Lew Stringer wrote:I've never once felt that a comic strip was "real", - if indeed that was the aim of this thread. Perhaps Tolworthy could clarify as I'm still no wiser.
Sorry for not being clear!
dictionary.com wrote:
real
1. true; not merely [pretended]: the real reason for an act.
2. actual rather than imaginary: a story taken from real life.
3. having objective existence
And to clarify:
dictionary.com wrote:
true
1. being in accordance with the actual state or conditions
3. sincere; not deceitful: a true interest in someone's welfare.
5. being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something
8. of the right kind; such as it should be; proper
13. honest; honorable; upright.
The stories themselves are made up, but they can reflect the real world. This is particularly true as a child: a comic is often the first place we hear of some real world thing. It then becomes imprinted as the original standard.
For me, Whoopee reflected Britain. It was reliable, always there, and the stories reflected the whole range of experience (about legends, money, danger, growing up, invention, etc.)
For me, the Badtime Bedtime books reflected culture. Every story summarized the key points in a classic of literature, or reflected some dominant idea in the media or life.
For me, Cheeky Weekly reflected my own life. I looked like that, acted like that, lived in a world like that, etc. And the Tuesday attic page showed that comics have lasting value. Such comics are not temporary!
In short, some comics are the key to the real world, above and beyond simply raising a quick chuckle. That's what I mean by real.
