But Think of the Children!
by T. Hodler
Monday, February 11, 2008
Two of my favorite online writers about comics, Matthias Wivel and Joe “Jog” McCulloch, have recently weighed in on Shaun Tan’s The Arrival, and they were both able to articulate some of the issues I had with the book in a much more detailed, supported, and impressive way than I was capable of when I spoke to Tom Spurgeon about the book last December. (The Arrival section is about two-thirds of the way down that link, by the way. Look for the big ship.)
They’re both really smart, incisive reviews, but I guess overall I’m a bit more with the critical but relatively gentle Jog than the more scathing Wivel, if only because I do think Tan showed a pretty remarkable affinity for comics storytelling, completely apart from whether or not the book suffers from thematic and aesthetic shortcomings. (It does.) These two reviews made me think a bit harder about my own earlier judgment, though.
In the aforementioned interview, I eventually said that despite my problems with the book, “there’s a very plausible argument to be made that [the artistic style and simplicity of story] were appropriate choices considering the audience Tan was writing for…”
That audience, of course, being children, a fact that is conspicuously left unmentioned by either Wivel or Jog. Which doesn’t mean they’re wrong! If anything, I’m starting to wonder if my letting that fluke of marketing influence my criticism was a mistake. Is it condescending to give a children’s book a bye if it doesn’t fully address a complicated social (and political) situation? Shouldn’t we at least expect the attempt? I mean, of course, there are limitations to the form, but it’s not like The Arrival couldn’t have included a few more layers of subtlety without turning into a full-blown tract about xenophobia. A few changed panels here and there could have made all the difference.
Obviously there are shades of gray here, so I don’t know. This bears more thinking. For now, I’d just like to substitute the “very” in my quote with “somewhat”. I’m the Decider!
UPDATE: Wivel points to a relevant Shaun Tan interview in the comments.
Labels: children's books, Jog aka Joe McCulloch, Matthias Wivel, picture books, Shaun Tan, Tom Spurgeon
photo-realistic type drawing has always left me cold and was why I flicked this book before returning it to the shelf.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the kind words! Just wanted to note that it is not the simplicity of “The Arrival” that I’m objecting to, but rather its banality. Equally problematic whether the reader is a grown-up or a child.
Also, it is my impression that Tan actually wrote and drew the book just as much with an adult audience in mind. That’s at least the impression I get from the du9 interview with him:
http://du9.org/Shaun-Tan,922?var_recherche=shaun%20tan
Best,
Matthias
Hey Matthias —
Thanks for commenting!
And I hear you. I think I may be a little more susceptible to sappiness than you are, because I have to admit that despite my problems with the book as a whole, I did find certain scenes (admittedly banal ones, too — the protagonist alone in his new home with family photos, for example, and the eventual family reunion) emotionally involving. Hollywood has trained me too well. But your point is well-taken.
As for the age of Tan’s audience: that interview you link to is quite interesting. Partly this is why I wrote “fluke of marketing”, because the book is clearly being marketed primarily to younger audiences (at least here in the States), but you’re right — Tan seems to intend the book to appeal to all ages. I wonder how many adults are actually among the readership? I’d love to see some data on that, but I doubt we ever will.
Yeah, but it’s like a bad Disney movie thats “suitable for all ages.” But, essentially, it’s a CHILDREN’S BOOK. It’s not a comic, and even if it is on technical grounds, I don’t care, it’s dumb, bad, really. Again, transposing photos and a steady hand does not a comic make.