The artistry of graphic novels and of manuscripts is very similar, not only does the written script text tantalize the reader, but the illustrations act as significant appeals as well. The correspondence between the visual and the scripted within these text technologies greatly influences the reception thereof. Specific—and quite popular—examples of the two technologies that I will reference are Watchmen, and the Ellesmere Chaucer, respectively. In order to understand the reception of these texts completely though, it is necessary first to recognize some background information regarding their respective histories.
The popularity of comics in the United States began to rise in the late 19th century, most notably with Richard F. Outcault's "The Yellow Kid", which was a single-panel comic that gained incredible fame—and eventually likely lent its name to yellow journalism. Newspapers in the US at the time were just beginning colored printing, and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World was the US's most well known newspaper with colored printing, as well as being the most notable newspaper to contain comic strips, which would appear in the Sunday paper of each week. Not long after the initial popularity of "The Yellow Kid," William Randolph Hearst's newly acquired New York Journal "poached" Outcault from the World's staff (Quimby).
Within a few years, comics appeared in numerous newspapers as publishers recognized their ability to help increase sales and, by the 1930s, the first collections of comics in book form were published. The creation and publication of Superman lead to an increased popularity of the medium, though the mass opinion of comic books for decades was that they were intended for children and teenagers (Weiner). Thou...
... middle of paper ...
...s." Medieval Institute Publications, 1999. Web. 3 April 2012
Couch, Chris. "The Publication and Formats of Comics, Graphic Novels, and Tankobon." Online Image & Narrative. Image & Narrative., Dec. 2000. Web. 2 April 2012.
Dutschke, C. W. et al. "Guide To Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Huntington Library." UC Berkley. 2003. Web. 3 April 2012.
Grossman, Lev and Richard Lacayo. "All-TIME 100 Novels." Time Entertainment. Time., 16 Oct. 2005. Web. 3 April 2012.
Pearsall, Albert. The Canterbury Tales. George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd., 1985. Web.
"The Adorable Origins of Yellow Journalism." The Back Story. VFH. Web. 12 Jun. 2009. Radio.
Trigg, Stephanie. Congenial Souls: Reading Chaucer from Medieval to Postmodern. University of Minnesota Press, 2002. Web.
Weiner, Stephen. Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel. NBM, 2003. Web.
Milton, Joyce. The Yellow Kids: Foreign Correspondents in the Heyday of Yellow Journalism. Harper-Perrenial: New York, 1989.
Martinez, Elizabeth Coonrod. "Humble creator of an iconic novel." Americas [English Edition] May-June 2009: 62+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.
The graphic essay “Show and Tell” by Scott McCloud is written in the form of a comic book as he explains the importance of words and images, and how to effectively use the two components when creating a comic. “Show and Tell” explains to the reader how creating a successful comic does not occur easily, as numerous components must be used in the right way and amount in order to create a product that is worthwhile to its readers. This insightful graphic essay portrays to the reader how in a comic, words and images can successfully be used in numerous ways if they are kept in balance with one another. Society traditionally believes that in a piece of literature words and images should be kept apart, whereas McCloud opposes this
The effects of Yellow Journalism on the country were phenomenal. Led by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, their vivid pictures painted in black and white exaggerated the tales of foreign intervention. Stories of women being ...
When you think of comic books, what do you think of? If you were to ask your parents they would probably tell you Superman or Spiderman, maybe even Batman or Wonder Woman. Some might mention something more, something that appears to be a comic book, but once opened is revealed to be a work of literary genius; a comic such as Watchmen, or perhaps even V for Vendetta. An author and artist of renowned recognition and admiration wrote both masterpieces.
When comics were first coming out, they were not all that popular but in todays’ world, they have become very popular and well known. Several of these comics have been turned into films, which is one of the many reasons why the popularity has been rising over the years. One of the most well known comics is Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. This comic was composed and released in 1986 by Frank Miller. With the usage of Frank Miller’s powerful, intense lines and the artwork done by Klaus Janson’s and Lynn Varley’s it has elevated this comic up to the very top of mainstream comics. In Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, the skillful illustrations on the pages successfully create the thought that there are underlying meanings, which makes the atmosphere a very intense one throughout the comic. The work of art that is presented on the pages in this comic are embedded in such a way that the pages become the continuum for the meaning. One of the main themes that are imbedded on the pages through the artwork in this book is the ideological struggle between Bruce Wayne and Batman.
In Alison Bechdel’s comic “Compulsory Reading”, she creates an image of how she feels about the world of creative writing. Bechdel mentions different authors and well known titles like “Beloved”, Romeo and Juliet”, and Charles Dickens. She also mentions her distaste to novels as well. Bechdel uses media and design, rhetorical patterns, and tone to communicate how she feels about literature.
McCloud, Scott. “Time Frames”, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York : HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.
Fredell, Joel. "Late Gothic Portraiture: The Prioress and Philippa." Chaucer Review, 23(May 10, 1989):181-191. Hussey, Maurice. An Introduction to Chaucer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1972.
Simon, Joe; Jim Simon (1990). The Comic Book Makers. Crestwood/II. p. 51. ISBN 1-887591-35-4. Reissued by Vanguard Productions in 2003.
“The Golden Age of Comics” PBS. PBS, 2011 Web. Retrieved on February 11 2014 from http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/the-golden-age-of-comics/
Most people believe that graphic novels are just an art book with minimal text. They believe it is just for entertainment for kids or young adults. They think that graphic novels are just like comics. But to get to the point, graphic novels are just like all the other novels. They are a piece of literature that tells a story and pulls out the reader’s imagination, so that they feel that they are a part of the story or can even relate to the story. Graphic novels have changed and developed into such remarkable pieces of literature and should be accepted by all scholars to be placed in that category. According to John Ridley, “There are still some people out there who believe comic books are nothing more than, well, comic books. But the true cognoscenti know graphic novels are-at their best-an amazing blend of art, literature and the theater of the mind”.
Arrathoon, Leigh A. "For craft is al, whoso that do it kan: The Genre of the Merchant's Tale," Chaucer and the Craft of Fiction. Ed. Leigh A. Arrathoon, Rochester, Michigan: Solaris Press, Inc. 1986. 241-318
The classic comic book is a polar opposite of the complex nature of poetry. The comic book is designed for the younger reader and possesses a simplistic nature that allows the creator to use visual media combined with short written dialog to tell a story. The pictures in a comic book are an integral part of the makeup of a comic book. The pictures allow the creator to portray the protagonist and antagonist in a way that is common to all readers. This however inhibits the use of imagination by the reader. The pictures are all an artist's interpretations of the actions and settings that make up each scene. When a person reads descriptive text with no pictures, it allows the reader to build a mental picture of each scene that is unique to his/her own personality. The comic book does not allow for this expressiveness in its prefabricated structure.
As the depression cast a dark curtain over America in the 1930s, no one had much time for comics. The American economy had fallen into disrepair and the unemployment rate was at an all time high. Just as FDR set forth his New Deal plan to aid America, the second World War was soon upon the country, drafting hundreds of thousands of men into the army to fight the Axis Powers. Boys were sent to the training camps and mature men returned in their place. These soldiers came back and wanted to enjoy the simpler things of life. As the economy picked up, more people were captivated by the entertainment industry. Comic books and comic strips began to regain popularity. Thus, America was launched into what is now known as the Golden Age of Comics—a time period when comic books were first seriously published at high demand and when their popularity soared.