Discussion threads:

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

2. How does Farr (1991) justify
Tintin’s appeal to adults?

3. According to the second Farr extract (p.50-59), how did Hergé
research China for The Blue Lotus? How might Hergé’s The Blue Lotus address or relate to the issue of what Said (1977)terms ‘orientalism’?

4.Does Varnum (2001) define the difference between a cartoon, comics, and graphic novel?

5. According to Varnum, what distinguishes
comics from other media?

6. How and why are comics becoming more accepted as an art
form? Can/should they be regarded as a literary genre?

7. What do you think of McCarthy's(2006) ideas about Tintin?

1. In my culture comics are not as popular as in chinese culture or in japanese culture. comics are usually uses in newspaper with political derisions. Actually its uses equally both for children and adults in my country.

Hi guys! I'm answering the first question on 'Do you think comics are a children's or adult genre /media? Comics? I reckon they are for both children and adults, for this reason, it is a good way to spend your time. Especially reading, spending some time on reading - doesn't matter what book or genre it is, helps to improve your reading skills. Because the more you practise the better you become. But overall, I reckon that comics should be for everyone to enjoy. A lot of the time we see that books with a lot of visual aid including pictures, are for children only. I say this because children love pictures with a lot of colour and detail and less words, so they do not have to read much. Sounds funny, but it is true. Children pick out books with less words and lots of pictures. I'm not saying that adults who do read comics are like children or have a children's brain in the way they think or act. I'm just pointing out the fact with children. However, the case with adults reading comics, I believe it is for interest and it is something different to read rather than black lettering on white pages or whatever. Personally I read comics myself, they're interesting and depending on the storyline they're funny.

Comics are one of the most popular media right now. I do agree with Annie, Comics is considered for children and Adult. Notice that some of the elements use in a comics such as scene are in sequence like manuscripts images drawn from the egyptian wall but, the difference to a comics is that comics uses written thoughts in white bubbles. The comics industry has grown rapidly around the world especially in Europe and America but its most popular in Japan and China. Some Comics artist uses comics as a source to express their feelings and views on the world. Some create non natural characters, e.g. Superman(the strongest man on earth), X-Man(a group of human being mix with what we considered aliens with super natural powers working together to save the world from the evil hands). So it's hard to resist reading about Good VS Evil. But i do wnat to clear up that not much New Zealanders read comics anymore, since most comics are made to moives, like Spiderman, Superman, X-man, Batman and the lists just goes on. Check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics You'll find alot information about comics.



Reference: Wikipedia.(2008).Article:Comics. Retrieved August, 5 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics

SHOT ERICA! Good vs. Evil! some comics I would consider as A.O materials. Only because the language and pictures used are way over rated! haha.Sometimes we need to be careful on the type of comics we are giving under aged readers. There can be some pictures or words we do not want ot reveal to the little ones or we're just feeding their minds with dirty words when at the time is not good for their mentality!

2. Farr justifies Tintin's appeal to adults by saying how the character of Tintin was devised to appeal to children as well as grown ups, saying each audiecne finds its own level of understanding where the child finds the adventures of Tintin exciting and the comedy evident, but the adult will look at Tintin with a more criticial and worldly view picking up any "politcal satire and paraody, puns and prescience". Farr also mentions that the appeal is "self-generating" as children who read Tintin will grow up to become adults and parents carrying the Tintin tradition with them.

Question 2: Hi Bessie, my answer to this question is pretty similar to yours, I'll post mine on here and we can all have a look, cheers ^_^

Farr's justification for Tintin's appeal to adult was that at different age level, readers discover "their own level of understanding and apprecaition" (Farr, 1991). The appeal was also described by Farr as "self-generating" like J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan; the child will be drawn by the exciting adventures of Tintin while the adult discovers "political satire and parody, puns and presence" (Farr, 1991).

What Zilan said about comics being found in the newspapers is very interesting. I can go way back to when I was in primary and intermediate and remember reading the newspaper and come across the section where the comics are. Most of the time it would be Charlie Brown in 'Peanuts' and his dog (sorry forgot his name). I think that the reason why comics were placed in the middle of the newspaper, was that the comic could give the reader a bit of a break from reading so much serious news that a little bit of humour could be fitted in for entertainment. This is probably where I first discovered comics and this probably goes for the same for some people as well. Comics (to me) probably became a popular genre then and the series started coming out in books and slowly forming into graphic novels. I don't know about that little theory but I am sure about the comics in newspapers.

