Baby Boomers Comics and Culture Changing the World

Psychological Articles by Boomeryearbook.com

The sixties offered both comics and baby boomers a time of growth through adversity. For both parties, the previous decade had been one in which growth beyond the constraints of a conservative social standard was discouraged. Now, as the first signs of defiance to accepted norms began to take place, a clash was inevitable. Change, in general, does not come easy and this would certainly be the case for America. Nevertheless, as vehicles of transformation, and comic books were ideally positioned to bring this about.

Comics would play a significant role with young baby boomers, especially those that were beginning college by the mid-sixties. College campuses around the country were becoming a hot bed for social unrest. Baby boomers were not happy and the ideas that were at the point of their dissatisfaction could find a purchase in the comics that many of them were reading.

Many comics, especially those that were the product of the creative duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, had brought a vein of realism to the superhero genre. Lee and Kirby, having laid the foundation for this new brand of hero with Spiderman and the Fantastic Four, now set out to incorporate social issues in their stories. There was no better social issue that was brimming to be broached than that of racial inequality. America, during this time, was dealing with the pains of racial strife, and the civil rights movement was striving to gain momentum.

Yet many white baby boomers were as yet untouched and unaware of the growing discontent by their neighbors of color or of their plight. And then Lee and Kirby introduced the X-Men to the world. The X-Men were a group of young mutants, children born with super powers that set them apart from normal people. They had the same dreams and aspirations as any one else, but because they were born with powers (i.e. they were different) they were shunned, marginalized and hated by the majority of people. The racial overtones were obvious. More importantly, the injustice of such bigotry was made abundantly clear and young white baby boomers understood the message.

As these themes continue to play out in the comic medium, baby boomers took heart and took action. As the civil rights movement grew and became a force, both black and white baby boomers were joined together in a common cause of justice. In conjunction with the anti war movement as the Vietnam War progressed, baby boomers rejection and staunch opposition of their parents social and political policies forced – albeit slowly and painfully – change. By the end of the decade, significant strides had been made in civil rights – both in legislation and in the minds of the public of what was acceptable. By the end of the decade, a military pull out of Vietnam was inevitable.

Baby boomers had proven that they, as a generation, were a social force to be reckoned with. Their ideas were influenced by the comics they read and the convictions in their hearts. Baby boomers understood that it was their determination for change that had brought about the social transformation that they were witnessing. As a new decade ushered in, baby boomers and comics would assert their new found dominance in American culture.

The Psychological Article on How Comics and Baby Boomers Influenced the World: A Comparative Study (Pt:3) is part of Boomer Yearbook’s continuing series of fun articles to alleviate elderly problems and keep our hearts and brains young. We believe knowledge is power. We’d love to hear what you think.

Boomer Yearbook is a Social Network and Psychological Articles for Baby Boomers. Connect with old and new friends, or expand your mind and ward off senior moments and elderly problems with dream analysis and online optical illusions and brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join other Baby Boomers to stay informed, receive weekly Newsfeeds, and let your opinions be heard. Baby boomers changed the world. We’re not done yet!

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)
is part of Boomer Yearbook’s continuing series of fun articles to alleviate elderly problems and keep our hearts and brains young. We believe knowledge is power. We’d love to hear what you think.

Boomer Yearbook is a Social Network and Psychological Articles for Baby Boomers. Connect with old and new friends, or expand your mind and ward off senior moments and elderly problems with dream analysis and online optical illusions and brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join other Baby Boomers to stay informed, receive weekly Newsfeeds, and let your opinions be heard. Baby boomers changed the world. We’re not done yet!