Discuss ONE Instance Where Comics’ Role in Youth Culture Was Subject to a Debate and it's Importance

“Recent fantasy representations from manga to the X-men, Harley Quinn and beyond have either originated in, been inspired by, or adapted for comics, adding to the repertoire of images of teens and young people. Some texts have been greeted with controversy, with their value as models of empowerment being questioned.” Discuss ONE instance where comics’ role in youth culture was subject to a debate, and explain its significance.

Over the course of British comic book publishing, many texts have been greeted with controversy and have been questioned over their purpose within youth culture. With the comic landscape during the 1970s being extremely unstable, many comic creators were finding new ways for their success. Titles appeared and disappeared from shelves across Britain resulting in a state of panic and uncertainty. Following the successes of girl’s division comics proposed by The International Publishing Corporation (IPC) formally known as Fleetway, comics such as Action (Mills, P. Adrian, J. White, M. 1976) were developed in an attempt to erase the anxieties surrounding this vulnerability. Throughout a period where traditional comic books were in decline, these reactions to the pressures in the comic book world are not surprising. Bringing new content to the comic repertoire did not go unnoticed, and in many cases opened the discourse for a debate. Action, an anthology comic devised by Pat Mills, in 1975, is an example of this.

As explained by John Sanders, the editorial director of IPC:

“Two years ago, I was getting very concerned about the falling sales of more traditional adventure comics like Bunter, Magnet, and Champion. Some of them had been favourites for over half a century. I was keeping an eye in all other media and noticed the increasing levels of violence…people are saturated with it, including children…there is a trend towards realism in action, and comics are bound to reflect this if they are to survive.” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016)

For comics such as Action, the purpose of their controversial content is for survival. Turning down the route of more violent, trend-fuelled comics rather than the typically high-morale, middle-class centered comics such as Eagle, occurred from the worry that the institution would collapse without the change. 1970s Britain was a period where children would go to watch films such as Jaws (Spielberg, S. 1975) without an adult to accompany them, and that was accepted. As film culture and most other platforms progressed onto newer, less child-heavy trajectories, comics fell behind on the trend. This pivotal moment surfaced a question for comic’s future within Britain, the debate to either “stick with traditional stories of union jacks fluttering over scout camps” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016) or to risk it all by following the trends that had been successful beyond the comic world. To which the latter was chosen, Action comics were created.

Action comics have been renowned for the quarrel caused amid their release. While traditional sales of much tamer comics such as Victor and Wizard were slumping, children became disinterested in this repetitive clean-cut, adventure hero narrative they had seen countless times over. In a world where children began to become desensitised by what they watched and read, Action began to mirror this and its circulation occurred. Sales “rocketed by the week” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016), and Action quickly became a hugely popular comic amongst children across Britain. Consequential to images Hollywood cinema and society promoted, children began to get their “kicks from kidney punches, bloodletting limb serving, and other violen[t means]” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016). Action followed these concepts and released many violent issues of their comics. Amongst those released, an issue named Kids Rule Ok (Mills, P. Adrian, J. White, M. Vol. 1 #32. 1976) is a particularly distinguishable example where the debates on the importance of images imposed on children manifested.

Taking place in Britain during 1986, the storyline for Kids Rule Ok is centered on children taking control when all adults are wiped out by the plague following their ‘harmful’ actions on the planet (such as employing social order and creating global warming). Therefore, the concept of the plot alone can be viewed as a problematic idea to advertise to youth culture. Kids Rule Ok has often been referred to as the story that got Action banned. The comic was withdrawn soon after this turmoil and replaced with a toned-down form. Despite much of the public’s dislike of Action comics, there were many readers who were unhappy with this modulation and “abandon[ed] the magazine when the content was toned down” (Duncan, R. Smith, M, J. Levitz, P. 2015: 374) However, the significance of the influence that comics like Action possessed cannot be ignored.

