Recently, after the passing of legendary comic industry author Stan Lee, comedian and talk show host Bill Maher received a lot of flak from comments he made which many saw as an attack against adults reading comic books.
In a blog post soon after the former president of Marvel Comics’ death written by Maher, the late night host disparaged the cultural impact that Stan Lee had on generations of comic book readers, going as far as to paint readers of comics as somehow responsible for the dumbing down of society, while making an ideological link to reading superhero adventures and the rise of Trumpism.
“The guy who created Spider-Man and the Hulk has died, and America is in mourning,” Maher’s blog post began. “Deep, deep mourning for a man who inspired millions to, I don’t know, watch a movie, I guess.”
Maher’s short sighted commentary is apparently based on the premise that comic books are material designed to be digested by children and therefore somehow not worthy of adults’ time or serious attention. In the days since Lee’s passing, Maher has been rebuked for his comments by industry professionals and celebrities with pop culture ties such as screenwriter and comic book writer Kevin Smith, among others.
As a newspaper editor and columnist, especially during this holiday season, I mourn the loss of not only critical thinking skills, but also lament the limited role and effect books and literature appear to be making, especially with the newer generations. I recall having a conversation with a friend who is also a professor of literature at a prominent university in Southern California and she observed that in her experience, it is a challenge to engage young people in a novel’s narrative and in character interaction in various media including film.
In her experience, the recent batch of mainstream superhero flicks as produced by Marvel Studios, appear to have a great impact on her own children. She theorized one reason for this might be because the films are peppered by comic beats, jokes and coupled with special effects and action which appear to be more palatable to a generation which has grown with the internet and social media and whose attention span appears to be more limited. Can younger students nowadays work through the characterization and development offered through a fictional narrative and become engaged in a deeper level?
I have always been influenced by the written word. Even at an early age I was reading works of fiction like Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” classics like Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” I particularly enjoyed science fiction novels such as “Fahrenheit 451” and my literature and English courses in school and later in college exposed me to many other works of literature.
I also read comic books. I devoured them when I was in middle school and although I am sure my parents and teachers would have preferred I was reading more Shakespeare and Dickens over Lee and Roger Stern, the colorful well crafted stories involving Spiderman, Batman and many others went hand in hand with my formal education. I also think Maher is dead wrong about comic books when he attacks comics readers or categorizes them as lowbrow. Never mind the high premise, and expertly developed themes found in many of our greatest graphic novels like “V for Vendetta” or “Watchmen” to name a few, comics also taught me a great deal about people, the dangers of addictive behaviors, relationships and other lofty ideas.
So during this holiday season I would like to encourage parents to instill in their children a love of reading, to help them seek out the lessons found in classic works, and to help them develop the fundamental skill of reading which still has immense benefits, leads to critical thinking and can still shape an informed and well rounded society. Let them kill zombies on their gaming consoles if they want, but also help them foster a love for reading through any means available, physical books, audio books, and yes, even comic books.
