Comics Are Literature Research Paper

Comics Are Literature

Alex A. Hedlund

Northern Illinois University

Author's Note

 Alex A. Hedlund, Department of English, Course 105, Northern Illinois University

    

The belief that all comic books are not considered literature should be changed. Many comic books should be considered literature, just as some questionable books are considered literature in the public eye. This paper will show the many strengths that comic books have in being literature, and should be considered literature from here on out.

To start, lets get some background information out of the way such as a few definitions. The definition of comics is: a sequence of drawings in boxes that tell a story. Comic books are serialized much like a television show in which every book is considered an episode of the series. Graphic novels are full stories in one book, and the majority of graphic novels include more mainstream and adult topics. Comic books have had a long history, and during this time, comics have been under a cloud of criticism from a couple of very influential people. These few have shaped the idea of reading comic books as childish, immature and unprofessional. Even though there has been much criticism of comic books, there is been positive reinforcement for comics as literature. Like many, the characterizations of literature are well identified in comics, and positive perspectives of comics come from the educational side to challenge a critics’ perspective.

    First, before looking at why some comics should be considered literature, the negative aspects should be highlighted to see why many people believe that comics are not considered literature. The first major criticism came from Sterling North who was the author of “So Dear to My Heart”, and “Rascal”, turned literary critic for the Chicago Daily News. In “A National Disgrace”(1940), written by North (1940) he states: “Badly drawn, badly written and badly printed-a strain on young eyes and young nervous systems –the effect of these pulp-paper nightmares is that of a violent stimulant” (p.3). he also states “Their crude blacks and reds spoil the child's natural sense of color; their hypodermic injection of sex and murder make the child impatient with better, though quieter, stories”(p.3). He goes as far to say, “Unless we want a coming generation even more ferocious than the present one, parents and teachers throughout America must band together to break the “comic” magazine”(p.3) This begins the revolt against the comics and comic book industry. The second big criticism was from Dr. Fredric Wertham, a physicist, who wrote the book, Seduction of the Innocent in 1954. This book led to congressional investigations against the comic book industry called, “US Congress Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Juvenile Delinquency”. Ellis(2000), states in his article, “About Face: Comic Books In Library Literature” because of these threats from the government the comics industry came together and created the Comics Code which put standards on such things as depictions of crime, violence and weapons (p.24). It also put restrictions on things like dialogue and costumes (p.24). Because of the congressional hearings and the Comics Code and other factors, such as television and the distribution changes of magazines, led to the significant drop in the popularity of comics states Ellis(2000) (p.24). As these were a couple of historical events that led to the demise of comic books, there were other factors as well.

    Other such factors were the many criticisms of the books themselves, not what they contained, but how they were presented and read, also gave the moniker that comics are literature. Meskin(2009) states first that comics shouldn't be considered literature because of the “preponderance of image over text”(p.230). When looking at many examples of literature, it is mostly to entirely made up of words with little or no pictures. Why put comics in that same category if it doesn't even look like what other pieces of literature look like? Meskin(2009) also talks about how comics are considered autographic works (meaning there not original/same pieces), with different artists and writers changing the character all the time for their own book, without much similarity to an allograph, done by one author who writes the character or story in one way. He uses a quote to prove his point, ”Relettering the comic by hand produces something that does not count as a genuine instance of the original. The same seems true of the other features of the standard comic book page: panel borders and speech balloons also appear to be autographic elements”(p.231). Another point Meskin(2009) brings up is the layout of the comic book. Layout is very important to the comic books, many works of literature (mostly no-poetic) aren't very effected by this. Mekin states “Change the layout of a comic book and you may significantly change the aesthetic and artistic properties of it. But this is not typically the case with works of literature. You may change the layout of a standard novel, short story or work of dramatic literature without having any aesthetic or artistic effect on it whatsoever”(p.232). The final point he makes regarding comics not being considered literature, is that the pictures themselves are significant between what is seen in comics and what seen in literature. In comics he describes, “You can see the traces of the actions that the penciller made producing the images. Ditto for the letterer when the comic is hand-lettered”(Meskin, p.233). With such reasons of image over text, being autographic work, the importance of layout, and finally the look of the artists hand and what the letterers trace; these are some major reasons why comics should be considered literature.

