a shout-out to Barks in a Marvel comic

[Matilda]

Here's something y'all might not run across...

In the just-out first issue of "The Unstoppable Wasp," there is a column interviewing two female scientists who read comics (they promise this will be a continuing feature, and ask for nominations!). One of the two is Marina Chanidou, a PhD student in analytical chemistry in the UK. Her response to the questions "How long have you been reading comics? What was your first ever comic book?" is:

I started reading comics when I was around six. My first books were Asterix the Gaul and Lucky Luke. Then I read a lot of Disney comics--Carl Barks was a favorite creator. Finally, when I was 17, I went to an actual comic book shop. And picked up Medieval Lady Death! Sure, she was semi-naked, but she was a woman kicking WAK in a world that wanted her gone!

[The KKM]

>a woman kicking WAK

hee hee hee

[Pan Maciej]

Sound's like the way a lot of people in Europe started their adventure with comic books ^_^

[squeakyboots]

Jan 8, 2017 21:25:40 GMT The KKM said:

>a woman kicking WAK

hee hee hee

I love the swear filter on this forum.

[Matilda]

Jan 9, 2017 0:54:35 GMT Pan Maciej said:

Sound's like the way a lot of people in Europe started their adventure with comic books ^_^

That it does!

I wonder how many of the comics-reading women scientists they find will likewise be European? It's generally more socially acceptable in some parts of Europe for adults to read comics than it is here. Here we have the idea that comics are for (1) children or (2) under-socialized and immature men ("Comic Book Guy").

On the other hand, scientists are nerdy, and some nerdy types like comics in defiance of the social attitudes. And the fact that there are beginning to be lots more women-friendly comics here may gradually change the "Comic Book Guy" stereotype. I know it is easier to find comic book stores in the USA where I as a woman feel welcome and "at home".

[Orora]

Well, Disney comics are much more mainstream in Europe than in the US. Most of the comics I read as a kid were Disney Mouse/Duck comics, along the classic French-Belgian titles such as Tintin and the Smurfs.

[RobbK1]

Jan 9, 2017 7:58:29 GMT Orora said:

Well, Disney comics are much more mainstream in Europe than in the US. Most of the comics I read as a kid were Disney Mouse/Duck comics, along the classic French-Belgian titles such as Tintin and the Smurfs.

When I was young, ALL the boys I knew in Holland, and most of the girls read "Donald Duck" weekly and many of the other Disney special magazines.  But in Canada and USA that wasn't so (although a lot more did than do now.  But, many girls read no comics, others read Archie and when they got older, romance comics.  Lots of the boys read only superhero comics.In Holland, many of the boys also read Dutch, Belgian and French comics, as well.  Lots of adults in The Netherlands read "Donald Duck" even now.  When they see me drawing my stories on the trains, they always ask me to draw them a drawing.  The same happens  in Scandinavia and Germany.  I doubt that that would happen to me in USA.  It doesn't happen to me in France, Spain or Belgium.  But probably would in Italy (if I would ever go there).  It CERTAINLY would happen in Finland, where "Donald Duck" ("Akku Anka") always gets thousands of votes in their top political elections.  They are more crazy over Barks, Rosa and Disney Comics there, than ANYplace!

[Pan Maciej]

Jan 9, 2017 1:51:52 GMT Matilda said:

That it does!

I wonder how many of the comics-reading women scientists they find will likewise be European? It's generally more socially acceptable in some parts of Europe for adults to read comics than it is here. Here we have the idea that comics are for (1) children or (2) under-socialized and immature men ("Comic Book Guy").

On the other hand, scientists are nerdy, and some nerdy types like comics in defiance of the social attitudes. And the fact that there are beginning to be lots more women-friendly comics here may gradually change the "Comic Book Guy" stereotype. I know it is easier to find comic book stores in the USA where I as a woman feel welcome and "at home". 

I have some friends running a comic book store (The biggest one in Warsaw! ) were as you can Imagine I often hang-out (In fact I had a lecture about history of Scrooge McDuck last summer, in memory of Alan Young) but that's another story) and honeslty it's rare to see some kids under 14-15. Maybe one per hour or two, while most of the crowd are people 20 + and the manga section, could be very well re-named "Female section" as 80% people in that room are women.

