Silver Age

In class we discussed some things that makes the silver age, the silver age. For example, since there was a censorship put on comics a lot of writers moved towards 'family' ideas and more family centered values. Some comic charaters were more in touch with their feelings. Especially in Spiderman readers witness a hero that they can actually relate to like Peter Parker and his life problems. Superheros start to have troubles with relationships and financials which make them more realistic. Before, comics in the Golden Age where classic comic heros were treated as escape situations for the artist therefore they are portrayed as being super or un-human. We don't see Superman talking about his financial troubles or whatever.
This matters to prove my opinion that Silver Age comics are better than the golden age. I think Golden Age comics have to be respected since they are considered classics yet comics have evolved over time and the silver age is when we see the next big transition made by writers and artists.

Magneto

I just got done reading the article titled, "X-Men as J Men." It discusses all of the undercover ideas that the writers were trying to get out that most people did not know about. For example, the meaning behind Magneto. As I was reading it, it seemed strange that a Holocaust survivor is a villain. Most stories depict a Holocaust survivor as the victim or a hero. Magneto is clearly different and that is because of his motives. Magneto is seen as a villain because he wants the mutants to rise up against society so there will not be another 'holocaust' against the mutants. He is fearful of another genocide against his people. When I realized this, it makes sense and it makes you feel bad for him. So he's like a good villain. Maybe some people disagree still...

Poor Magneto....

It's interesting to make parallels from History to today. Since I am a history major I constantly do this through my classes. On a side note, it is kind of comical to see how I have progressed over the years trhough my major. I mean, when I started college I constantly thought of examples from today that I could relate what I was learning to. Then come senior year and I all the sudden find myself finding examples from History where I can explane today or 'predicte' current events.

Anyway, this is relevant and it relates to censorship of comic books and graphic novels. It was crazy to learn about the censorship and how people actually thought that graphic novels influenced children into becoming criminals. I understand but I just started thinking about the prohibition era and how well that worked out, (said with sarcasm if you can't detect it). Also, I wonder if those regulations are still used today? Are comic books still censored that hard core? If anyone knows they should get back to me. I don't get it I mean it's like blaming a gun if someone gets shot.

Interesting....

I'm going to go off on a rant about everything I learned. Please don't laugh because I am a person that knows literally nothing behind comic books and their writers.

ANYWAY! I did not know that everyone who made up these super heroes were Jewish.

I also did not know that the comic book industry had a bad reputation. I guess I shouldn't say 'bad reputation', but people didn't appreciate comic books the way we do now. I thought that people were really into the stories and they became a popular item of society. I know in some instances people read them, like young boys, but compared to today comic books are read and appreciated by all ages it seems.

I also did not know that some of the comic book stories were so active in social matters like WW2 for example.

One of the things that really caught my interest was the discrimination going on in America against the Jews. All's I can say is go figure. I really had no idea. I understand where America is considered primarily 'Christian' but I kind of thought that Americans were used to religious differences considering Jews have been around for awhile in America. But besides religious differences, I wonder if there was anything else that made people act the way they did towards the Jews. I mean, why would Americans find the need to discriminate against Jewish people besides religion? Unless religion is the only answer.

Horatio Alger

In class the other night we talked a little about Eisner's influnece by Horatio Alger. I have never heard of Alger until my Progressive Age/ GIlded Age History class. Alger was an influentual writter who told stories which had typical 'rags to riches' plots. At least that is the impression that I had received by his book, Ragged Dick or Street Life in New York with the Boot-Blacks.

When the book was written it was a common thing for young boys to be living on the street where they had to find some sort of an occupation, such as black-booting, in order to make a living for themselves or their families. It is here that we find the 'hero' of the novel, Ragged Dick, who had lost his family and is trying to make a living for himself. Ragged Dick is different than the other boys though. He is an honest human and very ambitious. He is also very caring of other people even if they have wronged him in some way. There is one boy in the book who ends up losing his father who was his dependence to survive. Come to find out the boy's father was cheated by a family friend out of all his money therefore causing this boy to become poor. So the boy had to live on the street and start Boot- blacking as well. Ragged Dick invited the boy to room with him in his new home which is a very nobel thing. Eventually Ragged Dick decided to get schooling in order to get a better job which eventually works out. These are just a few examples of how this story goes.

