What are comics?

What are comics? Some people might describe comics as being stories with pictures, but, if that's the case, then do picture books qualify as comics? The answer is no --- picture books and comics are not synonymous. So, there is a lot more to comics than just pictures. This is how artist and author Scott McCloud defines comics:

"Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer" (Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud).

(From McCloud's Understanding Comics)

McCloud also refers to comics as "sequential art," or panels containing a combination of images and words that are set in a specific sequence to tell a story.

Check out the following interview of Scott McCloud. He discusses a lot about his view of comics.

                                    

"I try to learn from everyone... I try to follow no one..." --- Scott McCloud

Comics? Really?

Yep, I said it. Comics are a real form of literature. As a Language Arts major, I  believe that comics/graphic novels are just as worthy of being called literature as poems, novels, and essays. I didn't always believe this, however. I didn't even think about comics much until I began taking this class --- Comics as Literature. This blog is a product of my thoughts, new knowledge, and reflection from this class.

So, comics are a worthy form of literature. This isn't to say that all comics have literary worth, just like not all novels have literary worth. (See The Literary Worth of Comics). Literary worth is mostly up to opinion and personal preference. I might think that a book --- let's say Twilight ---  is amazing while my best friend disagrees. To me, Twilight has literary worth; to my friend, it does not. But these opinions do not change the fact that Twilight is a piece of literature. It is a novel, and a novel is a worthy form of literature. Likewise, not all comics and graphic novels are good, exactly, but they are still literature. If you give them a chance, you will find that some of them are amazing, however, and you might even decide that some comic books meet your own definition of literary worth!

What is literature? According to the online Oxford Dictionary, literature refers to "written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit." Does this definition apply to comics? Well, first of all, we need to decide whether comics are written works. Most comics contain words, but they do not have to contain words. Does a written work have to contain words in order to fit the definition? As of now, I'm really not sure. This idea could be debated forever. For my purposes here, let's just say that comics are written works, as most do contain words along with images.

Secondly, are comics "considered of superior or lasting artistic merit?" Your initial response might be 'no,' but let's think this through. Certainly not all comics have lasting artistic merit, but some do. Think about superhero movies and shows, like Spiderman and Batman. These began with comics during the first half of the twentieth century. These characters still exist in mainstream movies and shows. They also exist on T-shirts, shoes, toys, etc. Wouldn't you say that these products of comics prove the lasting artistic merit of their origins?

Perhaps you still disagree. Let me guide you to some top-notch graphic novels. Works like Maus and Watchmen have received world renown. These graphic novels contain strong plot lines, complex characters, and deep, serious themes. It would take a  long time for me to describe every facet of these stories to you here, so I would encourage you to just pick them up and read them yourself! (It would be much more interesting for you to read them instead of reading about them anyway.) Once you've read a good graphic novel, then reevaluate your opinions about them. You might just decide that graphic novels qualify as literature!