The Onion: "Comics Not Just For Kids Anymore, Reports 85,000th Mainstream News Story"

"Comics Not Just For Kids Anymore, Reports 85,000th Mainstream News Story," The Onion, July 10, 2012

"Exchanging lighthearted fare for darker subject matter, films like The Dark Knight Rises and graphic novels by authors such as Chris Ware show that comics can have immense appeal for adults," read the groundbreaking article, making an astute and truly mind-blowing observation that had only been made 84,999 times before.

 A parody article that speaks truth.

NY Times: "Even at a Comics Event, You Can’t Defy Gravitas"

"Even at a Comics Event, You Can’t Defy Gravitas," by Michael Cieply, New York Times, July 13, 2012.

Just about then, something very loud began thumping through the floor. It seemed to be coming from the convention center’s Hall H, where Lionsgate was prepping for its presentation of “The Expendables 2,” a thought-free action film filled with mayhem, starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger

And, finally, it sounded like fun.

This entire article implicitly equates "comics" with "mindless, escapist fare that isn't worth thinking about in any way." The writer -- and he is not alone, to be sure -- seems unable to grasp the concept that, for some people, analysis can in fact be an act of appreciation and enjoyment.

It says something about the level of research and thought involved that the one thing that sums up what Comic-Con "really" should be about has nothing to do with comics. Bonus points for the visual-rhetorical flourish for illustrating an article primarily about comics scholarship with a photo of a Superman cosplayer.

(Photo credit: Denis Poroy/Invision, via Associated Press. Note: There's nothing wrong with the photo itself, and the costume is actually quite well done. It just doesn't serve any purpose with this article except as an attempt to trivialize the article's subject matter.)

"Zap! Pow! Bam! comic book exhibit hits Bonita Springs"

"Zap! Pow! Bam! comic book exhibit hits Bonita Springs," by Darryl A. Wells. NaplesNews.com, March 31, 2012.

"A Fable of the Holocaust"

"A Fable of the Holocaust," by Lawrence Langer. New York Times, November 3, 1991.

Art Spiegelman doesn't draw comics. It might be clever to say he draws tragics, but that would be inaccurate too. Like its predecessor, "Maus: A Survivor's Tale II. And Here My Troubles Began" is a serious form of pictorial literature, sustaining and even intensifying the power of the first volume. It resists defining labels.

"Free Comic Book Day: Today’s comics have broad appeal"

"Free Comic Book Day: Today’s comics have broad appeal," by Laurie Swenson. Bemidji Pioneer, May 4, 2012.

Comic books aren’t just for kids anymore. The fastest-growing group of fans are girls and women.

"Drawn Together - ‘Are You My Mother?’ by Alison Bechdel"

"Drawn Together - ‘Are You My Mother?’ by Alison Bechdel," by Katie Roiphe. New York Times Book Review, April 27, 2012.

If one is at first glance tempted to dismiss Alison Bechdel’s “Are You My Mother?” as a glorified comic strip, one would be wildly and woefully misguided: it is as complicated, brainy, inventive and satisfying as the finest prose memoirs.

"The Serious Comic Art Of Daniel Clowes"

 
"The Serious Comic Art Of Daniel Clowes," by Laura Sydell. Morning Edition, NPR, May 7, 2012.

Comics used to be seen as cheap throwaway entertainment for children and teenagers. But over the last few decades, comics have grown up; they're even released in longer formats, on nice paper with hard covers, as graphic novels.

About "Comics Aren't Just for Kids, Etc."

"Comics aren't just for kids." "Comics are more than just superheroes." "Girls and women read comics too." "Comics can be art." "Comics can be serious." "Pow! Zap! Wham!" "What's a 'graphic novel'?" "If it's good, it can't be a comic." Here's an archive of all these (and more) journalistic tics about comics that have long, long since outlived their usefulness.