Political History of Comic Books in Mexico

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes Anne Rubenstein's book "Bad Language, Naked Ladies, and other Threats to the Nation: A Political History of Comic Books in Mexico". It discusses the impact that comics have had in shaping the Mexican political scene, as well as showing how the comics themselves served as a stage for the playing out of political and cultural battles, as Mexico grew from a very Catholic, sustenance-agrarian culture, to a modern industrial one. It shows how in the 1930s there was for the first time in Mexico, a literate or at least semi-literate force with a growing amount of spending cash for entertainment and while the new government may not have directly encouraged the reading of comic books, by promoting civil freedoms and providing economic support for independent publishers, it created an atmosphere that allowed comic books to proliferate.

From the Paper:

"In regarding this study it might be best to consider that the story of comic books in Mexico was but a microcosm that when studied gives one an idea of what was happening in Mexico from the 1930s to the 1970s, rather than something that truly shaped Mexican culture and politics into the 21st century. Rubenstein is aware of this concern and says as much, "Comic books and related periodicals were not the only forms of mass media and popular culture that were part of this process in postrevolutionary mexico. Similar stories could be told about many entertainments: shopping, television, recorded music, dance, cinema, cooking, fashion, and holidays, to name only a few."

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