a gun for children.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite surprising and interesting that we have different views on the comic material, opium. After having a small discussion with Matthew and Lois who had the same idea that children who are assumed to focus more on the loveable, moral and children-ideal character Tintin, I kind of agreed on that children wouldn't care about the opium because they'd absolutely have no idea what opium is. But still, I think it's inappropriate if comics, intended for children, contain adult only related things such as the opium and gun because they could first learn those things from comics. I strongly agree with Ben on the idea that it might have an evil influence on not every children but some of them. That is why, in my culture Korea, there is the age limit for some comics that involve unsuitable contents.
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