Lyra Silverblade
01-22-2002, 11:20 PM
Childhood is Short, but Immaturity is Forever.
Well, I suppose this was bound to come from me sometime, but I can think of no better time than now to make this little essay, having just recieved the news of the cancellation of one of my favorite cartoon shows, the runaway cult favorite, Invader Zim. There are a bunch of monetary reasons behind the cancellation of this show, but network greed set aside, I believe it can be traced back to a public belief about the nature of Animation. I don't use the word "Cartoon" here, because the connotations that the word brings to the mind of the American TV viewer are the exact same misconceptions which I hope to debunk with this article. It's about art, about so-called "maturity," and about the misconceptions that people hold about grown men and women who "still" read comic books and watch animated shows and movies.
The world of animation and comics today is a rich and varied tapestry, full of wild characters, engaging plotlines, and luscious visuals that are a feast for the eye and a treat for the mind. There are animations and comics from many cultures, from the American juggernauts of Disney, Warner Bros, DC and Marvel comics and others, to the incredible works of fantasy and sci fi from our beloved partners in Japan, to the gritty, artistic, and often overlooked mini-films and comics from Europe. There is a title for every personality, and a message for every age, including the patriotism of cold war era comics like Captain America, the heartbreaking Holecaust survival tale of Art Spiegelman's critically acclaimed MAUS and the A-bomb aftermath horror of Barefoot Gen, and the gritty rebellion of the 80s underground circuit of Tank Girl, right down to the present day's recent and incredible outpouring of emotion with The 9-11 Memorial Project. Artists have labored for years and years over creations of beauty, humor, emotion and power, and given works that both reflect signs of the times, and entertain in a way in which we can all relate.
But somehow, over the years, the American public has formed the conception that every work of animation is instantly a work for immature audiences, and is regarded with the same sort of respect as is given to children's breakfast cereal marketing. And even worse, adult enthusiasts of the works of animation and comics are viewed as development-stunted sociopaths or pathetic obsessed fanboys. They are denied the respect that is due to enthusiasts of works of art. Because that's what we are looking at. Art.
It is true that a good 80% of animation and comics (or some similar percentage) is aimed at the children's audience. But this was not always the case, and most certainly shouldn't be the rule. Back in the golden era of Bugs Bunny and his friends, the animated feature was a work of Burlesque. It poked fun at major political issues and popular entertainment figures, featured suggestive crossdressing jokes and racial stereotypes that would be both over the heads and innappropriate for the supposed "youth audience" of today. These works were intended to be viewed by a culture-savvy adult, and have even today been emulated in series like Animaniacs and Freakazoid. Still more mature, you have shows like the Simpsons, with the longest run and highest ratings for any prime time animated series, which has become a cultural phenomenon unto itself. And on the highest end of the maturity spectrum, you have South Park, quite simply the most foulmouthed, politically incorrect, and brilliantly ironic show ever to grace television.
But even so, using the argument of South Park could be countered by the fact that its sucess was due mainly because of its shock value. You'd have to be completely insane not to realize that it's for adults. Yet, the prejudice of requiring a gimmick like shock for a sucessful run has pigeonholed many an animated series into being poorly produced, advertised, and basically manipulated until falling into obscurity. I believe such was the case with Invader Zim, a rising cult favorite by comic artist Jhonen Vasquez. If anyone is familiar with Vasquez's previous work (Johnny The Homicidal Maniac), then they know that Vasquez is NOT working for the youth audience. Yet in order for an artist like him to be able to produce an animated series, he had to go to a children's network like Nickelodeon where animation was a key part of programming, and was forced to tone down his style of work in order to have it run on a children's network. From there, the abuses of the network and their continuing apprehension about the nature of Jhonen's work drove the show into its unfortunate cancellation. People like Jhonen are being forced to sacrifice their art for the sake of marketability, and it can be traced down to that same misconception that "animation is strictly for kids."
Related to this misconception is the disrespect that enthusiasts of animation and comics are recieving. For example, the grown person who buys a ticket for the latest Disney epic is given the same odd and condescending look as the one who buys the ticket for the NC-17 skinfest. Comic book readers are typecast as perverted, obsessive fanboys, hunched alone over computer screens, rabidly collecting the latest figure from Mc Farlanes to never even take it out of the box. They are looked upon as oucasts, nerds, freaks, deviants, and sexual misfits in a world where "reformed" drug pushers, child molesters and murderers become next week's motivational speakers. Simple hobbyists are as reviled as our worst criminals. And you never hear about this at the Amercian Civil Liberties Union.
