THE STRANGER AMONG US IN COMICS FROM CUTEZĂTORII MAGAZINE. CONSTRUCTING CHILDREN’S POLITICAL IDENTITIES THROUGH INTERACTION WITH THE OTHER IN COMMUNIST ROMANIA

Abstract

A product of popular culture, comics are in tune with the societal context that created them. This article aims to present the hegemonic narrative, reading and messages of comics for communist pioneers in Cutezătorii [The Daring Ones] Magazine. To do so, the research material considered is made up of two comics focused on Otherness and Romanians’ relationships with state institutions close to the political factor. Qualitative content analysis was performed on both text and images. Findings uncovered a partial view of communist Romania and of the workings of propaganda, because, beside their entertainment value, these comics can be read as political texts or statements. These comics show how the political elite perceived those who wanted to leave Romania (illegally) and those who, of foreign origin, visited this country. Both comics series glorify the collaboration with the Militia, the State Security, and their surveillance methods (through technology and responsible employees and citizens). Communist pioneers are plain clothes detectives who help these institutions to gather their information, catch criminals, and keep the society under control. Because cultural representations impacted the Romanian society in multiple ways during the totalitarian communist rule, a critical reconsidering of cultural products of the past is necessary in order to better understand the present.