Graphic Novels: An Underrated Medium¶
Jesal Mehta — PG-III, Product Design, MITID, 2012
Presented at Colloquium
Abstract
Comic books have evolved over the past few decades into a lot more than a medium for a child’s fantasy. The graphic novels and “comic books” have been addressing a far more mature range of people. The themes, narrative style, illustration, and overall content of the book or series is far more complex and more detailed than ever before. However, most of these books are still boxed under “Comics” and easily overshadowed by their superhero counterparts, and often summarily dismissed. This paper is an attempt at an exposition of the brilliant but underrated work in this field across the world.
Introduction¶
We are all familiar with the ubiquitous “comic-strips” that abound in the daily and Sunday newspapers. Also, there are the comics filled with superheroes saving the world or other stories, colourfully illustrated and larger than life. All of these are examples of the broad field nowadays referred to as “Sequential Art”. Sequential art is defined as “the art form of using a train of images deployed in sequence to tell a story or convey information.”
Comic strips are serial or one-off series of panels depicting a short narrative. They are usually humorous and follow a single or group of main characters. Comic books are “a magazine made up of ‘comics’ —narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including brief descriptive prose.” To these two have been added, in the past decades, new genres like Graphic Novels, Manga, and recently, Webcomics.
Webcomics are, as the name implies, comic strips that are made available online. The can be independently published on the creator’s website, or linked up to other sites. Manga are comics created in Japan, or by Japanese creators in the Japanese language, conforming to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century. They have a long, complex pre-history in earlier Japanese art. The exact definition of Graphic Novels is under debate, however it is generally accepted that they are books published in the comic-book format having more content than the usual comic books.
Graphic novels are a genre that has evolved from the Comics of earlier times, consisting of longer narratives, more intricate plots, fuller character development and an overall maturity of theme and content. They are usually independent full length stories, but frequently, a set of related episodes, called a story arc, from a comic book series published in a book format or an anthology of loosely related content is also classified under this category. To distinguish between these, story arc sets are usually called Trade Paperbacks, while original, non-serialized content is called an Original Graphic Novel (OGN).
Comic books have a third act. They don’t really end. The people just all go home; live to fight another day. Nobody dies, or stays dead. With Graphic novels, there is a definite conclusion, and the story, as far as the reader is concerned, has ended.
Overlooked and Underrated¶
While definitely having a loyal fan base and awareness in niche groups, graphic novels, apart from infrequent spurts of brief popularity, are usually unknown to a large majority.
Almost everyone knows who Superman or Batman is, as well, or even better than Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins. Iron Man and the Avengers, Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, are all as well known. Tintin and Asterix remain old favourites from Europe. While Aquaman and the Flash may be less known to the general audience, they too have followers, especially in the West. These characters have gone one to have movies, cartoons, television series, and video games created about them. However, very few know of the Sandman, a multi-award winning series. Maus, one of the genre-defining early graphic novels, is equally unknown. Persepolis, a recent and award-winning creation, is equally unknown outside select circles. Even with popular movies like 300 or Sin City, people usually do not know that the movies were based on prior works, let alone graphic novels.
The creators, the artists and writers behind these titles, suffer more equally in terms of recognition and following. Among creators, Stan Lee evokes some recognition. Will Eisner and Alan Moore have followers in the comic book reader audience, but little recognition outside of it. Neil Gaiman, the creator of Sandman, is highly respected in the comic book-graphic novel circles, but unknown outside it. Marvel Comics as well as DC are known producers of comic books and associated movies. DC’s Vertigo imprint, which puts out titles with mature content, also does not induce much recognition. Dark Horse Comics, the publishers for Frank Miller’s Sin City and 300, are probably named as an in-joke for their expectedly unknown status.