The fact of the matter is, not every animation and comic fan is some sort of sideshow freak, or stereotyped geek. Some of us simply want to see just what Dreamworks can do with a good CGI program, find out what new hardware Batman's using to fight crime, or see what new philosophical braintwister anime has come from overseas. We humbly request that when you engage us in conversation that you do not treat us like some sort of disfunctional human. We can be just as intelligent, mature, and coherent as you can be. Perhaps even a little more .
I remember the day that I brought home a new anime DVD, and asked my dad to fix the DVD program on the computer so I could watch it. When it was repaired about five minutes later, my father commented as he left. "You know, it's like watching a heroin addict shoot up." Now, my reaction at the time would send the preconception that I was obviously an overwrought geek, ranting and raving to defend myself and make myself sound intelligent. But to be completely honest, who wouldn't be angry being compared to a drug abuser? Imagine a sports enthusiast being called a crackhead when he or she sits down to watch the alma mater give their rivals hell. Or a ballet enthusiast likened to an acid dropper when they buy the Barishnykov biography. It's not so humorous when you're the recipient of the abuse, and even moreso when your interest is legitimate. Well, just for clarification, animation and comic art IS a legitimate interest. But, you already knew that, of course.
Besides, I've forgiven him for that slip of the tongue already, and I'm not one to hold a grudge. I include it in the hopes that folks who read this will be a little more careful in choosing their words...
I think the quote that sums up my point most succinctly is one by Samuel L. Jackson in the film Unbreakable, who portrays a comic art gallery owner on the search for real heroes in our own world. When a man comes in looking to buy a rare cover art sketch for his four-year old child, Samuel L has this to say:
"Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a blank faced asian boy riding a coin operated machine outside?"
The store which his character runs is an ART gallery, and he is livid at the fact the man would associate any dealer of comics with a toy store. I can't help but share his displeasure. What we watch and what we read is art, and for the sake of the artform, we kindly request a little respect for that. And you have Samuel L.'s word on that.
Well, I suppose this was bound to come from me sometime, but I can think of no better time than now to make this little essay, having just recieved the news of the cancellation of one of my favorite cartoon shows, the runaway cult favorite, Invader Zim. There are a bunch of monetary reasons behind the cancellation of this show, but network greed set aside, I believe it can be traced back to a public belief about the nature of Animation. I don't use the word "Cartoon" here, because the connotations that the word brings to the mind of the American TV viewer are the exact same misconceptions which I hope to debunk with this article. It's about art, about so-called "maturity," and about the misconceptions that people hold about grown men and women who "still" read comic books and watch animated shows and movies.
The world of animation and comics today is a rich and varied tapestry, full of wild characters, engaging plotlines, and luscious visuals that are a feast for the eye and a treat for the mind. There are animations and comics from many cultures, from the American juggernauts of Disney, Warner Bros, DC and Marvel comics and others, to the incredible works of fantasy and sci fi from our beloved partners in Japan, to the gritty, artistic, and often overlooked mini-films and comics from Europe. There is a title for every personality, and a message for every age, including the patriotism of cold war era comics like Captain America, the heartbreaking Holecaust survival tale of Art Spiegelman's critically acclaimed MAUS and the A-bomb aftermath horror of Barefoot Gen, and the gritty rebellion of the 80s underground circuit of Tank Girl, right down to the present day's recent and incredible outpouring of emotion with The 9-11 Memorial Project. Artists have labored for years and years over creations of beauty, humor, emotion and power, and given works that both reflect signs of the times, and entertain in a way in which we can all relate.
But somehow, over the years, the American public has formed the conception that every work of animation is instantly a work for immature audiences, and is regarded with the same sort of respect as is given to children's breakfast cereal marketing. And even worse, adult enthusiasts of the works of animation and comics are viewed as development-stunted sociopaths or pathetic obsessed fanboys. They are denied the respect that is due to enthusiasts of works of art. Because that's what we are looking at. Art.
