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Pop culture in the Empire
Comics
A visitor from OTL might be surprised to find that in TTL the idea of the superhero comic never really developed. Comics here developed out of the editorial cartoons of the 18th and 19th centuries and were first seen as a political medium. Middle and upper class politicians felt that comics were the best way to put across their ideas to the unwashed masses- and more importantly to cast ridicule on their opponents. As such, during election seasons large numbers of satirical artists were employed by campaigning politicians. In time, some of these cast their satirical pens further afield setting up what became known as picture-journals much like OTL's Punch or MAD, making fun of anything under the sun.
In the late 19th century the picture-journals or piccies as they were generally known had begun to include other material besides satire. Due to the huge and enduring popularity of detective stories comics of this sort soon became staples of the piccies.
Though the majority of these generally had cookie-cutter plot formulas some became known as works of distinction, notably the Casebook of Tijl MacNaughten where the epynomynous protagonist solved cases through careful observation and brainpower. Tijl MacNaughten's adventures were serialised by a variety of different writers and artists for over a century, giving rise to the most prominent use of a rolling continuity (updated to suit the times with changes to details such as MacNaughten's Tamil butler, Rajgopal, becoming more of a sidekick than a servant). So celebrated was the series that prominent guest artists and writers from other piccies were invited to write or draw a story once a year. To be invited to work on a MacNaughten guest storyline was a sign that the invited artist had really made it in the business.
While the detective story was still the most popular other genres began to surface in the piccies notably war stories with stalwart Imperial officers fighting off hordes of Russians or the tearjerkers- stories of (usually doomed) romance in piccies aimed at the female demographic.
Comics
A visitor from OTL might be surprised to find that in TTL the idea of the superhero comic never really developed. Comics here developed out of the editorial cartoons of the 18th and 19th centuries and were first seen as a political medium. Middle and upper class politicians felt that comics were the best way to put across their ideas to the unwashed masses- and more importantly to cast ridicule on their opponents. As such, during election seasons large numbers of satirical artists were employed by campaigning politicians. In time, some of these cast their satirical pens further afield setting up what became known as picture-journals much like OTL's Punch or MAD, making fun of anything under the sun.
In the late 19th century the picture-journals or piccies as they were generally known had begun to include other material besides satire. Due to the huge and enduring popularity of detective stories comics of this sort soon became staples of the piccies.
Though the majority of these generally had cookie-cutter plot formulas some became known as works of distinction, notably the Casebook of Tijl MacNaughten where the epynomynous protagonist solved cases through careful observation and brainpower. Tijl MacNaughten's adventures were serialised by a variety of different writers and artists for over a century, giving rise to the most prominent use of a rolling continuity (updated to suit the times with changes to details such as MacNaughten's Tamil butler, Rajgopal, becoming more of a sidekick than a servant). So celebrated was the series that prominent guest artists and writers from other piccies were invited to write or draw a story once a year. To be invited to work on a MacNaughten guest storyline was a sign that the invited artist had really made it in the business.
While the detective story was still the most popular other genres began to surface in the piccies notably war stories with stalwart Imperial officers fighting off hordes of Russians or the tearjerkers- stories of (usually doomed) romance in piccies aimed at the female demographic.