Leading child psychologist Glen Smith studied Action to understand the disputes it had caused. He found after reading Action, and other various comics alike, that “children have such a short experience of life that they don’t identify with pain and suffering in the same way as an adult.” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016). With this in mind, it can be understood that adults may find comic excerpts like Kids Rule Ok harmful, but it is their progressed mind and experiences that control these feelings when they read the stories themselves. Smith also added that “youngsters are much better at separating fact from fantasy” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016) because they realise that what they are reading is not synonymous with reality. Many children’s shows and films including Tom and Jerry (Hanna, W. Barber, J. 1940) and Jaws (Spielberg, S. 1975), display a high degree of violence that children understand to be limited to fictional works only. This argument proposed by Smith highlights that the role of comics as a model of empowerment is not only unnecessary because children understand that these are reverie pieces, but also, illuminates the prejudice comics can often experience. If comics are being ridiculed for their ‘harmful’ content, are these other displays of violence viewed by youths also being questioned? This may be attributed by the long-rooted concept that comic books should still be based around jolly, non-violent narratives, with these being the kinds of stories the children’s parents knew and grew up with.

Action has been critiqued for “prostituting themselves to make money” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016) and following the best business prospects, rather than maintaining moral integrity. As Ian Holden, the director of DC Thompson, explained, “more comics will have to go in for blood and guts, or go out of business” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016). IPC were expected to deviate away from this newfound violent trend rather than follow it like they did. It has been declared by some researchers that there is a correlation between viewing violent material and an increase in distasteful, aggressive behavior. Interestingly encompassed by Kirsh and Olczak (2002: 1161), comics provide a different kind of viewing experience because the storyline is told through partially connected frames. Thus, in order to create a sense of continuity, it is left to the reader to decide on the action. This is important when looking at Kids Rule Ok for example, during the sequence when the police raise their batons at the Kids and say words such as “Don’t raise your fist at me, sonny!” alongside artwork representing a hitting action. The following panel reverts to an extreme close up of a police officer in the foreground and silhouettes of flying hands, batons, and debris in the background. Although we do see some tension between the officers and the Kids prior to this, the violence is not explicit or clear. Other studies however, suggest something different. There has also been widespread evidence contending, “Viewing and reading violent material can increase aggressive behavior” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016) The debate regarding the impressions that comics like Action leave on children is dependent on the individuals themselves. There is no collective or definitive answer for the impact of comics on children, however, the issue is important when looking at children’s development.

Kids Rule Ok possibly fell under scrutiny because the comic intended for a teenage audience rather than the young audience became involved with. Parents became angry over the content that pre-teen children were reading in Action, and how this may be affecting the minds of them. Censorship across comics was almost non-existent, and in light of this, many people argued, “horror comics should be subjected to strict control. A great deal of harm can be done to the impressionable minds of children who read them.” (DOWNTHETUBES.NET, 2016). Children were left vulnerable to the unregulated industry that comics dominated. Many comic shops and newsagents took to binding parent advisory stickers onto comics to caution that they were not appropriate for children. The image of a gang advancing onto a man with a policeman’s helmet alongside him on the cover of Kids Rule Ok is an example of this. Alterations were made to Kids Rule Ok whereby a whole page was removed completely because of the explicit violence between the police officers and the Malvern Road gang. Following further cuts, the issue was withdrawn altogether for advertising the wrong kinds of images towards youths.

Despite this, Action and issues such as Kids Rule Ok have still been deemed as educational. The extent of this education however, has been criticised. An online magazine recognised the significance of comic books claiming that Action dared to capture a side of Britain that only music subcultures had touched and ventured to, and it left its impression on young minds (Wordpress [Via Big Mouth Mag]. 2016). The people behind Kids Rule Ok and Action hoped that readers of their comics saw something positive rather than negative. They did not want to be an example of “what happens when you go too far” (Wordpress [Via Big Mouth Mag]. 2016). The creators wanted to propose something other than distinctly British ideology represented by the dystopian traditions held by writers such as George Orwell. An underlying belief that violence can be used for good drove Action to pieces like Kids Rule Ok. The feature that grasped the attention of children and increased the sales of the comic was the modern approach of empowering them rather than being condescending. Kids Rule Ok and similar issues promoted stories that advocated power for youths. Action desired to reflect the current world in their comics. Films such as Jaws (Spielberg, S. 1975), alongside the popularity of punk rock and Mohammed Ali, and the rise football hooliganism and terrace violence were the types of modern inspirations amongst popular culture that Action epitomised. The purpose of the comics were not to advertise or condone these behaviors of violence, but instead show children that these sorts of things happen in the world, something many children were already aware of. The comics target demographic was aimed at working class children unlike the middle class focused comics that had been presented before it. In the past, representations of the working class were either a side character or a figure of comedy. Comics had been “trapped in a time warp – stultifying conservative, rigidly in favour of the status quo and staffed predominantly by a WWII generation who detested change” (Wordpress [Via Big Mouth Mag]. 2016). This shift in class demonstrations covered a large proportion of society that had previously been underrepresented and ignored.