It is true that a good 80% of animation and comics (or some similar percentage) is aimed at the children's audience. But this was not always the case, and most certainly shouldn't be the rule. Back in the golden era of Bugs Bunny and his friends, the animated feature was a work of Burlesque. It poked fun at major political issues and popular entertainment figures, featured suggestive crossdressing jokes and racial stereotypes that would be both over the heads and innappropriate for the supposed "youth audience" of today. These works were intended to be viewed by a culture-savvy adult, and have even today been emulated in series like Animaniacs and Freakazoid. Still more mature, you have shows like the Simpsons, with the longest run and highest ratings for any prime time animated series, which has become a cultural phenomenon unto itself. And on the highest end of the maturity spectrum, you have South Park, quite simply the most foulmouthed, politically incorrect, and brilliantly ironic show ever to grace television.
But even so, using the argument of South Park could be countered by the fact that its sucess was due mainly because of its shock value. You'd have to be completely insane not to realize that it's for adults. Yet, the prejudice of requiring a gimmick like shock for a sucessful run has pigeonholed many an animated series into being poorly produced, advertised, and basically manipulated until falling into obscurity. I believe such was the case with Invader Zim, a rising cult favorite by comic artist Jhonen Vasquez. If anyone is familiar with Vasquez's previous work (Johnny The Homicidal Maniac), then they know that Vasquez is NOT working for the youth audience. Yet in order for an artist like him to be able to produce an animated series, he had to go to a children's network like Nickelodeon where animation was a key part of programming, and was forced to tone down his style of work in order to have it run on a children's network. From there, the abuses of the network and their continuing apprehension about the nature of Jhonen's work drove the show into its unfortunate cancellation. People like Jhonen are being forced to sacrifice their art for the sake of marketability, and it can be traced down to that same misconception that "animation is strictly for kids."
Related to this misconception is the disrespect that enthusiasts of animation and comics are recieving. For example, the grown person who buys a ticket for the latest Disney epic is given the same odd and condescending look as the one who buys the ticket for the NC-17 skinfest. Comic book readers are typecast as perverted, obsessive fanboys, hunched alone over computer screens, rabidly collecting the latest figure from Mc Farlanes to never even take it out of the box. They are looked upon as oucasts, nerds, freaks, deviants, and sexual misfits in a world where "reformed" drug pushers, child molesters and murderers become next week's motivational speakers. Simple hobbyists are as reviled as our worst criminals. And you never hear about this at the Amercian Civil Liberties Union.
The fact of the matter is, not every animation and comic fan is some sort of sideshow freak, or stereotyped geek. Some of us simply want to see just what Dreamworks can do with a good CGI program, find out what new hardware Batman's using to fight crime, or see what new philosophical braintwister anime has come from overseas. We humbly request that when you engage us in conversation that you do not treat us like some sort of disfunctional human. We can be just as intelligent, mature, and coherent as you can be. Perhaps even a little more .
I remember the day that I brought home a new anime DVD, and asked my dad to fix the DVD program on the computer so I could watch it. When it was repaired about five minutes later, my father commented as he left. "You know, it's like watching a heroin addict shoot up." Now, my reaction at the time would send the preconception that I was obviously an overwrought geek, ranting and raving to defend myself and make myself sound intelligent. But to be completely honest, who wouldn't be angry being compared to a drug abuser? Imagine a sports enthusiast being called a crackhead when he or she sits down to watch the alma mater give their rivals hell. Or a ballet enthusiast likened to an acid dropper when they buy the Barishnykov biography. It's not so humorous when you're the recipient of the abuse, and even moreso when your interest is legitimate. Well, just for clarification, animation and comic art IS a legitimate interest. But, you already knew that, of course.
Besides, I've forgiven him for that slip of the tongue already, and I'm not one to hold a grudge. I include it in the hopes that folks who read this will be a little more careful in choosing their words...
I think the quote that sums up my point most succinctly is one by Samuel L. Jackson in the film Unbreakable, who portrays a comic art gallery owner on the search for real heroes in our own world. When a man comes in looking to buy a rare cover art sketch for his four-year old child, Samuel L has this to say:
"Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a blank faced asian boy riding a coin operated machine outside?"
The store which his character runs is an ART gallery, and he is livid at the fact the man would associate any dealer of comics with a toy store. I can't help but share his displeasure. What we watch and what we read is art, and for the sake of the artform, we kindly request a little respect for that. And you have Samuel L.'s word on that.