European Graphic Novels

Definition

Even before the widespread use of the English term “graphic novel,” works were published in Europe that can be considered to belong to this category. This is because their themes and visual narration had artistic ambitions aimed at an adult readership.

Introduction

Though the single edition is the typical form of the graphic novel, in practice, most graphic novels are published in limited series of albums. For comic publishers worldwide, splitting a graphic novel into various volumes is more lucrative than compiling the work in one expensive volume. For example, the 361 pages of L'Ascension du Haut Mal (1996-2003; Epileptic, 2005) were initially published in six albums. Nonetheless, author David B. labored for seven years to finish the work. Companies have risked publishing in one volume in exceptional cases. Examples were the French or Dutch translations of Jimmy Corrigan (1993-2000) and Blankets, 2003).

Just as the material presented in a graphic novel may be varied, the themes, narratives, and graphics can be highly diverse. Furthermore, it is important to stress that graphic novels, or comics in general, impact every European state differently. For example, comics remain a marginal cultural form in Greece or the Baltic states. In France and Belgium, comics are valued. This explains why critically acclaimed graphic novels of non-French authorssuch as the Italian Lorenzo Mattotti, the Argentinean José Muñoz, or the Spanish Miguelanxo Pradowere first published in French—and often in better quality—before they were published in the native language of the authors.

Historically speaking, some European graphic narratives published before 1960 can be considered forerunners of the adult graphic novel. Examples include Gustave Doré's Histoire dramatique, pittoresque et caricaturale de la Sainte Russie (1854) and Frans Masereel's Histoires sans paroles (1920). From the early twentieth century until the mid-1960s, most European comics were primarily targeted at children and considered low cultural phenomena without artistic value.

One can see various stages in the evolution of graphic novels in Europe beginning in the 1950s, and the genre evolved somewhat differently in each country. Generally, the first period of graphic novels in Europe ran from the early 1960s to the late 1980s, followed by a second period of further growth and development beginning in the 1990s.

Major Shifts from 1960 to 2010

There are remarkable differences between the European comics culture of 1960 and 2010 regarding production and public reception. In 1960, almost all European comics were meant for children and were published in serial form. By 2010, however, many single-volume works were explicitly targeted to adults. In 1960, the series title was the most crucial selling point; however, in the contemporary marketplace, the book's author, who wrote and illustrated the book, has become more important than the title.

Though Europe is not a homogenous cultural market, the media industries (helped by European Union legislation) are paving the way for a more integrated approach to dissemination. Since the 1980s, publishing houses that started small as family enterprises have merged into international conglomerates. For example, three critical francophone publishersDargaud, Lombard, and Dupuisbecame part of Média-Participations, and they occupy more than one-third of the French comics market.

Though the number of comics publishers has increased enormously since 1960, the comics market is dominated by a limited number of conglomerates. Overall, the number of book editions has increasedfrom 1960 to 1980, graphic albums increased tenfold in France. Since 2000, the industry has exploded, with a record number of more than five thousand titles in 2010. In 1960, comics production was still firmly rooted in the press, be it in the general media or specialized comics magazines. Book editionscalled "albums" in French and Dutchexisted, but in limited numbers. Since 1960, the perception of comics has shifted drastically from a cultural form perceived as entertainment for children to a medium with a rich and varied culture capable of producing high-quality works for adults. Admittedly, not all has changed, as some of the most popular series of the pastsuch as Astérix (1961-1979), Lucky Luke (1949-1967), and Blake et Mortimer (1946- )remain best sellers in many European countries.

Emergence of Graphic Novels

Cultural recognition of the comics medium began in the 1960s, when comics specialists and fans began forming associations, such as Club des bandes dessinées and Het Stripschap. These associations organized festivalsLucca Comics and Games in Italy, Angoulême International Comics Festival in Francegave exhibitions, like Bande dessinée et figuration narrative in 1967 in the Louvre Museum), and published fanzines, like Stripschrift, Linus, and Phénix, as well as books on comics. The first generation of comics scholars came soon after.

Furthermore, in the 1960s and 1970s, the comics market was evolving. The baby boomers became young adults in these decades. Consequently, some publishers tried to deliver products adapted to their age and taste. For example, the new protagonists, seen in Blueberry (1963- ) and Corto Maltesefirst published in 1967looked and acted quite differently from the classic heroes. Before, women characters were relatively scarce, but an increasing number of young, attractive women became protagonists, including the eponymous characters of Barbarella (1964) and Valentina (1967).

The constraints on children's comics—the result of self-imposed industry rules of conduct—could no longer be justified for adult publications. Everything that was forbidden in comics for children, from explicit violence to explicit sex and radical political ideas, became possible in comics for adults.

As more adult comics were published, the themes and styles evolved and broadened. Many existing children's genres, such as science fiction, history, and humor, were reconceptualized for an adult readership. Moebius changed the approach to science fiction in Le garage hérmetique de Jerry Cornelius (1976-1980; The Airtight Garage, 1993), and Jacques Tardi took a realistic approach to World War I in C’était la guerre des tranchées: 1914-1918 (1993; It Was the War of the Trenches, 2010).

The industry's evolution was significant not only on the thematic but also on the graphic level. Various artists explored more artistic techniques than ever before. Some artists like Alex Barbier, Enki Bilal, Mattotti, and Jacques de Loustal tried new color possibilities in graphic novels. In contrast, drafters such as Hugo Pratt, Dino Battaglia, Muñoz, and Edmond Baudoin explored the expressiveness of black and white. Authors such as Régis Franc and Renato Calligaro tried out the medium's possibilities.

