This Book Contains Graphic Language
Subtitle: Comics as Literature
Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group; Continuum
Published: December 15, 2007
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 288
ISBN-13: 9780826428783
Subjects: Comic book & cartoon art; Graphic novels; Literary studies: general; Popular culture; Language Arts & Disciplines; Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy; Literature - Classics / Criticism; Language; Regional, Ethnic, Genre, Specific Subject; Composition & Creative Writing - General; Comic books, strips, etc.; History and criticism; Literary form
Description: *This Book Contains Graphic Language* looks at different literary forms and genres—including journalism, fiction, memoirs, and film—in relation to their comic book counterparts. By demonstrating the ways in which comic books (and graphic novels) both reflect upon, and expand the boundaries of literature, Rocco Versaci demonstrates that comics have earned the right to be taken just as seriously as any other literary form.

As comics and graphic novels become more popular than ever, literary critics are finding that they now have a new subject to examine. But while many advocates of the medium maintain that comics are a true art form, there have been no detailed comparisons among comics and "legitimate" types of literature. Filling this void, This Book Contains Graphic Language examines different literary forms in relation to their comic book counterparts. These literatures include prose memoir, Holocaust memoir, journalism, film, and-for lack of a better term-the "classics." Each richly-illustrated chapter outlines the key issues of one of these forms and then explores how comic books have been able to reflect and expand upon those issues in unique ways.

The comics discussed include Eightball by Daniel Clowes, Love and Rockets by Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez, American Splendor by Harvey Pekar, Maus by Art Spiegelman, Palestine by Joe Sacco, Frontline Combat and Two-Fisted Tales from EC Comics, Sandman by Neil Gaiman and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore. By examining the ways in which these and other comic books and graphic novels expand the boundaries of literature, English professor Rocco Versaci demonstrates that the medium of comics has earned the right to be regarded as an important artistic and literary form.
Table of contents: title: Why comics? An introduction with several digressions; title: Creating a "special reality": comic books vs. memoir; title: ReMaustering the past: comic books vs. holocaust memoir and photography; title: The "New Juornalism" revisited: comic books vs. reportage; title: Guerilla warfare and sneak attacks: comic books vs. war films; title: Illustrating the classics: comic books vs. "real" literature