Counter Culture comics, do they still exist?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos

My point is that there is a difference between the character and the medium it is presented in. Spiderman is well known but not because people read comics, the same with Superman or Batman or Hulk. However because comics aren't mainstream characters that are a well known among fans are obscure the laymen (Thanos, Gladiator, MartianManhunter, Kilowog, Blackbolt) etc.

Ah, but the comics they come from are not unknown. Thanos comes from IRon MAn (Getting a movie) and Captain Marvel who has a fascinating mainstream history and is more linked to Shazam than you might imagine. Gladiator is named after Clark Kent and Wylies famous pre Superman character Gladiator. He is drenched therefore in mainstream pop culture dating back seventy years. Martian Manhunter is now present in Smallville on T.V. as well as the J.L.A. series hardly non mainstream. Kilowog whilst being unknown himself is a green lantern a mainstream wrestler called the Hurricane had a tattoo of the GL symbol for most of the nineties, again permeating pop culture. As for Blackbolt, he comes from the FF. Everyone knows who they are.

🙂

I get the feeling you're intentionally dodging my point.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
I get the feeling you're intentionally dodging my point.

Not at all, you're arguing specific characters might not be known. which I don't disagree. However where they come from generally would be. Comics are part of pop culture now. Look at all the movie adaptations that have been and are being made. As well as the use of basic comic mythology as a staring point for many popular shows. Heroes is very much an amalgam of various Xmen arcs, as well as introducing some obvious genre stereotypes.

It's not like the 1960's & 70's - the days of Robert Crumb, Spain Rodriguez, Gilbert Shelton & the others, with their political satire warring against the culture of the day. Anything outside Superhero comics is either labeled 'Independent Comics' or the work of Cartoonists. That's really what they evolved into.

Originally posted by roughrider
It's not like the 1960's & 70's - the days of Robert Crumb, Spain Rodriguez, Gilbert Shelton & the others, with their political satire warring against the culture of the day. Anything outside Superhero comics is either labeled 'Independent Comics' or the work of Cartoonists. That's really what they evolved into.

Fair comment. Do we lump things like Fables into the mainstream. I think probably yes. Yes I think you are probably right.

there's still a healthy underground. ivan brunetti, chris ware, jeffrey brown, allison bechdel...the list goes on.