HOW SUPERHEROES SAVED ME FROM A LIFE OF CRIME 1

Thank God I Didn't Listen to My Parents

- Or -

“How the Legion of Superheroes Saved Me from a Life of Crime”

by Carl Mahlmann

Have you ever seen a kid reading a Spider-Man or Hulk comic book and wondered why

publishers are allowed to foist such mindless trash upon helpless, impressionable

youngsters who don't know any better? You probably figured it's O.K. because sooner or

later the kid'll grow out of it and turn his attention to more acceptable forms of reading

material such as Sports Illustrated and T.V. Guide. But what happens when you notice a

full-grown adult reading Daredevil on the subway on your way to work? Don't you feel a

bit insecure knowing it might be you wasting your time had you not received parental

guidance to steer you away from those senseless, non-redeeming picture books and into

the real world of Reader's Digest and Valley of the Dolls?

Well, if you believe -- as many others do -- that comic books are worthless entertainment

with little or no social value, and belong strictly to the domain of pre-adolescents, then

you are ignorant of a valuable educational tool and a most unique art form.

The comic book of today is not merely the Good-Guy-Beats-Up-Bad-Guy-Saves-The-

World-And-Lois-Lane-Along-The-Way type which you may remember having read when

you were growing up. As Jay Maeder has pointed out in the Feb. 23 issue of the Daily

News: "Once upon a time comics may have been produced by dollar-a-page hack

cartoonists who knew good and well they were churning out perishable pulp for easily

wowed subadolescents... but for some years now comics have relentlessly been moving

toward 'respectability' and 'legitimacy.' (It's) been a while since comic books were strictly

for kids, and these days the racks are full of books that warrant adult perusal."

HOW SUPERHEROES SAVED ME FROM A LIFE OF CRIME 2

It's true. Today's tales dare to deal with adult themes and significant social issues, and

even contain intricately detailed plots which might be considered worthy of a Dicken's

novel or a Hitchcock film. As a matter of fact, some of the most avid fans -- and many

times writers -- of comics are accomplished, renowned authors of novels and movie

scripts. It's not unusual to find names like Harlan Ellison, Stephen King, Fritz Leiber or

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. appearing on a fan letters page or listed in the credits section.

Now, I don't mean to say that comics are meant to be accepted as high literature -- the

majority of them are still intended for the eight to fourteen year-old age group -- but

they do deserve to be taken more seriously than they generally are. Here's why:

People -- especially children -- learn from example. They emulate their bosses, their

fathers, their mothers, their heroes. And they tend -- more often than not -- to identify

with and pick up on the virtuous qualities in those. For instance, who among us (when

we were children) wanted to play the Indian or the robber when we could be the cowboy

or the cop? (Only those of us who grew up to be Nogoodniks, I'm sure.) And what child

didn't respect and admire the morality of Superman? Or the dedication of the Batman?

Or the Never-Give-Up-Even-In-The-Face-Of-Insurmountable-Odds confidence of Captain

America? Children learn from example. And many values are learned from the examples

set by the heroes in comics.

Not only do children aspire to be like their superheroes, but they become admirers of the

writers and illustrators of these tales as well. Many children that are inspired by comic

artists go on to pursue related careers. They begin to draw or write. They go to Art

School. They go to Art College. They become writers or illustrators or typographers or art

directors. I know. I happen to be one of them.

Now, suppose a particular kid isn't born with the innate artistic ability which inspirational

comic art can tap. He has no desire to become involved with art whatsoever. He wants

to become a policeman or a fireman or an engineer or a politician. He just likes reading

comic books. And, just like some of us (unfortunately) who started to enjoy using drugs

and alcohol on occasion, he becomes addicted. He goes on to harder stuff. He begins

HOW SUPERHEROES SAVED ME FROM A LIFE OF CRIME 3

dosing on Dickens or Hitchcock. And as a result of comic books starting him on the reading

path, he becomes learned.

So, for all you “adult" Harold Robbins and Jaqueline Susanne readers who happen to see

us kids reading Daredevil on the subway, and wonder when we're going to "grow up" --

the answer is, "Never! We'd rather stay young and literary!"

Student: Carl Mahlmann

School: Adelphi University

Class: Writing & Rhetoric

Instructor: Stuart Kaufman

Assignment for July 29, 1986:

Write an essay in which you explore some

"myth" in contemporary life and thought.

RELATED LINKS

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,308303,00.html

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2007/06/23/reading_comics/

http://books.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/03/10/1347239&from=rss

http://www.comicbookresources.com

http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=812147