Marjane Satrapi, on the term 'graphic novel': "It's a word that publishers created for the bourgeois to read comics without feeling bad."
I do, of course, sometimes wonder if my interest in pop culture - and comics, in particular - is (in part or largely) aimed at allowing me, and by extension those that read or listen to things that I may write or say, to read some admittedly silly comics or watch some unapologetically bad TV without feeling bad. That said, I'm totally with Satrapi on this one - I detest 'graphic novel', especially when it's deployed as a way of delineating good/bad or high/low art comic books. Which is how it's used more often than not, I think.
But maybe some people see a value in the distinction - thoughts?
4 comments:
I've heard the terms "comic" and "graphic novel" as being separated by length and structure. An individual monthly issue would be a comic book, whole the collected issues of that series plotline into a thick trade paperback is a "graphic novel".
Largely, though, I definitely agree that the term was probably invented (and often used) to give the field a high brow Neoism art aura.
It may have something to do with the shift from Spiderman, Superman, Fantastic Four-esque movements into the Sin City style thick pop culture. Although, I think this may be because some people see gritty, plain human, street crime sagas as having more intellectual and relevant depth than superhero universes (which is a naive mistake to make).
The term now seems to have engulfed the industry completely. Though I don't think seeing one term (or one fictional universe) as having more implied weight, or narrative sophistication, as another is the right way to see it.
My impression was that "graphic novel" was a marketing term, rather than an aesthetic judgment of some kind. I don't think anybody ever sat down and thought "I'm going to produce a graphic novel" (with a few possible exceptions), because there's no such thing as a "graphic novel". OTOH "comic book" doesn't really describe anything coherent either;I like "bandes dessinees", but that's because it's a foreign language...
i always thought it was a way for some people to not have to own up to reading a "comic book" cause that term is lowbrow.
the fact that Marijane calls persopolis a "comic" in the version I own (in french so im guessing its the original version) is just another helpful step towards trying to keep "comic" from being a dirty word
merzah the mystic
Marjane called her brilliant work a comic (at least in my french version). im glad the serious writers are vearing away from an invented marketing term and embracing the word "comic"
Merzah the mystic
Post a Comment