1.I believe comics are deffinately an adult media but children are fasinated by the graphoics in comics. Comics are not only fasinating pictures with cool graphics and creative characters. However different comics has it's different stories behind it, and if most of the time children are unable to understand the story but love looking at the pictures. This is why comics are an adult media due to some comics with violence and lust. I guess cmoics can be put in two genres which is children's and adult'a. Comics such as Archie can be included in the childrens genre. I agree with Anne where adults enjoy reading comics because its something different n new for them and its not as usual a black and white novel. Comics are famous for its graphics and until today today equally adualts and children enjoy comics.

I think comics are both childrens and adults genre/media as it all depends pn the level of understanding the "reader" has on the comic. A comic might appeal to a child becasue they find it exciting with all the adventure, graphics and colour, whereas an adult is going to find something deeper in the comics that is relevant to their leve; of understanding. So generally I;d say comics are both for children and adults.

I agree with Akash about how comics equally interest both children and adults, and I think how these days most comics are being made into films influences the new sudden interest in comics, for example The Fantastic Four was a comic and was turned into a movie with a sequel, as well as Superman and Batman. So in a way the new media of comics being turned into films draws attention to the initial creation of comics.

Question 3: According to Farr, Herge took up the advice of Father Gossel at the University of Louvain who introduced Herge to Chang Chong-chen, a Chinese student, in order to develop a proper research for the Blue Lotus. With the help of Chang, Herge was able to produce signs in Chinese which had "much greater depth and can be very subtle" (Farr, 1991). Moreover, the political accuracy in Blue Lotus was remarkable, Chang opened Herge's eyes to the far-fetched politics of Asia and Japan. Also the precise details of Chinese costumes and some architectures were products from numerous sketches and pencil studies on such objects.

Just to elaborate on what Bessie said with the second question. With quoting Farr (1991), and saying that "the child will be gripped by the excitement of Tintin..." and then saying that an "adult will traditionally find political satire and parody, puns..." I would say that Farr (1991) is saying that no matter the rating of the Tintin comic, children would rather look at the animated pictures than to pay any attention to the words and storyline itself. Whereas adults, on the other hand, they would concentrate on the storyline and what the message (if there is any in Tintin) is implying to the reader.

Farr (1991) also said earlier that 'Tintin was aimed at the younger audience from the age of seven upto seventy - seven'. Just to re-word his exact words, Farr (1991)also said that he was shocked at the appeal of Tintin to the public, which starts at children first learning to read up until the aged Tintinophiles. Each reader who reads Tintin finds and creates their own understanding towards Tintin. However "the appeal is, moreover self generating for in due course children become adults and then parents themselves, which then allowed the Tintin tradition to be carried..." This is believable (if there is such word) that those who read Tintin at such a young age would have memories carried up until they become parents and so forth, then passing the traditional reading of Tintin onto their children and which carries onto the next generation and so forth.

Hopefully i made any sense there. hehe.

Replying to Akash: I do agree on your point of view and saying that comics are an adults genre and not for children because of the lustful scenes that are shown in the comics. But then again like I said, It really depends on the rating of the comic, whether the comic itself is A.O type or for everyone to enjoy. Then we would count that comic to be for adults only.

hey guys i really appreciate what you guys posted i do agree with all of you like akash says comics are only for adult i dont say comics are 100% for adults but in a way they are in my view because they are not popular in our country i only saw them in newspaper and in comics lots of metaphors which children reaaly can not understand. but again there are some comics which are really easy to understand less word more pictures which children can enjoy with.

2. hey guys im not really sure about answer for question 2 because this article really hard to understand anyway this is my answer.

" the adult will additionally find political satire and parody, puns, and prescience. the most dedicated Yinyinologist as he or she may be called may have read the stories any number of times and still discover something new they bear repeated re-reading the adventures. like teir hero are inexhaustible." ( Farr,1991,p.2)

AS zilan said comics are both adult and childresn.Sometimes It might be sacrastic as well .

sarcastic? in what way?

Hey Zilan! your last comment that you made...would you care to elaborate on the answer that you gave us for the second question. I noticed that you quoted from the critical reader, but I would like to know what your thoughts are on the quotation that you made. This would then keep the blogging conversation going on. THANKS!

Hey zelly..i understant comics are a genre for both adult and children..but what do u mean by sarcastic?? in what way??

Sarcastic how?? do you mean that sometimes comics are sarcastic or?

