general media Are Comic a valid form of literature?

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

Do you consider comics to be a valid form of literature? There's been a lot of back and forth but I wanted to ask for all of your input. 

[Tacodidra 59,792]

I don't see why not. Comics can tell stories that are every bit as good as other literature. Just with some amazing illustrations included alongside them.

I feel the exclusion of comics in this regard is similar to how some people perceive animation in comparison to live-action films. They view it as something for children and thus shun it (ignoring that not all of it is for kids, and that content made for children can still appeal to everyone).

Edited October 14, 2019 by Tacodidra

[Latecomer 438]

Hmm... I'd say there's no reason using pictures to set the scene instead of words should change that, but thinking about it, it does shift things away from the internal narrative. But not all literature is internally focused anyway.

[SharpWit 2,472]

Yes, but I would say they rely a bit too heavily on their imagery and not the actual story sometimes, and that they probably don't hold up quite as well in the long run as other forms of literature. I'm not an avid comic reader though, and only thorough experience I have to my name is having gone through some 500 issues of Archie during my childhood, which is very different from regular superhero and more serious stuff.

[GeekySonic 1,150]

I don't see why not. I don't read that many, but they do what they're supposed to: tell stories, which is, welp, literature.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

29 minutes ago, SharpWit said:

Yes, but I would say they rely a bit too heavily on their imagery and not the actual story sometimes, and that they probably don't hold up quite as well in the long run as other forms of literature. I'm not an avid comic reader though, and only thorough experience I have to my name is having gone through some 500 issues of Archie during my childhood, which is very different from regular superhero and more serious stuff.

Pardon? Comics are a visual medium, it's only natural that the visuals would fo most of the heavy lifting.  That's like complaining that a book is too reliant on words.

[SharpWit 2,472]

4 minutes ago, TheAnimationFanatic said:

Pardon? Comics are a visual medium, it's only natural that the visuals would fo most of the heavy lifting.  That's like complaining that a book is too reliant on words.

My complaint is that they can put too much of a focus into flashy imagery rather than the substance to a story. Think of it like how the Transformer movies are. I do enjoy the visuals, who doesn't get a kick out of the hours put into detailed work and big explosions? But that franchise is clearly lacking certain aspects to good storytelling. Some comics do an amazing job of telling a story, more so than a book because we can see facial expressions and other cues, and better than a movie because like books we can follow a character's inner thoughts. Comics are closer to books than film though, so when treated more like a film, the story can be messed up more easily when it doesn't receive as much focus.

[Brony Number 42 9,926]

I agree with @SharpWit I don't think the images do as much "heavy lifting" as @TheAnimationFanatic suggests. For action scenes yes. But you need text to describe back stories, off hand and throw away bits of information, inner thoughts, and omnipotent knowledge. You don't want the comic to be too cluttered with thought balloons. In a book, the text can go on for a page about a character's thoughts and feelings, but this would be awkward in a comic. A book can give a flash back scene or just a thought, but that might seem out of place in a comic.

Books and comics do different things, but the information is more dense in a book. There are some things you can't show visually.

[Sepul-Coloratura 756]

Watchmen getting a Hugo award : "Am I a joke to you?"

[Dreambiscuit 8,024]

Anything that is well-written and presented in a way that engages the audience is a valid form of literature. Just like animated movies are a valid form of filmmaking, comics are equally worthy as literary entertainment. Not everything has to be a dry, boring document to be worthwhile. Books and movies are supposed to be entertaining, fun and emotionally stimulating. Forgetting that fact only diminishes the format as a whole. If you like what you read, for whatever reason, it's valid. 

[The Historian 515]

Saying that comic books aren't a legitimate form of literature and artistic expression is like saying animated shows can't provide the same kind of experience that live television does. Patently untrue. Art comes in many forms and comics are just as legitimate as anything else.