COMIC BOOK

Comic book is a gender of literature characterized for a narrative artwork, virtually accompanied by dialogs and usually including brief descriptive prose. This specific gender is also called funny book, com

ic paper or comic magazine, however, it do not means that has to be necessarily wrote in a hilarious

mode. In United States the super-hero genre dominates the market, even though others genders also exists.

This kind of

literature is characterized for a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest.

Their extraordinary powers and abilities usually require of advance equipment or special weapons, however, some superheroes do not have special powers but have mastered skill such as martial arts and forensi

c sciences but all of they have a sense of responsibility, a personal vendetta against criminals and strong believes in justice.

The first comic book appeared in United States in 1934 with the publication of Famou

s Funnies that reprinted the earlier newspaper comic strips. The U.S. marketing is directed to young adults readers but also produce titles for young children as well as catering to adult audience.

Cultural historians divide the history of this gender in four categories: the Golden Age, the Silver Age, Bronze Age and Modern Age. The Golden Age begin with the introduction of Superman in 1938 by Joe Shuster and extend this period until early 1950. During this term comic book acquire big popularity and their designs become depended of paint and art.

The Silver Age is generally considered from the first successful revival of the dormant superhero form: the debut of Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantine (two writers and editors) with the figure of “Flash” and a new hero called Spider-Man designed by Marvel Comics Inc in August 1962.

Nevertheless, do not exist a consensus in the difference between the Bronze and

Modern ages. Some editors consider that the Bronze age began with the published of Green Lantern and Green Arrow number 76 in April of 1970, but for others writers it start with the advertised of Gil Kane: “Amazing Spider Man” in May 1971.

The Modern Age or Iron Age has even more potential starting points, but it is usually related with the publication of Frank Miller “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” in June 1986.

Other point of discussion is the difference between man and women in comics. For the Magazine “Visual Narrative”, the representation of genders between the early funnies and nowadays differ considerably. According with the magazine, young women look beautiful, men looks at best grotesque but

this tendency changes towards the middle of twenty century: funny looking men being co

mbined with funny looking women or realistic looking women with realistic looking man.

Apparently, the social changes affect the way who the characters looks likes and their powers. Is common observed superheroes related with atomic powers after the II World War or women with the same powers and capacities as a man after the eighties, however, superheroes still be a good form of entertainment for the society when can express their feelings and ideas about a more justice society or at least in the ideally.

LINKS

Here are some links about the music of Editus!!

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqcu1yH_rHg&feature=PlayList&p=A2CE35D62832B085&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=34

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egz1Q0omWC8

3. http://www.myspace.com/editus

Editus is the name of a famous Costa Rican group of music who has formed in 1991. It is compose for a trio and together they blend different styles of jazz, instrumental music and new age with the folkloric sounds of Costa Rica. The tree members are: Ricardo Ramirez (on the violin and keyboards), Edin Solis (guitar) and Carlos Vargas (percussion and keyboard).

The name Editus comes from a Latin term that means “high” and “sublime” and their objective is to show at the rest of the world the textures of the jazz, folklore, pop, new age and afro Caribbean music together.

Editus has been playing in around 30 countries around the world specially in North America, Europe and Latin America, also, they had appear in places like The New York’s Cargenie Hall, United Nations in New York, The Kennedy’s Center Washington DC, the Olympia in Paris, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and many others.

In 2000 they won one Grammy Awards for the “Best Latin Pop Presentation” for the son

g called “Tiempos” (Times) , also they got the Award in 2003 for the “Best World Music Album” and “Best Tropical Contemporary Album” for the Album “Mundo” (World).

They also has received domestic prizes, for example, one from the most important Newspaper of Costa Rica called “La Nacion” (The Nation), although the National Association of Authors and Musician Compositor privileged them as “The group with Best International Projection” as well as other important distinguishes.

They had a good career in United States specially in different colleges around the country. Editus is played and also teaches in distinguished universities, for example Berkley University, University of Wisconsin, Bowling Green University, University of Florida, Northeastern University, as many others.

Some of the most recognized Albums that they had make are “Ilusiones” 1994 (Illusions); “Ineditos” 1996 (Inedited), “Calle del Viento” 1998 (Wind street); “Poetica” 2002 (Poetic); “New Age” 2004 and “Editus Clasico” 2005 (Classic Editus).

In 2008 Editus make a tour in Asia when got great successful, otherwise, this group has a music school in Costa Rica for the most prominent children that wants to be musician and the last year they was selected like the personality of the year in the Light Festival in Costa Rica.

