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Why comics? : from underground to everywhere / Hillary Chute.

by Chute, Hillary L.

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Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2017.

Comic books, strips, etc -- History and criticism.

Comic books, strips, etc. -- Influence on mass media.

Graphic novels -- History and criticism.

Superheroes in literature.

Cartooning -- History and criticism.

9780062476807 (hc.)

9780062957788 (2019 Harper Perennial pbk ed.)

449 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

One point of view by Gary Panter -- Introduction: comics for grown-ups? --Why disaster? -- Why superheroes? -- Why sex? -- Why the suburbs? -- Why cities? -- Why punk? -- Why illness & disability? -- Why girls? -- Why war? -- Why queer? -- Coda: why fans?

The massive impact that comics have had on our culture becomes more and more clear every day, from the critically acclaimed musical Fun Home, based on Alison Bechdel's groundbreaking comic, to the dozens of superhero films hitting cinemas every year. What is it that makes comics so special? What can this unique art form do that others can't? Hillary Chute reveals the history of comics, underground comics (or comix), and graphic novels, through deep thematic analysis, and fascinating portraits of the fearless men and women behind them. As Scott McCloud revealed the methods behind comics and the way they worked in his classic Understanding Comics, Chute reveals the themes that Comics handle best, and how the form is uniquely equipped to explore them. The topics covered include: Why Disaster: With such major works focusing on disasters, from Art Spiegelman's work, which covers the Holocaust and 9/11 to Keiji Nakazawa's work covering Hiroshima, comics find themselves uniquely suited to convey the scale and disorientation of disaster. Why Suburbs: Through the work of Chris Ware and Charles Burns, Chute reveals the fascinating ways that Comics illustrate the quiet joys and struggles of suburban existence. Why Punk: With an emphasis on DIY aesthetics and rebelling against what came before, the Punk movement would prove to be a fertile ground for some of the most significant modern cartoonists, creating a truly democratic art form. An indispensable guide to comics for those new to the genre, or those who want to understand more about what lies behind their favorite works. Hillary Chute is also the author of Outside the Box: Interviews with Contemporary Cartoonists.

Literary criticism.

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