Paul Gravett’s “Comics Art” named “Book of the Year”

Comics Art by Paul Gravett

Two top critics have made Paul Gravett‘s Comics Art their top choices of 2013, leaving the acclaimed comic author “really chuffed”.

In The Observer, Rachel Cooke has picked Comics Art as one of her Graphic Books of The Year:

“Those interested in putting 21st-century graphic novels in historical context will love the richly illustrated and hugely informative Comics Art (Tate) by Paul Gravett, the co-director of Comica and a regular judge of the Observer‘s annual graphic short story prize.”

Meanwhile, in the New Statesman, Toby Litt has chosen Comics Art as his Book of the Year:

“I’m into comics now – and there’s no better guide to the undiscovered wonders out there, between hard and soft covers, than Paul Gravett. His Comics Art, published as a gorgeous hardback by Tate, is the culmination of a lifetime’s reading, collecting and thinking. There are mind-blowing images on every page turn.”

Publisher The Tate describe his new book as follows…

Comics have never been a more dynamic and challenging art form than in the 21st century. The phenomenal growth of graphic novels and manga and the explosion of comics on the internet and other platforms have given their creators unprecedented freedom to innovate. Many can enjoy widespread acclaim in the art world, literary circles and through their multimedia adaptations. Comics Art takes an international approach by tracing lines of influence around the world to give historical contexts and contemporary perspectives for this huge current interest in the medium.

Richly illustrated with many images taken from original artwork and rare artefacts, Comics Art gives a fascinating, accessible guide to some of the special properties of sequential art, such as panels, page layouts, speech balloons and wordless or ‘silent’ narration. It addresses concerns about how comics perpetuate stereotypes and support the status quo, while assessing their growing significance, notably through autobiography and reportage, as vehicles for provocative voices often silenced in other media. Comics Art also explores the diversity of styles, media and approaches now possible in the medium and exciting developments in digital comics and in comics conceived for galleries and installations.

Buy Comics Art by Paul Gravett from amazon.co.uk

Comics Art is also being published in the US by Yale Press in February 2014

• Paul Gravett’s official web site: www.paulgravett.com

Tate Links

• Tate Shop: http://www.tate.org.uk/shop
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tateshop
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/tateshop



Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Books, Comic Art, Comics Studies, Creating Comics

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