Saturday, March 21, 2015

Censorship

In the library where I work, I felt it a small achievement when I managed to expand our graphic novel collection.  It was part of an effort to re-vamp and expand our teen section.  So while I am proud of our re-done 'TeenZone' and the increased usage it has seen, there is a problem in that all our graphic novels and comics lie within it.  There is no separate section for graphic novels themselves, where we could shelve ones with more mature themes.  (And since our current policy is to avoid comics/graphic novels with mature themes and illustrations, Image publishing is no where in evidence.)  One of the reasons of this policy is the fear of an overwhelming amount of challenges from our conservative community.  Because it is true that graphic novels and censorship are quite familiar with each other.

Perhaps it is because of the stereotype that comics are meant for children, or perhaps it is because violence and sex scenes are 'more shocking' when depicted through illustrations instead of words.

"Graphic novels that do contain violence or sexual content are generally labeled as 'adult,' and...using the term 'adult' in relation to graphic novels is often taken to mean the novel contains pornographic content. While some graphic novels do contain sexual content, the label 'adult' does not mean pornographic, it may be in reference to philosophical and emotional content that targets a more mature audience."
--Janet Pinkley & Kaela Casey, 2013

Cover of Saga #12, the issue in question.
The offending images were drawn within
the screen of character Prince Robot IV.
It is not only in libraries that comics struggle with censorship.  Even in digital distribution must they fight.  Apple often acts as gatekeeper for its app store, which can be good for the consumer as it keeps knock-off apps and scams off their devices.  However, Apple's policy also affects companies like ComiXology who digitally publish monthlies.  In spring 2013, ComiXology refused to published Saga #12, due to two "postage-stamp" sized depictions of homosexual acts.  After backlash, ComiXology apologized and posted the issue, saying that they had initially refused to publish it because of how they personally had interpreted Apple's guidelines.  While many cried homophobia, Brian K. Vaughn said, "I never thought either company was being homophobic, only weirdly inconsistent about what kind of adult material was permissible."


And that is the issue with censorship, in graphic novels and all other cases.  Challenges are arbitrary and so are the judgments on whether or not to allow publication or to keep on the shelves.  In 2014, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) teamed up with the Banned Books Week committee to shed a light specifically on graphic novels.   One such graphic novels, listed on CBLDF's website, is Neil Gaiman's Sandman.  Citing reasons such as "anti-family themes", "offensive language", and "unfit for age group", Sandman has been challenged at numerous libraries across the country since its publication in 1989.

Sandman's example may serve to back up the advice Pinkley and Casey give in their writing...each graphic novel's audience must be assessed individually and shelved appropriately, rather than assuming it is meant for a younger crowd.  But no matter the age, all graphic novels should be treated as proper literature, and as potential gateways for reluctant readers.

Resources


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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Comics as a culture and as pop culture

Comics were long considered the domain of young boys.  That's how I started off the previous post and it's how I am starting off this one, because it is a stereotype that lingered around the industry and its fans in media perception.  Comics were juvenile, fantastical stories meant for children, and if you persisted in reading them, it made others wonder about your maturity level.  (Look at the premise of the long-running show the Big Bang Theory as an example...four geek guys who love comics but are totally inept at relationships.)

However, this stereotype has quickly dissolved over the last few years for a variety of reasons.  The growing, diverse readership was already discussed in the previous post, so I won't go over it again except to say that it exists.  And it gathers.  There are three comic shops in my local city of Fort Wayne, IN, that I frequent and each offers ways to build a community among the shoppers by the ways of board & card game nights and book clubs.  But the biggest way that comic fans gather is at conventions, most notable of which is Comic-Con International.

Held in San Diego, Comic-Con International is an annual three-day event.  Its mission statement describes it as "a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular artforms."  According to the official website, over 130,000 attendees flock to the convention to sit in on panels, watch screenings, and wait on the results of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards.  Cosplay (a sort of performance art in which a fan creates and wears the costumes of their favorite characters) is also a big factor at Comic-Con, and there are award ceremonies for the best in that as well.

Comic-Con is one of the most anticipated events for the comic industry and other pop culture enthusiasts.  It is this cross of the formerly-insulated comic community and pop culture that brings us to a 'chicken and the egg' argument.  Is comic & graphic novel readership growing because of its growth into pop culture?  Or did the growing readership cause comics to be brought into pop culture?  Whichever side you come down on, I'm sure it can be agreed that the TV shows and movies developed off comics can only help bring in more potential readers.

