"mainstream"

[The Game]

I was wondering why the regular Batman DC comics are referred to as "mainstream", when they are really the opposite.

Mainstream is something that is part of pop culture, part of sociotey, very common and popular. Movies and television fall under this much more than comic books, so why are the comics entitled "mainstream" rather than the Batman films and TV shows?

Just wondering :)

[Bird Boy]

I think "mainstream" is a series that has been going on for a LONG time (Batman reaches #600 next month). I don't think the animated titles are considered mainstream, as they don't always hang around. They usually die out before #100...

-BB

[The Game]

So mainstream deals with the regular comics as opposed to animated comics? :confused:

[Clayface]

Yeah, in this case, mainstream refers to what's "mainstream" in the comic world. The regular comics are the long-standing, established "mainstream" world of Batman. The animated comics came along later.

[Heehaw]

main·stream (mnstrm)
n.
The prevailing current of thought, influence, or activity

adj.
Representing the prevalent attitudes, values, and practices of a society or group

Basically, a mainstream comic is one that is common. Basically, anything published by the big comic companies would fall into that category. All of the major superhero titles, even the Animated titles would fall into it. It's a "safe", commercial title, and it is the equivalent of a big budget Hollywood blockbuster(though there are always exceptions).

A non-mainstream one would be something left(or right) of center. A small, independent title would fit into that category. It will probably be less commercial and not fall into that "safe" category. It's the equivalent of an independent film in the movie world. DC's Vertigo titles might fall into this category, as well, though I'm not really sure how those are viewed in the comic book world.

[Clayface]

Well, that's partially correct. But there's divisions even among the comics published by the big companies like DC. For example, the non-animated style Batman comics are always referred to in the comics community as the "mainstream" Batman comics, while the animated titles are referred to as non-mainstream. In this case, the non-animated style comics represent the "prevailing current of thought, influence, or activity" in the Batman comic world because they've been around the longest and are the most established.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

I also suspect that the answer you get will depend on who you ask. My loose personal definition of a "mainstream" comic is one that I could show to my mother without getting in trouble (well, could show to my mother -- I'm 31 now, and I don't think she'd get all that upset about a breast in a comic book now).

Of course, that would put Paul Chadwick's Concrete in the "mainstream" category, which I wouldn't. It would also remove most of the Aliens and Predator comics for violence reasons, while I'd plant those purely in the mainstream category as well.

I can't think of any spandex titles that wouldn't fall in the "mainstream" category at the moment, but perhaps one will come to me later.

-- Ed/Ace