Friday, January 13, 2006
Are Comics Important?
There was an article in the LA Times Wednesday about a new venture into comics, by Richard Branson, he of 'Virgin' fame, using Indian (Asia) myths and legends. They are trying to capitalize on the success of manga - Japanese comics in recent years.
Deepak Chopra, of guru fame, is a part of Branson's venture and is quoted in the article on Hindu religious themes in the comics. Then it dawned on me - manga from Japan and now this venture bring an entirely different set of religious and social values to table.
The traditional American super-hero, Superman, et. al., while hardly Judeo-Christian in any sense anymore, have flowed from that tradition and the conception of heroic that they represent is very different than that found in manga - and I imagine from the Indian comics as well.
I am not sure comics are leading changes in our culture, but pop culture is generally reflective of changes that are happening. So, does this venture mean we are becoming somehow "more Asian?" Probabaly.
How do we respond, that is the question.
"The growth of the comic market in America has been spectacular," notes Adrian Sington, executive chairman of Virgin Books, who is supervising the multimillion-dollar investment for Virgin. "It's been led by comics made in Asia."While there is some manga I really like, as a genre, I could take it or leave it. This article helped me put my finger on part of the reason why.
Deepak Chopra, of guru fame, is a part of Branson's venture and is quoted in the article on Hindu religious themes in the comics. Then it dawned on me - manga from Japan and now this venture bring an entirely different set of religious and social values to table.
The traditional American super-hero, Superman, et. al., while hardly Judeo-Christian in any sense anymore, have flowed from that tradition and the conception of heroic that they represent is very different than that found in manga - and I imagine from the Indian comics as well.
I am not sure comics are leading changes in our culture, but pop culture is generally reflective of changes that are happening. So, does this venture mean we are becoming somehow "more Asian?" Probabaly.
How do we respond, that is the question.
