Comics, Books and Art

Run, Artist, Run!

I have been having various conversations on the state of comics. At the end of the day, comics are a lot of things but, essentially, it is a sequential art form. Or you can say it’s primarily that since work that falls within the comics radar could possibly not be sequential! I think part of the problem is a human need to categorize and organize things: attempting to combine every kind of work of comics and illustration, as well as any work that includes or references “comics” under one leaky umbrella. We can’t seem to leave well enough alone. And then there is another human need to create some sort of turf war: this work is more worthy than that work; my work is prestigious and rises to the level of art while your work does not.

Impie, Little Nemo, and Flip

Books of all kinds manage to co-exist together without a complaint in the world. But leave it to humans to make lofty determinations as to which book deserves to be awarded, collected, adored, revered, ridiculed, mocked and/or banned. All the strategizing and maneuvering that goes on to foist certain books into the right circles in order to win awards can make your head spin. I could go on but maybe I shouldn’t or keep that for another day. Anyway, sometimes comics, especially under the market-driven label of “graphic novel,” will make its way into consideration for an award that is usually bestowed only on prose work. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don’t really know.

“Ville Avoisinant La Terre” by Jorj A. Mhaya

Not too long ago, some stranger walked up to me at a comics festival and asked a very pointed question, “Why did you make a graphic novel out of something that could have been a written book?” The basic answer is that the material was an excellent fit for the comics medium. Also, another quick and legitimate response would be to say that some subjects do well to be processed into comics simply in order to make that information more accessible. And so on. Basically, I guess if it’s too much of a problem, then don’t read the graphic novel. But, if you’re open-minded, it should all make sense. Comics adaptations of other works and graphic novels in general, if created with skill and good cheer, usually prove to have been well worth the effort in the making–and the subsequent reading.

“I’ve always been this way.”

Getting back to the art aspect to comics, it is a tricky subject to be sure since there are so many opinions on the subject. And, as I was just saying in the previous paragraph, comics are essentially books. When we think of art, we usually think of something displayed upon a wall, at least that’s our usual contemporary view. There’s a long history of illustrated books, of course. I suppose comics also have to deal with a more recent history of being featured in relatively ephemeral newspapers as comic strips and, in only slightly more archival comic books. Comics, for over a century, have been associated by the general public with something you ultimately discard. That has changed with the popular myth that every collection of comics must harbor at least a few collectibles worth a tidy sum. That said, comics can easily be conflated with something that is relatively worthless unless, by some fluke, is valuable. If you set all that aside, you finally get to the question of what does it take for a work of comics to also be considered a work of art?

Panel from “Chinatown Bus”

A work of artistic expression that manages to straddle both the comics world and the art world is no small feat. I think some of what determines what is art is based upon the artist’s intention, or would-be artist’s intention. If you want something too much, you may never get it. If you pretend you’re an artist, try too hard to be an artist, you will likely miss the boat, even if some people tell you that you’ve arrived and even if you’ve secured your place in this or that museum.

Graphic Novel Section

The last phase of an artist’s career is to secure their legacy. Some seem to just let it happen but there are plenty of others who very consciously go about a deliberate process of establishing themselves within the pantheon. Some will push their way in and some may someday be pushed right back out. You just never know what future critics, academics and even bloggers have to say. No, the only chance you’ve really got to achieve this elusive artistic status is to be as true to yourself and your craft as possible. In the end, the “art” will need to speak for itself and if it manages to sing, well, then perhaps it has truly reached a transcendent level.