Conventional wisdom states that cartooning and graphic novels exist in a golden age of creativity, popularity and critical acceptance. But why? Today, the signal is stronger than ever - but so is the noise. New York Times, Vanity Fair and Bookforum critic Ben Schwartz assembles the greatest lineup of comics critics the world has yet seen to testify on behalf of this increasingly vital medium. This is the first attempt to collate the best criticism to date of the graphic novel boom in a way that contextualises one of the most important literary movements of the last 60 years.

Author Biography

Ben Schwartz is an essayist and screenwriter who has written for The New York Times, Bookforum, LA Weekly, and TV shows too embarrassing to mention. He is working on The Lost Laugh, a history of American humor set between the world wars, for 2011 from Fantagraphics Books.