The Swivet [Colleen Lindsay]: Does the New York Times bestseller list discriminate against graphic novels on the hardcover fiction list?

Friday, October 24, 2008

Does the New York Times bestseller list discriminate against graphic novels on the hardcover fiction list?

The answer is yes, absolutely. And they actually admit to doing it.

3 comments:

Haste yee back ;-) said...: I would argue even further... for what is a Children's Picture Book but a 32 page Graphic Novella. The Art is 60-70% of the story, the words contribute the rest. (The exception is rhyming and wordless books. The attraction being the clever use of... well, rhyme - and for wordless, the pleasure curious minds and fingers have in finding an assigned "something" within a page of chaos).

With Screenplays, once the script, (words) is settled, up next is... Storyboards. I don't know many directors that proceed without at least minimal art, some won't go on without elaborate renderings.

Perhaps I'm biased because I've been paid for and like both...

http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=PYXX

Haste yee back ;-); October 24, 2008 at 6:32 PM
Sex Mahoney for President said...: I have mixed feelings about this. On a best seller list, absolutely, there's no reason to exclude graphic novels. The New York Times is certainly no bastion for literary integrity considering some of the dreck that has appeared on the best seller list; however, I have encountered very few graphic novels that compare to actual novels, particularly Watchmen which Mitchell says Time magazine listed as the #2 novel of all time. So many people seem to really like that book, but #2? Of all time? That's the kind of thing that restores my cynicism.

I do like comics, there are some that are well done, but even the best of the bunch doesn't come close to pedestrian fiction like Steven Abrahams Revolution #9, let alone an a timeless classic like The Brothers Karamazov.

Sex Mahoney for President; October 25, 2008 at 2:23 AM
Deaf Brown Trash Punk said...: HOWEVER: they are planning to start a separate list of graphic novels, if not by the end of this year then very early next year.

hey, awesome. I got a huge collection of graphic novels and i am ALWAYS on the look-out for some good stuff. About time that graphic novelists/artists get recognized.; October 25, 2008 at 12:21 PM

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