The various new magazines for teens and adults were instrumental in the first decades of the development of adult comics. These included Linus and Frigidaire in Italy, the revamped Pilote, Charlie, L’Écho des Savanes, Métal Hurlant, Fluide glacial, and (A SUIVRE) in France, Strapazin and Boxer for the German language, El Víbora and Madriz in Spain, De Vrije Balloen in the Netherlands, and Relax in Poland.

Widespread Breakthrough and Diversification

Though interesting graphic novels were produced throughout the 1980s, the publishers' enthusiasm was curbed at the beginning of the decade because consumers lost interest in comic magazines and needed more albums. However, thanks to the worldwide popularity and critical success of the American graphic novel Maus (1986, 1991), the media and comics readers recognized that the medium was growing. At that moment, a new generation of authors who grew up reading comics wanted to push the frontiers even further. However, because the European comics industry was relatively conservative, the latest generation had no other outlet than self-publishing, often in groups such as L'Association in Paris or Frigo in Brussels. Also, comics enthusiasts started magazines for alternative work; these include the Polish Produkt (1999-2004) and the Slovenian Stripburger (1992- ).

The scholarly legitimacy of comics was raised. Scores of dissertations were written on comics as comics museums opened their doors in Brussels, Angoulême, Groningen, and Lucca, various training facilities for comics artists were organized, and some governments developed subsidy systems for stimulating local and original creations. It is reasonable to state that without this support, the second revival of graphic novels would probably not have had the same magnitude.

The French-language terrain remained a shining example of the medium, with artists such as Blutch, Nicolas de Crécy, David B., Dominique Goblet, Emmanuel Guibert, Pascal Rabaté, and Bastien Vivès. New voices were raised in other European countries as well: German artists Martin Tom Dieck, Jochen Gerner, and Jens Harder; Swiss artist Thomas Ott; Dutch artists Olivier Schrauwen and Brecht Evens; Spanish artists Raúl (Fernández Calleja) Federico del Barrio, Prado, Felipe H. Cava, Ricardo Castells, and Max (Francesc Capdevila Gisbert); Italian artists Gipi (Gianni Pacinotti), Igort, and Stefano Ricci; Swedish artists Gunnar Lundkvist and Max Andersson; and Eastern European artists Danijel Zezelj, TBC (Tomaz Lavric), Jaroslav Rudiš, and Jaromír 99.

From the limited number of graphic albums that have been translated into English, the following titles give an idea of the variety among European graphic novels since 1990: Marjane Satrapi's subjective documentary Persepolis (2000-2003), Schrauwen's humorous and parodic Mon piston (2006; my boy), Moebius's New Age science-fiction cycle Eadena (first published in 1983), Prado's magical realistic Trazo de tiza (1992-1993; Streak of Chalk, 1994), Guibert's biographical La Guerre d'Alene (2000; Alan's War, 2008), Mattotti and Jerry Kramsky's graphic adaptation of the classic horror novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2002), and Harder's wordless Leviathan (2003).

Impact

The impact of European graphic novels on the history of comics is challenging to evaluate because European artists are often held in high esteem among "enlightened" critics, fans, and colleagues from other continents. However, only a few European comics are available in English or Japanese. At the academic level, there are two associations for studying European comics, the International Bande Dessinée Society and the American Bande Dessinée Society, which edits the peer-reviewed journal European Comic Art.

Despite the various efforts to introduce European comics in other countries, most translation projects have yet to find commercial success. However, interactions between various comics-producing countries are growing—Moebius, for example, collaborated with American and Japanese authors.

Unlike other sectors of popular culture, most European comics markets are not dominated by anglophone cultural industries. Never before has there been so much interest in the general media for graphic novels—though this interest in European contributions is generally limited to a few superstars, such as Bilal, Moebius, or Satrapi. Even the biggest European comics festivals, such as Angoulême, do not have the same impact as the film festivals of Cannes, Venice, or Berlin. Comics are still progressing toward becoming an accepted form of culture.

In 2021, American author Timothy Snyder produced a graphic novel, part of which centered on European history. The work was entitled "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century" and was illustrated by German author Nora Krug. Snyder used the graphic novel to link European authoritarian movements, such as in Nazi Germany, with many political conditions emerging in the United States. Krug had previously examined Germany's Nazi past in a graphic novel named "Belonging: A German Reckons With History and Home." In her work, she acknowledges her grandfather was a member of the Nazi party.

Bibliography

Beaty, Bart. Unpopular Culture: Transforming the European Comic Book in the 1990’s. Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 2007.

Chute, Hilary. "History and Its Harsh Lessons Give These Graphic Novels Their Material." The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/books/review/on-tyranny-timothy-snyder-nora-krug-discipline-dash-shaw-this-is-how-i-disappear-mirion-malle.html. Accessed 17 July 2024.

Galati, John. "The 10 Best European Comics!" Comic Book Herald, 10 Apr. 2021, www.comicbookherald.com/10-best-european-comics/. Accessed 17 July 2024.

Gravett, Paul. Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life. London, Aurum, 2005.

Grove, Laurence. Comics in French: The Bande Dessinée in Context. New York, Berghahn Books, 2010.

Sabin, Roger. “Worldcomics.” In Adult Comics: An Introduction. London, Routledge, 1993.

"The Best European Graphic Novels." Five Books, 2 Mar. 2024, fivebooks.com/best-books/european-graphic-novels-edward-gauvin. Accessed 17 July 2024.