SEE YOU IN THE FUNNY PAPERS

by Angela Zeman

My grandfather (never an articulate man) used that phrase a lot, and usually tweaked my nose at the same time. Imagine how bewildered he would’ve been to learn that a comic book (Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale) would someday win a Pulitzer Prize.

A review taken from the School Library Journal: “Told with chilling realism in an unusual comic-book format, this is more than a tale of surviving the Holocaust. Spiegelman relates the effect of those events on the survivors’ later years and upon the lives of the following generation. Each scene opens at the elder Spiegelman’s home in Rego Park, N.Y. Art, who was born after the war, is visiting his father, Vladek, to record his experiences in Nazi-occupied Poland. The Nazis, portrayed as cats, gradually introduce increasingly repressive measures, until the Jews, drawn as mice, are systematically hunted and herded toward the Final Solution. Vladek saves himself and his wife by a combination of luck and wits, all the time enduring the torment of hunted outcasts. The other theme of this book is Art’s troubled adjustment to life as he, too, bears the burden of his parents’ experiences. This is a complex book. It relates events which young adults, as the future architects of society, must confront, and their interest is sure to be caught by the skillful graphics and suspenseful unfolding of the story.”

Not exactly Gasoline Alley.

Max Allan Collins broke new ground for mystery writers when his graphic novel, Road to Perdition, did astoundingly well among readers who would never normally read a “comic.” Then when Perdition succeeded as a feature film, it again amazed many who had never considered the graphic novel a serious medium for writers.

The simple fact that they’re now being referred to as graphic novels instead of comic books says a lot about how far they’ve come. Also, look at the talent. Max Allan Collins isn’t the only one doing it. Ian Rankin wrote a Hellblazer, and Charlie Huston did a Moon Knight story for Marvel.

In 1991, Neil Gaiman’s gorgeous work won a World Fantasy Award for short fiction for the Sandman issue entitled “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The World Fantasy Award is one of the major awards in the fantasy genre.

Many graphic novels and comic series of adult stature are now being produced—I couldn’t say at what pace, not having access to that world. But they’re on the shelves and I’ve been reading them. Some good, some bad. Some brilliant. Garth Ennis’s Preacher series is one of my favorites. Constantine, another good vs. evil series, was made into a movie, starring a somewhat limp Keanu Reeves, who never quite reached the sophisticated level of trickery of the original John Constantine. Constantine battles demons … wait, don’t protest about that being a “kiddy” comic book subject! In John Connolly’s Black Angel … remember protagonist Charlie Parker? He fights demons. Last I looked, John Connolly is a well-known, best-selling writer of mystery novels.

There is some fantastic writing out there. You’d think mystery graphic novels and comic series would soon begin showing up for awards like the Edgars. However, when I recently brought up the subject to a few dozen mystery writers, I was taken aback, not by the negative responses—I’d expected controversy—but by vitriolic promises of opposition. Why?

Yes, graphic novel writers tell a story using text plus art. But graphic novels, in my view, occupy the same niche as films, television, and theater—all of which are now recognized by MWA and are eligible for the Edgar. Films, TV, and theater use scenery, actors, and a staff to present their stories. Graphic novels should not be considered orphan children of the crime-writing field, but rather another version of visual story-telling. And if a graphic novel category required subcategories, why should that be an obstacle? Edgars for television work are divided into subcategories, including “Best Series.” The bottom line should be the storytelling: is it good, not whether inks or actors were used to help present the story.

So why not ease graphic novelists/artists into the “awards” fold and let them try for Edgars, the Shamus, and etc. We’ve welcomed theater, television, and films. Yes, in some years not many graphic novels would qualify, but in some years no plays qualify either. Any more readers out there who would like to see MWA consider this new medium for an Edgar Award?