In Old Comic Ads, I reprint ads I found in comic book scans. Ads are part of the fun!
It's easy to be a big muscle hunk! Just mail me five bucks and I'll send you a pamphlet! Charles Atlas popularized the comic ads that promised children the chance to grow into big muscle he-men, fast! These ads are all over comics and they seem to really just promise to rush you through puberty. But notice how homoerotic they are! It makes me think of Fredrick Wertheim's preposterous notion that Batman & Robin made kids gay. I don't think that's true at all, but I do believe that comic books are integral into shaping sexuality. It offers an image of the ideal body. I bet a lot of gay boys fantasized about the men in these ads, and I that's great! Comics help people find their sexuality.
No comments:
Post a Comment