I can see the relation between Eisner's book and Alger's book. To a certain extent Eisner's book does tell a fairy tail where the underdog rises to the top. In Cookalein, the 2 younger persons who lie about their financials do this in order to attracked a rich mate. Then as we see it ends terrible as the man rapes the women. Yet it turns out they both 'benefit' in the end where he finds another woman she decided to marry the man that really loves her. It's a small example compared to Ragged Dick yet the similar set-up is still there.

The young boy who finds the contract with God after Hersh feels that it is something worth valuing. Before he was a good boy but then he was almost beat by some younger boys yet he ends up with a victory over the 3 bullying boys. Then he finds this contract which he feels will also make his life better. Again, a small example to compare to Alger's story yet there is a similar general plot.

Hmmm....

I feel the need to express some ideas that are on my mind. These ideas came up as I read A Contract with God because I feel so much for Frimme Hersh, the main charactor in the first story. Before I go on,  I want you all to know this post is a personal account about my beleifs and reflections. I am merley expressing my thoughts and feelings and do not intend on offending anyone who disagrees or has a different view point. If you do indeed have a different opinion or want to add something by all means, I would love to hear it.

Anyway, here I go....

First off. I am a little perplexed about Eisner's reasoning behind this book. I read in the course text book that A Contract with God is based on some of Eisner's personal experiences as well as other people's experience nonethelss it is difficult to tell what the purpose behind the book is. I have some hypothesis that could be justified but I suppoese there isn't just one answer to the question. Anyway it is kind of fun to think about. That is if there is a point to the book.

Next, I want to focus on Hersh's story because I really felt emotionally attached to that story. The guy makes a contract with God when he's a boy. He dedicated his life to doing good works and did them until his daughter died. Then he became angry with God for taking his daughter away and turned away from his faith, as shown by him spitting on the contract and then throwing out the window. Later he felt a need to fill a void in his life, (becuae he missed God?), where he then went back to the synagauge and asked the Jewish teachers to make another contract with God for him. When he had received the completed copy he became so happy and felt whole again only to have a heart attack and then....die shortly after.

I believe in God but I never thought of making a contract with God because I couldn't keep it. This story gives the impression, based off of Hersh's opinion, that God failed at keeping his end of the contract hence why Hersh is angry with God. I understand Hersh's frusteration. His heart was broken when his daughter died and according to a religious person God is the only one to create and end life so it makes sense that Hersh was angry with God but life is not perfect even for a religious person. This story especially I am having a hard time understanding what Eisner's point is. I think it is if a person is going to commite their life to a religion they should really commite themselves to the teachings. For example, in class we discussed how some of the Jewish men were having affairs with Christian women. Some people in class seemed to take this as a knock against Christians. I don't think eisner had any hate but I think he did have a little problem with religion over all, specifically with people who idetified themselves as 'religious.'

For example, Hersh was angry with God because his life was not going well. To a 'normal' person it is understood that life is imperfect but for some reason Hersh thought making this contract with God would make his life happy. I think Eisner is making fun of that idea because a lot of people question why a 'good' God would allow bad things to happen therefore the religious people become fakes. Also the people in the novel that claim they are christian, their morals seem to be a little messy. It makes me think Eisner is making fun of them too because although a christian realizes the imperfect life, they seem to take advantage of God and his rules as in they seem to follow what they want as opposed to what God wants and says. This is pointed out as wrong.

So a person who identifies themselves as 'religious' need to find that medium where they realize life it life, as in it is imperfect but they also need to try to live a life according to God's expectations.

Whoo-Whoo!

Hey all, this is my first blog ever!!

I'm supposed to blog for a class called, Judaism and Comic Books. I'm not really sure what we have to bog about to be honest I know that it has to do with the readings we have in class....and that's about it. I'm sure things will be clearer once the class really gets going. In the mean time I am pretty excited to start reading these books!!