no longer low art?

by austin english

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 accustomed 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.

And 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.