To assume that all comic books are written for the juvenile market is akin to assuming that all movies are made for the 18-24 male. While it might generally be so, it does not include some of the better works.
Jeff Smith's Bone comes to mind as a universally beautiful work that is deep and should appeal to anyone with a soul. My library has a complete run of his series. The only other body they even come close on is Elfquest. Regardless of some rather dated concepts, Elfquest is astonishing.
Also, if you haven't yet, I demand you get out and read Neil Gaiman's "Sandman". I'm partial to "A Game of You" and "The Doll House" of that series. The writing and art are coupled beautifully.
But writing is art. At least, some of it is. So you face two with each other and you tend to suffer from the weakest of the two. Bad artist? Bad comic. Bad poet? Well, the Statue of Liberty would still welcome immigrants, but who would remember the poem that just said.
"We got your shores,
and your mountains,
and all them countries that don't like you...
we ain't one of them."
Well, okay... it is easier to remember, but hardly worth the trip. And the world has plenty of statues. Giant Buddha, anyone?
Lots of comics have been art-driven... beautiful enough to get snatched off the rack. But without good writing, why come back? How many pictures of half-naked women blasting armored villains do you need?
Sorry, I'm rambling. I love comics. I love the concept of comics and the potential that comics have as an art form. It is wasted sometimes, and caveat emptor on that one. But I'll be damned if I'm happy about it. Or the abuse I hear.
See, this is something... I like to draw. And I like to write.
Instant comic.
Except that I feel embarrassed by the occassional scholastic finger wagging, like I'm wasting my time with such an effort, when I could be doing something "real."
So I sit here and vent, instead of drawing.
>sigh<
2 Kommentare:
Look, Kind Sir, if I can get off my happy ass and start freelance writing (and even making some cash at it), you had better go draw and write. Something, anything, even if it is just a quick sketch you do in five minutes. Drag around a sketchbook and go for it.
Or next time I come up there, I'm gonna have to hurt you in front of your boys....and how do you think having some blonde chick beating on Daddy is going to warp them? Hmm? ;)
If I've raised them right, they'll say something like, "go dad!"
Fortunately I've a semester of busrides to do sketches and whatnot on. I look forward to that.
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