Comic books are maybe one of the widest spread things for boys and to a larger extent than one would think girls. To form their notions of body image and what constitutes perfection. And if you look back over the years then you certainly can see how societal understanding has changed what we see in these comic books or maybe it is the other way around?
Let us turn back the pages to the first instance of the modern comic book hero; Superman. Superman was initially thick through the shoulders with a spare but round belly and heavy arms and legs. The reason behind this was that, at the time, the character's artwork was based off of circus strongmen. It's also the same reason he wore tights.
Wonder Woman's Original Body
The same is true of Batman, who was less muscular but was built like the professional sportsmen of the time. Even the initial drafts of Captain America revealed someone who, while in outstanding physical condition, wasn't rippling with slabs of muscle. So the question is, what changed? How did these and other heroes, which started out with achievable and believable physiques, transform into the nigh-impossible examples that we see on the shiny pages today?
Body Image and Comic Books - Wonder Woman's Awesome Body
Well, major changes to the heroes we adore likely arrived with changes in what we, as a culture, viewed as powerful and appropriate. As sports culture transformed, particularly during competitions with the USSR when it still existed, the use of steroids and complex training techniques became more common. The results, obviously, were larger and more muscle-bound athletes.
http://i-fixit.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=familynudists.xyz/tag/boobsyoung-nudistyoung-nudist/ moved forward into the 1980s and 1990s where classic heroes were given a complete makeover, making these paper paragons into fantastically proportioned men and girls that were outside the realms of reality without complete devotion to your look and body.
click have seen this same trend grow out to so many parts of modern culture that we only accept it now when wrestling superstars, fitness models and celebrities all sport physiques for the cameras that make us drool in envy and which would get us weep in order to get them.
It is not so much that this is the ideal that's the trouble, really. The problem is that there does not seem to be an understanding of the ridiculous amount of work that goes into that kind of body. It requires time, commitment, training and a very explicit diet, in addition to a godly will.
What we attempt to learn from nudism and the fkk movement is that all body types are unique and should be accepted. Perhaps one day, the comic book industry, will understand that they more than just enjoyment for young individuals. They help shape body image in addition to the minds of future generations!