Jan. 15-April 30: Graphic novel exhibition
University Library hosts exhibition 'The World of the Graphic Novel'
11:04 a.m., Jan. 9, 2013--The University of Delaware Library has announced a new exhibition, "The World of the Graphic Novel," which will be on display in the first floor exhibition cases in the Information Room of the Morris Library from Tuesday, Jan. 15, through Tuesday, April 30.
With the current popularity of movies, such as Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, the medium that spawned these stories, the graphic novel, returns to the spotlight. Superhero stories may be the spark that reignites interest in this format, but overall, stories that focus on masked hero’s in capes only scratch the surface of the graphic novel form.
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The exhibition will look at the graphic novel from four different perspectives. The first, “Masks and Capes,” looks at the modern superhero genre. Including titles such as Watchmen by Allen Moore and The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, the exhibition will sample what makes the superhero genre unique from other works of fiction.
“Beyond the Mask” will look at other works of fiction such as Fables and DMZ to show the variety that continues to grow and flourish in the graphic novel form, including but certainly not limited to genres such as fantasy, science fiction, horror and more.
“Truth in Pictures” looks at works that are more or less grounded in reality, from an entertaining overview of philosophy in Action Philosophers to a semi-biographical retelling of a Jewish family’s survival of the Holocaust in Maus: A Survivor’s Tale.
Finally, the exhibition will focus on “The World View” in order to showcase notable works from other countries such as Akira from Japan and The Adventures of TinTin from France and learn to appreciate the distinctive differences in both the narrative writing and art style that is employed, as well as the perspective from which written.
The graphic novel allows for a refreshingly unique way to explore stories through an intimate collaboration between author and artist. Unlike an illustrated novel, the graphic novel cannot exist without either one of its parts. Today’s graphic novels handle all types of subject matter and provide for a wide range of tastes and maturity levels.
The curator of the exhibition is Deavon Church, computing support specialist, Library Information Technology User Support Department, with exhibition preparation by Anita Wellner, library assistant in the Manuscripts and Archives Department, and design and installation of both the physical and virtual exhibition by Laurie Rizzo, assistant librarian, of the Special Collections Department.