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In
a recent edition of The New York Times a highly positive
review of four current graphic novels was printed, among them
Chris Wares popular book "Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on
Earth". It was a far cry from the Times previous writings on
comics, when the first sentence of their review of Art Spiegelman's
Maus read: "Maus is not a comic." Conversely, the recent review
lauded the books not only for their superb writing, and unique
artwork, but also for the mere fact that they were comics. In
a sense, one of the top literary reviews in the United States
went from denying that anything of substance could be told in
comics form, to saying that "not only are comics capable of doing
everything literary fiction does, but in many cases, much more."
While
cartoonists hardly need the validation of The New York Times
to tell them what they are doing is important, the recent mass media
acceptance of graphic novels is undeniably important, for countless
reasons. But why are comics receiving this attention now? Anyone
involved in comics on any level knows that now is one of the worst
times economically for the art form.
But
as is often the case, artistic expression pays little heed to the
financial stability such expression will experience. True, it's
hard to buy a paper to look at the want ads on a cartoonists salary,
and true, few publishers can stay afloat long enough to publish
important work. But these grim realties are not the only truths.
At no time in the short history of sequential art have more important
works been published, by such a diverse realm of creators. The Times
says Wares' Jimmy Corrigan book is "perhaps the greatest work ever
told in comic form." They may very well be right, and that alone
would be a book that could change the public's perception of comics.
But this year did not only see the release of Corrigan. Daniel Clowes
also completed David Boring, the master cartoonist's greatest work
yet (it helped immeasurably to these works that Pantheon books published
them, helping in great ways with promotion and distribution). Joe
Sacco greeted the fans of his "Palestine" masterpiece, with the
mammoth follow up, "Gorazde", a first hand account of the war in
Bosnia. John Porcellino, leader of the minimalist movement in comics,
had his first published book (previously Porcellino has self-published),
finally allowing a wider audience to become acquainted with his
work. Art Spiegelman released an anthology for children, which showed
up more in "real" bookstores, then obscure comic shops. Chester
Brown began his most ambitious project yet, a historic drama about
Canadian anarchist Louis Riel, while his Toronto counterpart finished
part one of his superb novel "Clyde Fans". Everyone from Ben Katchor
(Jew of New York) to the Hernandez Brothers (Love and Rockets) to
Lynda Barry (Greatest of Maryls) seemed to have a new book out.
Alone, these books would have been welcome sights, but together
they became a force to be reckoned with. Countless local newspapers
began running features on the new "graphic novel boom". The New
Yorker featured an excerpt from the beginning of Wares' book. And
most recently (as of this writing), there was The New York Times
review.
While
this may not seem like much, people who follow comics have been
starving for the medium to garner some attention…any attention!
It is well known by people who read "art" comics that many cartoonists
are on par with the top novelists and filmmakers of the day. "If
someone just sat down and read these comics, they'd think the same"
is a common mantra among comic readers. Now it appears some people
have, and as luck would have it, many of them work for major newspapers,
radio stations, and publishing houses. All this attention would
mean nothing though if readers had not responded. The fact that
Wares' book is going back for an also immediate second printing
would seem as if they have.
But
what does this awareness mean for the art form? While the effects
may not be immediate, one obvious change is that comic creation
may soon be a profession that pays a decent wage. Critically acclaimed
novelists tend to be rather well off. Critically acclaimed cartoonists
usually have a day job checking tickets at a movie theatre.
The
most exciting change that I hope will come about is the greater
number of creative people who consider comics as a legitimate outlet
for expression. One cannot count the number of artists who would
have been perfect for comics (Picasso, Alfred Hitchcock, etc), but
overlooked the medium because of its status as low art. Now, maybe
people naturally inclined to merge narrative and pictures will produce
the works they are meant to.
For
the benefit of readers across the country, the quickest benefit
from increased attention to comics will most likely be more innovative
and intriguing stories. When someone attempts something of greatness,
and is greeted with cries of congratulations, and not silence,
on lookers will be encouraged to attempt the same.
Copyright
© 2000 Austin English. All Rights Reserved.
Austin English is a writer and artist hailing from the San
Francisco Bay area. He is a regular contributor to *spark-online.
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