What makes a kids' comic for all ages?

keac 2017-01-25 21:21:56 UTC #1

I've seen comics (or manga) like Pokémon, which are aimed for kids, but read by older audiences as well. How is this so?

KoreanTacos 2017-01-25 21:24:30 UTC #2

For the same reason dudes love My Little Pony, the reader felt some form of connection with the writing/art that out weighed the age limitations.

Random 2017-01-25 21:31:30 UTC #3

I've gone back and watched and reread stuff I liked as a child. I usually have two different reactions---either I internally cringe, or I gain more respect for the creator as an adult.

Good writing is good writing, whether the material is intended for adults or children.

JKNNKL 2017-01-25 22:01:57 UTC #4

uunhhuhuunhu frtderedrerdr komkokokkkko ijjiji

joannekwan 2017-01-25 22:18:55 UTC #5

PWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAahfnfehalhfejdfkcjilja

This is the best description ever of Peppa Pig. XD i'm dying

But ehem, I believe Peppa isn't as accessible to adults as it mostly focuses on situations preschoolers can identify with. They're very basic and don't really have larger plots compared to like MLP and Avatar TLAB.

JKNNKL 2017-01-25 22:21:31 UTC #6

uhhhubhuhun ddrdcrddrddr inuinjjijjij

Strontium 2017-01-25 22:40:22 UTC #7

I make an all-ages webcomic. Basically it means the comic has a PG rating. There's no swear words harsher than "crap" and there's no graphic violence, no sexual suggestions or situations, and no coarse humor. The main character is 12 years old, and the other characters act in adult roles, teenage roles and younger children roles.

Lots of things that have PG ratings are enjoyed by adults! This last year Disney came out with two animated movies, Zootopia and Moana, which adults saw and respected. I went to see Moana with a friend, and many other people I'm friendly with really enjoyed it. The fact that it's an all-ages movie targeted at kids doesn't impede the interest of adults, especially adults who love animation and musicals.

Also... I'm 23 but I still occasionally read Middle Grade novels. I am a longtime fan of anything Rick Riordan makes even though I'm wayyyyyyy out of the age range for his books. But they're great and I don't care!

What makes an all ages work appeal to adults is the tone of the story, and the themes. Adults can also enjoy the subtext of the situation whereas kids will take it on face value. You an try to make a story that works on multiple levels, so there's something about it that all different ages can enjoy, including adults and young adults.

punkarsenic 2017-01-26 08:00:27 UTC #8

some cartoons get this by throwing in an extra level of like, dirty or political jokes, that only the adults understand. this is usually in PG movies, because they know parents will have to watch them too, and they need to have something to enjoy.

usually, id say thats not necessary. its fun, sure, but adults - especially adults with children - enjoy childrens media way more than we let on. so long as the shows not patronising, or too young (teletubbies is too young) adults are perfectly happy to enjoy fart gags and fairly low stakes plots with funny animation.

theres also nostalgia to consider. the adults that like pokemon were kids when it first came out. a lot of modern cartoons adults like are from the same studios as the cartoons they watched, only theyre angstier and gayer - just like these now-adults.

and sometimes, yknow, you just wanna escape all the bullshit and sit down with some pingu.

Devika 2017-01-26 11:48:59 UTC #9

Nostalgia aside, I think generally speaking, there are two ends of the spectrum called "kids' shows".

First, the one that's either "dumbed down" or very age-specific in themes, which makes adults go "I know that already, ugh" or "wow, silly kiddy problems", but younger children especially gobble up like candy. They're extremely moralizing, slower paced, and not very subtle, in order to make it understandable for even the youngest audiences.

Second, the type that is suitable for kids mainly because of the absence of anything adult-specific, such as gore or sex, but retains everything else that's in "good grown-up stories", such as story arcs, complex characters, or even deeper conflicts. This is more universal in age.

I like(d) watching Voltron, Avatar TLAB, Danny Phantom, Miraculous Ladybug and Mysterious Joker, for example, which I'd place nearer the second category, and I'm pretty sure none of them actively target an "older" audience. Reasons are different for everyone, but for me the appeal is in getting well-written characters, smart dialogue, a general story to follow and pure, unbridled fun not bogged down by unnecessary sex and violence. I groan when hollywood movies throw in the mandatory sex scene that's just slowing the story down. I sigh when boobs bounce across the scene. I zone out when a show is only about maximum slaughter. It feels cheap, old, and overused to me. Kid's shows can be refreshing in their "back to basics" approach to simply having an enjoyable story. Not to say that there's no trash out there but yah.

Then there's this internal block that many adults have along the lines of something being wrong with watching kids' shows? There isn't really, and if it's fun there's no reason an adult can't enjoy it. That it's not bloody or sexy doesn't invalidate it. Honestly I was a bit on the edge about mysterious joker/kaitou joker, because the opening felt very "kiddy" at first, but boy am I glad I stuck with it. I sing along every time now and that show is just plain fun!

Also, this:

Noot noot!

Edit: How do I end up writing long-ass analytical posts every single time.

mariusthered 2017-01-26 14:16:36 UTC #10

fluffy things with big eyes and a message to inspire or keep them good......