Comics are not quite innocent as
it seems to be. There are racist references seen in Tintin, Herge was even accused
of being a Nazi sympathiser. Indian mythology is full of regressiveness that is
illustrated without much care as comics, unlike endearing Jatakas, these are much sinister. Even exquisite mangas are accused of being too sexualised.
In short comics are hotbed of ideologies. Now ofcourse illustrations have
become much serious and tackle grievous issues. But comics are primarily
targeting children hence these blatant ethical transgression needs to be dealt
severely. This blogger was seriously into comics, and didn’t think much while
reading, enjoying the story and remarkable illustrations so on. I recall when I
was in Chennai, after my college, I was quite hooked to Commondo comics. I got
into understanding with a street book seller, who earnestly pursued these for
me and lend it. Many times I used to finish it in the nearby tea shop so on, meanwhile
I was in some sales job and these were during what was supposed to be ‘office
time’, the manager used to give wtf look!! Never was much bothered. Anyway the
point here is since I wasn’t much into thinking, or maybe not much aware, I used
to consume these without much thought, as most people do. Recently I was
reading Commondo comics, and amazingly I was appalled.
These are really quite racist,
and this random one I was reading had ‘savage arab’ narration, ironically the brutal
colonial soldiers from Europe where seen as civilising force, so much so that the
British soldier even sided with Nazi soldier to teach arab brutes lessons on
civility. White men as superior with ‘inbred’ qualities while Arabs uncouth is the
underlining theme (note the picture of the illustration herein and underlined
sentences, indeed there is a blatant reference to “forces of Islam”, “unholy
triumph” so on, hence European soldiers are crusaders. Grievously this only an example of single page taken randomly!!). Shouldn’t these be
dealt severely? Wonder how these racist (in this case communal/degrading clichés)
materials exist? You will find similar theme in many Hollywood movies, of course much
subtler, white men with bigger guns saving the world for us, these cultural hegemony though cannot hide the realities. American soldiers
are literally foot soldiers of arms dealers and oil barons. As someone was mentioning they wouldn't have attacked Iraq if it was about asparagus!!
It is in this context that
another of my areas of interest, the science fiction stories, is increasingly being
occupied by far right groups. I find that disturbing. Science fictions are
amazing speculative brilliance, and who can forget Arthur Clarke, Asimov (despite
his stupid joke books), Wells or Vernes. The recent trend towards white supremacist
in science fiction is too pre modern frame to be taken seriously I guess. It
falls in the general trend of postmodern identity angst, hence the revivalism. The
grand conception of self as extension of faith/group/race is constant anchor for
insecure souls in tachyon speed altering nano space in quantum craziness!!
