NOTE: I'm deleting and repurposing the earlier entry, here.
(I don't feel like I got it quite right at the time, so here's this:)
Now, there's sort of a hidden backstory here, in that after I got to the States, and after reading American comics, I became a pretty much long-time, loyal DC/Marvel fan until I noticed that they just... I dunno... kept recycling their content, and kept using their characters as resurrectionist puppets?
For example-- they'd make a huge song & dance about killing off a character, only to later bring them back perfectly intact via whatever bullshit excuse, some issues later? (sometimes even needing to create alternate worlds for them to exist in!)
Point is-- it pretty much hammered home the idea that all these characters were just licensed properties (tm), and not representative of remotely approaching real characters.
Dense as I was, it did become clear as a comics reader that my needs just weren't being met anymore, suggestible teenager as I was. That's roughly around the time that I started exploring American-indie/alt comix, such as Cerebus the Aardvark, Love & Rockets, and several others.
What can I say? I just lost total interest in bullshit fantasy, and got WAY more interested in Euro and Alt / Indie stuff, and in truth, I've rarely looked back.
Now here's the great Dave Cooper: (the story appeared in the parody Bizzaro-World collection)
-----> https://imgur.com/a/dave-coopers-bizzaro-world-super-dumped-xi144QU <-----
EPILOGUE? Uh... I guess just that Euro-comics... at bare minimum, they suggest to me how your day went, and what little (but crazy) challenges you went through that day. That's some real stuff, to me.
Thanks for weighing in, you 'orrible ol' goblin, you! :D
In the final outcome, yes, I totally agree that the product gets molded to the needs of the regional audience, as dictated by pure sales, times, experimentation, and of course, capitalistic profit. Which explains so very much of all this, mais non?
Ugh, my eyes aren't the best anymore, so I don't know about reading Alessandro Baricco specifically (I have so much to read, when I'm able) but I definitely enjoy hearing you discuss him and his thoughts. Thank you for that. ^^
I mean, I'm deeply respectful of the Roman Empire, but the more I learn about it, the more deeply flawed and unsustainable I come to understand it as. Whereas, the so-called 'barbarians' might be said to live the more natural, sustainable, peaceful life on the whole. Not always of course, but sometimes there is that possibility!
Also, my understanding is that Rome 'fell' many times in roughly a century's time, with some of the conquerors being fellow Romans by one definition or another. It seems sort of easy to understand in general principle, but sorting out the various historical events can get pretty complex AFAIK.
heeheehee, love it