‘THINGS HAVE MOVED ON AND 3 SOCIETY IS MORE ACCEPTING ;
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OF GRAPHIC NOVELS'
Paul Gnavett;
Diverse attractions
For over a quarter of a century, the genre has been growing and changing. Miles Fielder asks PAUL GRAVETT the big question: just what is a graphic novel?
aul (iravett rather succinctly describes his
book (imp/tie Novels: Stories to Change Your
Life as his 'Janet and John guide' to the art form. The coffee table-sized book includes a number of essays about various graphic novel genres — biographical. psychological. romantic. crime — plus a section designed to overcome negative preconceptions and some suggested initial reading. The majority of the book. however. comprises colour spreads of complete pages from graphic novels annotated with explanatory footnotes on form. style
movement has been maturing and innovating the cartooning medium. The much-celebrated publication in the mid—l980s of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Alan Moore‘s The Watchmen and Art Spiegelman‘s Many were all watersheds. But the subsequent media frenzy created a climate publishers exploited by putting out bad quality books under the graphic novel guise. “It was a boom and bust cycle.~ says Gravett. ‘Things have moved on now so that society is more accepting of graphic novels. The most hopeful thing is that publishers. like
THE Brsr BOOKS! Contest EVENTS
“‘~- Mimi ,
3|: Gerald Scafle Forty-five years of authority-baiting is laid before us in scything detail with Drawing Blood, as politicians get put to the satirical sword time and time again. See review, page 37. Little, Brown. 3|: Koala Hum If you're sick to the stomach of celebrity chefs, why not read about how it all came to this in Culinary Pleasures, which details the rise of food's importance in our culture. See review, page 37. Faber.
=l= Joanna Hum-3mm: With a twist or ten. Sunnyside steers away from horrid cliche and rips apart the facade of a seemingly charming suburban family. See review, page 37. Wan.
3|: Paul m They seemed to change Mr G’s life, so why not let graphic tales do the same to you? See preview, left. Aurum Press.
=I= Tod Gown, Jerry flood ‘ Bog Bum One of the finer creations of the mid-60$ UK scene, the outré adventures in The Spider get a long-overdue reprint. See review, page 39. Titan
and content. Aurum and Jonathan Cape. are starting to * Charles Bum Another ‘A lot of people are quite baffled by what a graphic commission new work. And with the recent success excellent publication from Mr novel is.‘ says Gravett. who has been promoting them of Daniel Clowes. Chris Ware and Joe Sacco. there is Burnswith this collection ofthe as a writer. curator. lecturer and broadcaster for 20 a substantial range open to the general public where BIackHolenightmare tales, set years. ‘In bookshops there‘s a baffling array of stuff. there hasn’t been before.‘ in 19708 Seattle. Don’t read from Buffy books to Japanese manga. The idea of this So. where does Gravett see the graphic novel going alone. See review, page 39. book is to provide some kind of direction and appeal. from here“? ‘I think the book format graphic novels. as Jonathan Cape. so that people can explore graphic novels. And part of opposed to the pamphlet [comic book]. will appeal to 3|: m EIIIIII The that idea is to provide example pages from a selection a new and broader readership. It‘s already happened outspoken art lass pops up our of graphic novels. rather like a film clip or a snatch of in France. where graphic novels are published straight wayto scribble her name upon music. so that people can see what the stories are into book form. And in Japan. they have disposable copiesofherultra-confessional about. how the storytelling works and even learn how monthly books. which are later collected into Strangdémd. Waterstone’s, to read a graphic novel.” hardback books to buy. keep and re-read. And I think ' Glasgow& Edinburgh, Fn'ZDeC. So. what is a graphic novel‘.’ "To have any definition we're going to see a lot more diversity of swam for it is not helpful. Should it have speech balloons? storytelling.’ he says. citing as an example Marisa u Smith, Ian Rankin & Hue (‘an it have just one picture per page? That argument Acocella Marchetto‘s forthcoming graphic memoir . Holst-Thethree Edinburgh distracts from the real issue. which is to have the most ('uneer Vixen. about a woman‘s battle with breast amigos (McCall Smith pictured) interesting and diverse books and storytelling cancer. ‘And I‘d like to see the media talking about gathertogetherwithKirsty possible.’ (iravett insists that Scottish artist liddie graphic novels in a much more literary way than they Wark keeping them under Campbell had it right when he wrote in his manifesto have in the past.‘ control as they dotheir bit for that ‘the term graphic novel signifies a movement theOneCityCharitmist.
rather than a form‘. liver since I978 when Will liisner coined the term ‘graphic novel‘ with A (‘nntruet With God. that
36 THE LIST 1 JS [)(X; 2005)
Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life is out now published by Aurum Press; www.paulgravett.com.
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Fn‘ 9 Dec.