Isn't What Is

I'd like to share with you what is probably one of the worst articles ever written about comics, manga, and graphic novels. It's written by Charles McGrath, who I can only assume likes to parade around in New York's Central Park in a Harold Bloom costume. The article is here, and you will need a free New York Times account to view it.

The usual comics crowd is passing this thing around like it's the key to greater respectability for their medium — well, if your work is accepted by the art house crowd that is — and that they will all finally be able to lift their dirty, hipster heads to the sun and proclaim, “I am literature, the New York Times says so, and I am better than genre fantasy/science fiction/mystery/romance/crime/western/sports/and cooking comics, and every other form of comics fiction that is actually making a difference in book stores. In short, may I have my unlimited fame, money, and sexual intercourse with multiple partners now?”

How can anybody take an article seriously that begins with “In fact, the fastest-growing section of your local bookstore these days is apt to be the one devoted to comics and so-called graphic novels. It is the overcrowded space way in the back -- next to sci-fi probably, or between New Age and hobbies -- and unless your store is staffed by someone unusually devoted, this section is likely to be a mess. ''Peanuts'' anthologies, and fat, catalog-size collections of ''Garfield'' and ''Broom Hilda.'' Shelf loads of manga -- those Japanese comic books that feature slender, wide-eyed teenage girls who seem to have a special fondness for sailor suits.”

So that's it, huh, Mr. McGrath? Forty years of Tezuka, Miyazaki, Takahashi, Amano, Yasuhiko, etc., etc., with stories ranging everywhere between Joan of Arc and the plight of the Kurds, the bombing of Hiroshima, to weighty contemplation of nature and humanity's relation to the world it's destroying, to yes, even sailor-suited girls who save the earth battling robots. Mr. McGrath is either a callous dummy or his research staff is full of callous dummies. Really, this pretentious fluff piece is sickening, and in many ways downright creepy. Why is it creepy? It seeks to artificially redefine the parameters of the comic industry, and how we and the public are supposed to feel about certain comics genres. It seeks to make us all believe that the truly valuable books in the industries are Robert Crumb influenced graphic novels, and that those are the real graphic novels, and everything else is just crap comics (and thus are not real graphic novels). I'm happy to inform you Mr. McGrath that you are embarrassingly wrong. Art Speigelman, and Robert Crumb, and Chris Ware are also genre fiction creators (their genre is art house). Yes, Ware makes graphic novels, but so do Tavisha and I, so does Jhonen Vasquez, so does Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Rumiko Takahashi, so does Evan Dorkin, and so do a thousand other genre fiction authors.

I think Mr. McGrath's point is to simply show his New York book pals how good he is at defining a “new medium.” Knock it off Charles McGraff! This is creepy and ignorant! The world doesn't need any more Blooms slapping the word “genius” above their name on collections of other author's works, and likewise the comics industry, of which manga is very much a valid part of, doesn't need any more fools bumping around the books shelves telling comics professionals how to wear their future on their sleaves.

To be sure, Speigelman and Ware, and Tomine, are masters at what they do, but they are not the masters of the comics medium. They can be considered to be the top of their art house genre, but they are no better than other creators who are tops of their genres (like Miyazaki and Otomo can be considered the top of the genres of fantasy and science fiction). (Tangent: I love Chris Wares gorgeous designs, but his writing on Acme Novelty makes me feel like I'm dying in church.)

Going back to how the comics pundits are passing this article around the internet like it's a sign of finally being saved, I can only reasonably shake my head and say no, sorry. It will not suddenly make all of America stop what they are doing and go rushing for the graphics novel section, or God forbid, the comic book shops. What it will do is create a buzz around the word “graphic novel” for about one to six months, mostly in book circles, cause more confusion about what comics are, and the whole thing will eventually die of a ennui somewhere in Central Park. Yet, comics pundits will not think reasonably because comics pundits are comics geeks too, and they let let their passion for the art form lead them. As I said on a www.tcj.com message board recently, the big difference I've noticed between the “regular” bookseller industry and the comic industry is that the regular book industry people tend to be outwardly fake about how they feel about books, but very realistic about their industry's impact and capabilities. Meanwhile, the comic industry types tend to be outwardly passionate about how they feel about comics, but very unrealistic about their industry's impact and capabilities.

Meanwhile, graphic novels like ShutterBox, Blue Monday, Courtney Crumrin, Elf Quest, and Nightmares and Fairy Tales will continue to sell on the “manga” shelves at local book stores because, from a technical/marketing perspective, they fit on the shelf and fit a new standard price. This format will continue to cascade into every publisher until the manga section is far bigger than the “graphic novel” section (even more than it already does) because there will be books in that section from every nation. And this simple format change will do far more to get graphic novels noticed than any fatuous New York Times article.

Also: Jennifer de Guzman dissects the offending article quick and clean, like a true comics ninja.

-Rikki

Comments

[WolvenIllusion]

Before I get into the awful article that I just had the misfortune of reading, The picture of the liscences made me laugh. xD Ah, poor Rikki, lookit what the comics have done.

Anyway... I decided that I REALLY didn't like this guy after the
"and if the highbrows are right, they're a form perfectly suited to our dumbed-down culture and collective attention deficit."
Comment. And since I just woke up, and I'm not exactly up for typing some huge rant, I'll just end with saying that this guy is a blatant asshole, and the article is bullshit. Myep.

