Alternative comics

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For the publisher, see Alternative Comics (publisher).
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Alternative comics defines a range of American comics which have appeared since around 1980, that followed the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry (such as the superhero-themed products of Marvel and DC). Alternative Comic Books span a wide range of genres, artistic styles, and subject material.

While the content of "mainstream" comics are influenced by corporate managers attempting to maximize sales, "alternative" comics are often published in small numbers as the author(s) deem fit. Alternative comics are often published when deemed complete, with less regard for regular distribution schedules.

The works in question have variously been labelled "post-underground", "independent", "auteur", "small press", "new wave", "creator-owned", or "art comics". Many self-published "minicomics" also fall under the "alternative" umbrella.

There is a slight difference between "Alternative comics" and "Creator Owned". Not all creator owned comics are alternative comics because they may focus on the superhero genre.

Contents

[edit] From underground to alternative

The hippie counterculture, and the underground comix distribution system associated with it, had largely collapsed by the late 1970s. At that juncture, the artists who had emerged as part of the comix underground found it increasingly difficult to find publishers, and those who did continue to publish found that their audience had shrunk dramatically.

Two of the leading artists of underground comix addressed this situation in the early 1980s by starting magazines that anthologized new, artistically ambitious comics. RAW, a lavishly produced, large format anthology that was clearly intended to be seen as a work of art was founded by artist Art Spiegelman and his wife Françoise Mouly in 1980. Another magazine, Weirdo, was started by the leading figure in underground comix, Robert Crumb, in 1981.

Both of these magazines reflected changes from the days of the underground comix. They had different formats from the old comix, and the selection of artists differed, too. RAW featured many European artists, Weirdo included photo-funnies and strange outsider art-type documents. The underground staples of sex, drugs and revolution were much less in evidence. More emphasis was placed on developing the craft of comics drawing and storytelling, with many artists aiming for work that was both subtler and more complex than was typical in the underground. This was true of much of the new work done by the established comix artists as well as the newcomers: Art Spiegelman's Maus, much celebrated for bringing a new seriousness to comics, was serialized in RAW.

While fans also argue over the origins of self-publishing in the comics industry, most agree that Dave Sim was an early leader in this area. Starting in 1977, he primarily wrote, drew and published Cerebus the Aardvark, on his own under the "Aardvark-Vanaheim Inc." imprint. Sim is known for his activism in favor of creators' rights and his outspoken nature in regards to the industry. He often used the back of his comic to deliver "messages from the President", which were sometimes editorials concerning the comics industry and self-publishing.

Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a series by Mirage Studios was very influential on a new generation of creators and became a huge success story of self publishing.

Jeff Smith a friend of Dave Sim was also very influential self-published comics creating the series Bone .

The publishing house Fantagraphics, published the work of a new generation of artists, notably Love and Rockets by the brothers Jaime, Gilbert and Mario Hernandez.

Alternative comics have increasingly established themselves within the larger culture, as evidenced by the success of the feature film Ghost World based on one of the best selling alternative titles, Eightball, by Daniel Clowes and the cross-genre success of the book Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, by Chris Ware, a story that was serialized in Ware's comic, Acme Novelty Library.

Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics publish many alternative comics.

Recently, Oni Press used the term "real mainstream", coined by Stephen Holland of the UK comic shop Page 45, to describe its output.[1] Traditional American comic books regard superhero titles as "mainstream" and all other genres as "non-mainstream", a reversal of the perception in other media. Oni Press therefore adopted the "real mainstream" term to suggest that it publishes comic books and graphic novels whose subject matter is more in line with the popular genres of other media: thrillers, romances, realistic drama and so on. Oni Press avoids publishing superhero, fantasy and science fiction titles, unless interesting creators approach these concepts from an unusual angle.

Top Shelf Comics has published many notable alternative comics such as Craig Thompson's Blankets.

[edit] Notable alternative comics publishers (past & present)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Guest Editorial: Harvesting The Real Mainstream

[edit] External links

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