The Education of Green Lantern: Culture and Ideology

Abstract

and comic strips are worthy and exciting areas of research. The primary reason is that neither comic nor comic strips now are just a medium to entertain children and adolescents, but are manifestations of popular culture. They are purveyors of ideology. One example is superhero comic book character who has embraced United States' capitalist economy and its democratic political system and ideals, with Superman as a prime example. Another is playboy comic book character of which Batman is leading example. Playboy comic characters demonstrate that wealth does not blind well-born to America's most pressing societal problems. Critics and supporters of Batman character offer a number of interpretations (Pearson and Uricchio 18-32; Starr 33-46; Wertham, Seduction of; Wertham, Comic Books 24-29). Both superhero and playboy comic characters of 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s contest evil forces that uniformed police seem powerless against. They also support, without exception, socioeconomic order; successful ones have a distinct personality, and are both lonely outlaw and staunch defender of justice and order. There are unquestionably relationships between comics, ideology, and surrounding culture. This article addresses a medium-the comic book-that has had little airtime in current debates on popular culture. It focuses on Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic series. Created by Dennis O'Neil, it is steeped in ideology. The series is a product of culture of 1960s, dramatizes social and political issues, and is a medium for engaging in social protest. Most important, it ushers in the age of relevance in comic books (Potter 140). The latter attracted attention of New Left, a group that sought to put a new and more humane face on those institutions considered engines of modern welfare state (Starr 298; Mills 101-14). Denny O'Neil's comic book scripts question belief that justice, law, and order are exclusively domain of state (Collins 34; Breines; Wood). In fact, Collins, Breines, and Wood argue convincingly that government consistently has not been a defender of justice. Born on May 3, 1939, in St. Louis, Missouri, O'Neil graduated from St. Louis University. He taught in public schools for a number of years before assuming position of district news editor of Southeast Missourian, a regional newspaper. O'Neil's next job was that of and editor of D.C. Comics, and editor of Marvel Comics. He also was principal of highly acclaimed television series Logan's Run, which aired on CBS TV during 1977-1978 season (Locher 414). O'Neil's accomplishments as news editor and TV are many, but perhaps his major achievement has been in transforming comic book from primarily an entertainment medium into a social protest organ. This feat elevated him into ranks of Stan Lee and Steve Kitko, creators of pace-setting Spider-Man comic series (Mondello 232-38). The Green Lantern/Green Arrow's scriptwriter notes, [I brought] a journalist's curiosity and social concerns to comic books. It wouldn't have happened if I had just been a comic book writer (Pearson and Uricchio 31). He covered topics such as drug and substance abuse, bigotry, drug pushers, religious sects and cults, feminism, poverty, environmental destruction, pollution, racism, sexism, overpopulation, environment, corrupt politicians, mistreatment of Native American, exploitative businesses, and unfair labor practices. A self-proclaimed activist by early 1960s, O'Neil characterized himself as follows: I was peripherally involved in those issues, a non-distinction I shared with millions of liberal, vaguely well meaning people of middle-class origin. I signed petitions. I went on marches. I argued against war and supported Martin Luther King, Jr. I subscribed to Ramparts and Catholic Worker. …