Will Comic Books ever be respected as an artistic medium??

[The PhantaZm]

Do you think they deserve to be? Should they be on the same level as Film and Literature? Comic books are becoming more and more sophisticated, infact I'd say most comic books on the market today would probably fly over the head of the average 10 year old that tries to read them.

So do you think comic books will ever be able to stand side by side with books like the great gatsby or movies like The Godfather?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Depends on what kind of comics. Graphic novels have been regarded as equal to film and literature (or film, at the very least) for years already. There are just a few pig-headed critics who refuse to acknowledge their literary merit "durr, 'cause they gots da pitchurs."

 

[masteryoda]

They've been accepted as art for a long long time.

 

[Anubis]

It should. In my opinion, comics is on the same level as film and literature. Will they ever be respected by the general public? I can't say. It's possible. There seems to be a lot of novelists, directors, screen writers, that grew up reading comics throughout the 80's and 90's when a lot of the more artistic and high concept comics started appearing. They seem to gravitate towards comics. The more people coming in from the so called more "sophisticated" mediums and dabble in the art form, the better the chance for people who are fans of theirs from they're outside work will follow them and see comics truly for what it is instead of they're preconceived notions of camp. It's possible that it will generate more respect by the masses. Then again, maybe not.

 

[bulok]

Visually it's called Pop Art, literature wise, Neil Gaiman set the precedent with his Sandman series, making comic books more than just "kids fiction"

 

[masteryoda]

No, you're thinking of Will Eisner and Art Spiegelman. Not to take away from what Gaiman as done for the industry, of course.

 

[bulok]

I don't know, even with Eisner's contribution, even during the 80s, comic books were still largely a "children's fiction" genre. Not many adults read comic books. You could only pick them up from the newsstands. Most people couldn't differentiate from an Archie to a Punisher book. (heh remember the Punisher/Archie crossover lol)

Neil Gaiman made the literature world take notice by being the first comic book to win a World Fantasy Award for a short story. (A feat by the way that caused such an uproar in amongst certain circles that the rules were changed stating that comic books could not qualify for that award).

Anyways, my point is Will Eisner was celebrated within the comic industry itself, but Gaiman brought comic book as a literary medium to the rest of the world.

(I'm sorry i'm not familiar iwth Spiegelman so I can't comment)

 

[masteryoda]

I don't know, even with Eisner's contribution, even during the 80s, comic books were still largely a "children's fiction" genre. Not many adults read comic books. You could only pick them up from the newsstands. Most people couldn't differentiate from an Archie to a Punisher book. (heh remember the Punisher/Archie crossover lol)

Neil Gaiman made the literature world take notice by being the first comic book to win a World Fantasy Award for a short story. (A feat by the way that caused such an uproar in amongst certain circles that the rules were changed stating that comic books could not qualify for that award).

Anyways, my point is Will Eisner was celebrated within the comic industry itself, but Gaiman brought comic book as a literary medium to the rest of the world.

(I'm sorry i'm not familiar iwth Spiegelman so I can't comment)

I know what you're saying but Eisner was the guy who paved the road for everyone that came after that's why he deserves the most credit even if it mainly comes from those in the know. Spiegelman won a Pulitzer for Maus which is why I place him above Gaiman when it comes to mainstream recognition. You should really find Maus it's truly brillant.
Not that it really matters who won what award or who came first. The point I'm trying to make is that comics have been valued and reconized as a legitimate art form since the days of Eisner. I honestly believe that the only people who don't see that and think of it as a childs medium are truly uncultured.

 

[deemar325]

They've been accepted as art for a long long time.

Tell that too my brother, he thinks it's fluff.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Some of it is, but that's the same across any medium. There's the fluff and there's the good stuff and there's the stuff that's somewhere in between. In my opinion, the fluff is the majority of mainstream superhero comics--which aren't really going for earth-shattering literary merit in the first place--the good stuff is Watchmen, Maus, Sandman, et al., and the stuff in between is Ex Machina, 100 Bullets, Fables, that sort of thing.

 

[deemar325]

I hear ya!

I think the true example of how comics are being respected is by the number of tv,movie and novelists who are eager to write comics. If you told me 10 years ago a movie director, tv producer/writer, or Stephen 'Freakin' King would be involved in comics I'd laugh.

Now it's a reality.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, it's surprising how many writers from other media are "coming out of the closet" about being comic fans these days. Whether it's a good or bad thing for the comics themselves is debatable, but it's at least a good source of publicity.

 

[deemar325]

Now if only Steven Spielberg would take time out his busy schedule to write a six issue Silver Surfer or FF story.

 

[Harlekin]

I'm siding with those that say it already is accepted as an art form. The catch however is that like film and most books, not every comic will be considered literature. There are still people that attack the notion that some movies are on the same level as literature. We'll never convince everybody, but most will agree that comics deserve their respect.

 

[Guyverjay]

Yes...........in Japan