Comics that defy the public's generalizations about the medium?

[keii4ii]

What are some good comics that defy unfair, inaccurate generalizations about comics? For example, if someone thinks comics are all about superheroes or newspaper strips, what would be some good comics that not only prove them otherwise, but also are likely to impress them/ get their interest/ leave an impact on them?

This probably depends on the person -- for example, if they have a penchant for YA fantasy novels, then maybe your best bet is YA fantasy type comics. But can we come up with some recommendations in general?

Grave of the Fireflies comes up often when it comes to defying anime stereotypes, but that's a film/animation, so yeah.

PLEASE DO NOT RECOMMEND YOUR OWN COMIC :'D

[JessJackdaw]

I'd recommend Scurry ( https://m.tapastic.com/series/Scurry ). It's pretty safe to show most folks who might be squimish around magic, has a good first impression with breathtaking art, and none of the comic tropes that people usually associate with comics (superhero, gags, etc.).

Why not recommend your own comic Keii? XD It does all those things too! Haha!

[AnnaLandin]

I feel like one way to ease adults into comics can be to go with the non-fiction route. If they eyeroll and think comics aren't serious, I'd put Art Spiegelman's MAUS in their hands, or the works of Joe Sacco, like Safe Area Gorazde.

They're both works of non-fiction that deal with very heavy topics (Holocaust survivor's memories+generational conflict, and the Bosnian War, respectively) in a serious way - Joe Sacco's comics are basically in-depth journalism in comics-form. If the potential comics-readers are the type to prefer their literature a bit more serious-faced and with literary aspirations, this is a good place to start.

If you want to go non-fiction, but make it a little softer, I recommend Pyongyang by Guy Delisle. It's non-fiction, it's serious (it chronicles his time in North Korea, working in an outsourced animation studio), but it's drawn with a more cartoony, softer style, and not afraid to crack jokes.

If you have someone more inclined towards fiction, it's not a bad idea to put an anthology-volume in their hands, just to show them the range of what's possible. I'd recommend any volume of the Flight anthology.

And just in general, for anyone who doesn't mind a bit of fairytale inspiration, I believe you can't go wrong with reading Linda Medley's Castle Waiting. It uses familiar characters from fairytales, but tells a fresh, new and interesting story with them.

[joannekwan]

@AnnaLandin Ooh yes, I love Flight ! I wish there were more volumes. It was actually one of the biggest influences I had that pushed me towards the comic/graphic novel medium.

Anyway, I would recommend the Canales/Guarnido work Blacksad to anybody. It gives a series spin to comics and anthropomorphic animals with high-quality gorgeous watercolors and there isn't a superhero in sight.

[AnnaLandin]

@joannekwan I've got all eight volumes sitting on my shelf, and they are uniformly amazing. <3 They were really well curated!

Anyway, I would recommend the Canales/Guarnido work Blacksad to anybody. It gives a series spin to comics and anthropomorphic animals with high-quality gorgeous watercolors and there isn't a superhero in sight.

Seconding this as loudly as I possibly can - Blacksad is not only one of the most gorgeous comics in existence (seriously, those watercolours are to die for), it also digs really deep into a kind of Southern Gothic/noir-feel that doesn't flinch away from handling heavy issues.

[Shanny8]

These days, I'd say Saga...I'd also say The Sandman series when Gaiman was writing it.

[Kura]

I recommend stuff all the time for mom, buuuuut it's also not a 'changing her mind' thing as she's very aware of how diverse the mediums are. That's why she always asks me for titles she might like, cause she knows that there's stuff in there that she'll enjoy, there's just too much to go through and she doesn't like the mediums THAT much so she doesn't wants to go through it all herself.

But I got my mom to read MAUS and she really enjoyed that. Monster by Naoki Urasawa was another one I got her into and she really ended up enjoying. Full Metal Alchemist was also really easy to sell to her. (Turned out like Avatar the Last Airbender, where she ended up being a bigger fan of the series that me <.<)

Generally she really enjoys stuff that's based (loosely or heavily) on history dealing with oppression, racism and other heavy issues. (Even for superheros comics she really enjoys X-men) She also really like stuff that's based on old fables and stories from around the world.

[VermillionWorks]

For some reason I thought the comic Freddie & Me, which is about nothing but a man's life and his love of the band Queen, was both a funny, relatable, and very moving story that I always felt went outside people's typical expectations of comics, and would probably be one I'd recommend for someone just starting to read comics...especially a Queen fan. XP

I also kind of feel similarly about Ashen Victor (a one-shot comic by Yukito Kishiro, set in the Battle Angel Alita universe) when it comes to action/violent comics.

