The opinions expressed in the Editor’s Rant! Are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily the opinions of the other members of the Original Comic Creator’s Club. Any questions or responses to this article please post in the club. Ok, ok I know everybody loves Garth (Ennis that is) but I felt I would use this space to show my disrespect not only to him but also to the current mindset running the comic book industry and what at least appears to be a majority of the older more entrenched fans of the medium.
Like a lot of people I picked up the first issue of the “Punisher” last February. Now while it can be said that I am not, and have never been, a fan of Garth’s work I still felt I should give the book a chance for my dollar and see if I would like it.
I do not want to go into the full details of why I did not enjoy the book but I do feel I can express them in a few short words. These words are: “Mindless, offset, lack of character and moral depravity”.
It seems to me that in these so-called “evolved” times we have become a people and a society who seek entertainment of the base and ignorant, violence orientated nature. And not just in comic books, we as a people are looking in our own asinine way for the pseudo intelligent, dark stories we mistake to be mature and adult. Many people when looking for what they perceive to be smart and cutting edge literature and entertainment look for works with bizarre and violent content. So in this gladiator mindset we take those whom will use the base and more malevolent means of media and place them high upon an uneducated false artistic pedestal.
Once countries and societies told their children tales of godly heroic proportions. Stories of honorable men and women over-coming the perilous odds of existence to achieve a greater good and nobility. In ancient Greece adults and children alike would sit long through the night beside outdoor fires and listen as the traveling artists and singers retold tales of normal men sailing the seas and facing impossible odds for life, liberty and love. Children of the post American Revolution as their parents tucked them in bed were told the stories of the great leaders and patriots who fought to free the land and people from the evil English Empire and create the last best hope of the experiment for a free nation. Children of the baby boom era sat in front of black and white televisions and watched Roy Rodgers and his white horse Trigger defeat the bad guys while still staying honest and heroic. Comic books themselves birthed many a young child’s eyes to the impressive picture of Captain America punching Adolph Hitler, who was one of the world’s most evil and satanic fascist rulers, right in the face before the beginning of the second great world war. They read adventures of super-heroes and soldiers who fought Nazis and would be tyrants in order to make the world safe for Democracy. Stan Lee gave Spiderman that unforgettable line “With great power comes great responsibility.” A phrase that in my opinion rivals Lord Acton's well know quote “Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Later while sitting once again in front of the television or reading the newspaper, children of all races heard Martian Luther King give his famous speech where he proclaimed “I have a dream.” And would recount this tale in their attempts of literature or maybe just to their children in order to help shape young minds in a more peaceful and intelligent way. But today as we sit here just before the dawn of a new millenium, we have to ask ourselves, where have all the great stories gone?
Since about the early seventies (with a few exceptions like Star Wars and Indiana Jones) our culture and entertainment has been filled with the form of the antihero. The character we are supposed to connect with is the one with the big guns killing everything in sight without regard for innocent life, and he never seems to encounter the consequences of his murderous act. Our new “heroes” seem to not have a problem with shooting first and asking questions later. They move in these tales without a code of honor or a cause that is not flat and superficial. Today we are supposed to root for the criminal and the terrorist. Our champion is a mercenary and his cause is his lust for money. Rambo, Dirty Harry and Van Damm are now the modern knights and the end always justifies the means when it comes to their plots and their motivations. These are the stories and the tales children are watching and learning their morals from. But where are they supposed to experience honor? How is the idea of noble sacrifice supposed to be birthed into their lives?
Courage and honor is not grafted into our genes. They are brought about by certain reactions to the experiences we face. It is hard for us to be able to reason out what is right and what is wrong when we sit in a spot of little experience. That is why those powerful tales of the man making that decision of what is the right thing to do even though the decision may not be the easiest for him, and his responsibilities of this action may be harsh. Where do children read or hear these concepts today, as they watch Pulp Fiction, or as the younger ones view Barney count to ten, or when the letter of the day is R? Myself I absorbed it as I watched Jedi Knights fight not because they liked it, and not because they sought revenge against their enemies, but because they had a responsibility to something more important than themselves, and a responsibility to help protect those whom were less fortunate or defenseless.
Ennis himself best describes our modern taste for entertainment in the little article he wrote on the last page of the Punisher #1. He tried to describe why he would not, and felt he should not, try to justify or give reasons to the Punisher’s mindset as he moves amongst the villainous underworld and ruthlessly murders the scum of the street. Garth justified himself with the reasoning and the argument of our search for entertainment. He said it did not need justification because we knew and understood it wasn’t real and that we were too busy laughing and having a great time. He talked about his audience saying things like “Hey that was cool!” or “Whoa!” and sitting, watching in dumbstruck silence.
In the end that is the total result of his “art form”. In the end he is successful with the short, easy and meaningless method of entertainment. And it seems very clear to me that he is totally aware of this and his role in the medium. It shows me he understands what motivates and excites him and holds few delusions of grandeur and thoughts of genius. But still many of his fans, and those who are fans of all that is now considered cutting edge and great dark works of violent material still often make the mistake that he and those like him are uncompromising realists and masters of pen and paper. They pick him up figuratively and place him high upon the altar of sadist and atheist pseudo intellectuality. And then they leave him there until they grow up or at least just forget about him entirely.
Why do so many of us do this? Why are we quick to judge acts of violence, scenes of rape and nudity, meaningless use of offensive language and black, dark humor as being smart and witty? The answer is because many people tend to conform to non-conformity. They want to see themselves as different and doing and seeing things that others are too ignorant and brain washed to see. To do this they find and jump on the bandwagon of what they perceive to be black and different. They seek out stories, tales and people who are violent, ungodly and ready to inflict death and blood. Then they immediately pat themselves on the back and brag in their subconscious of their superiority over those who are unable to grasp the sheer genius and wisdom of a well placed blood and guts panel in a black and white comic book. And laugh to themselves when others show little interest for this “art” and “radically new ideas” they have exposed themselves to.
Myself I find no entertainment in killing without consequences. I see little artistic talent in murderous rages. I learn little from some antihero who mows down everything in front of him with a gun the size of a cow. And I sense little honor in atheistic tales of intolerant fools. I am looking for a hero. I seek someone who fights for decency. I want substance instead of misunderstood mayhem. I think we as storytellers should be aware of the stories we tell, and what we hope to express in them. And we should always understand that these tales are litmus tests of ourselves. We are what we write, but are we what we want to be and should be?
Still Stupid:
Dwayne Ferguson