Was there a similar point of renaissance in children’ books, when people started taking them seriously, as art?
MW: Yeah. I mean, I think we come from a collectable culture. I think anything can be taken seriously. And it’s not that there isn’t actually worth and aesthetics and all of that stuff in the work. The point is, if you notice it, it’s not entertaining. If somebody says, “oh, check out that amazing composition. He’s really doing an amazing page turn,” you’re not actually reading the story. So, for intellectuals to gain enjoyment out of it is fine, but I don’t even want my audience to know that it’s drawn. I just want it to be. So, for me, the seriousness with which all of this is taken makes me nervous. I hate the term ‘graphic novels.’ KB: Well, I hate it because it sounds like a dirty book. WM: It sounds like Jane Austin, with a chainsaw. KB: The reason I do the opposite of whatever a critic says I’m doing, is because—for example, I did a Captain America book, and it got just terrible reviews. Everyone just trashed it. And the thing you have to keep in mind, when you read a bad review
