Pop Genre's Response Do you think comics are a children’s or adult genre/media?

Comics were once labeled reading for strictly children, the themes, succinct dialogue and accompanying art work made them very accessible to youth, shunned as lowbrow because of what was deemed simplistic content. The opinion still subjectively remains, but objectively in contemporary times the notion is no longer true. Comics have now become an all ages medium due to the variety of material within their pages. Earlier in the history of the medium periodicals were released focusing on superhero mythos, morality, heroism and action all as the focus. Roughly until the 1980s when a different breed of comic book came to the forefront, comics that focused on mature themes, with violence or content that would be unsuitable for youth. Frank Miller created the revolutionary ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ focussing on a grizzled and aging Batman, coming to terms with his irrelevance in Gotham, which had become a dystopian society. The tone, adult issues dealt with and brutality, began the transition for the superhero genre as we know it, these ‘childish’ characters being taken entirely seriously, and created a precedent for superhero figures to deal with issues of varying complexity. Then came Dave Gibbon and Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Which truly redefined what was capable in the medium. The Watchmen came about in the 1940s to the 1960s and were a group of civilians who chose to become ‘superheroes’, not granted powers (with the exception of Dr. Manhattan) beyond a mortal human, fighting crime as a valued part of society and becoming part of an alternate timeline where in they assist in America winning the Vietnam War. The country begins moving towards a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, older superheroes retire or work with the government and freelance superheroes have been deemed vigilantes, outlawed and hunted by the government. With a non-linear narrative which discusses contemporary anxieties and deconstructs superheroes. Watchmen took the themes of the genre satirised them and executed comics in such a way that they could be deemed as high art or literature. It is compulsory reading in many college courses and has been named on Time’s List of the 100 Best Novels, not recognised as simply a comic but as a ‘novel’ because of the caliber of writing, this level of acclaim can not be ignored. Even with in Herge’s Tintin adventure ‘The Blue Lotus’, thorough research was done about China, from iconography to culture, to make the work seem as authentic as possible, so when layering his own commentary in the subtext his depictions and critiques would be accurate, satire is a high brow sensibility, so even with in an ostensibly children's work, there is content for older readers. So no, I feel that comics have now transcended their origin and become universal in appeal.

References:

DC Comics. (2014). Watchmen. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from
http://www.dccomics.com/characters/watchmen

Farr, Michael.(1991). In the Blue Lotus. In Tintin: the complete companion (pp50-59). London: John Murray.

Graphic Novel. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel

What are some archetypes (e.g. common character types)of fantasy fiction?

The Hero

Is the focal point and the protagonist of the story, they are our looking glass into the world. We aspire to be like them or possess their honourable qualities, they put their own needs aside for the greater good and always consider others before themselves, even to their own detriment in acts of self sacrifice. Trials are placed in front of them which they must overcome, on occasion to much personal loss, but learning and growth always takes place.
heroes come in a varied set of structures, they can be willing or unwilling, accidental or deliberate, a born leader or solitary in nature, an every man or a person of significance.

The Mentor

The mentor is a watcher of the hero, offering advice and help whenever possible, especially when the hero is in peril. Allowing their wisdom to guide the hero along their journey, more than likely before abruptly disappearing, for reasons of occupation or perhaps to help other heroes, but likely because they have served their purpose to the hero. They are almost always old and wise, or at least older than the hero.

Threshold guardian

Is an obstacle the hero must overcome at important junctions, they must be fought, outsmarted or in any form dispatched. They are often a trial before the hero reaches his ultimate destination. They may be an ally or an ally to the antagonist but are more often than not indifferent to the plight of either side. The threshold guardian can appear at the stories inception, throughout the journey or right before the final outcome, passing their trials is symbolic, a token of the heroes development as a character, their ability to rise above adversity.

The Herald.

The herald declares events and or gives exposition for the audience and the hero. The herald can come in all shapes and size it can be an individual, a scrap of paper or just anything that will spur the hero into action.

The Shapeshifter

The shapeshifter exists as a symbol of uncertainty or change, a constant shift in allegiance is in place to keep the hero and audience cautious and engaged on the journey and they often can be what incites a sequence of events.

generally shapeshifters are love interests to the hero and their affection towards the protagonist can vary throughout the story, shapeshifters come in multiple molds depending on the nature of the story, a mentor or guardian threshold for example can have the capacity to be a shapeshifter.

The Shadow

The shadow is the villain of the story and is often a direct antithesis of the hero, they are the antagonist to the journey and are in place as the final trial for the hero. To be defeated so the hero can finally overcome their trials and develop completely as a character. People who are obstacles in the tale but align with the antagonist may also be shadows. Shadows are often not wicked for the sake of evil, but can represent the darkness inherent in us and can have attributes that are positive such as charm, which can make them recognisable to us all though there sentiment is detestable, to display our capacity for evil under certain circumstances and mindsets.

The Trickster

The trickster through means of wit, foolhardy behaviour or charm is in place to give the story levity and entertain. They can be wise, funny or extremely deceptive to name a few molds. They are a device between the proceedings to exercise the mind and to add a lighter tone to the story and or keep us aware and on edge, reminding us to not be naive and to expect anything.

References:

Changing Minds. (2014). Vogler’s archetypes. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from
http://changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/characters/vogler_archetypes.html What is the ‘shojo’ and how does it often function in anime?

