HumANist society of New Mexico

JEFF BENHAM

TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE AMERICAN: HOW COMICS ANIMATE CULTURE

Modern comics are generally considered to have risen from sociopolitical cartoons around the

turn of the twentieth century. Despite their "grown-up" inception, comics quickly came to be

considered merely "kid stuff." Reflection on their actual history reveals comics to not only offer

up a mirror of our fears and beliefs, but to in fact be an active force in the evolution of our

culture. We see this in the stories told in comics, the struggles of creators, issues within the

industry, and times when comics have stepped beyond the comics world to become an active

force in shaping domestic and global culture.

Delight as the limits of creativity are shattered! Escape with the unexpected monsters of our

dreams! Thrill as the Captains of America tackle the Axis! Tremble as Congress contemplates

comics' delinquency! Raise a fist as The Man pulls comics underground! Celebrate as comics

unloose the broad American voice! Squirm as comics struggle to define "created equal!"

Look! Up in the Sky! It's not a bird! It's not a plane! It's comics fighting for us all! (And we

don't always agree!)

For the past four decades, Jeff Benham has been telling stories through image and language,

through the mediums of comics, live theatre, handmade books, and a variety of other arts. As

Education Coordinator for arts non-profit 7000 BC, he has developed and taught the comics

medium to teachers, librarians, students, and members of the general public of all ages and

experience levels. He is especially interested in uncovering deeper connections, using comics

and other story-based art as a bridge to unexpected disciplines such as science and medicine.

Guiding participants through explorations of how comics function, Jeff helps students to

understand the place of visual literacy to communicate a broader sense of history and culture.