Literary Elitism

[Jaggyd]

Just read something on Slate.com, the writer went on this rant about how terrible the world has become now that Fahrenheit 451 has been made into a graphic novel. It's made me wonder, why is there this elitism in the literary community towards graphic storytelling? I mean, look at countries that have embraced it, like Japan, the literacy rates are significantly higher, their book sales are exponentially higher.

Why do we in the US still treat comics like they're entertainment for the short bus?


The Slate review in question:
http://www.slate.com/id/2223495/

 

[Ice]

One of the people that I met from Bass' group of friends at Heroes is a teacher and she uses comics to teach. She was saying how the kids she's taught have had higher reading scores or have done better in reading. Either way, comics have helped a lot.

 

[Langsta]

Well, kids don't like to read books because they're boring. But comics, they're more accessible because....I guess, because of the pictures. I guess that's why comics are considered juvenile by a lot of people.

So if you had comics in school instead of regular books, kids would be more interested (probably).

 

[ProjectX2]

I am against any media which uses words.

In fact, I am now only going to post images from now on.

 

[moonmaster]

I hate to get all Ellis but unlike Japan, the majority of American comics belong to one very specific genre that up until about 30 years ago was written almost exclusively for children. For every Watchmen there are a hundred bland superhero books that don't do much to advance the art form.

All this being said, 90% of everything is crap, and any ****ty new romantic comedy or action movie topping the box office most weeks is probably a lot dumber than the typical superhero book, the most popular book among adults in the past ten years was a poorly written and ludicrous thriller about Jesus and Leonardo Da Vinci and HBO's current big hit series is some ridiculous soap opera about vampires and werewolves that's supposed to be for grown-ups (because it also has sex and cursing and stuff!). So there is a lot of unwarranted hatred from the general public for comic books, but the comic book industry has kind of shot itself in the foot in a lot of ways when it comes to gaining credibility. (And there are a whole lot of fanboys who don't do much to help.)

Opinions are changing though. I turned on at least three people to Y: The Last Man in high school, all of them amazed that there are comics like that being published.

 

[Ice]

Well, kids don't like to read books because they're boring. But comics, they're more accessible because....I guess, because of the pictures. I guess that's why comics are considered juvenile by a lot of people.

So if you had comics in school instead of regular books, kids would be more interested (probably).

The comics don't replace the books. The teacher uses them as a 'gateway' to the books.

 

[Jaggyd]

I hate to get all Ellis but unlike Japan, the majority of American comics belong to one very specific genre that up until about 30 years ago was written almost exclusively for children. For every Watchmen there are a hundred bland superhero books that don't do much to advance the art form.

All this being said, 90% of everything is crap, and any ****ty new romantic comedy or action movie topping the box office most weeks is probably a lot dumber than the typical superhero book, the most popular book among adults in the past ten years was a poorly written and ludicrous thriller about Jesus and Leonardo Da Vinci and HBO's current big hit series is some ridiculous soap opera about vampires and werewolves that's supposed to be for grown-ups (because it also has sex and cursing and stuff!). So there is a lot of unwarranted hatred from the general public for comic books, but the comic book industry has kind of shot itself in the foot in a lot of ways when it comes to gaining credibility. (And there are a whole lot of fanboys who don't do much to help.)

Opinions are changing though. I turned on at least three people to Y: The Last Man in high school, all of them amazed that there are comics like that being published.

I couldn't agree with you more.


Kinda makes me wonder about what you'd paraphrased from Ellis, I wonder if we'd be more like Europe and Japan, comics wise, had the Comic Code and Seduction of the Innocent not happened here.

 

[Iceshadow]

I blame the Comics Code Authority mostly.

 

[Langsta]

The comics don't replace the books. The teacher uses them as a 'gateway' to the books.

Yeah, that's what I mean. Comics being used as a gateway to other media.

 

[Random]

I always saw comics as a perfect medium between Literature and Film. But it can combine the best of both.

 

[SSJmole]

In my opinion it's to do with marketing and products too. E.g :




You wouldn't see these figures or the kids costumes ect.. based on say "David Copperfield" or say "Great Expectations" (know both by same author but not the point) You won't see kinds trick or treating as say Jo March from little women buy you will see a superman or spider-man.

The horrible is perception is reality. Yes there are grown up comics/graphic novels. But most of money comic wise comes from? Superhero comics. Superheroes are on lots of child products. Therefore comics = child products. That is how people judge it.


But yes some comics are darker or more serious than some books but they are not what people think when you say comic. It's like Animation. You mention cartoons or anime to someone who doesn't watch them and it's seen as a child's format despite for example films like say Akira which is rated here as 15 the same age rating as The Fugitive. (not compairing the two but merely the age)

So basically comics will always be seen as childish by non-comic readers. However since stuff like Spider-man , iron man and the dark knight more people are becoming aware of comics as more than just children's books as these movies help get them into them.

But really does it matter? Non-comic people judge it but who really cares as they don't read it? it's like non-anime fans insult anime non-wrestling fans insult wrestling. It's just ignorance which really just makes me go "meh"

 

[Ultimate Houde]

Comics are for kids.

Kids.

 

[Langsta]

Comics are for kids.

Kids.

Nope.

 

[ProjectX2]

Comics are for kids.

Kids.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

Nope.

 

[Langsta]

What the **** is that? I've never even seen that before in my life.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

 

[Iceshadow]

Are you trying to kill yourself or something?

 

[moonmaster]

I couldn't agree with you more.


Kinda makes me wonder about what you'd paraphrased from Ellis, I wonder if we'd be more like Europe and Japan, comics wise, had the Comic Code and Seduction of the Innocent not happened here.

I blame the Comics Code Authority mostly.

The Comics Code Authority is probably where the problem began, severely limiting what comics could and couldn't do.

Once again, I'm going to say that fans have been implicit in all this as well, particularly when superhero comics went from being the realm of children to that of adult collectors. Now you have an overwhelming and damaging faction of people (FANBOYS, by their proper name) who care far more about characters and companies than they do about actual good stories, or comic books as an art form. It's that attitude that easily keeps horrible comics (jephloebjephloebjephloeb) going. I love Batman and Spider-Man and plenty of superheroes, but being so attached to them that you'll read stories about them no matter how poorly their written is very much juvenile.

 

[Iceshadow]

The Comics Code Authority is probably where the problem began, severely limiting what comics could and couldn't do.

Once again, I'm going to say that fans have been implicit in all this as well, particularly when superhero comics went from being the realm of children to that of adult collectors. Now you have an overwhelming and damaging faction of people (FANBOYS, by their proper name) who care far more about characters and companies than they do about actual good stories, or comic books as an art form. It's that attitude that easily keeps horrible comics (jephloebjephloebjephloeb) going. I love Batman and Spider-Man and plenty of superheroes, but being so attached to them that you'll read stories about them no matter how poorly their written is very much juvenile.

I agree. Also, can we blame the 90's in general?