Comics work in a very similar way to animation. Both are artificial representations of reality, and both attract audiences who are able to deal with those representations. For children, comics and animation offer a brightly-coloured simplified version of the world they live in, but adults engage with them quite differently. Adult comics and animation occupy a space within the huge genre known as 'Fantasy' - and fantasies can sometimes be dangerous. They have long been viewed as 'a corrupting influence on the young' and there have been many efforts to control and censor what appears on their pages. Read about the history of comics here and judge for yourselves. Comics also had to follow a very rigid Code of Conduct. Read it and decide whether or not you think it is fair and reasonable. Why do you think the creators of the code felt they had to censor these things?

Many comics are harmless, dealing with everyday characters and situations, such as the long-running Dilbert, or Peanuts. You can find a variety of the better known ones here. These contain many humorous representations of types and individuals, their main purpose is to make their audience laugh and they are syndicated to newspapers and magazines around the world.

There is a whole sub-genre of comics dedicated to chronicling the adventures of superheroes. You will find the homes of many of these fantastic figures at DC Comics and Marvel. Both these comic houses are at the centre of huge merchandising and entertainment industries, producing spin-off movies and clothing as well as the comics themselves. Superheroes can be male as well as female, as you will discover here.

Disney also have their own specific comics devoted to their most popular characters. Find out about them here. You can also read through the main contemporary discussion topics relating to comics here.

Your task:

Choose one particular representation of a female (from the examples online or the one you have brought with you), and list the advantages and disadvantages of her appearing as a comic/animated character as opposed to a real life one. Think about how an audience might relate to this character. Your answer should be in table form.