    While there are criticisms that comic books should not be classified as literature, there are many reasons that comics should be considered literature. To begin, what defines literature? According to Meskin's (2009) article, there are three definitions or characterizations that help define what literature actually is. First “'A work w is a work of literature if and only if w is produced in a linguistic medium and w is novel, short story, tale, drama or poem, and the writer of w is intended that it possesses aesthetic, cognitive or interpretation-centered value, and the work is written with sufficient technical skill for it to be possible to take that intention seriously, or w possesses aesthetic, cognitive or interpretation-centered value to a significant degree”(Meskin, 2009 p.226). Meskin (2009) states that if “it is appropriate to count comics as texts or discourses or as produced in a linguistic medium or as examples of writing and say “yes” to that. Then it’s hard not to see that comics are literature” (p.226). Meskin (2009) backs this statement up by saying many comics possess aesthetic, cognitive, and interpretation-centered value to a significant degree (p.226). Some comics like Fun Home are plausibly intended to be read within the framework of literary practice.” (Meskin, 2009 p.227). The second characterization of literature from Maskin's (2009) article 'A text is identified as a literary work by recognizing the author's intention that the text is produced and meant to be read within a framework of conventions defining the practice (consituting the institution) of literature' (p.226) An example of this is from Alan Moore's, The Killing Joke, Crutcher (2001) explains “Moore's characteristic use of strict grid system dividing the page into regularly sized panels, lends the story a sense of order and measured pace which this conception of the Batman and echoes Moore's controlled, structured approach to writing. Moore notably manipulates that pacing in the scenes where the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon mad. More than the panels moving beyond the six- or nine- grid system that seems to typify Killing Joke, in these scenes, The Joker, photos of Gordon's brutalized daughter, and Gordon's screams break panel borders and therefore disrupt the pacing” (p.59). Crutcher's (2001) second example of this characteristic comes from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. He states, “When Miller transitions from varying grids, panel shapes and discourses to Splash panels, full-page images that depict the Batman in “mythic” proportions” (Crutcher, 2001 p.59). Also in The Dark Knight Returns, Crutcher (2001) states that “Miller and Varley manage to keep a host of monologues and voices sorted. These are distinct in a number of ways, including the shape or style of the dialogue or thought boxes, the colors inside the boxes and the colors of the text, and the styles of the text fonts, to say nothing of the character styles and nuances that should naturally distinguish one character's dialogue from another character's”(p.59) The third and final characterization that helps define literature was “'The definition of literature as highly valued writing'”(Meskin, 2009 p.226) Here are just some of the awards certain comics have gotten over the years. Maus won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, Time Magazine put Watchmen on its 100 novels published it also won the Hugo Award in 1988, Fun House was named Time magazines Ten Best Books of 2006, and also received the National Books Critic Circle Award. Stephen King (famous author) called The Dark Knight Returns “....probably the finest piece of comic art ever published in a popular edition” and Rolling Stone praised it saying “...an unusually ambitious and gripping crime novel....” Even though critics blasted comic books cause of mostly presentation issues, comic books have surpassed all requirements of literature characteristics such as being a linguistic medium, to recognizing the author's intention of the text, to finally being highly valued writing. These characterizations and examples help show the public that many comic books should be considered literature and that all the old perceptions of comic books should be wiped clean.

