It's all about balance, really. Although I'd still advise novice writers to avoid controversial issues in their stories. They're very touchy subjects for a reason, and fumbling them makes you look like a potentially insensitive idiot.

... or being part of an extremist wacko cult terrorist organization...

Seriously, that's what some people who've read MAG-ISA accused me of. That's why I had to put up a disclaimer at the top of my comic as well as a F.A.Q. section.

kyupol
Talk about preachiness?

Check out Jack Chick (Note: I only agree with 70-80% of what he says)

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0064/0064_01.asp
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0055/0055_01.asp
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1058/1058_01.asp

And more of his tracts:
http://www.chick.com/catalog/tractlist.asp

Those are hilarious.

There was a comics from Image/Top Crow - Cyberforce/Hunter Killer by Mark Waid. It was typical superhero story, with two teams fightins their allied villains, who were using new brand of cellphones to turn all their users into monsters. At the end of every issue there was a rant by Waid about cellphones, how can they be used to locate, invigilate and even manipulate the users. That's another way you can combine two aspects, among many.

Kyupol I swear you say someone accused you of being an extremist on every thread on DD you post on. 80% of your posts mention that.
If you want I can start a forum thread called "Kyupol is an extremist", if that will make you happy.

harkovast
Kyupol I swear you say someone accused you of being an extremist on every thread on DD you post on. 80% of your posts mention that.
If you want I can start a forum thread called "Kyupol is an extremist", if that will make you happy.

Can we please, avoid rude comments about each other's bahavior? I don't want this thread to turn out like infamous Ukrainian parliament session not so long ago.

harkovast
Kyupol I swear you say someone accused you of being an extremist on every thread on DD you post on. 80% of your posts mention that.
If you want I can start a forum thread called "Kyupol is an extremist", if that will make you happy.

Haha! That is a hilarious idea for a thread! ^_^
But not possible here sadly since we have a policy of not singling out other DD members in threads that way. :(

God of War
Can we please, avoid rude comments about each other's bahavior? I don't want this thread to turn out like infamous Ukrainian parliament session not so long ago.

Good call :)

Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound so hostile. I was aiming for more "pointing out his quirks" rather then giving the impression they particularly annoy me.
Apologies to Kyupol for any offense caused.

Well...my comic is certainly meant to be entertainment!

But here's the thing, whether or not a comic is meant to be entertaining depends on the goal of the writer. Comics can be anything at all, and whether or not they can be classified as entertainment depends on the focus of the comic in question.

For example, Calvin and Hobbes is entertainment. Sure, it can have some very potent points, but that doesn't mean that I"m not also entertained by it.

Conversely, there is Maus. I would not call this entertainment. Stunning, awesome, engrossing, and horrifying...but I don't read it for entertainment. I read it to learn and to sympathize.

and there are many comics which AIM for entertainment, yet miss the mark entirely :)

Touche. XD

comics are supposed to be entertaining, just like any form media. sure it is all relative to the reader, viewer, or listening what constitutes "entertainment", but whether you're writing/drawing/acting/singing/reporting/taking-photos about something personal, something sociological, something political, something mindless, or something involving current events.....it better be engaging and entertaining or no one is going to bother to give it a second glance.

as pertaining to comics specifically: there is so much possibility to what can be done with the medium. they can literally be about anything within the scope of the writer/artist's imagination. a lot of mainstream american comics have missed that for many, many decades. you'd never see a comic about horse racing, or tennis, or middle school romance, or political bravado, or chess coming out of DC and marvel. but whether or not there is a message or a point to whatever you're writing about, it all goes out the window if readers are not engaged enough to turn the pages (or click "next").