Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Underground Comix (Air Pirate Funnies, Fritz the Cat)- Mickey Goes Rated R

It's been a while since I've posted but here I am. Underground Comix aren't an unusual subject since I learned about them when I had to use them for a design class. They're known for their adult type genre with themes that you wouldn't expect from these comics. One of which I've read is called "Mickey Mouse meets the Air Pirate Funnies". Now you would expect the same kind of Disney crap that we see everyday but no. It's full of references to drinking, sexual activity and even violence. It's a way to see Mickey that you didn't think you would ever see. There are a few comedic moments but most is affiliated with adult humor. This is common for Underground Comix to have these depictions in their comics but it's still shocking to observe. Whether this affects how I or others see Mickey Mouse is up for debate. The use of foul language is also present in these comics where just saying "FUCK" is considered the norm and not vulgar behavior.

The depictions in Underground Comix are also interesting compared to other comic. One example is one I've read a while ago and have also seen the film to. The series is called "Fritz the Cat". It stars a feline con artist that has many adventures that sometimes led to sexual activities. One of the things the interest me about this comic is that it depicts african americans as crows to distinguish them from the other anamorphic animals. It's tone is heavy despite having cartoon animals as main characters. Each person it characterized as similar to that of a human and the anatomy is also an important part of their body. What makes this different from the Air Pirates is that the females are fully clothes in Fritz the Cat and have similar proportions.

With the depictions shown in Underground comix, I've come to question if there can really be enjoyment in finding cartoons experiencing in adult type themes. It feels heavy to me to see cartoon characters (especially ones from Disney) going through drinking and sex after watching a Mickey movie with your younger family members. It's just hard so see a character that was nice and plain turn dark and mature. While a little off topic it reminds me of the video game "Shadow the Hedgehog". It tried so hard to be edgy that it had some of the characters from the Sonic series swear like say "Damn" or "Hell". Both themes make it feel out of character for them to say such thing. Some might be able to find enjoyment from this if they look at it like a different approach. But for others like myself it feels shocking and uncomfortable. I appreciate Underground Comix for their themes and ideas, I cannot in all honesty say I enjoyed the adult nature in my "Mickey Mouse".







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