    If characterizations aren't enough to change the perception of the public about comic books, there have been other perspectives written regarding comic books as literary subjects. In the article, “How Comic Books Can Change The Way Our Students See Literature: One Teacher's Perspective” By Rocco Versaci (2001). Versaci (2001) used comics in an English composition classroom instead of regular books. He states that “comics unlike more traditional literature “put a human face” on a given subject”(Versaci, 2001 p.62) He quoted that they read John Callahan's, I Think I Was an Alcoholic Waiting to Happen, which is only a three page long comic book. The class discussed the books tone, use of irony and the characterization of the author himself in the book (Versaci, 2001 p.62). They easily filled two fifty-minute class periods with discussions of that three page book (Versaci, 2001 p.62). Versaci (2001) is quoted saying, “comic books help develop much needed analytical and critical thinking skills” (Versaci, 2001 p.64); and he backs this statement up by stating that, “Unlike more “traditional forms of literature because in addition to making use of point of view, narrative, characterization, conflict setting, tone, and theme, they also operate with very complex poetics that blends the visual and the textual. By combining, rather directly, to reconcile these two means of expression” (Versaci, 2001 p.64). Not only have some advocates tried to get comic books integrated into schools, but also are trying to integrate them into textbooks. A group comprising of people from both the world of publishing and the world of academia have come together to start an organization called Reading with Pictures. As they put on their website (2012), their mission is to “advocate the use of comics in the classroom to promote literacy and improve educational outcomes for all students.” They state that they “collaborate with cartoonists to produce exceptional graphic novel content for scholastic use.” According to Reading with Pictures website (2012) their textbooks are “aimed at grades third to sixth grade, The Graphic Textbook (2012) features a dozen short stories (both fiction and non-fiction) that address topics in a variety of disciplines (Social Studies, Math, Language Arts, and Science) drawn from the list of Common Core Standards used in classrooms country wide.” Many critics would probably say, “Do kids even want to read comics in the classroom?” Jack Wilson (2009) who wrote a paper titled, “A Causal Comparative Study Of Students' Reading Motivation After Reading Comics In The Classroom” in which he took a group of ten fifth-graders and and let them read comics during lunchtime in the classroom for two days a week over a period of four weeks (Wilson, 2009 p.12). At the end of each day, the students would get into a group discussion of what they read that day (Wilson, 2009 p.12). Before and after this study, the students were given a survey about comics and graphic novels (Wilson, 2009 p.12). In the analysis of the data before the kids read the comic books three kids strongly agreed and six agreed to the statement, “It is easier to understand what I read when the book has pictures and words (Wilson, 2009 p.17). After the kids read comic books and again were surveyed, seven of the kids agreed strongly to the same question and three kids agreed (Wilson, 2009 p.19). Another statement was, “Pictures help me understand what I'm reading”, before the study answers were across the board from three strongly agreed to one that disagreed (Wilson, 2009 p.17). After the study six kids strongly agreed pictures helped understand what they were reading, three agreed to the question and one was neutral to the question (Wilson, 2009 p.19). Even though this study was small in size it did show that kids seem to understand more of what they are reading, if pictures and words are involved together. This is why incorporating comic books, and textbooks with comics in them would be perfect, and help support the argument that comics are literature. This would hopefully encourage kids to read more and thus become more educated and more involved if they have comic book in front of them and not just a five-hundred page textbook.