...but to be fair, sadly the general asumption among people in Poland is still "Comic books are things for children only" (Thank you dacades of communism where we were told "Comics" are "evil capitalisitc invention" - yhe, I wish this part was a joke) Which I find ironic seeing how many people who have the asumption that comic books are "stupid' (and will "mock us") will go watch the new Marvel/Batman fight Superman movie anny way and somehow enjoy THAT stuff but would never dare to take a Iron-man comic into their hands.

...And on other hand in Academy of Fine Arts we actually had lectures about history of comic book and many people like Alan Moore or Art Spiegelman are well known and "Graphic novels" are conisder an art form by the "Artsy" crowd, so who know how that will evolve...

Plus hey, times are cahnging. Even Mr. Comic Book Guy from The Simspons now got a cute wife few seasons ago, who is as big comic book geek as him

[Minotaur]

Jan 9, 2017 1:51:52 GMT Matilda said:

On the other hand, scientists are nerdy, and some nerdy types like comics in defiance of the social attitudes. 

I... I know you meant to be sarcastic but I still can't help but feel a bit bitter for this. I can see American teenagers may not appreciate science that much (But why? As the most technologically advanced country in the world, who provides the best environment for scientific research since WW2?), but it may not be the case in other parts of the world. It's certainly not the case in my country, and I doubt whether it is for other Confucian cultural countries or India. 

It's interesting to note that on the kickstarter page of "The Scrooge Mystery" project, they listed 12 people to be interviewed, and 3 of them are professors! Plus one with a PhD degree. That's a lot considering how many professors are there on this planet. 

[Matilda]

Jun 2, 2017 13:11:43 GMT Minotaur said:

Jan 9, 2017 1:51:52 GMT Matilda said:

On the other hand, scientists are nerdy, and some nerdy types like comics in defiance of the social attitudes. 

I... I know you meant to be sarcastic but I still can't help but feel a bit bitter for this. I can see American teenagers may not appreciate science that much (But why? As the most technologically advanced country in the world, who provides the best environment for scientific research since WW2?), but it may not be the case in other parts of the world. It's certainly not the case in my country, and I doubt whether it is for other Confucian cultural countries or India. 

It's interesting to note that on the kickstarter page of "The Scrooge Mystery" project, they listed 12 people to be interviewed, and 3 of them are professors! Plus one with a PhD degree. That's a lot considering how many professors are there on this planet. 

No, no, I wasn't being sarcastic! I like nerdy types. I'm big on science, though I'm not a scientist. I admire the fact that some nerdy types defy American social attitudes by liking comics...as I do. I just meant that it's possible that in this country it might be easier to find adult comics readers among scientists as opposed to other fields, because of their nerdiness score. I have no data to go on, of course. No idea how the reading of comic books by adults breaks down by occupation/interest in the USA.

Also: GeoX has a PhD. I have a PhD. That's a pretty good percentage too, in the small group of "Americans who write frequesntly online about Disney comics." :-)

[Monkey_Feyerabend]

Jan 9, 2017 1:51:52 GMT Matilda said:

Jan 9, 2017 0:54:35 GMT Pan Maciej said:

Sound's like the way a lot of people in Europe started their adventure with comic books ^_^

That it does!

I wonder how many of the comics-reading women scientists they find will likewise be European? It's generally more socially acceptable in some parts of Europe for adults to read comics than it is here. Here we have the idea that comics are for (1) children or (2) under-socialized and immature men ("Comic Book Guy").

On the other hand, scientists are nerdy, and some nerdy types like comics in defiance of the social attitudes. And the fact that there are beginning to be lots more women-friendly comics here may gradually change the "Comic Book Guy" stereotype. I know it is easier to find comic book stores in the USA where I as a woman feel welcome and "at home".

In most of Western Europe Disney comics are strongly part of the basic culture. I have never met a person in Italy who has not read Topolino, at least when he was a kid. You can find someone that says "I didn't like it, so I read other comics". But everyone has tried Disney comics at least once. It is inevitable. Those comics are physically around you. One day or another you pick them and have a look. The first and only time that I realized that I was talking to someone who only knew "uncle scrooge" for his appearance in Mickey's Xmas carol, a couple of years ago, I was talking to an Iranian colleague. 

Unfortunately, the mainstream idea - at least among people who are not comics readers -is that Disney comics are only for kids. Whereas, as you know, they are for all ages --- well, at least the good ones.   The Disney company pushing the licensed editors to have a "5-7 years old target" is not helping from this perspective (the Italians are out of that paradigm now that they are under the direction of Valentina De Poli, and particularly since the license passed from Disney itself to the editor Panini...the other European publishers should start to take example before it is too late, but this only my very limited opinion).

