Word Count: 742
Our trip to special collections opened up dialogue to what 120-years of history means to us with a focus on the emergence of the word teenager, and concept of adolescence. By examining each individual artifact closely, the greater societal and cultural impact each artifact served to this emergence, became evident. After visiting each station, I was struck by both the copies of Lowell Offeringand the Comics. Both artifacts contribute to the emergence of adolescence – one through non-fiction anecdotes, and the other based in fiction.
The two comics I looked at were titled, Sun Girl and Just Married. The layout from a graphic design lens struck me. Both comics were eye catching with strong pastel and primary color aesthetics– showcasing light blue and white tones in Just Married and vibrant yellow and red tones in Sun Girl.By looking at these two artifacts based on their cover design and color choices, it is fair for me to draw the conclusion that an intended audience was in mind – I’m not sure who they were targeting – but it is clear that humanity can appreciate and be attracted to pick up or buy copies solely based on their cover appeal.
The main difference between the comic table holistically to the whole collection would have to be the focus on visuals – literary art in color. The comics too are stories but present themselves in visual aesthetics that challenge the norm of having literature be only text. Comics bring visual art into the medium of literary expression through imagery – but combine imagery with text in the sequence of panels and other visual formation. Comics are contributing to the collection on the basis of similarity too, since they are a particular type of magazine and convey information just as posters and newsletters do.
The items on the comic table felt delicate due to the thinness of the paper but were tightly bound. I assume both Sun Girl and Just Marriedwere just another issue from their publishing company. Their folded boundness alludes to their purpose to be sold and re-distributed in the masses. A large target audience is an important distinction, because when comparing comics to the copies of the Lowell Offering, we can assume that Lowell Offering was loose and delicate due to the audience being girls working in particular factory communities. These comics are delicate, but in a different sense. The paper is thin and somewhat glossy, whereas the Lowell Offering felt like decaying newspaper.
From a library science perspective, my analysis about the physicality of the comics should go beyond just this aesthetic of the pieces being “old” and “unique.” The point of an artifact presented to us through a special collection is that they can come in any format – be it books, photographs, or comics. Though true that classifying something as rare and then attaching monetary value to it is usually derived from its time span on earth – doesn’t discredit the influence the work’s hold beyond just being dated pieces. These comics are physically strong, showing slight stains on the covers, with slight ripping on the edges of some pages. Aside from that, the term teenager can still be distinguished through content, while still appreciating the simple physical makeup of each comic – for example, attention to how each character is physically crafted. Attraction to character craft could come from naivety to lived experience, since it’s easier to relate to fictional romance and superhero stories, than personal excerpts about factory life.
These two comics are helping sell the idea of a women lead and adolescent experience – seen in plot structure. We see plot lines where the woman is the superhero – Sun Girl– fighting men who are disturbing the peace. These villain pieces are interesting, breezy to read, and vivid in physical body makeup – all attractive, yet confusing to teenagers. Thus, these themes correlate to audience since the content could either serve to educate or simply be leisure reading. There is evidence that these comics have or could be sent thought the mail since they have places for stamps in the top right corner – and came at a cost ranging from 10 to 20 cents. These comics include pages of advisements and come in color, so their production is likely to be from a printing press – which is important because it shows society conforming and companies willingness to pay for their material to be displayed in a medium giving women and adolescence a platform.
-Shahum Ajmal
Works Cited
Just Marriedvol.4. no. 87, Charlton Press. August 1972. Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library.
Sun Girlvol.1 no.2, Comic Combine Corp. October 1948. Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library.
Representing Adolescence @ Pitt 