[JessJackdaw]

Oh! I thought you just meant on Tapastic. Durr, sorry. Yeah there are tons out there! Umm what hasn't been recommended... oh! The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. Seriously interesting take on folklore and would certainly recommend! : >

Edit: @Shanny8 Oh gah, we think alike. XD Didn't see you put it already.

[Kura]

Naw I think Tapastic comics count too xD

It's just, webcomics are an obscure medium within a obscure medium (in ANOTHER obscure medium if you're trying to pitch a webcomic read on phone) so they're a lot harder to sell when trying to sell something to someone that is generalizing them. So most of our (the posters) luck in trying to introduce stuff to people generally goes easier with easier accessible stuff, which is usually print that you can lend out or they can easily find at the library/bookstore next time they go.

[Kamikaze]

Forever and always Blacksad. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but the storytelling is so far from what a lot of folks expect of comics, especially if they think all comics are is superheroes.

Other titles?
- The Not So Interesting Adventures of TJ and Amal (nsfw, BL relationship, but VERY good)
- Monstress
- Beasts of Burden (the Animal Rites collection specifically)
- Persepolis
- American Born Chinese
- Pride of Baghdad
- This One Summer

There's loads more but this could be a good start for a newbie really looking to sink their teeth into something more nuanced and 'off the beaten path.'

[LCT_m_a_d]

Both of these were big influences for me.
Artistically
https://tapastic.com/series/fisheye
thematic
https://tapastic.com/series/119

[Shanny8]

@Kamikaze I love Monstress. It's a pretty cool story so far...

[kencoon7]

If this is about getting older folks interested in comics, I will have to remember it when I grow up. I'm only 76 now.

[shaneoid77]

I've always thought webcomic sites could be going about things differently. Instead of sweeping Superhero comics under the carpet and promoting alternatives, they could perhaps sell themselves on the genre and subtly introduce readers to alternatives. "Superhero" feels like a dirty word on some webcomic host sites, and a lot of creators really do want to move out of the genre and prove that comics can be more diverse, and I applaud that.

But for millions of people, comics=superheroes. It's no shock to learn DC and Marvel dominate comic sales figures. Would it not make strategic sense for webcomic platforms to capitalise on this popularity rather than petulantly dismiss what could bring traffic (and therefore revenue) to their site.

A lot of people appear to be vehemently dismissive of action comics in the webcomic world, snobbishly scoffing them as puerile. However for some, comics are about escapism and fun and this aspect should not be so easily discredited, and people with any business sense would realise this.

[keii4ii]

Would it not make strategic sense for webcomic platforms to capitalise on this popularity rather than petulantly dismiss what could bring traffic (and therefore revenue) to their site.

Superheroes had been dominating the American comic market not because that's actually what the majority of people like it -- but because that's been the only thing readily available for years, until the wave of manga hit. People who weren't interested in superheroes but might have enjoyed other comics just stayed away from comics entirely, assuming the entire medium had nothing to offer to them. Now people are only beginning to realize that isn't the case. The progress has been slow, but real. Continuing that progress isn't about shunning superhero comics; it's about promoting all sorts of comics, including but not limited to superhero ones.

I haven't seen much snobbery against action webcomics, personally. I mean, there's probably the occasional vocal idiot, but you can't avoid that no matter what kind of a comic you're doing. Then there are also people who just personally don't like action comics, which isn't the same thing as them looking down on action comics.

[shaneoid77]

Continuing that progress isn't about shunning superhero comics; it's about promoting all sorts of comics, including but not limited to superhero ones.

Sure, I don't mean exclusively sell your site on superhero comics, but dismissing the chance of potential revenue is financial idiocy, Using Heidegger as an example, he commented that metaphysics cannot be overcome by defeat, but only in the sense of überwunden, incorporating, twisting or weakening. The same example can relate to webcomics, there are a lot of readers who wish for something different, and rightly so, however there are also potentially millions of readers who could be enticed by the familiar ground of mainstream comics and subsequently begin to explore the alternatives the webcomic host site promotes.

I am. of course, approaching this from the business perspective and not one of personal preferences.

[NickRowler]

Children of the Sea ( Kaiju no Ko domo) by Daisuke Igarashi

Or at least defies what one expects from a Japanese graphic novel.

Also Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka. A series which impressed my brother who hates manga.

For more western stuff, almost anything published by Drawn & Quarterly

[UzukiCheverie]

I've always found One Punch Man to be a great variation of the superhero genre. The superhero genre is typically always delivered in a fashion that makes it both cheesy and sort of ridiculously over the top, but OPM does it in such a way that retains its integrity and creates an image of its own without being another one of those "Boom, Smash, Ka-Pow!" type superhero comics.

[vongcw]

The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman.

Totally redefined what a comic could do.