"Grimly Existential" as Opposed to "Noir" (Was: Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Noir Comic Book)

From: Gonzalo Baeza (gbaeza@gmail.com)
Date: 09 Nov 2008

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    It's grim and it also includes criminal elements, as I pointed out before. They don't have to be mutually exclusive. I read the graphic novel and thought it was noir (and judging by the reviews and the comparisons to Goodis and Thompson, I'm not the only one). Some of the characters reminded me of Scott Wolven's while the pervasive despair also brought to mind "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?". If you read it, you can tell me if you thought it belonged to the "grimly existential" genre although to me these labels are pointers that indicate a certain sensibility instead of rigid bookshelf categories.

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Thornton"
    <bthorntonwriter@...> wrote:
    >
    > On Sun, Nov 9, 2008 at 8:13 AM, Gonzalo Baeza <gbaeza@...> wrote:
    >
    > > "Tim Lane's graphic novel is definitely noir, although the criminal
    > > element is secondary to the character's bleak existences and the
    > > overall grim outlook of the stories."
    > >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Wouldn't that make it "grimly existential" as opposed to "noirish"?
    >
    > I know we've had this discussion before, but just as, during the
    early 90s
    > in the music scene all new rock music became "alternative" rock
    music, it
    > seems that these days anything that's "grim" or "bleak" (or "dark" or...
    > or... or...) is dutifully marketed as "noir," or "noirish."
    >
    > It seems to me that we're still seeing a further constant blurring
    of the
    > lines and the inevitable miss-use of the term "noir."
    >
    > Just my two cents.
    >
    > Brian
    >
    >
    > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
    >



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