Comic Books as Modern Mythology
Comic Books as Modern Mythology

Summary/Abstract: This article deals with the issue of comic books as modern mythology, exposing some arguments that prove the importance of comic books for today’s Western (and in some aspects, global) imaginary world and mentality. This topic is difficult to tackle because of the difficulty in defining myth, since its present semantic load is negatively constructed, and because of the stereotypes regarding the academic evaluation of comic books. The arguments are picked from different disciplines (history, anthropology, cultural studies, linguistics or sociology) and aim different aspects of the relation between comic books and myth. The first is Arthur Asa Berger’s theory of the culture seen as an onion with multiple concentric layers that cover a nucleus provided by myth. The second argument deals with technical aspects, insisting on the visual definition of comic books, which makes them an ideal channel for myth dissemination. The third argument regards their economic, social, cultural and political relevance, seen as meta-textual implications. The fourth argument discusses the reinterpretation of classical ancient or modern myths comic books revisit. The final argument deals with the myths comic book created in the last century, some of them reaching global recognizance and influence. This article does not aim at giving a definitive interpretation but at stimulating debates and future contributions in the study of comic books, modern mythology and popular culture in general.

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