The Lowell Sun from Lowell, Massachusetts • Page 84

Mew trend in comic books The comics have changed, witness theme of Batman story on loft compared with more routine comic book plots on right. There has By JACK WEBB Copley News iiervoce Nelson E. Bridwell is a 35 year old New Yorker with a black beard, glasses and a crew cuE. He likes comic books and thinks oilier people his' age should too. He likes comic hooks so well, in fact, llial he lias devoted his life lo them.

He is a professional comic book writer and the editor of such jwpular masterpieces as "Lois Lane" comic books. Hl is also one of the men responsible for the big change in comic books this year. Bigots dislike he change. Racists decry it. But it is (here, and it can be found at your local drugstore.

You can look at the last issue of Lois Lane comic books to get an idea of what the change is about. This is the one where Superman puts Lois in a big complicated leaking machine and she comes out black. You know, Negro. Tlie reason Superman put her in the machine is because she asked him to. The reason she asked him to is she wanted to do a story on the black ghetto and all the blacks distrusted her because she was white.

The day before she turned black, for example, she was walking down a city street. Young black kids avoided her. Mothers snatched their babies from her. A man wlto looked suspiciously like Huey Newton stood on a soapbox and shouted at a crowd not lo trust Lois Lane. Site might look sweet, but she was while and therefore one of the oppressors.

So, Lois Lane thinks to herself thai he's right, a lot of whiles are bigoted and oppressors, but the pSeudo Huey Newton is wrong about her. been an age shift as well: adolescents, not youngsters are current targets. Less zap! More relevant powl as comics go mod So she turns black to prove it. And then she asks Superman to marry her. This is one of the things that have angered some people, Bridwell said.

"One letter criticized Ais Lane asking Superman to marry her," ftrlrlwell said. "Tho woman said lhat she didn'l believe in interracial marriages." That issue of Ihc Lois Lane comic books has, however, been praised by most of tiie comicbook reading public, Bridwell said. "If fact, jusl Hie oilier day we received our first really racist letter on that issue. Oddly enough, it was not from the South but from Jamaica, N.Y. "it was plain racist.

He (the letter writer) didn't want niggers spelled wilh one 'g' in magazines. The letter was written either by a young kid or by an adult who couldn't write," Bridwell said. The big change in comic books, Bridwell said, is they are beginning to tackle social issues in a serious way. They are also beginning to become more progressive. Comic, book publishers are hiring young artists "who are in tune with young people." Bridwell writes the Batman comic strip that appears in newspapers, but Hie aullwr of the Batman comic books Is Mike Frie drirVi, a college sudent in California.

"We're slanting at least some of our stuff in a progressive way for the young people," Bridwell said. "If we can got a morale across lhan we'll try lo da (hat, too. "Putting across an idea is a good thing." PRTDWEL SAID the new emphasis in comic books was begun by the senior editor of the firm he works for, Julie Schwartz. Hie new socially oriented comic books have caught on throughout the comic book publishing field, Brldwell sail. The new comic books are not aimed at youngsters.

They are aimed at adolescents, Bridwell said, and adolescents are the biggest customers of the new comic books. National Periodical Publications is the firm that has Julie Schwartz, and Nelson E. Bridwell working for it. National Periodical is one of lite biggest publishers in the field, selling millions of comic books eaeh month. It's easy fo see that the comic book publishers 'have nol decided to go easy on the new fad.

If you pick up the latest issue of "House of Secrets" comic books you will be treated to a discussion tiiree major modern social issues the place of religion in the world today, pollution and man. versus the machine. These new comic books are a radical departure from the comics adults read as kids. During the 1950s and 1360s, for example, Superman spent most of his time fighfing gangsters. Now he fights bigalry and pollution.

But if you ask Bridwell, he will tell you the new comics are not that much of a change. He not that much of a change. He will tell you about the history of comic books and such things as the propaganda comic books of World War II. In the comics of the 1940s Superman spent all his time fighting the Nazis. Superman spends all his lime In the 1970s fighting for or against "relevant social issues." It isn't Superman that's changed.

It's us. TAKE THE FAMILY OUT TO DINE! For family dining al id beat, treat Mother and the kids to a fine meal at our ot these fine restaurants Green Ridge Turkey Farm Restaurant Turfcay, riu prim rib, ualiwi. CMIdrtrVj tntnu. Open 1 dayi fro a.m. NlghlV anrerralnmenl in Hi ounffr.

FrtVfjte porty roam. Raine NathlW, H.H. Elr Dnt. 1 146 0111 Jade Pagoda; mmoui for vr tfellciooi Chiclun, ipartlli 'I Ha Hairan Inf. and ienfsod mrnen.

ll BrooaviTf ho Dracvt. 4514I9U. Hong Kong Restaurant Gr.i)te p.m. to a.m Sun. flora, Chelmi.

1116 6311. ArtiCi itOTt 500 m. ta Fri. 1 1 3o 1 naon Id 11. 41 a.m.

Roura lit. Pc lmorn 'Slip US'' KTCllenc In Canlonut Hoiy neslon fcarf. S( v5 iptcfaJ famllr dlnneri end week day buiin simen luncftfoni p. winai. Take oul orders.

4 1 mack 4jJ1 J11 Sun Man. ana TimSoyt II a.m. to p.m. fVdne jf II a.m. la Frt.

cna Saiurlayi H.m.. ta 11 p.m Princeton lounge Dfnntri Borw Lurvtheani Tel. 131 4111 Timmy Meehan's new unMr new ownenJilp, Hah Whitti Home or The Slnling and ocean frttti LBHtara, Fartlei Don quel i Unutri. Located gn pie, 3 A. Norln Chemi.lof OyJler Howe and Jteiiaumni Meats and Delicanes al th no.

OKlrnifard St. en 'l (4 SS 3SH1 Russo's Restaurant lounge Famcui. lor laert Ttaasi Htf I Sealosd Haiion Fort. Reraac ar dance Ifi one si tht urea tmortftl met! fciuHr nm lounge. Four prlvule dining rni dniir.BflaTing to 5W Dirifwr nrvcd a.m.

lo 11 n. WaMham to. Mr W. UFvwAla'd pr Poppflrnrdo'i vvirm'i is exctirane itnki and TV II 1 11 a line. 41 Amoburv uwreiic.

(31 2574 1. Butcher Boy Steak Houses Leuna EnTinommflnr Nlltly. Own iMI pin. vn. thru Thur.

ri. Sort. 11 1 a.m. J.tllt Lli HO. Amlavtr aU QI).

fm i supn Chinnr ATTwrlcan Food Cathay Garden ijc I in Gd TotlB' Te menu Coctlai China Blossom Tiki Lounge Orten tphe i. i'a. iei, oc'sw'i and hcM gnthcrinai. Junclion R1 1U 1JJ, No. jLniMver.

Il Utit. Domenic's Restaurant American Foodi and Cackrsil Launge (4B4 71 RTE. ll, LjTTLETOH Ei1c rtamtnT Thori. FH. Snf.

Nith. flrWc VtraAtmA Hnneo ui, ip.trli Open Mm. thru Sir. i.m. lo cUHnj Em'jsl' FWia, Chtlmilird UHlr The Green Barn Restaurant tVBf SONOAYS II p.m.

ft it p.m. Rl Solf.TI. HH. nd Hail, lint, Tel. SUNday, FEBRUART 7, 1971 5.