Elvis vs. hip-hop -- Blum vs. Barks

[JTorci3511@aol.com]

Sigvald (I think, following a lengthy thread) wrote:

>>Elvis Presley did what was modern music from the 1950's until the 1970's.
What many of you here seems to say, is that if someone had access to some
old lyrics written by Elvis, that had never previously been used in any
song, some modern artist could use those lyrics in a modern (2003) hip-hop
context and still claim to be honest and respectful towards Elvis. I guess
most true Elvis-fans wouldn't agree to that, they would instead have wanted
those lyrics to be used with music of classical Elvis style. Got my point 
now?>>

Well, I understand the analogy, but can't view it as a suitable one.  

While "Elvis Style Ballads and Rock and Roll" and hip-hop might strictly both 
be considered "music", most Elvis stalwarts would probably consider hip-hop 
an aberrant form of music -- or, perhaps not even music at all.  No doubt 
something similar would apply in the reverse.  

In comic books there is no such dramatic schism.  While (say) Marvel Comics 
may not be to the taste of some of the members of this list, they could not be 
as aberrant as the foul-mouthed perversion of the English language by a 
gun-toting, jewelry laden rapper would seem to one who holds "Love Me Tender" as an 
anthem!   And, with the recent appearance of Mickey as "Spider-Mouse" in WDC&S 
# 635, that gulf becomes smaller still.  

If there were ever an aberrant form of comic book storytelling, in my 
opinion, it would be that of the "underground movement".  And amazingly (...though I 
doubt this was ever his intention) Don Rosa has even brought elements of that 
closer to the classic Barksian style.   

So, when one speaks of "Elvis vs. hip-hop" to support a claim of "Blum vs. 
Barks" or even "Blum vs. Rosa", it's NOT a true analogy because Barks, Rosa, and 
Blum are working in the SAME exact medium, with the SAME exact set of 
characters, and the SAME "core set of concepts" that Barks created.  Not an aberrant 
outgrowth of that medium and those characters and concepts.  

I must say that Blum is in no way disrespectful to Barks by merely attempting 
an approach to trends and technologies that did not exist during Barks' 
active writing period -- and that Rosa makes a dedicated effort (...his right, of 
course) to keep his stories free from.  

Blum is merely offering us something different!  Some Starbucks, alongside 
our Maxwell House and Folgers.  And there's nothing at all wrong with that!  

Joe Torcivia.  

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