Print // Funny Books

Next week the U.K. box office will rub its eager mitts in the hope of having another comic-book summer hit with Edgar Wright’s movie adaptation of the hugely popular Scott Pilgrim saga. Wright’s movie, released so shortly after Iron Man 2, is further proof that the market for comic adaptations continues to grow, leaving the tacky spinoffs of yesteryear (one has only to recall Mark A.Z. Dippé’s Spawn, or Oley Sassone’s 1994 version of The Fantastic Four) long behind.

The superhero industry is responsible for some of the biggest blockbusters of the past decade, with each movie more respected and epic than the last, and more money pumped into each franchise. But, despite the overwhelming popularity of their film counterparts, the books themselves are still commonly classed as inferior media, and their reader’s remain stereotyped social oddities.

Everybody is familiar with the image. The awkward virgin hidden behind jam-jar glasses and a mask of acne, scuttling about in the shadows, scouring the racks of dark and dusty collectable outlets and car boot sales for that fabled issue of The Uncanny X-Men that will be read with gloved hands and tweezers, before being boarded, bagged and boxed promptly after purchase.

But, like the cheesy films of decades past, this nerdy stereotype is finding itself being replaced by a new, wholly hipper, crowd. The contemporary reader of the comic book, particularly the more accessible graphic novel, is part of an indie sub-culture, an ever-expanding niche audience. Whether it’s because of a more publicized medium, or nothing more than a byproduct of the increasing popularity of geek-chic, the fact remains that comic culture is slowly undergoing the transition of socially embarrassing to culturally cool.

Sequential art is the primary platform for the collaboration of often-beautiful artwork and some of the most gripping stories available in any media form today. The buff men in tights that were once exclusively synonymous with the industry are being handed down to the children, while stylish creator-owned projects provide cutting edge material for adults.

But where to find good stories for the comic-curious, in an industry overrun with capes and cringe-worthy one-liners? Well here is some essential reading to convert any non-believer to the graphic side:

Transmetropolitan – Warren Ellis
This series from the tale end of the nineties follows the exploits of Spider Jerusalem, the heavily tattooed bastard child of Hunter S. Thompson, Bill Hicks and a pit-bull terrier. Acid tongued, heavily armed and misanthropic to the core, Spider spends most of his time ingesting various substances, getting stomped by police and exposing grisly scandals across The City; the futuristic cesspool of perverts, liars and thieves in which he is forced to reside. Brutal, dark comedy from one of the most twisted minds in the business is as good a starting place as any.

Ghost World – Daniel Clowes
Ghost World was a landmark in comic writing and one of the first to break away from what remained of the dying superhero scene, instead focusing directly on generation x. It records the relationship between two best friends through teenaged ineptitude, social awkwardness, and the issues surrounding post-graduate life and what waits beyond education, out in the real world. The universally relatable subject matter and grungy depiction makes it one of the most popular underground graphic novels to this day.

Tank Girl – Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett
Long before Hewlett teamed up with Damon Albarn to create the world’s first virtual band, Gorillaz, he managed to capture the whole vibe of the Britpop movement with these surreal shorts. They were usually written, inked and printed within hours, and originally published in counter-culture publication Deadline throughout the early nineties. Each strip follows Tank Girl, an anarchic young lass from the outback, embarking on such necessary missions as finding beer and fucking scooter-riding-mod kangaroos. It’s pure nonsense and utterly awesome.

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – Art Spiegelman
Maus is probably the most important graphic novel ever released, and one of the most accessible and personal accounts of the second world war ever written. Told firsthand over two generations, the story follows the persecution of Spiegelman’s father and his friends as Polish Jews. Its devastating and brutally honest portrayal of the horror of the war won the book a Pulitzer Prize in 1992. Enough said.

So do yourself a favour. Forget the stigma attached and, an oxymoron though it may seem, grow up and read a comic book. Start with this selection and who knows, you might just find yourself in a cape-and-tights combo yet.