Happy Birthday, Art Spiegelman

[filkertom]

On this date in 1948. On the off-chance you don't know, he's the man who gave legitimacy to our beloved graphic-novel form with Maus, his incredible work about his father's experience in Auchwitz.

If you had to pick one graphic novel to take with you to a desert island... well, you couldn't do it. Neither could I. Try five. I think mine would be Maus, Watchmen, Elf*Quest (but only if I could bind all twenty issues), Mage, and Cerebus: High Society... but I can hear The Dark Knight Returns, the full run of Sandman, The Girl Genius Omnibus, Kingdom Come, Mythadventures, and The League of Extraordinary Gentleman scratching at the door....

Comments

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, happy birthday to Art Spiegelman.

Picking five graphic novels... or one... Eeesh, you don't ask the easy stuff, do you? Mage is a good choice indeed; I'm not sure it's not cheating to call the full run of Sandman as one thing, since I don't believe it was ever one volume and what a doorstopper that would be...!

You list is somewhat more intellectual than mine would be - I think I'd have to include Bone, one of the better Batman stories - perhaps "The Long Halloween" - the Sandman volume that includes Season of Mists, the early Frank Miller Daredevil (including the Elektra story), and one of the better issues of Love and Rockets... maybe. And vol. 4 of Legion of Super-Heroes.

Oh, dear, what indispensibles am I leaving out?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I tell ya. I called Sandman one graphic novel because it does, throughout 75 issues and a couple of specials, tell a story, start to finish. I'm not sure I couldn't count all 300 issues of Cerebus for the same reason.

In the Daredevil category, I'd sure miss Born Again.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Isn't it wonderful to be in a world that has so many great graphic novels to choose among?

[maiac.livejournal.com]

So many interesting people were born February 15: Galileo, Susan B. Anthony, John Barrymore, Harvey Korman, Douglas Hofstadter, Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening. It's a day for genius.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Many more healthy years for Mr. Spiegelman. Please, Goddess, that's not too much to ask.

One that I'd have to have would be Superman - Secret Identity. Best. Superman. Story. Evar.

Aside from that, Maus, Watchmen, Girl Genius, and one pulled from a hat of classics.

[maiac.livejournal.com]

Do the Asterix books count as graphic novels? They get my vote.

And I think it's past time for an Elfquest omnibus.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Do the Asterix books count as graphic novels?

If they don't, they should. Or at least, honored ancestors. Along with Tintin, of course.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Hee. Did I know that you were an ElfQuest fan too? I don't think I knew that. Did I ever tell you I once submitted work applying to be a penciller for them? (Not surprisingly, they didn't want me. I kind of sucked back then, actually. I could do better now.)

I loved Maus. I quit reading EQ for a while after they had a character do something that I thought was so particularly heinous and out of character that I stopped buying them almost more out of shock than disgust (it's amazing how deeply a well-told story will hook you emotionally!) but I've been thinking of checking out what they're up to lately. I'm currently really liking Fables, though I haven't been back to the comic book store in months (I tend to forget for stretches of time). Also the Flight series. Sandman is definitely on my to-read list.

Oh, and Queen & Country absolutely ROCKS. That's probably top of the list. Inspired by/based on the 70s TV show Sandbaggers, which also rocks.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I will bet five dollars that whatever issue of Elf*Quest you read that had that heinous OOC thing was done by Barry "I Have No Fucking Talent And I Do Bad Child Porn And I Get PAID For It Ha Haaaa" Blair. When I found out he was doing E*Q, I just about smashed my own head against a wall.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Could well be. How well do you know the story? (I ask because I'd tell you but not if it'll bore you.) This was years ago...

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

The original story? Decently well. Read it about a zillion times as it came out, loved it to death, had the Donning Starblaze editions (which I gave to my sister, bad move, I thought they'd always be available). Years later, noticed that they'd started doing new stories, mostly by non-Pini creators. Nothing that really piqued my interest. Picked up one once to look at it, and smelled the Blair art before I saw the credits. So, no idea what was in the newer stuff. In particular I don't care what taint Blair might've put on it. Bluntly, to me he makes Chuck Austen and Rob Liefeld look like Lee and Kirby.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Ah. Yeah, this was in the newer stuff (Ember as chief).

I came at EQ kind of backwards; my stepmom owned the novelization of Fire & Flight, and I read that first; had no idea it was based on a graphic novel. Then she started giving me the graphic novels as gifts. :)

[silentpheonix.livejournal.com]

Ditto on Sandman. I don't know what else I'd bring though.

We used the Maus books in one of my college history classes. That was one of the best classes I've ever taken.

[ginevra007.livejournal.com]

Can I just take you? That way we could double our take and have all the books you listed (as I pretty much agree with your picks) Two I would add, Castle Waiting, by Linda Medley, and Mary Hanson-Roberts, Here Comes a Candle. Plus, if I take you, we can have singing. (grin)

[trifleresplende.livejournal.com]

The only thing it comes down to for me is Daniel Clowes' "Ghost World", and Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira", but only if the entire thing counts as one graphic novel, which it should.