If you were an animal, what would you be?
The answer to this question, a staple of all kinds of ‘gettin’ ta know ya’ questionaires, speed-dating topics, even job applications might be one of the oldest, and most visceral methods of human evaluation and judgement ever devised.
From the middle ages, and probably before, men have studied animal characteristics and behavior to help them understand their fellow man. The zoomorphic method of physiognomy was one of the first and most popular methods which people used in order to discern the motivations and personalities of the people around them. Until Freud came along (and no doubt, after) people used “animal resemblance” as a way of quickly sizing up and categorizing their fellow men.
Using a simplified kind of logic this method would note the physical features of people, and compare them with those of animals which share those features. For example, a man with a thick nose and large eyes was said to be slow and lazy like a cow. Someone with a narrow, pointy face was said to be sneaky and treacherous as a rat. This philosophy crossed many cultures, and examples of this way of thinking about human character traits being reflected in physical features, and the relation that they bore to certain animals can be found in ancient Greek and Roman literature as well as that of Persia, Africa, China and Japan.
In one of my previous blogs, I talked about the link between superhero comics and
ancient myths and allegories which were often told in order to illustrate a moral lesson. Peoples from all parts of the world claim stories featuring creatures which were half man and half beast, and many of these were also passed down from generation to generation. But the perceived connection between man’s animal character was much more than mere fiction to many people.
Rulers chose advisors and successors based on whether the person wore a horse-like or lion-like face, and empires no doubt rose and fell on decisions based on nothing more substantial than the shape of an upper lip. The “bestial” facial features, of enemies were used by leaders to justify all kinds of atrocities from genocide to colonization. Take a look at the nastier war propaganda in any era (including the modern one), and the link between the enemy being ‘animal-like’ or showing ‘bestial characteristics’ is the most dominant theme. Of course it is easier to get people to harm other people if they, the enemy aren’t fully human. But I digress.
This primitive system of human prejudice, (as it is meant by most people: judgement based on appearance) related to animal resemblance, is a common thread in almost all of western literature. Stories ranging from the Medieval myths to Kafka, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, and especially the modern comic (yes as wide a literary survey as that!) feature characters whose personality is perfectly complemented by their ‘mousy’ or ‘bear-like’ appearance. It is in fact, so common for a villain to be serpentine or rat-like that it is almost a foregone conclusion that someone described as having a a darting tongue ar a twitching nose, would later display behavior similar to one of those animals. Sometimes in literature, a character bears a name that evokes a particular animal which causes the reader to have an almost subconscious prejudice towards them.
I think it is interesting that for many popular super hero comics this would seem to be reversed. Some of the most popular: Wolverine, Batman, and Spiderman, to name a few, are half-breeds of human with, animals which are traditionally linked with unpleasant or frightening characteristics. But would Spiderman be as popular if he were actually a guy who paralyzed his enemies and drained their bodily fluids through his retractable fangs? Or would the kids like Wolverine as much if he actually sprayed his ememy’s carcass with foul-smelling musk from his anal glands before burying them for later snacking? Actually I guess the kids would probably enjoy that , but then, it probably wouldn’t make the Hollywood movie version.
Something to think about….
I was going to talk about the Zeros2Heroes comics that Im working on.
I have only this to say. This has been a very long month. But it is almost over. Hero High has come together most triumphantly on time, on schedule, and most definitely on point. Farley aka. Moondog is set to become the next great superhero on the scene and this book just keeps looking better every day. Production on Hero High is a short hair from completion, with just the final lettering being added at this stage. The artwork just pops off the page and the dialog is nice and snappy.
Rip Current, is shaping up to be a real stand out comic, with beautifully coloured and rendered panels. It reminds me of some of the best Heavy Metal stories that I grew up reading. Production on Rip Current is also down to the final tweaks and fine tuning and will be finished this week.
On Mind Crimes, Sidney finished the last page of the inks just today, and the artwork is looking great. Sidney’s ability to draw a realistic Star Wars era Mark Hamill mask amazed and surprised everyone, and Marc has truly disturbed us with his penchant for painting blood, and lots of it. The final artwork is being assembled as I write this and Ed is burning the midnite compact fluorescent to finish the lettering for this and almost all of the other books.
Happy Canada Day you comic hosers