 One of the most popular TV shows today is 'The Walking Dead,' based off the series by Robert Kirkman.  Season five of the show premiered last October with 17.3 million viewers.

 A recent rash of shows based off superheroes has cropped up as well.  The CW, a network whose shows typically aim at teens and young adults, airs 'The Flash', featuring DC's hero with the same name, as well as 'Arrow' which is based around another DC hero, the Green Arrow.  ABC airs 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D'. and 'Agent Carter', which is not surprising given that Disney owns ABC and Marvel.  Disney has not been slacking when it comes to promoting Marvel franchises.

 Although a few movies have come out for DC franchises, Warner needs to produce a lot to catch up to where Disney has brought Marvel films.  In 2008, the first 'Iron Man' movie was released and it was the beginning of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" (MCU).  Within this MCU, Marvel heroes such as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and even lesser known franchises such as Dr. Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy would get their own individual movies and then come together in 'Avengers' movies.  It was only in 2013 with the 'Man of Steel' that Warner began to set up a similar enterprise with DC.  Meanwhile, Marvel announced their "phase three" and eleven movie release dates through 2019.

 The highest grossing Marvel movie to date is the 'Avengers', pulling in $623 million. 



Resources

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As a creative medium

Comics and graphic novels have long suffered under the assumption that they are meant for young and teenage boys.  There is some basis in truth to that--males have traditionally been the foundation of the industry's reader base.  Unfortunately, I could find no hard, verifiable data to show but I did find an interview with Marvel's editor-in-chief, Alex Alonso, who says it quite nicely:

"While we don’t have any market research, the eyes don’t lie...If you go to conventions and comic book stores, more and more female readers are emerging. They are starved for content and looking for content they can relate to.”

In my personal experience, the eyes don't lie regarding age, either...comic readers are growing up.  With a mix of young and old, male and female, comics and graphic novels now have a broad audience.  Writers and artists are certain to find interest for whatever project they may create, which is allowing comics to shine through as a literary and artistic medium.


According to Christine Pyles of Public Libraries Online, Art Spiegelman was instrumental in convincing librarians that graphic novels were worth including in their collections.  His genre-blending memoir, Maus, was the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize.  Despite the fact that his characters are drawn as mice and cats, Maus depicts Spiegelman's interview with his father, regarding his experiences in a concentration camp during the Holocaust.

In 2004, Speigelman illustrated and wrote his second graphic novel In the Shadow of No Towers, dealing with his family's and the nation's struggle to come to terms with 9/11.




Another notable use of the graphic novel as an autobiography is Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi.  Using comics as her medium, she tells her story of growing up and coming of age in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.  Her story, which has been published internationally and well-received by critics, helps Western readers understand the conditions in Iran and humanizes its people when it's so easy to get caught up in prejudices with all the current unrest and war.  

Other graphic novels and comics take the fictional route to explore heavy themes.  Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons created a gritty socio-political story that dealt with the constant anxiety of nuclear threat by up-ending the superhero genre on its head.  Brian K. Vaughn's space opera Saga plays with the dynamics of war, pacifism, drug use, and familial bonds.  At the beginning of this year, Kelly Sue DeConnick teamed up with Valentine DeLandro to release monthly issues of Bitch Planet, a comic exclusively developed by women and exploring feminism through a dystopian sci-fi story and essays of prominent women included on the last pages.


Artists have also used comics as a way to explore their creativity and develop their craft.  Tony Moore and later Charlie Adlard, artists and inkers of The Walking Dead, experiment with pure black-and-white art to bring out the horror and stark desperation of their series.  Jae Lee is another prominent artist in the horror genre, with his unique use of shadow and inking.
Adi Granov of Marvel is renowned for his digital painting style, mostly used for covers and concept art.  He made his name after collaborating with Warren Ellis for Iron Man: Extremis, the storyline of which was folded into the Iron Man 3 movie.
Iron Man: Vol. 4 #8: Cover for issue #8 of Iron Man: Vol. 4.
Fiona Staples, the illustrator of Saga, also uses digital means to ink and color her comics.  The use of these color layers is what makes her style truly distinctive.
References



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Monday, March 16, 2015

Publishers

You don't have to be a grizzled comic-reading veteran to know of the industry's two rival giants...DC and Marvel Comics.