    Just as from the teachers and educational perspective of comic books, another reliable group to help show that some comic books should be considered literature is the librarian’s perspective of comics. Lorena O'English (2006) author of “Graphic Novels in Academic Libraries: From Maus to Manga and Beyond” quoted former Brown University President Henry M. Wriston, “In a large and more genuine sense, however, recreational reading is often the most truly educational, even the most really intellectual, element in experiences with and through books. It may well furnish an intellectual project within which the student establishes his own goals and determines his own significant values. It is the place where his tastes, aptitudes, and skills find freest play. Individual differences, recognition of which is the keynote of modern education, here come to richest fulfillment” (p.175). O'English (2006) quotes a statistic from Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America “Over the past 20 years, young adults (18-34) have declined from being those most likely to read literature to those least likely”(p.175). O'English (2006) believes, “In such an environment, librarians must look for opportunities to encourage students to take advantage of pleasure reading opportunities in their library collection, including fiction, magazines, and graphic novels” (p.175). In Ellis' (2000) article he explains during the first half of the century when articles were bad-mouthing comics, librarians were considered the gatekeepers of that was good for books and since many articles condemned comic books, librarians were less likely to have them on the shelves (p.43). He also explains most librarians were more likely to put comic books and graphic novels on their shelves because “With most of them having been too young to have been affected by the anti-comic hysteria of the 1950s, they were that much more ready to make the case for comic books in the profession. These “librarians/fans” certainly were instrumental in increasing the profession's overall level of awareness of the value of comic books as a storytelling medium, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s” (Ellis, 2000 p.44) Ellis (2000) also states it helps bring more people into the library with feedback like, “The overall perception of comic books as an indication of open climate may have contributed greatly in both library traffic and circulation” (p.36) Another quote praising comic books in libraries from Ellis states “Libraries that offer comic publications report that they bring in reluctant readers and help patrons discover new interests.”(p.37) In Heaney's (2007) article, “Collection Building Emerald Article: Graphic Novels: a sure bet for your library” Heaney (2007) was impressed at what she found from one of the articles saying, “The graphic novel delivers a very visual story at a rapid pace, comparable to other forms of visual entertainment today. Furthermore, graphic novels are not only fun but are useful in looking at the normal story elements such as plot, setting, characterization, theme, and conflict” (p.74). Heaney (2007) also found that comics books and graphic novels also help many struggling readers become good readers. She found “Gardner and Dillion (2004) maintain that a key aspect of graphic novels is that the correlation of pictures and text helps encourage the reluctant teen reader to engage with text in order to gain more understanding of the story. In addition, Fallis (2005) claims that graphic novels offer a visual and comprehensible format by contributing both images and concepts and as a result, creates a learning environment for the modern teen that is both simple and fun” (p.74). Heaney (2007) provides four reasons why comics should be put on shelves of libraries: First, “Graphic novels have a direct connection to linguistic, spatial and interpersonal intelligence” (p.74). Second, “it brings in reluctant readers, students unable to visualize by providing visual cues that not only balance text but also assist the student interpret it.” (p.74) Third, “Graphic novels can generate class discussion and lead to broader topics. By enlightening teachers about connections graphic novels have to content areas, we expand their teaching possibilities and give students what they want; learning that is fun and enjoyable”(p.74). Finally, “Graphic novels get the attention of youngsters, especially by virtue of remaining on the cutting edge of pop culture. Graphic novels help in making connections to a student's life outside of school and acknowledge what is hip and cool, making the collection itself all the more attractive”(p.74). So as seen, comic books have affected libraries and librarians by bring in more people into the building, and even the evolution of those people from just reading comic books to reading other kinds of books as well. This shows that comic books aren't just literature but they are also a starting point for literature.

