Comic Books

Do you think comics are a children’s or adult genre/media?

 

I have a bit of a comic collection and just looking at the ones I have, most would be suitable for all ages such as Superman, Thor and Wonder Woman. However there are a few such as The Punisher which would be adult only with the amount of violence and sex in them.

The Punisher would be one of my favourites as he doesn’t have the good guy morality of believing that people can change, he kills his enemies, which are various criminals from drug-dealers up the very highest of crime bosses. Moss (2009) states that adult comic’s ‘contain strong themes that graphically depict stories involving violence, death rape and sex’.

Tintin is very suitable for all ages, as opposed to The Punisher which is mature audiences only, and can be seen as a children’s comic. It is interesting to note however that comic books don’t come with a rating as visual media does. Children’s comics according to Moss ‘typically contain stories with a moral ending, as well as cheeky stories to help recruit new readers.’ Tintin has a moral ethos of treating people equally. Tintin has an ageless quality with the author saying it is aimed at “all young people ages from seven to seventy-seven”. Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg are classic examples of this, both of them loving the stories from childhood and now directing and producing the movie.

Comic’s, like all mediums and genres, have age diversity from children to young adults to adult only. It’s only a matter of finding that comic that is right for the particular reader.

Children can read Tintin and find hope and courage in him as he appears to be quite young and eager to help his friends and those in need. The Punisher on the other hand is not suitable for children.   

Reference

Farr, M.  (1991). Tintin: The Complete Companion. London: John Murray.

Moss, S. (2009). the Entertain Industry . Cambridge: Cambridge university Press.