{"id":2988,"date":"2015-04-07T11:14:09","date_gmt":"2015-04-07T18:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/education\/2015\/04\/07\/can-a-comic-book-change-the-world\/"},"modified":"2015-04-07T11:14:09","modified_gmt":"2015-04-07T18:14:09","slug":"can-a-comic-book-change-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/education\/2015\/04\/07\/can-a-comic-book-change-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a Comic Book Change the World?"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the eve of Wondercon at the nearby Anaheim Convention Center, the Paulo Freire Democratic Project<\/a>, in conjunction with the College of Educational Studies<\/a>, Graduate Studies and Leatherby Libraries<\/a>, hosted \u201cThe Salon,\u201d an evening of conversation on the topic, \u201cComics as Social Change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doctoral student Chandra Jenkins opened the evening asking: What is a comic and how can it reflect social change? \u201cComics originated in a space of resistance,\u201d she said, and \u201ctons of women were involved back in the day, as creators.\u201d Despite the narrative of comics being rooted in fighting crime and meting out punishment, in the McCarthy Era, comics were seen as negative and immoral. Politics have always been an influence on comics \u2014 \u201cIn the 80s, we see The Watchman<\/em> as a push back against the Reagan era,\u201d she said. \u201cIn the 90s, there were comics inspired by the AIDS epidemic.\u201d Chandra is studying comics and videogames for her dissertation, and she\u2019s an avid comic book reader, although she admits, she is not the stereotypical fan that many people connect with the industry. She surveyed a number of comics she likes, including the Lumberjanes about a group of alternative Girl Scouts, and Bitch Planet, which ends every issue with a feminist essay.<\/p>\n

Tommy Kovac<\/a> has been writing and illustrating since 1999. \u201cOne of the things that first drew me to comics as a reader and a creator were the representations of different kinds of people.\u201d He added, \u201cIf you think of an idea as a virus, comics are a way to spread it super fast!\u201d Kovac is a library technician, and he says, \u201cComics are a way to introduce controversial ideas into a library.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andrew Vo, senior bio-chemistry major here at Chapman, minoring in the Honors Program, presented next. His topic: Postmodernism and propaganda: contributions of American comic books in WWII. \u201cDuring WWII, comic books were read by people of all ages, and they were a big factor in the war effort and to help boost American\u2019s morale,\u201d Andrew said. He linked Nietzche\u2019s concept of the Ubermensch to Superman, and tied Foucault\u2019s philosophy that \u201cknowledge is in the interest and service of power \u2013 always\u201d to several popular propaganda messages. Andrew shared some derogatory caricatures of Japanese people \u2013 that they were evil, monsters \u2013 including one drawn by the beloved Dr. Seuss. During the WWII, the US Government funded several private organizations that published and distributed wartime publications.<\/p>\n

The last speaker of the night was David G. Brown<\/a>, an NAACP Image Award Winner and political cartoon artist. \u201cEach one of my comic books is a like a child,\u201d he said. David got his start in advertising, and was an art director. He began working as a comic book writer and illustrator, and, after the L.A. Riots, created the comic book L.A. Phoenix, with themes of anti-graffiti and anti-violence. \u201cI didn\u2019t see a lot of color in comics,\u201d he said, so his work helped change that. David\u2019s work brought him to libraries and schools, and he discovered that young people had tremendous ideas. He applied for and got a grant and helped kids create their own comic books. He titled this series, \u201cTales from the Kids.\u201d He worked with another group of young people to create \u201cDying to Smoke,\u201d an anti-tobacco comic. He\u2019s written about the Watts Towers and the West Addams Historical District. For the past several years, David has been the political cartoonist of the Los Angeles Sentinel. David shared several of his cartoons and concluded by recommending \u201cMarch,\u201d the story of Congressman John Lewis in a graphic novel.<\/p>\n

The room was packed with students, faculty and members of the community. Stay tuned to the College of Educational Studies social media feeds for details about\u00a0upcoming Salon events.<\/p>\n