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Bébé Bibliophile

ymeskhout.com

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Re: Bébé Bibliophile

#3
post #2

For anyone wondering, BD are bandes dessinées i.e. comics.

In my mind BD are European (more or less Franco-Belgian) comics books, distinct from 'comics', which are American style superhero stories. Just like manga is a separate category.

Re: Bébé Bibliophile

#4
post #3
post #2

For anyone wondering, BD are bandes dessinées i.e. comics.

In my mind BD are European (more or less Franco-Belgian) comics books, distinct from 'comics', which are American style superhero stories. Just like manga is a separate category.

That’s what was in the author’s mind as well. He added a footnote:

” Worth noting that these comics fell within/adjacent to the Franco-Belgian comic tradition (Bande dessinée or BD for short), which have a very different reputation from their American comic book counterparts. Superheroes are, thankfully, approximately non-existent and BDs are generally respected as an art form, and their appeal cuts across a much broader age range.”

Re: Bébé Bibliophile

#5
post #4
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my mind BD are European (more or less Franco-Belgian) comics books, distinct from 'comics', which are American style superhero stories. Just like manga is a separate category.

That’s what was in the author’s mind as well. He added a footnote: ” Worth noting that these comics fell within/adjacent to the Franco-Belgian comic tradition (Bande dessinée or BD for short), which have a very different reputation from their American comic book counterparts. Superheroes are, thankfully, approximately non-existent and BDs are generally respected as an art form, and their appeal cuts across a much bro…

> Superheroes are, thankfully, approximately non-existent

Not in the American sense, but they have magic potions that give super strength. I suppose that Europe had super-druggos instead.

Re: Bébé Bibliophile

#6
post #3
post #2

For anyone wondering, BD are bandes dessinées i.e. comics.

In my mind BD are European (more or less Franco-Belgian) comics books, distinct from 'comics', which are American style superhero stories. Just like manga is a separate category.

If someone from the US cares to join in, are there counterexamples to this, as in, widely known American comics that do not revolve around superheroes?

Calvin&Hobbes comes to mind, for example. Any others?

Re: Bébé Bibliophile

#7
post #6
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my mind BD are European (more or less Franco-Belgian) comics books, distinct from 'comics', which are American style superhero stories. Just like manga is a separate category.

If someone from the US cares to join in, are there counterexamples to this, as in, widely known American comics that do not revolve around superheroes? Calvin&Hobbes comes to mind, for example. Any others?

Peanuts (Charlie Brown), MAD Magazine, Garfield, to name a few.

Re: Bébé Bibliophile

#8
post #6
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my mind BD are European (more or less Franco-Belgian) comics books, distinct from 'comics', which are American style superhero stories. Just like manga is a separate category.

If someone from the US cares to join in, are there counterexamples to this, as in, widely known American comics that do not revolve around superheroes? Calvin&Hobbes comes to mind, for example. Any others?

Black Hole (Charles Burns)

But, yeah, comics == superhero (for me as well) cause the others examples are more "strips" first published in newspapers than comics.

Re: Bébé Bibliophile

#10
post #6
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my mind BD are European (more or less Franco-Belgian) comics books, distinct from 'comics', which are American style superhero stories. Just like manga is a separate category.

If someone from the US cares to join in, are there counterexamples to this, as in, widely known American comics that do not revolve around superheroes? Calvin&Hobbes comes to mind, for example. Any others?

Well, there are comic strips, that is, units published on some schedule that might then be collected and sold as a book. Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, the Far Side, Dilbert, Garfield. These all derive from the age of physical newspapers.

Then there are the natively web comics, for example, xkcd, oglaf (NSFW), and a zillion others. (Special shout out to Dr Fun from the late 1990s, a very early example of hacker culture meets the Far Side.) Perhaps only xkcd has crossed into the general consciousness of the non comic reader, but I'm sure HN will correct me.

Then there are graphic novels that sometimes are created as magazine-sized editions and then collated, and sometimes just put out as books. The Sandman, American Born Chinese, Boxers and Saints, Persepolis, Alcoholic. These are well known to the book buying regular public.

Intermission: theres a stream of educational comics as well. For example my Indian friends in the US diaspora all talk about Amar Chitra Katha comics from their childhood that had editions for major cultural or religious figures (eg stories about Krishna).

Then there are the graphicalizations (thats a word I just made up) of other works. For example, there's a graphical novel version of Paul Auster's New York Trilogy. Probably not as well known to the average reader.

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