Henry Jenkins is a media scholar who uses what interests him most- comic books, mass media, and trans-media narrative- to inform his opinion on where entertainment is headed, and in turn where our intellectual development is headed. In this interview he focuses largely on comic books. He discusses several points of concern for large comic producers like DC and Marvel, how more off-beat comic writers draw inspiration from the original comic book narratives, and conventions of the genre itself.
When asked what kind of influence comic books have had on his work, Jenkins replies by asserting that he was a fan before he was a scholar. This facet of his knowledge allows him a certain amount of authority over it- because comics have had a direct effect on him, and the phenomenon isn't just observed. One of DC and Marvel comics greatest issues actually is readers like Henry Jenkins, who've been reading the same stories for decades, and have gotten as accustomed to superheroes and their specific characteristics/ narratives as the creators themselves.
The issue becomes as such because in terms of characters like Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and other classics, their narratives have gone on so long that there is an inevitable point where the characters need to evolve drastically to allow for fresh developments. The is the task of "managing multiplicity." These long-term readers expect development; they expect to be engaged, but what they don't always appreciate is when these hyper-familiar characters are re-appropriated with new appearances, and in new worlds.
When this kind of character dislocation does happen, it's important that it's obvious. Jenkins uses examples in his interview of how some writers have successfully combined two comic book worlds, and made a fusion which serves to further explore a character. The Elseworlds series was designed specifically for readers who wish to embrace this type of fusion, and creates stories such as Superman's Metropolis in which Superman is a character seen through the lens of German expressionism. Other titles include Gotham by Gaslight, where Batman lives in a Victorian era with similar characteristics to the world of Sherlock Holmes, and Evil's Might, which "uses the Green Lantern to explore the Irish immigrant experience during the period depicted in The Gangs of New York."
Questions for the Class:
1. Do you think there's a certain level of fame/ status a fictional character has to achieve before they can start being reinterpreted in their own stories? If not, how do you think the audience rationalizes this, and could branching out too soon (for the sake of continuing the plot) possibly disengage the audience.
2. All of our groups for class have end-games, but if we were to continue would you consider using comic books as a medium to tell your story? Why or why not.
3. At the end of this essay, they discuss how Manga has become a trend in the comic book world that vastly surpasses US comics in sales. This is something I've also noticed, but never fully understood. Any ideas on why this may be?
4. A final provocative question from the text: "How do generations of creative teams struggle with maintaining interest in these characters over time, and respecting and acknowledging the long histories of these characters while adding their own creative direction?"
If you're interested in Jenkins, please watch
this video in which he speaks about the emergence of digital media, it's significance in the lives of young people, and how it's often misunderstood in the public school system.
