FOTONOVELAS AND COMIC BOOKS; THE USE OF POPULAR GRAPHIC MEDIA IN DEVELOPMENT

But they have also had more substantive purposes. During the last 25 years, comic books have been used in the United States to reach children and adolescents regarding important social problems. In addition, within the last few years population planners have discovered the melodramatic fotonovela as an ideal format to address the highly emotional problems of unwanted pregnancies and changing sexual attitudes and social roles. This study, comparing fotonovelas and comic books as tools in delivering family planning and other development messages, revealed the following strengths and weaknesses of each: (1) Fotonovelas appear to be more effective in reaching literate and semi-literate audiences. (2) The fotonovela has a visual, highly emotional quality which appeals more to larger audiences than does the comic book. (3) The comic book is better suited to delivering messages involving external action. (4) The comic book is highly culture-sensitive and can present the same information in a variety of ways. (5) The comic book remains an ideal medium for communicating social messages to children and adolescents. (6) Both the fotonovela and the comic book have a certain negative social stigma attached to them. Examples of "family planning" fotonovelas and comics from throughout the world are reproduced and critiqued in this report. Overall, these educationally oriented productions lacked the vitality and spirit of their commercial counterparts. Their lack of success stems from an incomplete appreciation of the traditional conventions and generic structure which give comic books and fotonovelas their inherent appeal. Problems involving distribution, cost, and production are also discussed in the report. Appendices include an evaluation of eight fotonovela and comic book series currently distributed by private voluntary organizations and developing country governments, a review of psycho-perceptual research (with bibliography), a list of persons and institutions contacted during the preparation of this report, and a general bibliography (35 entries, 1965-77).