Psychological Article: Baby Boomers Comic Books
Psychological Article by Boomeryearbook.com
It’s no secret that baby boomers have considered themselves, as a whole, as a force of social change. Often referred to as the “counter-culture”, baby boomers have long been associated with a rejection (supposedly) of the more traditional values of their parents. This realization and determination to redefine society took place, coincidently, within the same period that comic books were evolving from the restrictive confines of a decade of forced conservatism. Indeed, the turbulent sixties brought a number of societal challenges that had an effect on mass medium, baby boomers, and the nation as a whole.
In one sense, baby boomers do indeed justly deserve the banner of “rejecters of traditional values.” The sixties brought with it more war and a growing attention to racial (and to a lesser extent, gender) inequality. Whereas the parents of baby boomers generally took these issues in stride, baby boomers were coming of age and rejected the status quo. For boomers, war in and of it self, was not justifiable; racial and gender inequality was not right. These were the signs that perhaps something needed to be done, perhaps something needed to change.
Influencing these thoughts were the comic books that many baby boomers – now teenagers and young adults – were reading. The fifties were a troubling time for comics, as charges of promoting homosexuality and brutality forced comics to cave in on itself and produce a standard fare that was more suitable to the conservative palate that was prevalent. The winds of change, however, were stirring with this wholly American medium as well.
Just as the forties introduced the concept of superheroes as a focal point of hope for a better day, so too did the late fifties and early sixties revive this concept. This was the silver age of comics, and old characters such as the Flash and Green Lantern were reintroduced to a new audience, but bringing with it those same themes of hope and expectation. They would provide a focus of inspiration for young baby boomers that had not had the experience that their parents had with these characters. Inspiration, as we know, is the well spring of ideas and motivation for action and change – two points that baby boomers would embrace in coming years.
In conjunction with the reemergence of the superhero (and the idealism for truth and justice that they generally espouse), there was a new trend to also portray superheroes in a more realistic style. Comic pioneers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the world to the Fantastic Four and Spiderman. These characters, unlike previous portrayals of superheroes; had fears, identifiable problems (like trouble paying bills) and general, everyday issues. They maintained their model of inspiration, but had to work at it. For baby boomers, these new characters epitomized the spirit of American perseverance – much like older heroes had done for their parents.
The stage was now set for baby boomers, comics and a nation to come face to face with the need for change. For baby boomers, the ideas that they were encountering in comics (and certainly other mediums) began fermenting into a need for action. For comics, the canvas of creativity and purposeful story telling was emerging. For the country, these forces would combine to produce an upheaval that would eventually result in monumental changes to the social norms.
The Psychological Article How Comics and Baby Boomers Influenced the World: A Comparative Study (Pt:2)
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