1 White, A., & White, W

White, A., & White, W. (2021). Addiction and recovery in American comic books and graphic novels. Posted at www.williamwhitepapers.com Addiction and Recovery in American Comic Books and Graphic Novels1 Alisha White, PhD and Bill White, MA Representations of addiction and In 1954, the Comics Magazine addiction recovery Association of America banned all drug in literature, references in its “Comics Code” based on music, art, film, the belief that such references would theatre, and trigger youth curiosity and drug comedy simultaneously reflect and experimentation. Stan Lee, Editor-in- shape the historical evolution of these Chief at Marvel Comics, challenged this experiences. This paper explores the code in 1971 by portraying addiction and portrayal of drug use and addiction in its consequences in The Amazing American comic books and graphic Spider-Man series #96 - #98. Lee’s novels. action, and the positive public response to the series, opened the door for the Comic books in the United States portrayal of drug use and addiction in began as syndicated series within American comic books. Lee’s actions newspapers and then emerged in the were part of his larger effort to address 1930s as independent publications— social issues of his day, including civil spurred in great part by the enormous rights, disability rights, gay rights, war, popularity of Jerry Siegel and Joe and civil disobedience. Lee’s efforts set Shuster's Superman. The success of the stage for the subsequent portrayal of Superman spawned the “superhero” addiction and recovery in American genre of American comic books, comic books and graphic novels. including Captain America, Plastic Man, Flash, Green Lantern, Captain Marvel, Since The Amazing Spider-Man, and numerous others. Topically, comic superhero comic books have weaved books expanded exponentially into the authentic human struggles, and arenas of science fiction, fantasy, specifically mental health disorders, adventure, romance, police procedurals, within their storylines. American comic animal stories, horror, cultural satire, and books and graphic novels have been pornography. New formats emerged as effective vehicles for conveying compiled collections, webcomics, information on a broad spectrum of graphic novels, and graphic biographies health challenges, including childhood and memoirs. Comic books evolved into trauma, depression, bipolar disorder, a social subculture and industry whose schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive central characters have been further Disorder, anorexia, and a wide spectrum popularized in television and film. 1 This paper merges a collection of five blogs posted by the authors at www.williamwhitepapers during December 2020 and January 2021. 1 of substance use disorders (A. White, conceptions, make little distinction 2020). between drug use (particularly illicit drug use) and drug addiction, with drug use The authors are currently portrayed primarily as an inevitable investigating the historical portrayal of precursor to addiction. Portrayal of addiction and recovery within American positive aspects of drug use are rare comic books and graphic novels. To (e.g., Animal Man) and mostly contained date, we have identified 35 comic books in such counter-culture classics as The and 9 graphic novels and graphic Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, James biographies and memoirs that portray Bong, and Marijuana Man. Illicit drug use drug use, addiction, and addiction is portrayed dichotomously as recovery within their storylines. Below abstinence (good) or addiction (evil). are some preliminary observations on the American comic books portray addiction portrayal of drug use and addiction. as a progressively accelerating process of personal deterioration, social Format Limitations estrangement, and economic impoverishment. Drug use, addiction, and recovery in American comic books appear in a few Addiction as an Intrapersonal panels or page spreads, often unfolding Vulnerability across multiple volumes, within a larger dramatic storyline. In addition, characters American comic books and often come in and out of storylines across graphic novels portray addiction in highly different titles often called crossovers. personal terms (i.e., individual For example, both Carol Danvers and vulnerability) with little reference to its Tony Stark have addiction related plots political, economic, and social ecology. that cross over between The Invincible Such portrayal is congruent with Ironman and The Avengers series. This biological and psychological models of can make it difficult to track down each addiction but ignore environmental relevant plotline in long running comic influences on the etiology and long-term book series. In contrast, graphic novels, course of addiction. The portrayed