Many saw the shift in comics, as a positive change, with an argument pointing out that sometimes, “isn’t it wonderful to reverse things?” (Wordpress [Via Big Mouth Mag]. 2016). By having a protagonist that sets such unattainable goals, it may lead to illegitimate means to success. When children view these perfect, middle-class characters as the hero to be inspired by, it often sets a standard that they cannot achieve with their position in society, and the class system. Strain Theory, a theory created by Robert K. Merton and discussed by American Sociologist Richard A. Cloward exemplifies this idea. He focused on the way class and social conditions lead to “overweening ambition” and how “limited aspirations ultimately produce a breakdown in regulatory norms” (1959: 165). Therefore, the limitation between cultural goals and socially constructed opportunity creates a desire for success but only allow this via illegitimate means. Many impressionable youths may turn to these illegitimate means to gain their success, because society limits the availability of doing it legitimately. These means of success often result in doing this via deviant behavior. Criminality has been linked to illegitimate means on multiple occasions, because following the expected way of society is not offered to those of a lower class division. In relation to comics influence on youths, this type of behavior could be said to exist following the unattainable protagonists and ideas proposed by past comics. Moreover, when a child sees a hero or lifestyle they idolise, but cannot attain this because of their societal situation, they follow a deviant route to reach this goal.

However, this theory of deviancy can also be applied to more violent and harmful comics too. With many ordinary, working class children reading these comics, it was important to be inclusive for them too. However, these new presentations may be honorable for morale, but they also align themselves with a negative main character, such as Ray Spencer in Kids Rule Ok. This leading character is presented as a vicious and harmful individual, not something you should promote. Therefore, Action and other violent comics are also highlighting deviant behavior and illegitimacy, just more explicitly. Rather than having an unattainable character, and then children following this ideal with illegitimate means, they start to mirror the more attainable harmful character and become deviant. The explicit harmful comics had clear negative effects on children, as Bradford W. Wright noted:

“[This] could most easily be seen in cases of straightforward emulation: children who hanged themselves after seeing a hanging in a comic book, kids who jumped off rooftops as if they were Spiderman, and boys who hit girls because they saw gangsters hit women in comic books” (2003: 159)

Comic books can be an educational way into the world of crime and violence, and in extreme cases, death. Children have also told Wright how they have learned from comic books how to fight, torture victims, and conceal firearms (2003: 159). This debate regarding the harm of comics is often targeted at the more open, anti-establishment strands, however it can also be said that those that appear more innocent and child-friendly can also have a negative impression on children’s minds. Negative reactions from comics across children can be seen in all types of comics. Children are becoming more and more desensitised and it is argued how much of this exposure is put down onto parental guidance and monitoring. Action did not set out to attract children as young as seven years old, therefore, the issue may not lie with the creator but rather those who purchase it and are the guardians for the kids reading it. It can be asserted that despite Action’s wish to hold a more realistic, controversial comic, there are many other ways to interpret this without clear violence and harm on their pages. With this in mind, it is difficult to say how far to go with comics content, because those with a seemingly innocent façade are also leading to issues of violence and death through unattainable goals. Kefauver noted, “Crime comic books seemed to indoctrinate children in a way similar to Nazi propaganda… Hitler was a beginner compared to the comic book industry.” (Wright, B, W. 2003: 166). There is back and forth discussion to try and conclude whether children can make these distinctions between reality and fantasy. Kids Rule Ok and Action more broadly address these real issues by concealing them under the semblance of fantasy. This allowed a space for mature applications of content to be applied to the comic medium.