Back to question 1: I consider comics, as a few of my peers here have said, are both children's and adults' genre/media. Annie points out the fact that children prefer books which contains more images than words because it is easier for them to understand and enjoy. I agree with this point for we all have been young once and how much we or myself had so much joy reading comics as we grow up. On the other hand, adults who enjoy reading comics should never be seen or considered as childish. In my opinion, it is a very healthy way to switch one's mind off from the hectic and stressful word that we live in today and just immerse oneself into the fantasy world of comics. During my last trip back home to Hong Kong in July, I noticed that almost everyone on the MTR (Mass Transit Railway, underground trains) had a comic book in their hands and I could see the expressions on their faces that they were having a wonderful journey in their own little comic fantasy world even though we were all cramped like sardines in the MTR carriage! ^_^

Question 4: After reading Varnum's introduction from the article: In the Language of comics: word and image TWICE, I did not find any clear definitions of the differences between a cartoon, comics and graphic novel (I might have missed them, please guys if you've found any, enlighten me ^_^). But Varnum has pointed out the core elements that comics contains "both images and texts, and also such specialized features as word ballons, zip ribbons, and even the panel frames which enclose scenes or segments of a narrative-can be manipulated with great sophistication (Varnum, 2001, pp. 9-10). I think the above-mentioned features do not appear in cartoons or graphic novels as prominant as in comics and this is the only relevant definition that I can gather from the article. What do you guys think of that? ^_^

Hey Alby! Good one! cramped like sardines huh? hahaha! Anyways, if we look at the fourth question, it says "DOES Varnum (2001) define the difference between a cartoon, comic and graphic novel?" I can't remember if I answered this question myself. To be exact I don't think so. But to answer the question exactly? I don't think he does define the difference between a cartoon, comic and graphic novel. Last I read (which was 10 minutes ago) Varnum looks at how a comic narrates itself. Well, that's what I think. I don't know whether I'm reading the right extract for this...I'm sure I am...hahahaha! But yes, Albert, this question sounds like a straight yes or no question-a closed question because of the "Does..." Did that make sense?

Spot on, Annie! That's what I thought when I first read the question. I'm pretty sure that we're both reading the same article from the 'Critical Reader' coursebook. ^_^

Question 5: Quoting my answer to Question 4 - "both images and texts, and also such specialized features as word ballons, zip ribbons, and even the panel frames which enclose scenes or segments of a narrative-can be manipulated with great sophistication" (Varnum, 2001, pp. 9-10). I think the above-mentioned features do not appear in cartoons or graphic novels as prominant as in comics.

YAY Alby! So I was reading the right text?! WOOHOO! anyways to question five...you've just answered it, now we can discuss it. maybe later on, got to come to class for this subject!

Question 6: Comics are becoming more accepted as an art form is that according to Varnum (2001), IN Europe, Latin America, Canada and especially Japan, comic books and strips are recognised as “serious artistic and cultural productions”. And in Europe, some writers have written articles on comics through the lens of semiotics theory. The first of these writers was Pierre Fresnault-Deruelle in 1977 and Alain Rey in 1978. On the other side of the globe, in United States, academic journals containing articles on comics are starting to appear. The most reputable is Word & Image, which has published articles on comics by writers like, Richard Watts, Stephen Tabachnick and David Carrier.

Hey Alby!:D

I like the idea of accepting comics as a form of art. However, we didn't anwser the second part of the question. >>>comics can/should be regarded as a literary genre?

According to Answers.com "A literary genre is a genre of literature, that is "a loose set of criteria for a category of literary composition", depending on literary technique, tone, or content".

I reckon with this definition we can look at comics as a literary genre.

hi annie sorry for my late reply..

In quote those are what adults think about tintin's apeal to adult i would have explained it more now i will hopefully do it in rigth way.

According to farr, tintin was aimed at all youg people aged from seven to seventy-seven and apeal is proved much wider. the apeal is self-generation for in due course the children become adults and then parents themselves.

"The child will be gripped by the excitement of Tintin, the comedy even farce the adult will additionaly find political atire and paradoy, puns and prescience"

I am not quite sure if its still rigth but have a look annie and i would like to see the rigth answer of course. Thanks..

hi annie and shorty i think you both were confused about how comics are being sarcastic rigth?

Yes in my county comics are usually used by sarcastic way moreover in political comics when forexample MPs or prime minister talks about something that comunity do not like or etc etc.. they are usually on the newspaper more like a news not like comics what children read..

I hope you guys more clear now..

Not really...but thats okay. I think you were meant to say that they use sarcastic comments on their comics rather than hilarious humorous comics. Is that what you meant? If not, don't worry about it because that may be the way that your culture percieves it. I'll get a hold of it soon and understand it. So that's fine.
-anNiE:)

Hey Zilan

I have to agree with Annie. Your still not making it clear at all. If your going make a point, please be simple and clear. You got a good point but your not explaining it clearly!!!

Nice try though.