Causes and Consequences¶
Comics are seen as immature and childish, especially by adults who would prefer youngsters to be reading more mature literature. And this is for adults who prefer youngsters to be reading literature of any sort at all, rather than sticking their noses into textbooks and scoring high marks in exams. Among readers, comic books are seen as a childhood attachment. While there are enough followers of comic books who are beyond their teens, a large majority outgrow the traditional comic books after a point. It is no surprise, then, that Graphic novels, which are very easily classified as comic books, suffer from the same associative baggage. Even though the content is far more mature than comic books, graphic novels are relegated to the comics-and-funnies section.
Coupled with this association is also the fact that these books do not feature any well-known characters that the reader can immediately recognise. Indeed, the characters may be unique to the book itself, which is intended to stand alone. One does not expect Oliver Twist or Black Beauty to appear in multiple books, nor Mark Haddon’s Christopher Boone or Hamlet. Thus, by the association with comics, and without the recognition needed to be picked up, whether as comics or as books, readers generally skip over graphic novels.
Also, graphic novels tend to be more expensive. They are costlier than ordinary books, and considerably costlier than comics. As compared to books, graphic novels need far higher production values, which lead to higher prices. Also, graphic novels, like comics, are usually a team effort, involving more than a single creator. Comics, on the other hand, are cheap, both in cost and production quality. They are not produced to last, unlike graphic novels which are intended for long term shelf life. This higher cost for what is perceived as comic book material is also a large factor driving off potential buyers.
For creators, working on a graphic novel is a far more long-term commitment than a comic series with a monthly or bi-monthly run. Most major series have a team of a writer and bunch of artists, usually consisting of a penciller, an inker, and a colourist, working in tandem or sequence, producing a comic in a matter of weeks. In comparison, Craig Thompson’s Blankets took four years to produce, with him working on it alone after his day job. It went on to win the Best Artist award, among many others, in 2004. Graphic novels are a labour of love for most creators, and the time and commitment required is very great. Thus, even those who can afford to work on graphic novels full time take months, and the ones who do it on the side will take longer.
Publishing houses, too, resist graphic novels. The book publishing industry rejects graphic novels as comics, and requiring more resources. The comic book industry is more accepting than that, but suffers its own constraints. For one, the production cycle is far longer. There is a higher investment required, due to the longer production cycle, as also since there is more content and better production value is required. The content is also more mature, or otherwise different from the usual, which the publishing house may not want to associate itself with. In fact, major companies have separate imprints that deal specifically with the mature and non-mainstream content. Marvel’s MAX and DC’s Vertigo are a case in point. The relatively niche audience means mainstream popularity, and correspondingly sales, may be uncertain. Marketing costs also rise in tandem. Comparatively, a comic series is far easier to manage. The production cycle is shorter, with lesser investment. For an ongoing series, there is a ready audience following it. Even for a newly launched series, if it doesn’t do well, it can be pulled from production easily since future issues are not printed yet.
History and Evolution¶
Cave paintings tell stories, and due to the lack of knowledge of the written word, most information has always been conveyed through pictures. Egyptian hieroglyphics to Roman Columns all contain illustrations and text merged together. Artists and artisans beginning in the Middle Ages produced tapestries and illuminated manuscripts that told or helped to tell narratives.
The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck, the 1837 English translation of the 1833 Swiss publication Histoire de M. Vieux Bois by Swiss caricaturist Rodolphe Töpffer, are the oldest recognized American example of comics. The United States has also had a long tradition of collecting comic strips into book form. While these collections and longer-form comic books are not considered graphic novels even by modern standards, they are early steps in the development of the graphic novel.
The Golden and Silver ages began in the 30s and 50s respectively, with the first appearance of Superman in the 30s and the revival of comics after World War 2 in the late 50s. While quite a few comic-books had come up in the graphic novel format in the 70s and even earlier, Modern-day graphic novels came to the forefront in the 80s, in what is considered the bronze age of comics. Three novels shot to the forefront in the 80s, Will Eisner’s A Contract with God, Art Spiegelman’s Maus : A Survivors tale and Alan Moore’s acclaimed mini-series Watchmen. Maus won the years Pulitzer Award, and Watchmen was a sellout success. This brought an exposure to the genre that had previously languished in the sidelines. However, in the 90s, the genre was once again overlooked, probably due to falling sales and botched marketing strategies.
