In 1991, Jeff Smith self-published a YA graphic novel called Out From Boneville. After enjoying significant "underground" success, the text and its five sequels were put out in glossy color by Scholastic to even greater acclaim. Last month, the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University sponsored a retrospective exhibition of Smith's artistry, and to mark the event, Smith was interviewed on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer. The reporter for Newshour, Jeffrey Brown, invited viewers to e-mail questions for Smith and mine was among those chosen.
Here's the part of the transcript where my question is discussed:
JEFFREY BROWN: Well, you know, on this theme, though, of the development of the graphic novel and comics, here's one from a teacher.
Gwen Tarbox, [a] professor [in] Wyoming, Mich. And she says, "I'm going to be teaching a graduate, undergraduate course in the graphic novel this fall," well there's another sign of the respectability, right?
JEFF SMITH: Yes.
JEFFREY BROWN: And she says, "As I've studied the genre, it is clear that the development of the graphic novel divisions in the major publishing houses is a growing trend. What are your hopes and concerns regarding this new development? It is something that I want my students to consider seriously."
So, I think she's asking about this, you know, the hopes of buying that respectability, but are there some current concerns about it, as well?
JEFF SMITH: Well, I'm not too concerned about, you know, somebody launching a book from a major company and them getting respect -- I hope that happens. And it seems to be happening, quite a bit. When you had Allison Bechdel's "Fun Home," which is a beautiful, beautiful graphic novel about her father when she was growing up, and that was actually named Time [magazine]'s Book of the Year last year. Not their graphic novel of the year, but their book of the year. And I think that that's just going to lead to more and more publishing houses to start these divisions.
And my -- I have no real fears, other than -- let me put it this way -- it's hard to make a graphic novel. It is much more work than writing a novel.
JEFFREY BROWN: Why?
JEFF SMITH: You have to draw it.
[Laughter.]
JEFFREY BROWN: I was playing straight-man, because I knew the answer.
JEFF SMITH: Yeah, right, right, right.
JEFFREY BROWN: But I was playing anyway.
JEFF SMITH: And it takes a -- I'm not saying it's, takes -- it doesn't mean you're smarter or more talented, but it takes literally more time. And I used to talk with Art Spiegelman about this all the time, he was like, "We're getting there, we just have to have a dependable library of books that people can go to, you know, to get that shelf built up." You know, he would tell me, you know, "'Bone' took you over 10 years." 'Mouse' took him over 10 years. Christopher's 'Jimmy Corrigan' took him over 10 years.
I mean, it takes a long time to make, you know, graphic novels. And my fear is that in the excitement of this new field opening up, a lot of publishers will not understand that they cannot get a book in six months, from a cartoonist. And I'm afraid some things are going to get rushed out, and people are going to be disappointed and -- so that's my only concern.