Founded in 1934 and originally known as National Allied Publications, it wouldn't be until the company is saved from bankruptcy by changing leadership that DC would be known by the name it holds today.  (DC is short for Detective Comics, one of its initial series that would introduce the character of Batman.)  Today, DC Comics is the publishing branch of DC Entertainment, which owned by umbrella company Time-Warner.  It franchises include the ever-popular Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and the Justice League.  Watchmen, a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, is also a notable achievement for DC, as it is the only graphic novel to ever win a Hugo Award.  Vertigo, a subsidiary publisher under DC, is responsible for such staples as V for Vendetta, Fables, Sandman, and Y: The Last Man.
Cover art for the first trade volume of Y: The Last Man
A few years after DC is founded, Marvel comics would be created in 1939 as Timely Publications.  Timely's first series was called Marvel Comics, and the company would eventually take that name much later in 1962.  (CITATION)  During that year, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, among others, would launch some of Marvel's most notable franchises such as the Fantastic Four, Spiderman and the X-Men.  Their new take on superheros struck a chord with readers that lets the characters endure to this day, pulling in money not just from comics but also from a slew of movies.  Today, Marvel Comics is the publishing branch of Marvel Entertainment which is now owned by the Walt Disney Company.







The rivalry between the two can be seen in mirrored characters (DC's Aquaman versus Marvel's Namor the Sub-Mariner) and in the copyright battle over the character name Captain Marvel in 1967.  Sales for 2014 show Marvel earned approximately 34% of the comic industry's money that year, with DC earning about 29%.  Where is the rest?  Divided up among the smaller publishers and the up-and-coming threats like Image.


"The best comic books aren’t coming from Marvel or DC.

They’re coming from a company called Image.
Those comic books are called The Wicked + The Divine, Saga, East of West, Bitch Planet, Chew, Rat Queens, Sex Criminals, and Pretty Deadly. They dominated 2014’s “best comics” lists. They told stories of gods as pop stars, sci-fi Westerns, people who can stop time with their orgasms, and melodramatic space operas filled with both magic and Shakespeare — stuff you wouldn’t find anywhere else."
--Alex Abad-Santos, vox.com

Image formed in 1992, but it wasn't until after some ups-and-downs that in 2009 the company really began to hit its stride.  Last year, it earned roughly 9% of all comic sales.  (Compared to Marvel and DC, it may not seem like much, but it still far outdoes fourth place earner IDW's 5.69%.)  Image does not restrict itself to stories of superheroes (although super powers abound), instead allowing its writers and artists to create more mature stories, so it is able to distinct itself from Marvel and DC.  Many of its series have won Eisner Awards, including Saga, Bone, and pop culture's darling The Walking Dead.

Dark Horse and IDW have their hits as well, and Viz Media can not be ignored if you look into the influx of Japanese comics in America, but these are the top three publishers in the comics/graphic novel industry, the logos most likely to catch your eye the moment you walk into a comic shop.



Resources

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Physical properties

It's actually not that hard to tell you're holding a comic rather than a traditional book.  Just let the book fall naturally open to a page, any page, and you'll know.

Comics are sold in monthly issues, in pages stapled together like a magazine.  After a number of months, usually after a plot arc or two (depending on length), the issues are gathered together and sold as a paperback 'trade volume'.  The pages are simply glued to the spine in these volumes.  If the series is popular enough, two or three of the trade volumes will be repackaged into a hardcover 'deluxe edition'.  These books feature the cord binding process.

Graphic novels are self-contained stories, and depending on if you purchase the paperback or the hardcover, it will share physical characteristics with the trade or the deluxe volumes.

An issue, a trade volume, and a deluxe edition
The title page becomes the title pages in comics/graphic novels, simply because it usually requires a large team to put one together so recognizing everyone takes two pages!  There is the writer and artist(s), then the guest cover artist.  There are the colorists, and the inkers...and all the editors.  Like early books, the title page

Illustrations in books have a long history, from woodcuts to intalgio to planographic.  Comics started out with the "4 Color Process", or 4CP.  The illustrations were printed using light-sensitive chemicals to produce dots of four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).  This was a relatively inexpensive method by which to print, and it was printed on cheap paper as well.  While giving comics their own aesthetic, it made coloring difficult.  However, today comics are printed directly onto heavier, bleed-free paper, allowing for sharper color and design.  Check out John Hilgart's ode to 4CP "In Defense of Dots", to see examples and side-by-side comparisons.

Pagination is often foregone, or sporadically included, depending on the page layout and illustrations.

References

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