Perception of Comic Books
I have not been a lifelong fan of comic books, but my perception of them has changed since the beginning of this course. This change has involved a realization that comic books serve as a medium of conveying messages, lessons, and values in the society in the ways that are captivating and appealing. They influence the society in specific ways. In the past, I considered comic books to be a medium for children and an older audience, as well as the source that required time wasting. However, the course significantly changed this perception by making me perceive comic books as a medium that educates society.
Like most of the society, I thought that comic books, as a medium, were unworthy of serious consideration or attention in literature (Versaci, 2001). I considered comics only as an entertaining medium that society members used for pleasure or lighthearted humor rather than a serious medium that reflected social life. However, since the beginning of the course, I have realized that comic books are a critical medium of literature through which artists and authors represent or portray the positive, bad, and ugly aspects of the society effectively. I have read about the use of comics in Japan to introduce or incorporate order and values in social processes such as education. I have studied the significance of comics as part of culture and in affecting various societies, thus contributing to social and cultural improvements.
Comics have had an impact on societies through raising awareness on subtle aspects of life and other critical issues that society members ignore or consider irrelevant or unimportant. They achieve this in an appealing and effective way by drawing attention and deploying entertaining and deeply symbolic methods. As an example, LGBT comic art and books have been significant in raising social awareness about mis-gendering and the dangers of gender stereotyping (Ostroff, 2016). The aspects are essential for educating readers.
As a result, the course substantially altered my previous perception of comic books by making me perceive them as a medium educating society. These realizations have altered my perceptions of comic books, as they are an essential medium in portraying and influencing the society positively.
References
Ostroff, J. (2016, May 26). Superhero diversity takes flight as comic books fight for gender, race, and LGBT balance. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/05/26/superhero-diversity-marvel-comics-dc_n_9349666.html
Versaci, R. (2001). How comic books can change the way our students see literature: One teacher’s perspective. The English Journal 91(2): 61-67. Retrieved from: http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/33dTexts/maus/Versaci2001ComicBooksChangeStudentsViews.pdf