Graphically yours!

Graphic novels are evolving with each passing day with a new line of art, content pattern and overall presentation that attract people of all ages

We all have grown up reading comic books. Probably that was the only thing I read without much fuss. Even now, going back to those old paper feel brings joy to me. That is the charm of a comical representation of a story. But time has changed now. We all have grown up. And so have the unique comic characters which speak less and express more… that is the age of graphic novels; dark, undertone, and at times, surfacing the sub-culture of the society we live in.

Special events are held to celebrate this graphical art form. Barbara Chamberlin, Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton teaches a module called ‘Reading the Graphic Novel’ to undergraduates on English Language, Media, Literature and Film and Screen Studies degrees. She is also currently curating an event in May 2014, which celebrates comics in Brighton. According to her, a 'graphic novel' is under much scholarly and artistic debate. “It can be seen as an extended comic, stories told using combinations of sequential images and text working together to create a narrative,” she informs. Jason Quinn, Head – Creative Content, Campfire Graphic Novels in India says that graphic novels are generally self-contained and its interest in the Indian subcontinent is building up. “‘A Contract with God’ by Will Eisner in the late ’70s was a serious work of art. Before that people would think about the graphic novels as a waste of time. But from there, I assume, people started taking this art seriously. ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ by Frank Miller and Alan Moore’s Watchmen are also quite intriguing,” he recalls.

 

The interest could be gauged by the recent Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on comics which was attended by over 40,000 people worldwide. In today’s context, a copy writer has to sync well with the illustrator to bring about a quality work. “They act as a team and a project on graphic novel can very well take a complete year, which is quite demanding. The hard efforts are now getting recognised which is a good sign for this industry and visibly, all major publication groups are venturing into this field. It is certainly the future,” Quinn says.

Growing interest

Graphic novels have created its own niche audience who are ardent followers of the new trends, characters and activities going on in the world without having to read at all. Reading, to an extent, is a passé. It has the ability to engross all age groups offering them a distinct world of illusions and imaginations. Graphic novels would tend to have more mature themes than comics and are thicker just like regular novels. Campfire has now gained a reputation of producing some interesting graphic novels and is getting demands for more. Events like ComicCon International have certainly helped a lot in generating awareness about it.

Comic-Con International is considered as the Mecca for the lovers of this art form. David Glanzer, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the event, says, “We also have a sister show WonderCon Anaheim that we are preparing for. The fun aspect of both Comic-Con International and WonderCon is that we feature a diversity of exhibitors as well as programming.” Here, attendees to both shows can find out the inner workings of a variety of artistic endeavours directly from the premier individuals in those fields.

Evolving characteristics

Subtlety, serious literatures have taken over as the subject for graphic novels. Quinn explains, “The way Japanese have used subjects in their graphic novels tell us about an interesting trend. They have comics on every subject; from gardening to real life instances to fiction. I believe, graphic novels are slowly getting there where all subjects will be delved into. We have also done books on Mother Teresa, Steve Jobs and other historical subjects.” However, Chamberlin informs, the recent trends show that writers are exploring new areas such as comics journalism, graphic medicine and memoir. “Graphic novels are aimed at children (and research has indicated how comics can facilitate learning to read, understanding school curricula, even learning another language) but a growing area of graphic novel writing is very much aimed at an adult market,” she adds.

Existing since 1970, Comic-Con originally focused on creating interest on comic art, fantasy literature and movies. “These were areas of art that we felt didn't receive as much recognition as they probably should. We are happy that over the years, movies, fantasy literature and of course, comics are being recognised for their artistic achievements as well as their entertainment value,” remarks Glanzer.

Growing popularity

Graphic novels and comics is a burgeoning area of academic study across a wide range of disciplines. The use of text and images create narratives to tell stories in a way no other medium can. Graphic novels are frequently being adapted into films (consider the number of superhero films in recent years), other, less obvious adaptations, into TV series or is literature adapted into comics form. There is also a strong link between comics and gaming, Chamberlin says.

With latest technologies, the scope is growing. “Clearly, digital publishing creates almost infinite possibilities with graphic novels. However, the market for tangible hard copies exists, where the reading experience is different and for some, like myself, is so much more pleasurable and real,” she argues. On the other hand, Quinn says, “Mobile technology is certainly taking the story forward as it is much more accessible. I am comic book fan myself and online option is great. At the same time, the conventional aspect will continue nevertheless.”

 “Graphic novels are more serious with limited text. That said the first step towards graphic novels certainly goes through the world of comics,” Quinn remarks. And thus, graphic novels just prove that the saying - ‘pictures tell a story’ - is true to the core. You can tell a story with limited or no words at all.