molly.com
Sunday 29 August 2004
graphic novels, maus, in the shadow of no towers
MAUS FANS ANYONE? Art Spiegelman’s ground-breaking graphic novels are golden, with perhaps only Robert Crumb to compare.
Maus is a progressive and outspoken graphic novel series that has positioned itself in literary history as the hallmark of a true graphic novel.
Along with his wife, the noted author and illustrator Francoise Mouly, Spiegelman and Mouly represent two of today’s most celebrated artists: Outrageous, sensitive, beautifully drawn & colored. This is some of the best political/social graphic humor of our generation, ever.
Focus right now is all about Spiegelman’s next compilation, In the Shadow of No Towers in which Spiegelman chronicles post 9/11 emotions.
It’s due out sometime in September, I’m waiting with interest.
Filed under: faith(less), humor, poetry & fiction, pop culture
Posted by: Molly | 17:20 | Comments (17)
Oooh, even though I’ve yet to read Maus, I am interested as well. So much love for the comic arts…
Maus is the greatest Non-Superhero graphic novel of all time. I read it every now and then and every time I get something new from both the story and the artwork. I’ve yet to pick up “In the Shadow of No Towers” but if it’s half as good as Maus it will be worth the read!
Leon,
What would you say are the best superhero novels? I would assume Moore’s work is up there, as it is on most lists. I’ve read and am personally a huge fan of both V for Vendetta (sort of super-hero) and Watchmen (effing amazing) but that’s about it for graphic novels with main characters that wear tights. The last graphic novel I read was Blankets, and for anybody interested, I highly recommend it. Especially if you grew up in the Midwest at all.
I’ve been following Spiegelman’s stuff since he started in the undergrounds of the 70s, and Maus when in was being serialized in an anthology from Fantagraphics. His stewardship as Art Director for the New Yorker brought that publication back from the brink of moribund irrelevance, at least as far as it’s visual culture is concerned.
For you comic/comix fans that enjoy Spiegelman’s work, I highly recommend, if you can find them, back issues of the publication called “Rubber Blanket” and check the art and story telling talents of David Mazzuchelli. I’d rate him right up there with Spiegelman for sequential art story telling!
Another current artist of exceptional talent is Chris Ware. His Acme Novelty issues are pure gems and his tales of Jimmy Corrigan, the World’s Smartest Kid, are tragicomedy masterpieces. Please take note of his amazing multi-linear story telling technique in Jimmy and his little mouse character that reminds me of a analog version of cartoon hyperlinking!
Sadly I’ve been out of the comic/comix collecting scene for several years now as I concentrate on family and career. But I plan to pick up a copy of Spiegelman’s “Towers” as soon as I can.
Comics as art and literature that count!
Seth, ah what a fantastic question! Moore’s Watchmen is right there at the top, no doubt. A few others on my list would be Miller’s Dark Night Returns and Batman:Year One…uh, The Sandman series. The Dark Pheonix Saga, and my personal favorite…The Preacher. Yes, those last few were comic runs, but since they found fame in Graphic Novel form, I usually lump them into my list of top Super Hero GNs. Oh, I also really love the dense X series (Earth-X, Universe-X) by Alex Ross.
I don’t know if Preacher is in the Super Hero class…but hell, it’s such a fantastic run, I just have to mention it. I don’t know Blankets, I’ll have to pick that one up asap! thx for the tip!
Leon,
I think I’ll look at Batman: Year One next time I make it out to the comic store.
David,
I think there is something fantastic about Ware’s style as well. I must admit though, I found myself a bit annoyed at the way the Corrigan book ended. It felt like an anti-climax somehow.
Molly I have to say I am glad to have found your site and met you. I mean this forum and others like it are awesome. I have not been into comics since going to college, but I am going to check out this graphic novel.
Spiegelman is coming to Austin at the end of next month to speak at UT. I imagine he’ll be making a book tour stop in your area, too.
Picked up Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns… Year One is great so far! Thanks for the recommendations, Leon!
Seth,
I won’t take up too much of Molly’s hospitality here on this subject anymore, but in regards to Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan story, that seems to be Chris’ style – the wry, ironic observation that, sometimes (often) Life is anticlimactic, even tragic, and not like a comic book story at all.
Read Spiegelman’s stuff and you’ll see that his take on reality, although presented in a comic format rarely has a standard comic book story ending either. That’s what makes his stuff Pulitzer Prize material as opposed to most other comics.
See you in the Funny Pages!
I must confess I’ve mean to read Maus and never have.
But I daresay Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore surpass Crumb in the literary sense, pop icon or not. And I do adore Crumb.
Corbid,
That depends, on how you look at things. I am in total agreement that Gaiman and Moore are exceptional writers, nay, masters as it applies to sequential art for sure, and certainly, Crumb has not, to my knowledge, written anything like the novels, graphic or otherwise, like Neil and Alan.
But, neither have Mr. G or M ever created, the kind of candid and raw soul baring work, written and DRAWN by the author, that both Spiegelman and Crumb have. It takes a certain kind of courage to expose yourself in that way.
Gaiman and Moore are certainly award-winning masters of written fiction and fantasy, but when it comes to writing AND visualizing the hard realities of life from a personal point of view, Spiegelman and Crumb surpass them both.
‘Nuff Said! ;^J