In recent years, there has been a steady, but slow, growth of Graphic Novels. Most notable, Marjane Satrapi’s chronicle of childhood in 70s Iran, Persepolis, has once again shone a spotlight on the genre, otherwise populated with trade paperbacks and comic book collections.
India¶
India does not boast of a very exciting scene in comics and especially quiet as far as graphic novels are concerned. Indian content, however, is being produced by Virgin Comic in association with Bangalore based erstwhile Gotham Comics. This is however, being sold in the West, rather than India.
The titles of Ramayan 3392AD, and others like Devi, Sadhu, etc are the flagship titles for Virgin, recently converted to Liquid Comics. They are infused with traditional Indian myth but set in modern or futuristic times.
Historically, India is rife with traditional myths, leaving no space nor need of superheroes in style of the west. While comics are widespread, they consist of homegrown heroes or folk tales. Comics like Tinkle contain a bunch of short stories and other features, instead of a full length tale. Indrajal Comics syndicated superheroes like The Phantom, Mandrake, Flash Gordon, and later produced Bahadur, the setting being a rural village semi urban scene in north India.
Universality and Accessibility¶
The comic-book medium is nearly as universal as movies. Most regions of the world produce some picture stories, traditionally, as well as today.
Japanese Manga is heavily influenced by medieval Japanese Art, and today has exploded into a multitude of sub genres aimed at all segments of the audience, from pre-teen girls to thirty-something men, with stories ranging from romance, dramas, detective, science fiction, and in the past decade, erotica of all types too.
Europe, especially France, is home to a number of widely acclaimed titles. Epileptic, mentioned above, is one such. The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec is both a rip-roaring adventure series set in pre-World War I Paris and a parody of same. Adèle Blanc-Sec has been enchanting, thrilling, and puzzling readers worldwide through four decades. The Rabbi’s Cat is a work by one of France’s most celebrated young comic artists, telling the wholly unique story of a rabbi, his daughter, and their talking cat — a philosopher brimming with scathing humor and surprising tenderness. Tintin and Asterix are graphic novel series that are well known and popular to this day.
The medium is accessible due to its simplicity. There are pictures and there are words. For those unsure of the words, the pictures help. Thus, for fluent readers, the pictures and text works together, while for reluctant readers, the pictures support the text.
High points of the medium¶
For the nay-sayers and the unaware, what follows is an exposition of some of the best work in graphic novels.
Graphic novels deal with a wide variety of themes. The longer length of the story allows a treatment of the subject as good as that in a novel. And the themes explored are mature, and often dark. From autobiographicals to fantasies, historicals to dystopian futures, and much more in between, the range of themes is fantastic.
Take for example, Maus. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale is the autobiographical work of Art Spiegelman. It’s the complete story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Polish Jew, living and surviving in Hitler’s Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through anthropomorphic animals Spiegelman captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival.
Then there’s Our Cancer Year. Published in 1994, it relates the story of Harvey’s struggle to overcome cancer, as well as serving as a social commentary on events of that year. Our Cancer Year won the 1995 Harvey Award for best original graphic novel.
Or Epileptic. The most acclaimed European graphic novel of the last ten years, it is David B.’s story of his brother’s battle with epilepsy. A penetrating and sometimes lacerating self-examination on the author’s part, as he delves into his own complex emotions and his family’s troubled history, as well as his own youthful fantasy life. Particularly pointed is his description of the family journey from one attempted cure to another, including acupuncture, spiritualism and macrobiotics.
It’s not just battles with disease. There are beautiful coming-of-age stories too. Take Blankets. Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, it explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith.
Frank Miller’s 300 is a historical set at the Battle of Thermopylae, about King Leonidas and his soldiers holding the pass, protecting the rest of Greece from an incoming horde. Frank Miller is both writer and artist for this.