Carmen Lyra

Carmen Lyra:

Maria Isabel Carvajal was a Costa Rican writer who was born in 1888 and died on May 13, 1949. One famous writer called her the “Daughter of the Love” because her mother was single, aspect unprecedented in the XIX century. She wrote under the name of “Carmen Lyra”, this pseudonym comes from the name of two important streets in Chile, where she lived for a couple years.

When she finished her studies in education, she worked in a rural Kindergarten called “El Monte” (The Mountain) then in 1906, she worked in a famous hospital in Costa Rica.

In 1914 during the First World War, she assumed leadership of a Journal when published politic articles and short stories for kids. In 1919 she helped organize women schoolteachers to burn down the building of the official newspaper and to overthrow the dictatorship of Federico Tinoco.

Her first publication was the novel “En una silla de ruedas” (In a wheelchair), 1918. It is characterized for a poetic version and a sentimental Costumbrismo (name of a literacy’s genre based in local everyday life, mannerisms, and customs.)

In 1920 Carmen Lyra wrote her most famous books in a collection called “Cuentos de mi tia Panchita” (Story of my aunt Panchita) in 1920. This short stories are very famous in the children and even nowadays are been using in the Costa Rican schools.

In 1920’s Carmen traveled to Europe and learned about the new educational system, after that, she works for different kindergartens in the country. However, she felt that needed some different and fight for the social ideas that she believes. For this reason, she

translated the Communism Manifiesto into Spanish in 1920 and become a member of the Communism party of Costa Rica.

In 1934 Carvajal went on to take a leading role in the babana workers strike. Duri

ng this time wrote “Hombres y Bananos” (Bananas and Men). In 1948 after the Costa Rica Civil War, she was exiled in Mexico when she died in 1949.

In 1976, the Congress of Costa Rica declared her “Meritorious of the homeland” for her contribution to the literature and the social justice.

Maria Isabel Carvajal or Carmen Lyra becomes one of the most famous writers and a teachers in Costa Rica. Personally I really admire all her contribution for my country especially in the 1940’s but also I have the conviction that she is part of my ancestors because she had the same last name and her first kindergarten was in the little town when I grew up, also when I look her picture is like seeing my grandmother’s picture, but in any case, she is part of my family for her liberal ideas.

When you are an international student, one of the first question is: “Where are you from?” The accent, the skin and some manners identified that you are not a member from a determinate culture.

The History remember us that all the nations are a mixture from different places and people around the world: wars, imperious and nations always has been constructed our identity as humans and as society. In

this order, the international relationships are one of the most important elements in the modern societies and this has led the creation of international organisms like the United Nations (UN) or the Organization of American States (OAS), for example.

The Convention of Geneva in 1951 is an valuable resource for the protection of the foreign people and is also a legal recourse for the international relationships between countries especially for the embassies, however, in an informal level, each time that an citizen leaves their country and try to life in a new one, he (she) is automatically and ambassador of their nation.

In an extensive country like United States and especially in the biggest cities, the nationality is an irrelevant factor in the daily life and the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits any kind of discrimination at the moment of hiring a new employee based in the national origin.

However, we have not to forget that we still be humans with feelings and fears especially to the “different” and the newspapers and ways of communication remember us every day that some kind of cultures or specific qualities makes a dangerous person. For this reasons we had

segregation and other kinds of isolation to a specific nationalities.

Only for an example, Colombia has been usually related with drugs and crime or Mexico with illegal people, however is frequently listen to a Colombian said that almost the 99 percent of the people hates drugs and weapons or a Mexican express their dreams in a new society.

So the question is: Why some specific cultural groups are related with generalized ideas that are not appropriated for everybody? Is that fair?

The answer can be found in the fears of the society and also in the ways of communication. If the population feel scare for the number of crimes or addicts, or for loose their jobs, the easier way is to blend the other for our problems, additionally, if one member of a determinate culture commits a crime, all the people from that region will be associate with that types of offenses.

Of course that kind of stereotype is not fear for all because like in all the societies, we can find all kind of people; some good workers, some good parents and also criminals and murdere

rs, but is easier only see “one side of the ledger”, and recognized only the problems that the “others” causes in the nation, although, this is a problem to all the societies in the world and the ignorance still be one of the most important real problems in our lives.

For this reasons, when you are in a foreign country, you are an ambassador of your country and the whole society will be judge you for your acts, especially if you are the only person from that nation.

Maybe you will agree that this is not fair because every person is completely different but one of the ideas of the concept of nation is the exclusively of some determinate group that share costumes; is important to be proud of them while do not offend the ideas or thoughts of the others, especially in a different culture.

Every day the world is more closer and the technologies allow to know about the differences and similarities between the nations. But the most important idea is do not have scare about the others, do not have frighten to know new people and loss your own identity because we are a world that is being former about the experience and legacies of the others.