Graphic Novels
April 13th 2008 12:09
A few years ago I was sitting talking to my boss a closet geek. I was sitting in his office and I happened to be talking about comics and I said that "Comics are a legitimate literary medium." He looked at me for a moment and shook his head.
The next day I brought in a trade paperback, "Hellblazer - Dangerous Habits" he took it home and then he brought it back and didn't say much.
Then a few years later Constantine came out and he caught up with me a couple of weeks later and said "Wasnt that film based on the book the you lent me."
I just smiled.
I have been arguing that comics are not just juvenile entertainment. More than just kids stuff. As I said to my boss they are a literary art form. It has been nice to see comics and graphic novel become more main stream.
But I have noticed something that I feel is not all sunshine and roses.
I saw a character on some random American teen drama correct another character when he refered to a comic book as a "Graphic Novel"
Now that struck me as odd. I have seen it pop up from time to time and I have to tell you it smells of cultural elitism. Not only that but also just a tad stupid.
To clarify a comic book is something that comes out on a monthly basis (as a rule of thumb some not as often) and is 23 - 30 pages in length with 22 pages of story.
Now I don't care how generous you want to be with definitions nothing that is 22 pages long is a novel.
It is 22 pages.
Comics are collected in Trade Paperback format and this will usually be 6 - 8 issues that are reprints of the original 22 page issues so that is 132 - 176 pages this I have no problem defining as a Graphic Novel although I will call it a Trade Paperback.
But I repeat 22 pages is not a graphic novel it is a comic book. Comic Books are cool, I mean why change the name of something that was perfectly fine five years ago? It not only smells of cultural elitism but also a bit of cultural cringe.
That is never cool. So can we just agree that if someone calls the piece of sequential art in your hand that is bound with 22 pages of story a comic book that this is OK and you don't feel the need to correct them.
Because you know what we won. Those of us that would argue with parents and teachers that what we were reading was not juvenile and a waste of time. Culture has made us right we don't need to apologize for the fact that we love comics anymore we can be proud of what we love .
Now any article on graphic novels and comics needs a recommended reading list and with my piece on superheroes I have been remiss so here is my list of recommended reading
Watchmen - Soon to be a major motion picture. This is the Citizen Kane of comics Alan More and Dave Gibbons have created a masterpiece.
Pride of Baghdad - By Brian K Vaughan a fable told with beautiful art by Niko Henrichon
Hellblazer - Dangerous Habits The graphic novel that the movie Constantine was based on and it has one of the best version of the faustian bargain that I have read better than the film
Sandman - By Neil Gaimen and Various. This is a complete story that will take you to the edge of wonder and beyond. It comprises 75 issues and is published in 10 trade paperbacks. It is truly great story telling
Bone - By Jeff Smith. This is a fantasy epic done in the style of Uncle Scrooge but with no ducks pure brilliance
All Star Superman - Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly Purely. Great. Superman.
The Batman Books
(For some reason some of the best graphic novels involve Batman)
The Dark Knight Returns - This is the story that every batman movie wants to be.
Arkham Asylum - Grant Morison creates a truely fantastic story
Batman - The Killing Joke - One of the Best Batman stories ever told and the best Joker story.
This is a short and incomplete list.
For more visit the great people at your local comic store they are sure to give you a ton of great reading material
The next day I brought in a trade paperback, "Hellblazer - Dangerous Habits" he took it home and then he brought it back and didn't say much.
Then a few years later Constantine came out and he caught up with me a couple of weeks later and said "Wasnt that film based on the book the you lent me."
I just smiled.
I have been arguing that comics are not just juvenile entertainment. More than just kids stuff. As I said to my boss they are a literary art form. It has been nice to see comics and graphic novel become more main stream.
But I have noticed something that I feel is not all sunshine and roses.
I saw a character on some random American teen drama correct another character when he refered to a comic book as a "Graphic Novel"
Now that struck me as odd. I have seen it pop up from time to time and I have to tell you it smells of cultural elitism. Not only that but also just a tad stupid.
To clarify a comic book is something that comes out on a monthly basis (as a rule of thumb some not as often) and is 23 - 30 pages in length with 22 pages of story.
Now I don't care how generous you want to be with definitions nothing that is 22 pages long is a novel.
It is 22 pages.
Comics are collected in Trade Paperback format and this will usually be 6 - 8 issues that are reprints of the original 22 page issues so that is 132 - 176 pages this I have no problem defining as a Graphic Novel although I will call it a Trade Paperback.
But I repeat 22 pages is not a graphic novel it is a comic book. Comic Books are cool, I mean why change the name of something that was perfectly fine five years ago? It not only smells of cultural elitism but also a bit of cultural cringe.
That is never cool. So can we just agree that if someone calls the piece of sequential art in your hand that is bound with 22 pages of story a comic book that this is OK and you don't feel the need to correct them.
Because you know what we won. Those of us that would argue with parents and teachers that what we were reading was not juvenile and a waste of time. Culture has made us right we don't need to apologize for the fact that we love comics anymore we can be proud of what we love .
Now any article on graphic novels and comics needs a recommended reading list and with my piece on superheroes I have been remiss so here is my list of recommended reading
Watchmen - Soon to be a major motion picture. This is the Citizen Kane of comics Alan More and Dave Gibbons have created a masterpiece.
Pride of Baghdad - By Brian K Vaughan a fable told with beautiful art by Niko Henrichon
Hellblazer - Dangerous Habits The graphic novel that the movie Constantine was based on and it has one of the best version of the faustian bargain that I have read better than the film
Sandman - By Neil Gaimen and Various. This is a complete story that will take you to the edge of wonder and beyond. It comprises 75 issues and is published in 10 trade paperbacks. It is truly great story telling
Bone - By Jeff Smith. This is a fantasy epic done in the style of Uncle Scrooge but with no ducks pure brilliance
All Star Superman - Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly Purely. Great. Superman.
The Batman Books
(For some reason some of the best graphic novels involve Batman)
The Dark Knight Returns - This is the story that every batman movie wants to be.
Arkham Asylum - Grant Morison creates a truely fantastic story
Batman - The Killing Joke - One of the Best Batman stories ever told and the best Joker story.
This is a short and incomplete list.
For more visit the great people at your local comic store they are sure to give you a ton of great reading material
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