Smoking in comics and how fiction might/might not affect readers

So, smoking in comics? Let’s start with Captain Archibald Haddock of the Tintin comics. The first full length film premiered last year and it showed a drunken, swearing Haddock as we know him… Well almost at least. See in the comics, Haddock is a smoker, not cigarettes though, but he smokes a pipe. In the adaptation this was left out and sure, one can claim that it might not be a defining characteristic. There’s no doubt that part of the reason he doesn’t smoke in the movie is to make it more “child friendly”. And hey, great job, because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a complete drunk that can’t function without a buzz. There’s a war on smoking everywhere these days and there’s nothing wrong with alerting people of the dangers of smoking or decreasing the chance of non-smokers getting sick from second-hand smoking by illegalizing smoking in many public areas. Personally, I think the problem starts when what should be a matter of awareness becomes a witch hunt instead. The government deciding that they make the rules of private establishments such as a restaurant or bar is bordering on fascism in my opinion. It may be harsh, but if you don’t like the smell of smoke in the kitchen, get out. That’s what smokers have to do, let’s make things 50/50. 

Okay, I need to be careful not to stray too far from the comic book angle of this… the center of the universe in this blog is comics after all. There have been many characters through the years, good guys and bad guys alike smoking, cigarettes, pipes, cigars and whatnot. In some cases, it’s a defining characteristic and in others it might just be a prop of sorts. Lucky Luke, the poor lonesome cowboy of Belgian cartoonist Morris’ famous comic by the same name, was originally a smoker. Although eventually changed to better win acknowledgement, specifically in the American market, Morris’ defended the critique of his character’s habit, by stating it was a part of his profile same as Popeye’s pipe. Furthermore it can be argued that:

"Lucky Luke's famous cigarette not only identifies a profile but allows the tempo to be modified and extended, expressing a feeling: in Le Pied-tendre (The Tenderfoot), Morris shows Lucky Luke's feelings at the death of a friend in a series of three frames in which the hero rolls and spills a cigarette” (World Health Forum vol 11 1990).

Today, you’ll have to look for older versions of both the comics and the cartoons to find those with Luke smoking a cigarette. Newer versions will most likely show him chewing on a straw and one cartoon even depicted him using a nicotine patch, which left me personally with a feeling of “really? A cowboy of the old west using a fricking nicotine patch? That’s just demeaning to the character in my opinion, not to mention completely ridiculous. 

There are without a doubt several more characters to use as examples, but the last two we need to get around are Nick Fury and Wolverine of the Marvel universe. Both of these characters used to smoke cigars in the comics. While cigars are often associated with wealth, power or arrogance, they are sometimes also considered as something only refined personalities can enjoy. Mark Twain, Sigmund Freud, Orson Welles and JFK all smoked cigars and are all men well respected within their “field”. So what would it matter if two comic book characters did so too? A fairly obvious explanation would be that of political correctness. Since comics are often considered to be children’s literature (which in the case of Wolverine and others is simple ignorance) any harmful and amoral behavior of the good guys, the superheroes, is rarely condoned. And in today’s society where smoking is considered one of the worst habits a person can have, a superhero starring in “children’s literature” and as such a role model and influence of young people, like Wolverine or Nick Fury can’t be seen smoking cigars. They can however, kill and dismember people as long as it’s some of the bad guys… Is it weird or wrong for some superheroes to think a threat can only be removed by killing them? Well, that’s a matter of point of view of course, but since comics are considered by some to be influencing the reader, isn’t that kind of like saying it can be justice to kill an enemy? And if it is, how is that better to teach kids than letting a good guy smoke cigars? 

The sad fact is that all of this is due to an idea, that society as a whole is responsible for children’s upbringing. And sure enough, I agree that we as a society share SOME responsibility of each others lives. As the Danish philosopher Knud Ejler Løgstrup said:

“We all hold a part of each other’s life in our hand”

Naturally, a child or adult for that matter can be affected by those around him or her. But in the case of children, I personally believe it to be the parents’ responsibility to teach them right from wrong and as far as comics or any form of fiction goes, the ability to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not. The tendency to blame influences such as literature, music or movies is a way too used, and appalling I might add, method of saying “it’s not our fault, it’s someone else’s”. And with that I’m not saying anything bad happening to a child is always or necessarily the parents’ fault. But they are those closest to their own child and therefore those that affect him or her the most in a huge part of their lives.

American philosopher and social psychiatrist George Herbert Meads wrote in his book mind, self and society from 1934 that a child’s identity is created through interaction with the significant others. From birth, this would be the parents, though through life more and others will become significant others to a person. But in short, Meads says that children are affected by what their parents say and do, pretty logical right?

Based on this, I believe the main responsibility lies with the parents, simply because they are the first and if not always, for a very long time, the strongest influences on a person. 

Wow, this ended up being really long, and it could go on and on, I’m sure… To summarize, I think we, as conscious, healthy and sane human beings, all need to take responsibility of our own actions as individuals instead of blaming other people, art, fiction or whatever else excuse that might occur as acceptable. Bottom line is if you’re capable of making your own decisions, it’s your responsibility. And for the record, both Nick Fury and Wolverine looks even more bad-ass with a cigar, which is damn well what they are, quit whining and (can’t believe there’s an actual need for this reminder) tell your kids, just because a fictional or real person does something, it doesn’t mean they should do the same. If Wolverine or Lucky Luke jumped off a bridge, you wouldn’t do that either right.

Mo