Graphic Novels

[Dr. Zirk]

I'm wondering if any other TLO members are fans of graphic novels, as I am. Please don't call them comics; you'll make me feel unsophisticated!

Graphic novels are a huge field, so I won't even pretend to have a comprehensive knowledge of them, but I definitely have a few favorites. My picks are not so much "Ligottian" as they are simply the picks of someone who likes TL's fiction - whether the relationship goes deeper than that I don't care to speculate.

Here are my favorites in no particular order; I'm curious to see what other TLO members may come up with.

Enki Bilal - especially The Nikopol Trilogy and The Hunting Party.
Rick Geary - his Treasury of Victorian Murder series.
Richard Corben - basically anything by, but his adaptation of Hodgson's The House on the Borderlands is a good recent title.
Jim Woodring - author of the Frank series. This is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, if you ask me. Amazing stuff!

At one time I was a fan of Moebius (aka Jean Giraud) but eventually found his stuff to be a bit too sunny and hopeful. Some of those hippies just never got over the Summer of Love!

	TLO THOMAS LIGOTTI ONLINE

[unknown]

The only graphic novels I've read have been a couple of Neil Gaiman Sandman novels. I would be interested in reading some more darker ones

[bendk]

The comic art medium has definitely grown up. Even Norman Mailer praised Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN series. Many individual titles have mature audience labels on them nowadays. I grew up reading comic books, and I still try to check out an occasional series or graphic novel. It has been a while since I last picked one up, but I share your interest in the subject and would like to hear what other members have to say. A few I remember liking would be:

V FOR VENDETTA by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
A dystopian G/N. Moore was getting increasingly wary of Thatcher's right wing government. I think he mentioned Orwell, Huxley, Ray Bradbury's FAHRENHEIT 451, and Harlan Ellison's "REPENT HARLEQUIN!" SAID THE TICKTOCKMAN as influences.

A COTTON CANDY AUTOPSY by Dave Louapre and Dan Sweetman
Some clowns get drunk and burn down the circus and other hijinks. This collected some stories from the series BEAUTIFUL STORIES FOR UGLY CHILDREN. I thought the entire series was great.

THE CROW by James O'Barr.
This outstanding G/N is what they based the movie on. Good movie too.

KILLING JOKE by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland.
A Batman title. Has my single favorite page of comic writing. Mature themes. Tim Burton's favorite comic book.

OINK: HEAVEN'S BUTCHER by John Mueller.
Another dystopia. An evil theocracy (is there any other kind) breeds slave labor. Shades of Orwell's 1984 and ANIMAL FARM.

THE RAVEN AND OTHER POEMS by Edgar Allen Poe and Gahan Wilson


Other comic artists whose work I enjoy include:
Gary Larson
R. Crumb
Bill Waterson
Richard Sala

[The Silent One]

Quote Originally Posted by bendk";p=&quot

Other comic artists whose work I enjoy include: Gary Larson R. Crumb Bill Waterson Richard Sala

Watterson and Larson have to be my favourite comic artists. Their pieces are witty and reflective of our society and our world, or simply examples of sane or twisted genius. I commend them for that.

[ElHI]

Anything by Edward GOREY (My screensaver is a random vignette from his Gashlycrumb Tinies)

Anything written by Alan MOORE (FROM HELL is really impressive from every point of view, probably the best work of art about Jack The Ripper...)

Lewis TRONDHEIM is great (I know some of his works have been translated from French on Fantagraphics, check out his site www.lewistrondheim.com): his works have a profound pessimistic feel, which is totally the reverse of most of his drawings, it makes really a great clash!

The same goes with Joan SFAR, even though his drawing is more tortured than Trondheim's. Their collaboration series (Donjon) is really amazing: sometimes funny (very), sometimes dark (very very), sometimes childish, sometimes violent (very), sometimes sexual,... well, you never know what to expect.

[Stu]

I wrote a couple of columns on horror comics back in 2003. Covered
a selection of different titles.

The columns are at http://www.thealienonline.net/column...id=64&iid=1532

and at http://www.thealienonline.net/column...id=64&iid=1959

And a graphic novel series of possible interest is Planetary by Warren Ellis. A trio of superpowered archeologists attempt to uncover a worldwide conspiracy as analogues of characters from weird literature commingle with historical events. The X-Files meets The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

And a series I've mentioned elsewhere on this board is The Invisibles by Grant Morrsion. Occult anarchists fight to save reality from extra-dimensional overlords. Imagine Robert Anton Wilson, Michael Moorcock and Philip K Dick rewriting The Matrix as a comic (although The Invisbles actually came out before The Matrix). The series occassionally descends into pretentious gibberish but overall it's an interesting read.

[Aetherwing]

Stu,

I agree with you on GM's THE INVISIBLES. Great, intellectual read.

Might I suggest Alan Moore's THE WATCHMEN, and PROMETHIA?

[Karnos]

The only graphic novel I have read is Allan Moore's "From Hell", and it was quite a shocking ride. Really well made and highly recomended.

[Doctor Munoz]

I think one of the best comics ever produced it is also one of the first. I am talking about "Little Nemo in Slumberland" by Winsor Mc Cay. This comic strip, published in the New York Herald from 1905 to 1911 is just sheer "art nouveau" magic. It is also for me a beautiful elegy to the loss of childhood, that most hospitable country (alas, not for everyone).
The French poet Aime Michel said something like children are neither happy nor miserable, but sleepwalkers. Hence growing up can be defined as an awakening process. Little Nemo fought for some years every sunday (it was a weekly strip) against any "awakening". He only wanted to carry on riding the roller coaster of his dreams, so beautifully crafted by Mr. Mc Cay. Who would blame him?

[The Silent One]

Quote Originally Posted by ElHI";p=&quot

Anything by Edward GOREY (My screensaver is a random vignette from his Gashlycrumb Tinies)

I'm a huge fan. "A is for Amy who fell down the stairs..." Should I go on :wink:?