Serious Comics

Yes I know that sounds like a contradiction. But I’ve got three beautiful examples to show you how well this format can tackle subtle and powerful issues.

I’ve just finished reading in one spell, Couch Fiction and was spellbound throughout. It’s about psychotherapy which I admit can sound, according to your tastes, dull, nerdy, technical, or touch–feely. It’s none of these.

It’s a story of how humans avoid encountering themselves, others and the world, all told in a continuing relationship between therapist and client. Underneath the storyboard of narrative—at the bottom of the page—there’s a light and enlightening explanation of the dynamics of the situation in terms of psychotherapeutic theory. Trust me, you’ll be totally engaged in this serious soap opera and learn a great deal along the way. Oh and you’ll find it funny too.

This hasn’t been the first serious comic I’ve read. Earlier this year I bought a comic called Logicomix subtitled An Epic Search for Truth. And indeed it was as it recounted the philosopher Bertrand Russell’s efforts at establishing the logical foundations of all mathematics. It was co–created by a professor of computer science, a novelist, a film animator and a graphic artist.

The third example is one of a series of two comic books about Berlin just before the Second World War. Told through the relationship of a journalist and artist, the story depicts the growing impact of social unrest and political activity. This is the best drawn of the three, in Ligne Claire style. Attributed to Hergé, the creator of Tintin, this style of drawing used a consistently thick black line and flat colouring (in this case white).
References:
Couch Fiction: Philippa Perry (wife of Grayson) & Junko Graat, 2010, Macmillan
Logicomix: Apostolos Doxiadis & Christos H Papadimitrou, 2009, Bloomsbury
Berlin: Jason Lutes, 2009, Drawn & Quarterly