Deep Dive into Western Comics History

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Nov 9

Written By Karlo Antunes

As part of the SAW’s Year-Long Program, it’s required for students to take one course that dives deep into Western Comics History.

History alone is always evolving, since new things are constantly surfacing about our past, and Comics History in the Western world is no different.

SAW’s Western Comics History course is always evolving as we find new sources to cover about diversity and technique in comics while also reflecting on how far comics have travelled to be where they are in today’s Western world.

See how Year-Long Program student, Lori ChauDavis, reflects on the first 3 weeks of the Western Comics History course below!

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Lori ChauDavis writes,

“From Week 1, I really enjoyed looking at the art style of the older comics even though I didn’t really resonate with the humor as much. I liked these comics especially.

I thought it was interesting that the creator of the Yellow Kid hated him so much at the end of his life. I would like to think that if I made something and ended up being tired of it, I would be happy that it was successful and move on to something else. This quote was really funny to me.

I also like that the solution to the copyright dispute for the Katzenjammer kids was that the creators made two different comics with the same characters. This was really funny to me too.

I thought Nell Brinkley’s art was very beautiful. I would like to see a Brinkley Girl but for people who feel like anxious hairy monsters.

I really enjoyed the Week 2 video about Popeye’s superpowers and I actually really want to read Popeye now. It made the comic seem really interesting! https://comicbookhistorians.com/popeye-the-original-anti-hero-super-man-before-the-thing-and-wolverine/

It is interesting to read about the relationship between comics and history, especially with current events. I have been thinking a lot about “what is the point” of trying to launch a comics/art career at this time in the world, and I have been moving forward mostly on the basis that it is good for my soul, but I wonder how what I make fits into the larger world. I mostly just skimmed the adventure comics and admired the inking because I don’t relate to these as much.

I thought Fanny Cory’s Little Miss Muffet was kind of cute, based off the title I would not have expected there to be a murder and it made me excited to read more (I am not sure if the guy in the last panel is Murdered or just really beat up but I am assuming Murdered).

little-miss-muffet-by-fanny-y-cory-king-features-syndicate-big2.jpg

I liked reading about Rose O’Neill. I especially liked this grumpy face.

I thought the whole section about Pogo was really interesting! Especially the “bunny strips.”

And Little Lulu is really cute.

I enjoyed reading about the attention to fashion in Miss Fury, and how the artist responded to fan mail with the paper dolls. I think it’s a big bummer that this artist equated “being in drag” to “being grotesque” with her villain. I had been caught off guard because I was excited to read about the first female superhero. I had kind of tuned out the adventure comics after reading how Terry and the Pirates made queer people and asian people villains based on stereotypes and didn’t work very hard to humanize them, so I perked up when I saw Miss Fury and was reading the article and oof (this is the article https://www.printmag.com/post/trina-robbins ). It’s hard to love Miss Fury right now with JK Rowling at the top of my mind, people who call themselves feminists and then use their art to make life very very hard for trans people. I knew the history of comics was going to have a lot of this stuff, and I was planning to approach it with a positive view and just take what I found inspiring and leave the rest. I suppose it’s good to know the historical context even if it is kind of disheartening? I did enjoy looking at all the art styles and reading about the characters, even if I can’t ever call myself a fan of the stories.