week2-Do you think comic are a children's or adult genre/media?

Do you think comic are a children's or adult genre/media?

Comic gives us laughing and memories of childhood back. I think comic can be a genre to adult and children. As a child, when I was young, I watched cartoons with my friends. After that, we shared our feelings and reviews. In additionally, many boys like to watch some hero’s cartoon such as Bat man or Spider man. The other hands, many girls love to watch princess cartoon such as Cinderella, or Snow White. After that they were pretend to be those heroes or princesses. So it is an excellent genre and media enjoyed by children. Now in my case, I like to watch cartoon and also many adults like to watch a cartoon or read a comic. This is because that sometimes people want to cast back to their childhood. For example, if we talk about TinTin or some old cartoon, we will talk a lot regardless of age. Comic is always giving a pleasure and good memories to adults for reminding my childhood. So in the future, If I am old than now, I will talk about TinTin with my grand children. This is because that TinTin has many histories and morals. Also, it is a good material for my grand children because they might be never know some stories of comic what I enjoyed. Thus, I will be able to communicate with my grand children about my reviews of comic or any other new comic which I do not know now. As a result, comic is a children genre also adult. So we have to develop and maintain. Therefore I believe that comic will probably go on forever undiminished in popularity.

Week 4

How is science fiction different from fantasy, according to Le Guinn ?

 

According to Le Guinn, Fiction is not happened, but it pretends to be happened by appearing plausible characters and place in which it takes place is something that could happen in the future. Those make people believe that there are possibilities to happen like the fiction because fiction is based on realism. Especially, science fiction is related to realism. Normally, science fiction presents the story of the future that derived from a lot of problems of the reality that people living now or the things people are interested in.

Also, Le Guinn mentions that the story of fantasy is far from reality and, in contrast with science fiction, it does not pretend to be happened or it might happen ever. It is surely a dream that is unattainable. The characters of fantasy also surpass audience`s expectations and it should do so.

I agree that the difference between science fiction and fantasy is how far is from realism.

Personally, I think the difference between them is that science fiction proceeds with respect for physical laws exist in real life and it has to contain an unexpected incident that follows that a rule of the reality, for fun because science fiction is a fiction. But, I would like to call fantasy as ‘the mirror of illusion’. Basically, fantasy deals with something we want it to happen, but we already know it is impossible to be happened forever like Harry Potter. 

But, also, I think there is indistinguishable work if it is science fiction or fantasy like Star Wars. Star Wars is classified into science fiction, but I think Star Wars includes some fantasy features like characters, Jedi Knights, and the scene using invisible power.

 

Le Guin, U. K. Plausibility revisited. Retrieved August 30, 2012 from http://www.ursulakleguin.com/PlausibilityRevisited.html

 

 

Reminder to post regularly

Hi guys, not many of you have posted about week 4 (fantasy) and we are now on to week 5 (anime). Can those of you who hasn't responded to fantasy please post something by the end of this week? Thanks

christians reaction to Fantasy

Hello I would like to put a different topic that is not listed on our weekly blog topics.

And I would like approach on this topic about what are the reactions of Christians on such a genre of Fantasy.

What is the term of Fantasy? Well it is a genre of fiction that is commonly define the use of magics, supernatural phenomena as the main elements of its structures which also portrays in a imaginary worlds, where as also contains the settings of light and dark, angels and demons. From this it has lead to some assumptions of negative reactions to fantasy. In some cases that in the world of religion(Christianity) that fantasy is pagan and its wrong. And I question this to myself why is it pagan? In the view of Christianity this had lead to a problem because fantasy has enveloped such a world wide scale of influences towards the audiences in any age and gender. But why is it pagan? Some Christians are really against this. Why?

Is it because fantasy has switched the mindsets of many audiences as the results they start to believe to such extent that fantasy is real.

From this over the years of development as became even more influential throughout the globe in novels/books, movies, etc. from this again it has twisted the minds of the audience then became heavily influenced. As the results then began to make their own groups for example “Jedi Religion” this is the effect from watching too much Star Wars and starting to believe that the Force is real. And some other form of beliefs they start to do a demonology practices and sorcery as to communicating to the supernatural world.

From this the Christians began to be offended by these heathen acts of beliefs and practices. And also other reasons that this angers the Christians is that these people are breaking the law on the Christian beliefs and also consider it a sin from the Bible. In addition is that the Bible is the only source of beliefs and should be the only one.

Please feel free to comment.

Week 4 - What is fantasy?

During weeks 3 and 4 of the semester, we have been looking at the story "The Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin. This story, the first in a trilogy, follows the young wizard Ged as he grows and develops his magic skills in the fictional realm of Earthsea.

With different realms, wizards and even, without giving away too much, shape-shifting, this trilogy is considered to be part of the fantasy genre.

But what is fantasy? Attebery (1980) asks the same question in his article "Locating Fantasy". He writes that perhaps one of the most satisfying ways of finding the answer to this question would be to line up a shelf of books of what you would call fantasy - his picks include the likes of "The Wind in the Willows", "The Princess and the Goblin", and J.R.R Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings", among others. I would add a couple of my personal favourites: the "Harry Potter" series and "The Chronicles of Narnia"; and of course, let's not forget "Earthsea", the principal fantasy text of study in the Popular Genres paper here at AUT.

Indeed, such a way of looking at this genre is quite satisfying. Not only does it conjure up images of many of the much loved characters from these stories - like the young boy wizard himself, Harry Potter, waving his wand around the halls of Hogwarts; or Frodo Baggins, the smiling, hairy-footed Hobbit who goes on a quest to destroy that bloody ring! - but it allows us to see the common, defining characteristics among this array of titles that represent the 'fantasy' genre. In his research, Attebery (1980), found that one of the definining aspects of fantasy is an "overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility". (Irwin, n.d., as cited by Attebery, 1980). In other words, something in the story that would not likely exist in the world as we know it. So...an escape into another world filled with magic, strange creatures and maybe some of those childhood nightmares of 'the monster under the bed' that to this day, wake us in a cold sweat in the middle of the night...

