Willow Glen Resident

Cover Story

Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Torrence Philips is completely engrossed in an X-Men comic while hanging out at Hijinx, a comic book shop in Willow Glen. Phillips is a regular at the shop on Wednesdays, when the new comics are released.

Ka-Pow!

Comic book industry surges ahead with a new fan base

By Emilie Crofton

Even superheroes can have their downfalls.

In The Death of Superman, the hero lies dead, defeated by Doomsday and Superman's greatest weakness, kryptonite.

But, fear not, comic book fans, the hero returns in future storylines.

Just like Superman, the comic book industry has had its ups and downs, including a collapse and then resurgence. But just the way sunlight regenerated Superman, a number of key events in the universe revived the comic industry. Most notable, the popularity in the U.S. of Japanese anime, such big-screen blockbuster hits as X Men, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man-- thanks to the advancements in special effects--and the acceptance of comics in the literary world.

All these changes have led to an explosion in the comics industry since the late 1990s, according to longtime comic book shop owners Alan Bahr and Dan Shahin, and such comic book artists as Gene Yang.

Bahr, who has owned Heroes in Campbell since 1995, and Shahin, the owner of Willow Glen's Hijinx Comics, say they are getting a broader customer base.

Hijinx Comics is celebrating 25 years in business. Shahin has focused predominately on comic book sales and graphic novels and has recently added a children's section to his store. Heroes, open since 1985, has a sizable comic book collection along with toys, cards and memorabilia.

Bahr says that over the years comic books have changed with society.

Yang is a perfect example of that change.

His comic book American Born Chinese is the first graphic novel to be nominated for the National Book Award in 2007 and the first graphic novel to win the 2007 American Library Association's Printz Award.

Holy collapse, Batman

Comic books first became popular in the 1930s, but as television found its way into every household, comic books lost their luster, even going underground in the 1960s when noted psychiatrist Frederic Wertham in 1954 blamed the industry for juvenile delinquency.

In the early 1990s comic books re-emerged. People began buying comic books as an investment and the craze took hold.

"Everyone and their mom were publishing comics," Yang says.

Then it all came crashing down. Investors had manipulated the market, and people were too caught up in buying. Companies were over-publishing, and the quality of the comic books decreased dramatically.

"People finally realized they would never actually make any money off of it, and the industry just collapsed," Bahr says. "It's a classic example of market manipulation."

Big time comic publishing company Marvel declared bankruptcy in 1996, which triggered the demise of numerous small comic stores across the nation.

The future of the industry looked grim; there was no superhero to save the industry from doom. Or was there?

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the comic book industry began to regenerate. No one reason can be given to explain the new industry boom, yet it took hold and has continued into the 21st century.

"I can't say exactly why it works today, but it does, and it works for a lot of different people," Bahr says.

Shahin, Bahr and Yang offered different insights and opinions.

Shahin, who grew up reading Spider-Man, says movies such as Spider-Man and X-Men were catalysts for the current comic craze. Better special effects and technologies made the films more adaptable and realistic.

Bahr mentions Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics, which publishes stories aimed at more mature audiences, ages 16 and up, as helping to revive the industry. Imprint stories include fantasy, mythology, horror and Gothic themes. The line helped to bring in a new fan base into the comic industry, including women, science-fiction lovers and video gamers.

After Vertigo's success, companies built on what the imprint accomplished, Bahr says. Publishers began refocusing on quality stories and illustrations.

Yang attributes the boom partly to the influence of manga, or Japanese comics, and anime. Yang says manga brought the next generation into the industry and the industry into mainstream.

Bahr, Shahin and Yang all agree that as the comic book industry became more sophisticated, it earned a place in the world of academia.

Heroes to the rescue

Even though superheroes and common themes of good versus evil are perennial favorites, a number of new thematic elements, styles and subjects now grace the pages.

"Comic books today can deal with coming of age, sexuality, religion, politics and family dynamics," Shahin says. "Anyone who walks into a comic store today can find something they like."

There are many different genres, such as historical fiction, nonfiction, romance, action, adventure, horror and science fiction.

Bahr points out, "Comics have changed in reaction to how society has changed."

Shahin talks about the popular graphic novel Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi, and the film version that was awarded the 2007 Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival. The female protagonist deals with coming of age, politics and religion in a post-revolution Iran.

Yang says that when the subject matter is broader, it reaches out to a wider audience. Today that wider audience includes librarians and professional educators.

"Before many librarians and educators were against comics because they saw it as a major detriment to reading," Yang says. "However, they soon realized its constructive and beneficial use."

Today comic books have become an important part of the educational system. Comic books can be found in kindergarten through college as part of the curriculum.

"Today librarians use comics as gateways toward other readings," Yang says. "You can find whole sections of comics in your local library."

Bahr says he has had a number of teachers come in, telling him how they use comics in their classrooms to help children enjoy reading.

"People who say comics aren't literature are ignorant of the breadth of material available," Shahin says.

With comics' growing sophistication, Shahin says they are now recognized as a unique art form. Some, according to Shahin, consider it the "ninth art," one of the few art forms coming out of the United States.

"It's not just about the content. It's the power of the synthesis of words and pictures combined. The story is in the design," Shahin says. "It's different than any other art form."

Leaps into mainstream

A number of comic books and graphic novels have even achieved high literary honors.

Maus, a memoir and graphic novel by Art Spiegelman, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. The memoir recounts the experience of Spiegelman's father during the Holocaust.

Yang's award-winning American Born Chinese deals with the minority experience and discovering one's ethnic and cultural identity. Although it is fiction, Yang says bits and pieces are based on his own life.

In 2007 Time Magazine had Alison Bechdel's "Fun Home," a graphic novel, as No 1 on its Top 10 Best Books list.

From small print to the big screen, one of the most significant influences for the industry has been its leap into movies. Although comic book adaptations have constantly found their way on to the big screen, Bahr says advances in special effects have created a lot more buzz. No more "Bang" and "Ka-Pow" flashing on the screen during the action scenes.

According to Bahr, such movies as Spider-Man, X-Men and The Fantastic Four, have not only helped bring visibility to the comic characters but have brought a new generation into the industry.

Although the men still prefer turning the pages of a good comic to the movies, they agree that features such as 300, Sin City, Ghost World and American Splendor were faithful adaptations.

As for those who favor booting up their computers versus giving the enemy the boot, Bahr says, "My best advice is to buy a comic book, read it and enjoy it."

Gene Yang will speak at the Campbell Public Library, 77 Harrison Ave. on Aug. 4 at 11 a.m.

Hijinx Comics is located at 2050 Lincoln Ave. For more information, call 408.266.1103 or visit www.hijinxcomics.com.

Heroes is located at 24 E. Campbell Ave. For more information, call 408.378.3667 or visit www.heroes comicbooks.com.