    The final perspective and point that shows comic books are literature comes from the same people who condemned it in the first place, and that is the critics perspective. One writer named Stephen Tabachnick (2010) wrote the article, “The Graphic Novel and the Age of Transition: A Survey and Analysis.” that he was impressed by how many classic literature novels such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, The Invisible Man, and The Time Machine are already strongly visual and adapt well to graphic novel form (p.6). Tabachnick (2010) liked how much the graphic novel of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story stayed much the same as the book saying, “The text retains all of Stevenson's writing excellence, all of the chapters are duplicated and the structure of the work remains completely intact. Of necessity, not all of the philosophical discussion in the original of Jekyll's "Full Statement of the Case" could be duplicated in the graphic novel, which while not eliminating long narrative passages, gives dialogue precedence over them”(p.12) Tabaonick (2010) also loved the adaptation of the Invisible Man, saying it could be better in some aspects from the original. Tabachnick (2010) says “Since so much of the action is physical—almost slapstick—the visual medium is more immediately striking and easier to follow than the original text. Once again, the graphic novel adaptation, which includes all of the major incidents in the book and uses, Wells's own language—albeit with American spelling—is a quicker read and contains not only all of the important plot developments, but the thematic developments as well, including a depiction of how the Invisible Man gradually becomes obsessed with his own power to the point of becoming a murderer and would-be tyrant” (p.21). Tabchnick (2010) finishes off his article stating that these graphic novel adaptations will allow people to see the novels in a different way, but broaden the audience to these literary classics (p.27). From classic literature adaptations to original pieces, Jan Baetens (2008), author of“Graphic Novels: Literature without Text?” states that “Graphic novels help redefine certain general tools and concepts in the literary field such as the narrator and relationship between storytelling and the material constraints of the medium”(p. 80) Baetens praises graphic novels like The Adventures of Tintin in that a “Graphic novel is the fact that these installmens techniques do not arrive out of nothing but are determined once again by material properties of the host medium, which imposes a double constraint: that of offering each week the sense of a ending, and that of postponing the real ending, of stretching the narrative arc in order to keep the story going”(p.86). As seen, comic books and graphic novels have made literary classics relevant again in such cases as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and even made some classics better and more understandable in their new visual form, while newer graphic novels such as The Adventures of Tintin are helping redefine old literary concepts and tools for a new generation of readers. This shows that many comic books and graphic novels should be considered literature if they are helping to redefine old rules and even old literature.

    In conclusion, even though comics got a bad reputation from the start of their existence, the comic industry has overcome that; showing that many comics have the same definitions and characterizations as literary classics, and that they have the positive perspectives from people who work close to the literary field such teachers and educators, librarians, and critics. These points should clearly show that many comic books and graphic novels should be considered literature.

References

Baetens, Jan. (2008) Graphic Novels: Literature Without Text? English Language Notes, 46(2),             77-87.

Crutcher, Paul A. (2001) Complexity in the Comic and Graphic Novel Medium: Inquiry Through     Bestselling Batman Stories. The Journal of Popular Culture, 44(1), 53-71.

Ellis, Allen, Highsmith, Doug. (2000) About Face: Comic Books In Library Literature. Serials Review,     26(2), 21-44.

Fallis, C. (2005), “Graphic generation”, Young Adult Library Service (YALS), 3(4) p.16

Garnder, C.A., Dillion, C. (2004), “The challenge of the new media”, Virginia Libraries 50(2) 2-3

Heaney, Mary J., (2007) Graphic Novels, A Sure Bet For Your Library, Collection Building, 26(3) 72-76.

Ireland, K. (2004) Build it and they will come: graphic novels for your collection”, School Libraries in Canada (online), 23(3) 1.

Laura. (2012) What We're Trying to do.... Reading With Pictures. Retrieved April 25, 2012 from     http://readingwithpictures.org/2012/03/10/support-our-kickstarter/

Meskin Aaron. (2009) Comics As Literature? British Journal of Asethetics, 49(3) 219-239.

North, Sterling. (1940) A National Disgrace, Illinois Libraries 22, 3.

O'English, Lorena, Matthews, J. Gregory, Lindsay, Elizabeth B. (2006) Graphic Novels in     Academic Libraries: From Maus to Manga and Beyond 173-182.

Tabachnick, Stephen E. (2010) The Graphic Novel and the Age of transition: A Survey and Analysis. English Literature in Transition, 53(1) 1880-1920.

Versaci, Rocco. (2001) How Comic Books Can Change the Way Our Students See Literature: One Teacher's Perspective. The English Journal, 91(2), 61-67.

Wilson, Jack C. (2009) A Causal Comparative Study Of Students' Reading Motivation After Reading     Comics In The Classroom. Missouri State Univeristy, 1-39.