{"product_id":"why-comics-from-underground-to-everywhere-isbn-9780062476807","title":"Why Comics?: From Underground to Everywhere","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003eNotable Book of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"...a tour de force of the world of comics, from high-minded graphic novels to Superman...\" \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe massive impact that comics have had on our culture becomes more and more clear every day, from the critically acclaimed musical \u003cem\u003eFun Home\u003c\/em\u003e, based on Alison Bechdel’s groundbreaking comic, to the dozens of superhero films hitting cinemas every year. What is it that makes comics so special? What can this unique art form do that others can’t?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eWhy Comics?\u003c\/em\u003e, comics scholar Hillary Chute reveals the history of comics, underground comics (or comix), and graphic novels, through deep thematic analysis, and fascinating portraits of the fearless men and women behind them. As Scott McCloud revealed the methods behind comics and the way they worked in his classic \u003cem\u003eUnderstanding Comics\u003c\/em\u003e, Chute will reveal the themes that Comics handle best, and how the form is uniquely equipped to explore them. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe topics \u003cem\u003eWhy Comics?\u003c\/em\u003e include:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e• Why Disaster: with such major works focusing on disasters, from Art Spiegelman’s work, which covers the Holocaust and 9\/11 to Keiji Nakazawa’s work covering Heroshima, comics find themselves uniquely suited to convey the scale and disorientation of disaster.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e• Why Suburbs: through the work of Chris Ware and Charles Burns, Chute reveals the fascinating ways that Comics illustrate the quiet joys and struggles of suburban existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e• Why Punk: With an emphasis on DIY aesthetics and rebelling against what came before, the Punk movement would prove to be a fertile ground for some of the most significant modern cartoonists, creating a truly democratic art form.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChute has created an indispensable guide to comics for those new to the genre, or those who want to understand more about what lies behind their favorite works.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFilled with beautiful full-color art, dynamic storytelling, and insightful analysis, Hillary Chute’s \u003cem\u003eWhy Comics?\u003c\/em\u003e reveals what makes one of the most critically acclaimed and popular art forms unique and so appealing, and how it got that way.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver the past century, fans have elevated comics from the back pages of newspapers into one of our most celebrated forms of culture, from \u003cem\u003eFun Home\u003c\/em\u003e, the Tony Award–winning musical based on Alison Bechdel’s groundbreaking graphic memoir, to the dozens of superhero films that are annual blockbusters worldwide. What is the essence of comics’ appeal? What does this art form do that others can’t?      \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether you’ve read every comic you can get your hands on or you’re just starting your journey, \u003cem\u003eWhy Comics?\u003c\/em\u003e has something for you. Author Hillary Chute chronicles comics culture, explaining underground comics (also known as “comix”) and graphic novels, analyzing their evolution, and offering fascinating portraits of the creative men and women behind them. Chute reveals why these works—a blend of concise words and striking visuals—are an extraordinarily powerful form of expression that stimulates us intellectually and emotionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFocusing on ten major themes—disaster, superheroes, sex, the suburbs, cities, punk, illness and disability, girls, war, and queerness—Chute explains how comics gets its messages across more effectively than any other form. “Why Disaster?” explores how comics are uniquely suited to convey the scale and disorientation of calamity, from Art Spiegelman’s representation of the Holocaust and 9\/11 to Keiji Nakazawa’s focus on Hiroshima.  “Why the Suburbs?” examines how the work of Chris Ware and Charles Burns illustrates the quiet joys and struggles of suburban existence; and “Why Punk?” delves into how comics inspire and reflect the punk movement’s DIY aesthetics—giving birth to a democratic medium increasingly embraced by some of today’s most significant artists.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeaturing full-color reproductions of more than one hundred essential pages and panels, including some famous but never-before-reprinted images from comics legends, \u003cem\u003eWhy Comics?\u003c\/em\u003e is an indispensable guide that offers a deep understanding of this influential art form and its masters.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“When it comes to comics, Hillary Chute asks all the right questions.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eScott McCloud, Author of Understanding Comics and The Sculptor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eWhy Comics? \u003c\/em\u003eis a riveting compendium of history, humor, politics, punk, sex, violence, and the occasional superhero. Hillary Chute has given us the stories behind some of the most subversive literature of our time. You want to read this book.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLauren Redniss, MacArthur Fellow and Author of Radioactive and Thunder \u0026amp; Lightning\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Hillary Chute is the scholar comics has been waiting for—passionate, eloquent, encyclopedically knowledgeable, and profoundly in sync with the medium.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Why Comics? is as entertaining as it is revelatory, and Hillary Chute is one of the most engaging thinkers afoot in criticism today. Ideas tumble from these pages.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMichael Tisserand, author of Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Hillary Chute, who may be to comics studies what Art Spiegelman is to comics, brings her academic rigor to an examination of this oft-underappreciated art form. Her supple, nuanced understanding of how to read comics—not only why—begins with an emphasis on the difference between simply reading comics and knowing how to read comics, and continues with a deep dive into genres and themes.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKaren Green, Curator for Comics and Cartoons, Columbia University\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eWhy Comics?\u003c\/em\u003e is a must-read, filling in a significant portion of the vast jigsaw puzzle of understanding comics.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eComics Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In her wonderful book, Hillary L. Chute suggests that we’re in a blooming, expanding era of the art… Chute’s often lovely, sensitive discussions of individual expression in independent comics seem so right and true.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Chute] has been leading the charge with some of the most sophisticated comics criticism to date… From Chute’s spectacular close readings it becomes clear that comics is, unquestionably, literature.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“As accessible as it is engaging, \u003cem\u003eWhy Comics?\u003c\/em\u003e reaffirms Chute’s place as a leading voice in comics criticism while providing casual readers with valuable insights into the contemporary world of graphic storytelling.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Chute’s] writing is not just effortlessly accessible, it’s also invitingly engaging to anyone curious about the medium, from casual fan to seasoned pro.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePRINT\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Chute writes from an unassailable position of expertise. . . . [and] she has a gift for peppering poetic language into information-dense prose, striking a tone that’s at once breezy and authoritative.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePopMatters\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Anyone seeking a persuasive and perceptive entryway to the world of comics need look no further.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Chute elevates comics to literature when dissecting panels, text, and drawing techniques in the more than 100 reprints within the book.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Now that Art Spiegelman’s \u003cem\u003eMaus\u003c\/em\u003e and Alison Bechdel’s \u003cem\u003eFun Home\u003c\/em\u003e have found both commercial and critical success, at last there is a brilliant investigation into the unique powers of the medium.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNational Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“As charmingly illustrated and approachable as the works it considers.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“9.5 out of 10” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eComic Book Bin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888425365733,"sku":"NP9780062476807","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062476807.jpg?v=1730229061","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/why-comics-from-underground-to-everywhere-isbn-9780062476807","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}