When Art Spiegelman published MAUS I in 1986, he transformed the medium of comics and greatly affected the American literary world. His work experimented with the traditional form of the comic strip at the same time that it altered forever the content associated with the medium. Spiegelman's choice to depict the Holocaust and its aftermath in a medium often associated (rightly or wrongly) with children, cartoons, and simple caricature changed both the landscape of the comic and that of Holocaust representation. Comics or "comix," as Spiegelman dubbed them, were suddenly taken much more seriously than ever before. MAUS I and II appealed to a broader audience than did the conventional comic strip. When MAUS won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992 (after the publication of the second volume in the series), Spiegelman's work drew even greater attention. Since the publication of this magnum opus, he has become one of the comix medium's greatest advocates, traveling the country with his Comix 101 presentation and arguing for the importance of the form.
Spiegelman was born in 1948 in Stockholm, Sweden. His parents, Anja and Vladek, who appear as central characters in MAUS, were refugees, survivors of the concentration camps and World War II. Using the medium of the comic and the figures of the cat and mouse to represent Nazi and Jew respectively, MAUS tells Spiegelman's parents' stories, as well as his own. After getting his start by editing and writing for the graphic magazine RAW, in which early drawings from MAUS were serialized, Spiegelman went on to draw covers for The New Yorker for a number of years, eventually falling out with the editors due to the political nature of many of his drawings.
How does Spiegelman's medium affect his message in MAUS? Is there something sacrilegious about his representation of the Holocaust? Do we read his work as straight memoir, fiction, or some hybrid in-between genre? Has he chosen the appropriate vehicle for telling this story?
I think most people would automatically associate the medium of comics as, like you said, childish or in caricature. However, comics can be the easiest way to express the sincerity needed to comment on such a serious and tragic part of our history. Like most artists out there, Spiegelman must have sought out to prove his medium to the public. I think this would be the hybrid of both fact and fiction. I feel that he has definitely chosen the best mode of story-telling, given the ability that comics have to express specific emotion.
ReplyDeleteI think that most of the negative criticism that Spiegelman receives is due to the fact that people are under the impression that comics are meant to cater to children. People think that comics are juvenile in nature and have not experienced some of the grittier comics out there. If Spiegelman had chosen a traditional novel for this piece, I think he would have received much less criticism.
ReplyDeleteHaving read MAUS, I think that his work is a hybrid between memoir and fiction. It has direct ties to his and his parent's experiences but he also includes strangely dark humor. I enjoyed MAUS but I do see how people could have a negative opinion about it, especially if they are not familiar with the genre.
While comics aren't the most "mature" medium that could be used, I think that comics are often integral to politics and can be taken very seriously if in the right tone and setting. Spiegelman's work, though perceived negatively, was indeed impactful, despite societal tendencies that believe comics are not serious and are more whimsical.
ReplyDeleteI don't think one can judge an author for their medium to portray a story; it simply is for the author to decide, and it's the same story regardless of how it is told. Spiderman is both a comic, story, and film... and no one critiques it.
To say there ever is an appropriate vehicle for telling such a serious matter seems a little bit overwhelming. I think that whatever way he felt comfortable sharing such an intimate story makes it completely acceptable because he can justify his thoughts. I definitely think he chose an interesting venue to voice such a serious matter... Using almost a kid manner representing something purely evil.. It seems dark at first but to some degree it could be rationalized. I would not say it is sacrilegious, but there has to be more going on behind the scenes in his head that I have figured out yet.
ReplyDeleteI think that comics are a good medium for Spiegelman to use, because it appeals to such a large audience. It’s a medium really anyone can get into. Sure there are going to be those who think that comics are a juvenile medium, but it really isn’t, and I think anyone who can look at his style can clearly see that. I think people probably had less of an issue with the fact that he using comics to portray the holocaust, and had more of a problem with the fact that he literally uses a cat and a mouse to portray the roles of the Nazis and Jews.
ReplyDeleteI understand how many people find this sacrilegious, because the holocaust is so often labeled as an off limits subject, and some people might take the addition of animals as a mockery or a generalization. However, I have no problem with Spiegelman’s portrayal as I see it as a good use of simplification. Using the well known relationship between a cat and a mouse is something anyone can understand, plus animals are much more visually interesting. It sort of reminds me of “American Tail,” which is an animated musical about immigration to America.
