Tsalagi hellbilly

Tsalagi hellbilly

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Why I Love Comic Books

My passion for comic books began at a young age. I never outgrew them. Today, comic book-based movies are all the rage. Many people watch these movies without ever reading a comic book. Fantasy is still one of the best escapes. We all need to believe in heroes. To find within ourselves that superpower to make a difference in the world. Sadly, that for most of us remains only a dream.

Comic books provided that escape from my harsh reality. The world outside my window was cold and violent. I would lose the day reading comics and watching TV. In them, I felt safe. However, early on, I had no one to share that passion with. No friends and no one in my family had an interest. I would get excited about something I read or watched and run to mama to tell her. "Shut up, Bud, she would say, nobody cares about that stuff."

But the passion for comics and fantasy was undeniable. As I grew older and made friends with other like-minded kids, I realized I was not alone.   Now today, it is kinda cool to be a nerd.

Comic books can tell stories that would not work in another medium. However, I do tend to agree with a friend of mine. She says some people do not know how to read comics. Here is a quote she sent me: "I have felt that many people do not know how to read comics. They read the pages left to right, top to bottom like any other book.  But comics are visual storytelling. It is layered. You have the story in the words and the story in the art. They go hand and hand. If all you do is read the words, you are missing out on half the story. You need to study each frame and look at the details. Also, sometimes, you find Easter Eggs hidden there".

I can spend several minutes looking at one panel. Analyzing the colors, shading, expressions, and looking for hidden Easter Eggs. The writer and letterer can put clues and references hidden in the texts. I find myself getting lost in these books for hours at a time. I really love Poe's, The Raven, and it has played in the theater in my mind. But mostly plays the same. A well-written comic can play over and over and be different each time. I believe you should never outgrow your imagination. It is there to help see you through the day.

Comics are an escape and a drug. It can be addicting and intoxicating. I have heard many people say, "I can't live without comic books." I am one of those people. The books stimulate my senses and exercise my brain.

Friends come, and they go, but comics have endured true. 

Follow me @budkelly3 and I will follow back.

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