Versatility of the Comic Strip: Part 1 - Content

This post is the first in a series about the versatility of the comic strip as a medium. I will begin by focusing on the variety in content of comics and go on to explore traits which make them appealing to children and powerful for all ages. The series will conclude with a study of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes and how it is effectively versatile in its appeal, content, and format.

Because of the medium’s brevity, image-based storytelling, and its traditionally non-explicit content, the newspaper comic strip appeals greatly to children, but it is not, by any means, strictly children’s media.

Content

Comics do many different things, some tell jokes, some tell stories, and some push a point, the best do some combination of the three.

Comics like Jim Davis’ Garfield are primarily humor-based and appeal most to children because of the abundance of easy-to-understand jokes.

Other strips, like Scott Adams’ Dilbert, are still humor-based, but pull from shared experiences unique to adult life,and cannot be so easily enjoyed by all ages.

While the appeal is narrower than with Garfield’s simple humor, it can be more enjoyable to its specific audience because of its relatability.

Also humor-based, Bruce Tinsley’s Mallard Fillmore is a critique of current events.

The jokes in comics such as these lose meaning to those who are not familiar with the current news, but can speak to those who feel the same way.

Several comic strips tell an ongoing story with hints of humor throughout, such as Greg Evans’ Luann.

Comic strips like these lose meaning when taken out of context, but can be more meaningful for readers who are familiar with the ongoing story and the strips still offer some humor to those who do not follow along.

Finally, while there are few featured in today’s newspapers, some comic strips focus completely on the story and leave out humor altogether, such as Dal Curtis’ Rex Morgan.

Comics like these are sometimes even referred to as “soap-opera comics.” These do not appeal much to children because of the long-form storytelling.

Comics are by no means restricted to the simple humor with which they are often associated; there is large possibility for variety in their content, which paves the way for this content to be toyed with as the creator sees fit.