I would like to say that I think that the medium of Maus really set certain expectations with me. When I first rented the book at the library I was taken at the cover, cartoon mice and a brightly colored swastika. It felt so foreign to see these two images
ReplyDeletemarried together, however I was instantly captivated by the story telling in this book starting from the 2 page prelude.
I feel that Spiegelman specifically chose this medium for the purpose of it being so unusual to people. Up until this book I imagine that most things pertaining to the Holocaust were much more straightforward, black/white and very matter of fact. Maus takes a very different approach to the telling of the story paired with unusual medium.
I think this story acts as everything he intended to be, a memoir, a novel, a historical account of the Holocaust. And Spiegelman had every right to tell his story through the medium he felt most comfortable with. I don't think that it hurt his story at all, in fact I believe it propelled it to the next level. The use of Cat, Mouse, and pig as characters brought his story down to the simplest fundamental level. I feel there is no mistake in interpreting his message.
I really enjoyed this work, as I binge read it in one sitting, I'm excited to read what else this class has to offer!
Spiegelman's choice of medium allowed him to express certain situations and ideas that would not have been possible in other mediums. Not everyone can handle scenes of graphic violence and mistreatment in realistic depictions. By dehumanizing the situation Spiegelman put forth his message to a broader audience. Some may argue that the graphic novel format could put some off of the story, but I don't believe that is the case for this work.
ReplyDeleteSpiegelman toed the line between overly 'cartoonish' and a serious work and he did so masterfully. Spiegelman used his chosen medium to its fullest potential, while at the same time showing the world that comics aren't all about cartoons and superheroes. Many would say it is impossible to make a comic book about the Holocaust, yet Spiegelman does so tastefully and respectfully.
The work is definitely a hybrid of fiction and memoir, with some situations being obviously fiction while the overall story is told truthfully. The chosen medium allows Spiegelman to show situations that truly happened, but in an abstract way that shows what the characters were experiencing and feeling.
Spiegelman's choice of medium allowed him to express certain situations and ideas that would not have been possible in other mediums. Not everyone can handle scenes of graphic violence and mistreatment in realistic depictions. By dehumanizing the situation Spiegelman put forth his message to a broader audience. Some may argue that the graphic novel format could put some off of the story, but I don't believe that is the case for this work.
ReplyDeleteSpiegelman toed the line between overly 'cartoonish' and a serious work and he did so masterfully. Spiegelman used his chosen medium to its fullest potential, while at the same time showing the world that comics aren't all about cartoons and superheroes. Many would say it is impossible to make a comic book about the Holocaust, yet Spiegelman does so tastefully and respectfully.
The work is definitely a hybrid of fiction and memoir, with some situations being obviously fiction while the overall story is told truthfully. The chosen medium allows Spiegelman to show situations that truly happened, but in an abstract way that shows what the characters were experiencing and feeling.
I would say that Spiegelman's choice of medium was important to it's success that it received. It allowed him to more easily express what he was attempting to convey in comic form. It also allowed it to be more accessible and made it easier for people to understand all around. I think it was important that he delivered the story the way he felt. I would definitely agree that it is a hybrid genre of fiction and memoir. I think it was a different way of approaching this genre and I think it is truly one of a kind.
ReplyDeleteI think since Spiegelman is not only using the medium of comics, but also using such unconventional characterizations, he created a work that is more powerful (at the least more memorable) than a more grounded (aesthetically speaking) and more straightforward holocaust chronicle/memoir would be. I feel like a representation of the holocaust would only be 'sacrilegious' if the artist's intentions were misplaced or simply solely desired commercial success. I'm looking to delve into Maus and see what Spiegelman did to inspire such fierce debate.
ReplyDeleteThe medium, comics, was very similar how video or arcade games were perceived at that time: for children, or a child's play object. Both mediums had great potential to do more than what is was originally designed for: to tell a story that engages an audience in unique and unforgettable ways.
ReplyDeleteNot only are comics tackling a point of view more visually appealing, the medium expresses yet a newer or different angle of itself.
The points-of-view told by victims of the Holocaust vary from medium to medium. Written memoirs, video documentaries, and museums have been dedicated to those affect by this dark point in world history. I do not believe using comics as a way to tell the story of the Holocaust is sacrilegious, as it would only be blasphemous if the story was untrue and offensive.