Kids Rule Ok shook up the industry and the cover image of the policeman’s hat beside him on the ground while being beaten by children is just one of the many ways Action did this. Despite the argument surrounding this, Action argued that the image was not as it appeared, and that there was an error in the colouring of the hat. With Action’s renowned legacy of changing attitudes of supremacy and cultural imbalances, this excuse may be false. Nevertheless, the significance in the abundance of depictions Action and Kids Rule Ok explored, highlighted the cracks in society that no other comics had really addressed before. The comic has been criticised for exploiting the innocence of children and promoting a distorted image of the world for the gain of profit and impeding social adjustment. Effects of this on children have included “violent tendencies in maladjusted children and… normal children by fostering low self esteem… and disrespect for the rules of society.” (Wright, B, W. 2003: 158). However, as addressed previously, these actions can be reviewed in relation all types of comics. Anti-social behavior is not always synonymous with violent comics alone. Action wanted to raise awareness of these issues rather than to encourage children to copy them.

The repertoires of images youths and pre-adolescents have been exposed to in Kids Rule Ok and Action comics has been greeted with controversy for a variety of vindications. Exploring this issue of whether or not these images are positive models of empowerment is significant due to the vastly receptive minds of the children reading the comics. Being situated in a period where desensitisation and harmful images towards children were a fairly new concept, the releasing of the issue may have been ahead of its time. The debate concerning the images children see, and how this affects them later in life is not something to be ignored, or taken lightly. In many ways, Action is a comic with educational value, that also brings to light issues within the real world, all while offering a central character children can relate to. Nevertheless, Action also promotes harmful images that have been proven to influence children in a negative way, whether the intent or not. Although there is not a definite conclusion as to whether Kids Rule Ok and Action have harmful or positive affects on children, the topic is important to address, and is also interesting to illuminate the debate surrounding this.

References

Barker, M. (1989). Comics: Ideology, Power and The Critics. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Barnett, D. (2016, 21 October). Too Much Action: How Kids’ Comic Action Drowned in its Own Ultraviolence. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/21/action-70s-kids-comics-violence-magazine-publishing

Cloward, R, A. (1959, April). Illegitimate Means, Anomie, and Deviant Behavior. American Sociological Review (via JStor). 24(2). 164-176.

DOWNTHETUBES.NET. (2016). The Suns “The Sevenpenny Nightmare” Article, 30th April 1976. Retrieved from https://downthetubes.net/?page_id=33292

Duncan, R. Smith, M, J. Levitz, P. (2015). The Power of Comics: History, Form, and Culture. (2) 374-375. NY: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Freeman, J. (2015, 26 May). Rare “Banned” Action Comic Reaches £1320 Bid on EBay. DOWNTHETUBES. NET.

Hanna, W. Barber, J. (Creators, Writers & Directors). (1940). Tom and Jerry. [Television Programme]. USA: MGM Cartoon Studio.

Jones, G. (2002). Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes and Make Believe Violence. NY: Basic Books.

Kirsh, S, J. Olczak, P, V. (2002, 11 November). The Effects of Extremely Violent Comic Books on Social Information Processing. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 17(11). 1160-1178.

Mills, P. Adrian, J. White, M. (Creator, Writer & Illustrator) Action, Vol. 1 #32, (1976, 18 September).

Spielberg, S. (Director). (1975). Jaws. USA: Universal Pictures.

Tan, A, S. Scruggs, K, J. (1980, 1 December). Does Exposure to Comic Book Violence Lead to Aggression in Children? Sage Journals. 57(4). 579-583.

The Bronze Age of Blogs. (2009). Action Presents: Kids Rule Ok! Retrieved from http://bronzeageofblogs.blogspot.com/2009/04/action-presents-kids-rule-ok.html

Wordpress. (2016, 15 February). 40 Years Ago Action Changed the Face of Comics Forever. Retrieved from https://g1rm.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/40-years-ago-action-changed-the-face-of-comics-forever/

Wordpress [Via Big Mouth Mag]. (2016, 23 August). ACTION: How Britain’s Most Brutal Comic Laid the Real ‘70s Bare. Retrieved from https://bigmouthmag.wordpress.com/2016/08/23/action-comic-britains-brutal-weekly-real-70s/

Wright, B, W. (2003). Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. US: John Hopkins University Press.