The Tale of One Bad Rat is Bryan Talbot’s moving, compelling and beautifully illustrated tale of childhood sexual abuse and recovery. Helen Potter lived a happy life until she got lost in a nightmare of sexual abuse. Now she’s traveling through urban and rural England on a journey that is remarkably similar to the one a certain Beatrix Potter once took. This inspirational story of Helen Potter and her journey of healing has won numerous awards and unending acclaim for the British writer/artist. This book is the definitive example of a touching story that transcends the misperceptions that comics are disposable and banal.
A frightening and powerful tale of the loss of freedom and identity in a chillingly believable totalitarian world, V for Vendetta stands as one of the highest achievements of the comics medium and a defining work for creators Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Set in an imagined future England that has given itself over to fascism, this groundbreaking story captures both the suffocating nature of life in an authoritarian police state and the redemptive power of the human spirit which rebels against it. Crafted with sterling clarity and intelligence, V for Vendetta brings an unequaled depth of characterization and verisimilitude to its unflinching account of oppression and resistance.
Another tale of the dystopian future is Transmetropolitan, following investigative journalist Spider Jerusalem through the world of 2300 AD, filled with aliens, robots, and people or every shape, size, and orientation.
Pride of Baghdad follows a family of four lions that escaped from Baghdad zoo during the American invasion, roaming around Baghdad. It is based on true events, and tells a touching tale from the animals’ perspective.
Not only are the themes and narratives intricate and mature, the art is, well, Art.
Each panel of The Fountain is painted by hand by artist Kent Williams, and each is a painting in its own right. The feel of the art matches the dreamy surreal feel of the story.
Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, illustrated by a host of artists, chiefly Dave McKean for the covers and Charles Vess, Mike Dringenberg, and others for the content, is beautiful, dark, horrifying, comic and innocent as the story demands, complementing the narrative and events perfectly. Even the lettering is specific to each character and their moods and feelings. Dave McKean’s covers are unconventional, and simply surreal, with layers of detail.
Osamu Tezuka’s series on the Buddha’s life is plainly illustrated in black and white, with playful characters and simple but effective drawings. The plain style complements the unadorned story, emphasising it.
Charles Vess’s illustrations of Neil Gaiman’s unconventional fairy tale Stardust are sweet, dark, playful and innocent, all at the same time.
The aforementioned Blankets is entirely Craig Thompson’s work, with every panel, every line drawn not by pencil but by brush. The stroke lines are very expressive, adding simple innocence to the semi-autobiographical story of growing up in rural America.
Not just Entertainment¶
Since comics and graphic novels are more accessible than pure-text books, graphic novels can be – and in a lot of schools, are – used to introduce new readers to the classics and other longer books. Also, for learners of a new language, graphic novels are a good stepping stone into the language.
While they are not as dependent on the users’ imagination as books, graphic novels do provoke readers to think and imagine what’s happening between panels. And they present the reader with a rich source of visual symbolism absent in books. Thus they are very engaging without being the mostly-mindless consumption that movies are.
Graphic novels are essentially storyboards. This is one reason why they adapt so easily to film. However, there is far greater freedom while working on a graphic novel than on a film, on a far smaller budget. That is one reason why the author of The Fountain, Darren Aronofsky, chose to release the story as a Graphic Novel. Kent William’s exquisite painted style was exactly what he felt was needed by the story, which same effect, in film, cost a bomb. While The Fountain could be adapted to the screen, something like the surreal Sandman is far more difficult. The Sandman has been optioned and shelved quite a few times.
Conclusion¶
Graphic Novels are a wealth of literature and visual imagery. The themes and content are far more mature than the run-of-the-mill comics. The grown-up themes work as well as any book, maybe better, at expanding a reader’s worldview and introducing unfamiliar themes to him.
Not only are they entertaining and engrossing, they are a great stepping stone as well as destination to improving a person’s language skills and reading habit.
As such, while they occasionally flourish in select circles, they are unknown to a large majority. They need a wider audience. Not only is this beneficial to the audience which gets a wider choice and greater quality of content, but also encourages artists and writers to experiment with this medium.