The other main defining aspect of fantasy that Attebery (1980) found, was the fact that this genre treats these "overt violations" of what is accepted as possibility, as if they were real. The writer does not bother to try and convince the reader that these "seeming impossibilities are in fact explainable", as is common place in the science fiction genre (Attebery, 1980, p. 1), but rather the reader is asked to simply accept the fact that things just are how they are explained in the text. According to Attebery (1980), J.R.R. Tolkein calls this a "secondary belief". Attebery writes that fantasy is a "game", demanding that one "play whole-heartedly, accepting for the moment all the rules and turns of the game" and the reader will then be rewarded with a sense of "wonder".(Attebery, 1980).

What are your thoughts? Did you enjoy the 'fantasy fortnight'?

Reference:
Attebery, B. (1980). The fantasy tradition in American literature. From Irving to Le Guin, 1-10. Bloomington, Indiana University Press.

Week 2 Response

Are Comic Book For Adults or Children?

I believe that it depends on the intention of the author. However, in a comic such as The Blue Lotus, the range of age of the audience is very wide, and the comic is able to enjoyed by many readers. The comic has cartoon drawings, and this is appealing to children. The adventurous attitude of Tintin is also appealing to kids because they are also new to the world, and curious, so they are able to relate to him in that sense. Tintin is also a good role model to children, he shows characteristics that are appealing to the younger audience and this makes the comics addictive. Children are always left hanging on waiting to see how Tintin will get out of trouble and be the hero, possibly in hope that they will also be able to fight crime one day and be good citizens. The reason i believe that a comic like The Blue Lotus is also appealing to adults is because of its fictionalisation of real events. There are historical events that have been portrayed that are appealing to an older audience because adults have probably heard of the events on the news, and the fact that the events have been exaggerated and made into fiction makes the comic entertaining. Other than Tintin, other comics are usually directed at a target audience, and so they aren't appealing to all age groups. Comics such as "Sin City" are gory, and contain adult only themes such as sex, drugs, and graphic violence, so it's obvious that parents wouldn't feel comfortable showing their children such books. On the other hand, comics such as "Superman" are directed at a younger audience, and contain unrealistic themes such as superpowers, and villains that want to take over the universe. Parents are more comfortable showing their children these books because there is nothing that will "corrupt" the minds of their children.

Week 2 - Hergé and his friend Chang

It is no secret that the large bulk of Hergé's early Tintin comic strips were full of propoganda, political satire and racial stereotypes. The prejudices he portrayed surrounding race, particularly with regards to the Congolese people in "Tintin in the Congo" and his portrayal of the Chinese in "The Land of the Soviets"/"Tintin in America" for example, appear to be issues of great interest to academics today.

According to Cendrowicz (2010), in Hergé's 1931 comic "Tintin in the Congo", the native Congolese people are portrayed as "childish imbeciles" who have not evolved in the same way as their Belgian colonisers. Hergé himself has expressed great regret for his portrayal of the Congolese people in this way, stating "I was fed on the prejudices of the bourgeois society in which I moved… It was 1930. I only knew things about these countries that people said at the time: 'Africans were great big children… Thank goodness for them that we were there!' Etc. And I portrayed these Africans according to such criteria, in the purely paternalistic spirit which existed then in Belgium." (Far, 2001). Thompson (1991) sides with Hergé, and explains that while the characters in "Tintin in the Congo" may appear as little more than clichés and stereotypes, it was not meant to be "deliberatly racist" and only reflected the colonial views of the time. And when one considers the fact that Hergé himself was but an armchair-traveller, and had never even been to the Belgian Congo, it is clear as to why the characters are the way they are.

It was in writing "The Blue Lotus" that Hergé said he "had discovered a new world" (Farr, 2001), putting all of his previous works in which racial prejudices and misrepresentations existed, behind him, striving to "counter myths by presenting as accurate a picture of China as possible." (Farr, 2001, p. 51). But why the sudden turn-around? What happened to make Hergé give up such clichés and focus on presenting an accurate picture of where the adventurous Tintin's expiditions were to be set?

Really, it comes down to his friend Chang.

Farr (2001) states that a priest at the Université de Louvain, Father Gosset, introduced Hergé to a young Chinese student by the name of Chang Chong-Chen in 1934. After meeting, they became life-long friends and thanks to Chang, Hergé is said to have discovered a love of Chinese poetry and writing. (Far, 2001). Their long discussions also taught him of the history, geography, language, philosophy and religion of China. (Far, 2001). So fascinated by what Chang had to tell him, Hergé began his "documentalist" period whereby he collected anything and everything he could to do with the "real" China. One such example is his use of the Chinese script in "The Blue Lotus", which was real Chinese writing, relating to current events of the time (i.e a banner in the background which says "Down with Imperialism!") compared with a generalised Arabic that he made up for Cigars of the Pharoah. (Farr, 2001). 

On the flip-side however, one could argue while reading the Blue Lotus that in fact, nothing really did change at all. I say this because Hergé's friendship with Chang may have even made his story baised, and that he has taken current events of the time to go on to portray the Japanese as evil instead (the blowing up of the train tracks). What are your thoughts on this? In trying to be PC and as accurate as possible, did Hergé really just fall into the old trap?

REFERENCES

Cendrowicz, L. (4 May 2010). "Tintin: Heroic Boy Reporter or Sinister Racist?. TIME. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
Farr, M. (2001). Tintin: The Complete Companion

Thompson, H. (1991). Tintin: Hergé and his Creation