Persepolis. Hyperbole and a Half. Fun Home. Over the last 20 years, the graphic memoir has become a popular medium-of-choice for writers and illustrators to examine difficult childhoods, mental illness, sexuality, and other marginalizing factors. What storytelling capabilities does the graphic memoir, as a medium, offer that traditional the traditional book format does not? What are its limitations?
Whoever writes on this topic might want to discuss the difference between a graphic memoir and an ordinary picture book of an artist's work (who focuses on making art to express their life). I for one didn't know graphic memoirs were becoming popular. Do they mostly feature real life childhood photos not taken by themselves? I think a graphic memoir and a painting expressing a past experience both have pros in the creator's ability to visually display what they may not have the skill to write or speak about. – Slaidey9 years ago
I've read Persepolis and Fun Home both in academic settings. We talked about the presentation of truth, use of color and art style, gutter narration vs. speech bubble exposition. This is a really cool and relevant topic, given the popularity of these graphic novels. – ChristelleMarie9 years ago
Palestine by Joe Sacco is also an interesting one to look at. Great topic!
– Rachel Elfassy Bitoun9 years ago
Perhaps the most seminal graphic memoir in recent memory would have to be Blankets, a sprawling work of art published in a single 500-plus volume. Absolutely as essential a biography as Maus or Persepolis. I also would be remiss not to mention My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, one of the scariest personal observations of a psychopath you may ever encounter in any medium. – Diogenes11389 years ago