Events
| Exhibits
| Press Releases |
News
Archives | Newsletters
| Index
January 11, 2007
Graphic Novels on Display in the University Libraries
University Park, PA — "Graphic Novels: Comics as Art, History, and Literature," a selection of books and materials from Penn State University Libraries' collection, is on display through March 2 in the Diversity Reading Room, 109 Pattee Library.
The term "graphic" novel, although seemingly easy to define, is riddled with confusion, and there is much discussion about who created the first one. It is even a topic of dispute among graphic novelists themselves. Simply put, graphic novels can be an original story or an adaptation of a non-fictional event, told in pictures and words.
Graphic novels, however defined, are an exciting new frontier with very old roots in newspaper comic strips and comic books. According to legendary artist Will Eisner, author of what some claim to be the first modern graphic novel—1978's A Contract with God—the literary maturity of the comic book began with the appearance of the underground comics 
(or "comix") in late-1960s San Francisco. It was through the "undergrounds" that artists such as Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Jack Jackson, Art Spiegelman, Melinda Gebbie, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, and many others freely expressed their dissent within the context of this era of social protest. They blew the traditional comic book format wide open, which for so long was confined mostly to simple entertainment. The comic book medium began to function as a conduit for larger, more outrageous, irreverent and emotional themes. In short, comics were not just for kids anymore-they grew up!
Growing numbers of contemporary comic books are being written for a general adult readership. Now comics don't just depict the traditionally escapist themes, but deal with issues such as the clash of cultures in American history (Jack Jackson's Comanche Moon and Los Tejanos), the burdens
of guilt and suffering within families (Art Spiegelman's Maus) and the trials and triumphs of the daily workaday world (Harvey Pekar's American Splendor). The diversity, quality, and uniqueness of this expressive form remain strong and the readership seems more curious and receptive in the twenty-first century. It is clear that the graphic novel is no passing craze; an age-old and enduring medium is coming into its own and is here to stay.
The exhibit is open during library operating hours. Call 814-865-3063 for a listing of general hours.
Details of works in the exhibit, from top right: The Inheritance of Rufus Griswold, drawn by "Spain"; Mr. Natural, by R. Crumb; Minnie's 3rd Love, by P. Gloeckner.
Editor's Contact:
Catherine Grigor, 814-863-4240