Shojo in the broadest sense translates directly from Japanese to mean ‘girl’. Adolescent girls roughly from the ages of 10 to 18, the term is vague in it’s usage due to wide variance in application and the fact it is strictly not a style or genre but is used as a catch all term to define anything that has qualities which would appeal to this particular demographic. Shojo anime spans across all manner of genre such as science fiction, historical drama to action. Examples of the genre are Sailor Moon, Candy Candy or Vampire Knight. There is a heavy focus on romantic relationships, interpersonal interaction and emotion. With narratives that discuss distinctly female experiences, topics and challenges. The casts tend to be populated by mostly female characters or are developed with a female perspective as the focal point. Earnest, introspective and beautiful girls or women populate the different series. Most anime from Japan is focused on male-centric content, but Shojo caters to females. It’s function in anime is often to engage or give commentary on contemporary experiences privy to most young female audiences with stories that are deemed distinctly feminine in sensibility. With how wide the application of the term is, I would assert there are traditional tropes that accompany the genre that would be parallel to content in the western culture with a female focus. Often glamorising it's characters and celebrating femininity. Princess Mononoke would set a differing precedent. This is most obvious in the character of San. Abandoned by her parents and raised by the spiritual guardian Moro as a wolf, she is a complex character. Her focus is on protecting the forest and the creatures who dwell in it , attempting to assassinate Eboshi of Iron Town multiple times, feeling that with his death will come removal of all humans from the forest. She denies her humanity and see’s herself as a wolf. Not being a damsel in distress but instead a righteous hero for her cause, and not being glamorised in any fashion but distinctly animalistic because of her upbringing, shunning the preening of much shojo content. When dealing with the films protagonist Ashitaka she initially rejects any interaction but finds that his affection lowers her guard and she begins to find her humanity. After the battle for the forest’s spirit head, he can not console her for her hatred of humans and they part ways to live in respective harmony. Even in the traditional romantic conceit of a happily ever after, Princess Mononoke’s San defies convention ultimately shunning romance because of her ethics. The character is as unconventional as possible and deconstructs shojo culture, and it in my opinion is a strong feminist work.


References:

Anime News Network. (2014). Shojo. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/lexicon.php?id=3
Studio Ghibli Wiki. (2014). Princess Mononoke. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from
http://studioghibli.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Mononoke



What is the difference in emphasis between the terms science fiction and speculative fiction? Which is The Man in the High Castle?

Science fiction is the apex and speculative fiction is a sub-genre directly beneath it, there is obvious ambiguity in the definitions. The term speculative fiction is most often used by writers in the context of expressing dissent with the limitations of science fiction as a genre or to defy the conventions and the pigeonholing of certain works of fiction with in genres like ‘thriller’ or ‘mystery’. This can also apply to an author’s need to not be defined as a ‘science fiction author’ because of all of the negative stereotypes that are incurred especially from the critically minded, the genre being mostly labeled as low brow and allowing for the traditional framework of the genre to be broken in favour of something akin to a modernist direction. Phillip K. dick as a struggling writer advocated this sentiment, constantly trying to break out of the rigid mold. And because of the caliber of it’s deconstruction it is obvious why The Man in the High Castle won a Hugo award. Initially The Man in The High Castle could be either but as the narrative unfolds the themes of world history, totalitarianism and eastern philosophy come into view and ideas like the I-ching are brought to the forefront, depicting the outcomes of differing ideas in the dystopian world that has come about make the story speculative fiction. Taking a world we are already familiar with, our own reality and posing ‘what if?’ questions to create wildly different realities as a way of exploring certain themes and ideas. Setting up well known historical events and taking an alternate course of action such as Hitler being saved by a catholic priest or the idea of Nazi Germany and Imperial japan winning the second world war and the consequences of these important events.

References:

Dick, P.K. (2001; 1962). The Man in the High Castle. London: Penguin

Speculative Fiction. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculative_fiction

How does Buffy deconstruct traditional literary notions of good and evil?

Heroes and villains are as old as storytelling itself directly being placed in opposing positions within a narrative. Their behaviours are routinely constant in one direction or the other, this is not akin to the behaviour of actual human beings who are defined by shades of grey, are morally complex and vast, unwilling to be constrained by simplistic definition, and are constantly able to act in positive or negative ways. ambiguous. Joss Whedon’s well-read understanding of literature allowed him to break convention and bring diverse and complex characters to his narratives. Who through differing judgment regardless of their place in the spectrum act in good and bad ways, not simply being defined by their purpose in the plot but their characteristics. One example is the fact Buffy is a hero and Angel is a villain but they grow to be fond of one another. Braun (2000) states the “Tangle of psychological and sexual roles and moral positioning does not lead to easy analysis, but it does reflect the complexity of real human personalities and relationships.” and asserts through Klein's theory that this pattern of traditional thinking comes from infancy as we are raised to deal with good and bad behaviour from our loved ones and those that we are close to. The idea that even though both are on opposing sides of the spectrum when it comes it mission but inherently have the capacity to express both qualities with in them and thus can understand one another's urges and sentiment. Only enlivens the narrative and makes the characters more interesting and engaging because they become relatable and flawed.

References: Braun, B. (2000) The X-files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The ambiguity of evil in supernatural representations. Retrieved October 14, 2014 from
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0412/is_2_28/ai_64688900