class such as The Abominable Mr. Seabrook, context of drug use follows two lines: The Brandon Novak Chronicles, and impoverished inner-city environments or Sobriety: A Graphic Novel provide a the subculture of wealth and celebrity. more focused, nuanced portrayal of This dichotomy can be seen clearly when addiction and recovery. comparing Holly Robinson’s narration in Catwoman: Crooked Little Town of drug use within life on the streets with Tony Addiction as Inevitable Consequence Stark’s alcohol use as part of a lavish of Drug Use celebrity lifestyle in The Invincible The portrayal of addiction and Ironman: Demon in the Bottle. recovery is a subset of the much larger portrayal of alcohol and other drug use The Drug Menu within American comic books and graphics novels. American comic books, American comic books portray mirroring popular and professional addiction to a broad spectrum of drugs 2 and other compulsive behaviors (i.e., shoplifting, pornography, self-injury). The Addicted women are portrayed addictive substances include those with physically, morally, and sexually a traditional pedigree (alcohol, cocaine, degraded beings devoid of self-agency. methamphetamine, opium, heroin, Stoddart (2006) suggests this portrayal prescription drugs, ketamine, designer fits the poisoned maiden archetype: “the drugs) as well as fictionalized substances female drug addict who is preyed upon such as Venom, Miraclo, Rave, Chocos, by villainous men and saved by heroic Mutant Growth Hormone, Kryptonite, and men.” Left untold are the transformations Substance D that possess a wide range that unfold for female characters through of narcotic, hallucinogenic, or the recovery process—an issue we will performance-enhancing properties. The explore in more depth in a forthcoming rarity in which cannabis appears in blog. addiction/recovery storylines within American comic books is interesting in Portrayed Color and Sexual light of both increased clinical interest in Orientation of Addiction cannabis dependence and changing legal and social policies toward cannabis. Addiction-related American comic Rather than portrayal in fictional comic storylines present characters of color as books, cannabis is a topic explored part of the multi-hued illicit drug culture— through graphic nonfiction, such as Box a stage for the actions of White Brown’s Cannabis: The Illegalization of superheroes. The only key characters of Weed in America. color in addiction story lines were Cecelia Reyes (X-Men), Eli Bradley (Young Single versus Multiple Drug Use Avengers), and Tyrone Johnson (Cloak & Dagger). Although gay characters are Addiction in American comic beginning to appear in comic books (e.g., books is most often portrayed as Iceman, Young Avengers), we found only dependence upon a single substance, in two LGBTQ characters appearing in an contrast to the polydrug use pattern most addiction/recovery storyline—Holly, a prevalent among those currently entering lesbian and recovering heroin addict addiction treatment in the U.S. (Catwoman), and Klaus, a gay white male (The Umbrella Academy). There Addiction Demographics are yet to be stories highlighting the cultural contexts of addiction among Early comic book culture in the people of color and cultural pathways of U.S. was dominated by 20- and 30- addiction recovery. something White men. Although comic book characters have evolved toward The Roots of Addiction greater diverse representation, the portrayal of women, people of color, and The complete addiction story LGBTQ within addiction/recovery answers many questions. Who was the storylines remains missing or narrowly addicted person prior to drug exposure? subscribed. What were the motivations and circumstances of initial and continued Addiction Gender drug use? What personal or 3 environmental factors contributed to loss cause of addiction in terms of a unique of control over drug use and its related genetic or biological vulnerability. A consequences? Is there a recovery and family history of addiction is the backdrop life after recovery story? for addiction storylines in several comics and graphic novels, including the heroin The end of the addiction story is a addictions of the characters Leslie in Hey product of how affected individuals and Kiddo and Holly Robinson in the families and their communities answer Catwoman series and the alcoholism of such questions. In this second of our Julia Wertz in Drinking at the Movies and series, we explore how a sample of 35 the AA member Larry in Sobriety. William American comic books and 9 graphic Seabrook (The Abominable Mr. novels and graphic biographies and Seabrook) suggests family history as an memoirs with addiction storylines portray explanation for his uncontrolled drinking: the root causes of addiction.

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