Fleen: The Awkward Christmas Dinner Of Our Obligation To Existence » There’s A Reason Why There Are More Comics About Video Games Than Politics

There’s A Reason Why There Are More Comics About Video Games Than Politics

Political comics are a dangerous place to make a stand. In general, I feel that political commentary in comics isolates people who both agree and disagree with you and then runs the risk of not making a sticking point or being uninformed. It feels too much like grandstanding and its’ rarely funny.

Monkey Law is a fairly old (as far as online comics go), fairly unknown comic about monkeys and the lives they lead living together under the fascist regime of the U.S. White House. The comic has clearly defined character concepts, archetypical heroes, stoners, little girls and hipster girls. There is a continuation in all the storylines that is predictable and relatively well scheduled. Without handing out adjectives like a Pez dispenser, I can say that Monkey Law is a good comic. This is a good liberal comic. It takes everyday political woes out of the op-ed section of the newspaper and puts it into the everyday lives of a household of monkeys who represent the basic framework of the every-man.

There is no doubt that the creator of Monkey Law, Brad Hawkins, is smart. His brain is integral to the play out of his comic. I’m concerned about his political commentary though. More than one storyline is a rehashing of something I read on Google news or in someone’s Livejournal. Very little of the actual political commentary is a unique perspective when it should be a microcosm of the whole U.S. political problem in the living room of his monkeys. At its most generic it resorts to Bush-bashing, a sport I am not unfamiliar with, and at its worst I’m not even sure what issue he’s trying to stick. Sometimes it feels like he doesn’t know either. During Hawkins’ most shining moments though, I know he gets it. I’m just not sure why it feels so muddy in the interim.

Are you shitting me? I can understand if this particular comic isn’t your cup of tea, or if you’re not a fan of political comics in general. But to suggest that comics is a poor medium in which to express political thought is simply ridiculous.

You know what, I shouldn’t be so quick here, you may be right. Perhaps it is fine to say that we should not discuss the fundamental workings of society in comics, it is obviously a terrible medium for anything beyond fart jokes and we should never expect it to be more than that.

Fleen Loves Comics!

I think it is a wonderful medium to discuss politics, I do however, think it is a dangerous one. Rehashing of general stereotypes is why we have so many misconceptions of why Democrats hate Republicans and vice versa. It’s easy to break it down into jokes. It’s very hard to give honest, informed opinions that offer perspective. More often than not you’re only making people who already agree with you snicker a little. It’s more appealing and a lot harder to make someone who doesn’t agree with you do the same.

You know what, I shouldnâ€™t be so quick here, you may be right. Perhaps it is fine to say that we should not discuss the fundamental workings of society in comics, it is obviously a terrible medium for anything beyond fart jokes and we should never expect it to be more than that.

Well hell, I put in a whole week of dildo jokes just in case! What more do you people want??

Sommer, go and read the entirety of Pogo, Doonesbury and Bloom County and then come back and tell me the same thing.

I don’t think Sommer is saying that comics are incapable of being both political and well-done, just that it is very difficult to do so without being trite or overbearing. Pogo, Bloom County, and Doonesbury are three shining examples, but there are also multitudes of political comics along the lines of “LOL BUSH IS DUMB”

Ben, if the argument is that sometimes there are good political cartoons and sometimes there are bad political cartoons, well, then I guess there’s no argument here. But I don’t think that’s what’s being said. You could easily say that about comics in general, why muddy it up by getting specific about political commentary?

Jon- I get specific about political comics because in college I’m studying English and Political Science so I can write for politicians. I usually get caught up in such specifics only because I enjoy doing so and it feels very important to me.

I think that political comics have a very real capacity to make people think outside their realm of comfort and I absolutely love that.

I dunno, her argument seems reasonably clear to me. Political comics are harder to do well than other types of comics – because politics is a complicated and “sensitive” subject. And BECAUSE they are harder to do well, a political comic artist/author/auteur should approch them with care and caution.

As well, because they are harder to do well, it’s easier to see when they are done wrong.

One of the reasons why Pogo, Doonesbury and Bloom County are *so* great is BECAUSE they do politics well.

Or are you trying to argue that anybody could write Bloom County, Jon?

And BECAUSE they are harder to do well, a political comic artist/author/auteur should approch them with care and caution.

I agree, but I hope you’re not suggesting that we shouldn’t try.

Poiltics a ‘sensitive and complicated’ subject? I’d have to question that ideal…

What I find fascinating about politics is how ridiculous it all is. Whether conservative or liberal – fascist or green, it doesn’t seem to matter. It’s all a mish-mash of intellectual jibba-jabba being tossed about from one side to another – and in most cases, plays out like a badly constructed game of dodge ball – with those so-called-hot-button topics as the ball!

However, the ironic thing about politics – the truly intriguing aspect of poilitics to me, is how important it is to each and everyone of us. How closely and distinguished we hold our own personal political philosophies!

And it’s when we put our own political ideals into one collective forum, and label it as: ‘Politics’ – then, it all becomes so silly and bizarre. Who is right? Which concept is better? Which side has the best arguement? Who does what with their spare time?
And, thus the ridiculous game of ‘political dodge ball’ begins.

So, that being said, here’s my arguement: perhaps it’s NOT up to the political comics/cartoons to be more sensitive and careful – but up to HOW sensitive and serious the reader perceives the commentary made by them.

Which is why I like Monkey Law, he uses a ridculous concept to discuss an already ridculous concept. How fitting.

Or are you trying to argue that anybody could write Bloom County, Jon?

Of course not. But I would hate to discourage anyone from trying. Just because something is tough to do well doesn’t mean it should be avoided.

I’m arguing that one should make sure that one can do fart jokes well first before trying the harder task of writing a political webcomic.

And I think that’s what Sommer was doing, too.

Sorry, but there are just way too many counterexamples to your thesis: Thomas Nast, Doonesbury, Pogo, Oliphant, Tom Toles, Mark Fiore, etc, etc, etc, including Monkey Law. Political cartooning is one of the first cartooning there was, and it will be around for a long, long, time because when done well it instantly, perceptively, and memorably captures the kernel of the truth.
—
VOTE VITO:Line Item Vito

While I’m all for giving Monkey Law linkage (I’m a longtime fan of the comic) this post is one of the first times I’ve read FLEEN and gone “wha? huh…”

Iâ€™m arguing that one should make sure that one can do fart jokes well first before trying the harder task of writing a political webcomic.

Uh no Jeff. The two may or may not have anything in common. And to do either well is not easy.

Jon- I get specific about political comics because in college Iâ€™m studying English and Political Science so I can write for politicians. I usually get caught up in such specifics only because I enjoy doing so and it feels very important to me.

I’m not sure how much political science actually has to do with politics having had my fair share of both at this point in my life – just warning you! :0

Okay it’s true that anything that expresses an opinion on topics of the day can make some people agree with it and others disagree with it. I’ll give you that (although that’s a feature not a bug). But political comics are “rarely funny”? Maybe if you’re limiting it to the sad sack one panel affairs on the editorial pages, but there is a great tradition of opinionated comics in this country from the Yellow Kid to Pogo to Doonesbury to Bloom County to hell, even The Boondocks (at least the first couple years of it). And I’m not even listing stuff from the underground and alternative scenes.

Political comics are often funny and at their best able to transcend the topicality of its times. If you want examples of webcomics in this tradition pick up Attitude 3 – most of those profiled have a major – if not exclusive – web presence.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

There’s A Reason Why There Are More Comics About Video Games Than Politics

Contact Us

Archives

Search

A Good Start