[Mundee]

I haven't read the article and I'm comptemplating not to, but to change the subject your new driver's license picture is AWESOME! NOT! You look like the Unibomber, but in a sort of good way. Seriously, you look exhausted and in dire need of a vacation. Speaking of vacations, we are planning to spend Christmas in Mexico and we would love it if you and Tavi could join us. Just a thought.

Ciao and remember winning an argument on the internet is like winning at the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you are still retarded.

Much love,
Mundee

[Amber]

Well, after reading that artical, and wiping the sick little smirk off my lips, all I can say is the man has done little researched.

Also, I've noted the pathetic artical seems filled with sub-adequate sentences.

"a form perfectly suited to our dumbed-down culture and collective attention deficit"

Since when are graphical novels dumbed-down? Because they tell a story frame by frame? With pictures?

I've read many a-novel that were quite "dumbed-down," no pictures involved. Perhaps, the man has just been reading all the wrong graphical novels. Or, he could just be pathetic.

Maybe I'm just being defencinve of graphical novels, as I'm an avid manga collector as well as a comic strip artist.

Either way, I was insulted by the comic, and at the same time, amused by it. Maybe I'm just messed up, which is a good possiblity.

Oh, about the drivers license.

My, my, you've changed. Then again... X-number of years went by, and everyone changes with time... Or...something.

Right.

Well, I'm off to parts unknown, drawing random giant mecha ...things.

Take care, man o_o;

[Moosey]

You picture was quite amusing. Personally I think you look better now ... but that was sure one drastic change.

That McGrath person is completely inane ... that's all I'll leave it at... I tend to go off on endless tangents and digressions when I go into detail ... like the fact that he has the same last name as my 7th grade English teacher, formerly a secretary. She was the worst English teacher I have ever had. She gave a summer assignment about the book, "The Crossing" by Gary Paulsen... I disliked the book and gave a thorough negative critique with a tad bit of sarcasm and humor. With that assignment I became my 8th grade teachers "pet" and Ms. McGrath's least favorite, with her only defense being, "The sergeants alcoholism is like cancer ... he cannot stop it, how dare you write that, it was not a humorous story."

I'm sorry for wasting your time with my rant -_-;
Mr. McGrath truly knew nothing of Manga and Comics... *sigh* Can all McGraths be like that?

-Moosey

[Gabycat]

Man...time does not forgive... nor does comics...
It is good to see you just won a few pounds, 220 is not that bad for someone of your height.
For a second I read: Rosearik Rikki ALIEN Simons ...later I put on my glasses and read "Allen"
ahhh... that made much more sense...
About the article, I yet have to read it in its full to give a real opinion. So I'll come later to bother your blog!
=3

[panda ninja]

Wow, I honestly don't get people who write things like that. Is it that they are against manga and comic books? Or are they trying to promote them in a not so good way...?Well, whatever. Oh, and I must agree with Moosey, that is one drastic change, hehehe...

~panda~

[smooky]

oooo lots and lots of text good thing my eyes can't feel pain....wait a second... CURSE YOU CANCER! YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF ME!

[smooky]

but still i agree

[Moosey]

In my comment I made an obvious error.

"*You picture was quite amusing."

*Your

Sorry 'bout that.

-Moosey

[technofairy]

"Cartooning is now an obsession, a visual diary in which the artist records every detail of his personal life, with a special emphasis on his sexual fantasies and his usually excessive masturbation"....
so [I] this [/I] is what got you into comics Rikki? ;-)

I'm by no means an expert on comix or cartooning but this guy sounds like he needs to extract himself from up himself. Off an a tangent, the shelf which hold all my Terry Pratchett first editions, illustrated novel/graphic novels/whatever fell off the wall the other day. Darn this crumbling Victorian plaster! It has reminded me how wonderful Josh Kirby's illustrated "Eric" is. A sad loss.

By the way, Rikki, I think Mr Potato-Head has stolen your identity!

[smooky]

Cartooning is now an obsession, a visual diary in which the artist records every detail of his personal life, with a special emphasis on his sexual fantasies and his usually excessive masturbation"...
hmmm I wonder if he knows what hes saying...

[Neb]

Mr. McGrath is the comic book version of those people who wander around and talk about how the katana is the perfect sword. He seems to have chosen a very limited criteria for judgement and then run with it for as long as he could, in order to sound "cultured." While i admit that "Maus" was the first serious comic book i read, it has been matched and surpassed by some of the stuff i have seen since, especially in Manga, where serious subjects seem to be given a lot more respct than in american comics.
But it is also fun to see a robot destroy a city once in a while. Or to have a storyline go on for a while without Aliens becoming involved *Cough*X-men,spiderman,marvel-in-general*Cough*

oh, and on a side note, Yaaaaaaaay, Nebraska! i live here too!

[Akimika]

Ugh... people like that make me wonder about things sometimes... but then I just remember everyone went insane long, long ago.

I guess he never actually looked into some things.
...Like... meanings of words... and stuff...
No one noticed yet: A lot of "unusually devoted" people are trying for those bookstore jobs. And getting them, at that.

And yes, -every- japanese girl wears -sailor- outfits. Every one of them. Yep. Not a single exception. All of them do.
*cough*

My eyes seem to be burning now, too.*sleep deprevation symptoms kick in*

[Very nice site. Will sure visit again.]

Very nice site. Will sure visit again.