As concerns comics in general, well, the situation is the exact opposite of "the under-socialized and immature men" interpretation. In Europe nowadays reading comics is mostly perceived like reading books or watching a movie. A normal recreational or cultural activity, like any other. You can read WAK or you can read very high stuff, but that depends on you. Actually, sometimes I feel that there is also an opposite exaggeration: showing to read comics (especially in France, but more and more even in Italy) is sometimes considered a very intellectualized posture. You can look very "intellectual" when reading (certain) comics. 

Umberto Eco, one of the first intellectuals who advocated the cultural relevance of comics in the 60's, once said:
"when I need to relax I read Hegel. When I want something complicated I read Corto Maltese."

(Corto Maltese by Hugo Pratt is one of the most influential comics series of all times. I am precising that for I know that Pratt is well-known everywhere on earth except for the US)

Of course, we don't have only superhero comics here. And honestly, if I talk to a guy who only reads Marvel or DC stuff, well, with all the due respect, I myself think a bit of him as a "Comic Book Guy". But that is a stereotype that we assimilate from the US (by your movies, your tv-series, etc...).

As regards scientists, I would say - as a scientist myself - that in Europe they are not considered more "potentially nerdy" than other working categories. Except maybe in movies, once again because of the US cultural influence. 

OT: I have a PhD too! Hoooraaay for those who find confort from their academic failures in Barks comics!

[Monkey_Feyerabend]

Jan 9, 2017 9:08:18 GMT RobbK1 said:

Jan 9, 2017 7:58:29 GMT Orora said:

Well, Disney comics are much more mainstream in Europe than in the US. Most of the comics I read as a kid were Disney Mouse/Duck comics, along the classic French-Belgian titles such as Tintin and the Smurfs.

 When they see me drawing my stories on the trains, they always ask me to draw them a drawing.  The same happens  in Scandinavia and Germany.  I doubt that that would happen to me in USA.  It doesn't happen to me in France, Spain or Belgium.  But probably would in Italy (if I would ever go there). 

Yes, definitely. Or at least someone would ask you if you have ever met Giorgio Cavazzano in person.  

[RobbK1]

The first generation of North American Duck fans to contact Carl Barks, in the 1960s, had ALL graduated from 4-year undergraduate university, and had gone to graduate Schools and had gotten graduate degrees (Myself, Don Ault, Bill Spicer, Kim Weston, Mike Barrier, another, whose name started with letter "A" (whose name I forget, but knew for 50 years), like Ault, had been a professor at The University of California at Berkely. NONE were normal non, graduate school graduates. I think that is NOT a coincidence. Almost every North American Barks or Gottfredson fan I met during the 1950s and '60s was a high academic achiever, and seemed highly intelligent. In The Netherlands, on the other hand, Barks and Gottfredson and, indeed, all Disney Comics fans ran the entire gamut of levels of education. But, all seemed to display above average intelligence. A lot more so-called "low brows" in North America, were reading superhero comics.

[Minotaur]

Jun 2, 2017 15:16:02 GMT Matilda said:

No, no, I wasn't being sarcastic! I like nerdy types. I'm big on science, though I'm not a scientist. I admire the fact that some nerdy types defy American social attitudes by liking comics...as I do. I just meant that it's possible that in this country it might be easier to find adult comics readers among scientists as opposed to other fields, because of their nerdiness score. I have no data to go on, of course. No idea how the reading of comic books by adults breaks down by occupation/interest in the USA.

Also: GeoX has a PhD. I have a PhD. That's a pretty good percentage too, in the small group of "Americans who write frequesntly online about Disney comics." :-)

Ah, sorry, I might misunderstand what you said. I thought it was "in defiance of the social attitudes [towards them]", now it's clear that you meant "the social attitudes [towards comics]", my bad. 

People around me also think Duck/Mouse comics are kind of "immature", but the impression is from Disney rather than comics. Weird enough though, a lot of people go to watch Disney animation movie each year. 

[Minotaur]

Jun 3, 2017 9:30:16 GMT Monkey_Feyerabend said:

Hoooraaay for those who find confort from their academic failures in Barks comics!

Hey, I like this idea! Experiment results can be QUITE frustrating...