Comic Book, the 9th Art

A multitude of definitions are given to comics depending on the culture. Some place more emphasis on the sequential aspect of the images, others on movement. The text, now found mostly in speech bubbles, is not a mandatory component of comics, but it contributes to the reader's understanding. However, the text present in this type of work cannot function independently. It would mean nothing. 

The 9th Art  

The expression "9th Art" to refer to comics is due to Claude Beylie. In the 1960s, he used this term in an article published in Lettres et Médecins. 

The inspiration of fragments of images arranged one after the other to create a narrative is already something found on various ancient friezes. We must think in particular of the friezes of the Parthenon, which depict the processions of the Panathenaea. A procession culminating in the changing of the tunic of the statue of the goddess Athena. This takes place every four years when all the inhabitants of the city of Athens gather to honor Athena.

But each civilization has its own visual codes and language. Thus, across the globe, the forms of written expression during the Middle Ages were diverse. They continue to influence comic strips today, whether in Europe, America, or Asia, for example.

Comic Strips in Europe 

The Bayeux Tapestry is an exceptional work, nearly 70 meters long, created in 1066. It recounts the adventures of the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror. This embroidery contains 58 scenes, including 626 figures and 202 horses. Some areas include writing.

In 1833, the Genevan writer and illustrator Rodolphe Töpffer published a book of prints, The Story of Mr. Jabot. This story tells the story of Mr. Jabot, who wishes to make his place in society. He is gifted with a lively mind and strives to blend into the world's customs and traditions. Mr. Jabot goes to balls and hunting. The reader witnesses his adventures and blunders in a comic atmosphere. 

“*Mr. Jabot is preparing to succeed in society, frequenting public promenades. 

*Mr. Jabot feels he must have an ice cream at the nearest café. 

*Having eaten his ice cream, Mr. Jabot gets back into position. 

American Comics 

North America and Europe argue over the invention of comics. What is undeniable is that it was the Americans who brought the concept of speech bubbles to this ninth art.

Beginning in 1896, Richard Felton Outcault (1863-1928), for a page dedicated to a caricature in The New York World newspaper, invented a character that would become legendary: The Yellow Kid. This protagonist is striking. He is a bald child with crooked teeth. He wears a yellow nightgown and speaks in slang, far from bourgeois conventions. A first movement of the writing on the character's clothing is visible. 

Winsor McCay (1869-1934) is recognized as one of the fathers of American comic strips. In 1905, he published Little Nemo in Slumberland in an edition of the New York Herald newspaper. In it, the author describes the adventures of a child named Nemo who, every night, explores the world of his dreams, Slumberland. McCay introduced speech balloons, which would soon become a standard in comics. 

Japanese Comics 

Many art critics see emakimono as one of the earliest forms, prefiguring manga and animated film. It is literally understood as a "painted scroll" made of silk or paper. Its production began in the 8th century, during the Nara period, and reached its golden age in the 12th and 13th centuries in Japan. It is a narrative genre in which shots follow one another and form a chronicle. The calligraphed images and texts take on varying degrees of importance depending on the texts and their sources. 

Thus, the word manga means "ridiculous story" or "quick sketch." The unique style is easily recognizable, and the reading direction corresponds to that of Japanese, and therefore emakimono: from right to left. There are several types of manga, such as kodomo manga, shonen manga, shojo manga, seinen manga, josei manga, and hentai. These differences are made depending on the intended audience. The drawings are divided into small panels

Akira Toriyama is one of the most famous manga artists, with his work Dragon Ball. This manga tells the story of the fictional character So Goku, whose strength is superhuman. He sets out to find the seven Dragon Balls, crystal balls that can summon a dragon that grants any wish. The fantasy of this story lies in the character's superhuman abilities and extraterrestrial origins.

A Wide Audience 

Comics are often described as being aimed at a young audience. However, as with novels and other literary genres, each work has unique content and a suitable audience.

Comics, through their playful visual aspect, also allow information to be conveyed more gently than if it had been written down alone. This is the case for Maus by Art Spiegelman. In a vivid narrative, he explores the life of his family, and more specifically that of his father Vladek, a Polish Jew deported to Auschwitz in 1944. The author describes the horror of the Holocaust through the use of animals. This helps us understand the separation of what Hitler called "races." In Maus, Jews are represented by mice, Germans by cats, and Poles by pigs. 

Furthermore, just like many cartoons, novels, or films, comics sometimes include several levels of interpretation. In particular, several studies suggest that Hergé made extensive allusions to Freemasonry in his numerous Tintin albums.