“Comics are the synergy of pictures and words; great comics, though, are the synergy of art and literature,” wrote A. David Lewis, a candidate for a masters degree in English, in a conference paper on the topic he published last year.
Lewis is currently at work on a comic to raise money for the Red Cross. The comic, entitled “9-11: Emergency Relief,” will be published in late December by Alternative Comics Group. The 128-page book, consisting of short pieces centered on the events of Sept. 11, is a collaborative effort involving several dozen comic book artists.
Lewis’ interest in comics began when he was 12. However, he has continued to read and love comics well beyond his adolescence. He is now professionally involved in comic books. As a graduate student, he studies comics as a form of pop culture. He also works for the webzine popmatters.com as comic book section editor and works as a writer and editor for Committed Comics, a start-up publisher.
“Some people read comic books as kids, and then put them down and say, ‘Well, that’s what kids do, and I’m done with that now,’”Lewis said. For Lewis, however, comics are a lifelong interest. “Comic books are a wonderful medium. Too often they get tagged with a juvenile label.”
There is much to be said in comic books’ defense. Lewis has plenty of examples of more substance-heavy comics; the best-known is Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer-winning MAUS, based on his parents’ experiences during the Holocaust. However, MAUS isn’t as unique as many think. “There are many comic books like MAUS that don’t get the same recognition,” Lewis said.
“People talked about Unbreakable when it came out last year, and what an interesting comic book movie it is,” he said. “Well, that’s what comic books are like now. That’s no shock to the comic book reader.”
Comics have had excellent success in Hollywood, as evidenced by Batman, The Matrix, Superman and countless others. Ghost World, which opened recently, is based on a comic. From Hell, a movie coming out this fall (see “Fall movies: time to get serious, p. 11), is taken from a comic of the same name. And, despite the ominous title, the comic is not necessarily what one would expect. “It’s actually got very little to do with the violence of Jack the Ripper,” Lewis said.
The nature of Lewis’ work at popmatters.com has made him somewhat of an expert at relating the validity of comics.
“The best way to talk intelligently to a non-comic book reader about a comic book is, first of all, throw away the idea that it’s a comic book,” he said. “There are too many bad connotations associated with that.” For Lewis, the important question to ask is, “What makes the content matter?”
Lewis began work on “9-11: Emergency Relief” on the day of the tragedy. “Two other writers and I all responded to the tragedy by writing,” he said. They discussed the possibility of a project to raise money, and began looking for others to help. With the support of publisher Jeff Mason from Alternative Comics, they planned a book. The project now includes Frank Cho, author of the Washington Post’s “Liberty Meadows” strip, and Will Eisner, a legend in comic book lore for whom the industry’s Academy Award-equivalent is named.
The book will include a 13-page piece, written by Lewis, entitled “Alabaster Cities.” The comic essentially tells the story of the twelve hours which began when he awoke at 10 a.m. on the 11th. “I took very few fictional liberties,” he said.
Other major comic publishers, including DC and Marvel, are also planning on publishing special issues with similar themes. “9-11: Emergency Relief” will be available in late December from Alternative Comics Group for $14.95.
