The Graphic Novel

Comic books originated in 1934 and immediately garnished a reputation as immature children’s reading. This reputation probably stems from the correlation between comics and stories that contain illustrations. People assume that the illustrations help the less intelligent reader to understand what the words are saying. Even today there are still people who view comics with this condescending tone despite the mature evolution comics have undergone. In particular, a subculture of comics emerged in the 1960’s known as the graphic novel. Graphic novels quickly sought to distinguish themselves from the more juvenile media of comic books, and often did so by containing more controversial and mature themes.

As Dick Hebdige observes, “The emergence of a spectacular subculture is invariably accompanied by a wave of hysteria in the press” and for graphic novels this is certainly true. Many people were not accustomed to the idea of such mature themes and graphic images in heavily illustrated works. Comic books soon followed suit in attempting to create story lines that were edgy and dark, but graphic novels had already been solidified as the more adult and meaningful form of literature.

Just like ay other type of subculture, however, graphic novels soon became swallowed up by mass culture and repackaged as commodities to consumers. Graphic novels have been adapted into large screen productions such as The Watchmen and 300. The edgy and dark material that seemed so taboo just a few years ago has now been produced as films for mass culture and given unassuming “R” ratings. Most people are surprised to hear after watching a movie like Sin City or Kick-Ass that it was adapted from a graphic novel, as graphic novels have lost some of their surprising quality. Hebdige describes this absorption of subcultures into pop culture by saying, “The process of recuperation takes [this] form: the conversion of subcultural signs (dress, music, ect.) into mass produced objects (ie the commodity form)” and graphic novels have certainly become a part of mass culture. They are no longer considered the icon of edgy taboo material but merely a more adult form of comic books.

This process of absorption into pop culture has not been entirely negative however. Graphic novels have achieved more respect in their transition to mass culture. Even though graphic novels are not as popular as comics, they have slowly become accepted into mass culture and this has helped the graphic novel industry flourish. Ironically, many graphic novels will remain critical of the mass culture that is swallowing it up, yet sustaining it.