How and why are comics becoming more
accepted as an art form? Can/Should they be regarded as a literarily genre?
In this contemporary age we are
appreciating art forms that are no longer just oil on canvas. Art and the
expression of art can be found almost anywhere. Comics have been poured over by
kids and adults alike for decades and are now being recognized by the art
world. They are not only accepted by the art world but also by the literary world.
This blog post will discuss why they are becoming more accepted in the art
world as well as addressing whether or not they should be accepted into the literary
world.
Over the last decade comics have truly been
accepted into the art community for many reasons. Comics are always filled with
incredibly detailed illustrations, many of which take months to complete. These
illustrations are key to the story as they not only explain the narrative but
they hold clues, act as foreshadowing techniques and can allude to political
commentary. The hidden messages and political commentary is supported by Maggio
(2007) article ‘Comics and Cartoons: a democratic art form’ as she explains
that comics are often an outlet for explaining and understanding the world in a
subversive manner.
Comics are unique by which they belong to two communities, one being the art world and the other being the literary world. Comics tell a fictional story through the use of illustrations and texts and are popular by both children and adults. Comics are also educational as clearly demonstrated by Herge’s Tintin comics; Herge was inspired by a Chinese art student and entered what he called his documentalist stage (Farr, 1991). Within his documentalist phase he became obsessed with making sure every background depiction of China was realistic. Going so far as making sure the street names matched, and the propaganda posters were true to form (Farr, 1991).
In conclusion, comics can be accepted in
both the art and literary world. This is due to the hidden meanings they hold,
the skill and artistry involved and the narrative they tell.
Works Cited
Maggio,
J. (2007). Comics and Cartoon: A demoratic art form. Political Science and Politics ,
40 (2), 237-239.
Farr, Michael. (1991)Tintin: the complete companion. London: John Murray.
