If you were to ask me what I thought was the most underestimated genre of art, I would have to say that it happens to be the genre that I personally favor the most, and that genre is comic strips. Animated cartoon series’ can become world-famous and raise billions of dollars in merchandise alone, and elaborately drawn comic books or ‘graphic novels’ are often revered as fine art and can brag of cult followings to rival popular TV shows or musicians, so it’s obvious that cartoons in general are not in short supply of positive attention. So why do comic strips specifically seem to go unnoticed by comparison, and people tend to consider them a ‘lesser’ art than cartoons or comic books?

     Most art forms are purely vehicles for and artists’ personal expression, therefore artists are free to use whatever means to achieve whatever ends they desire, yet there is also art that is created for purely business purposes. Commercial art, like graphic design that adorns most products and advertisements, puts marketability in priority over artistic expression and creativity. In the late 1800’s, when newspapers first started commissioning comic strips, they were just that; a commercial tool intended to boost sales of newspapers, there wasn’t much priority given to artists personal agenda. The size was limited to save space, and, in turn, the amount of detail was also limited, and the deadline was one satisfactory strip every day. But out of the severe limitations and constraints imposed by the newspaper companies, a new art form was born, one that required simplicity in almost every aspect, but could still be effective in delivering a message, or conveying artistic expression.

     Yet over a century later, though comic strips have become much more than a newspaper’s promotional tool, many people still underestimate the genre, viewing its simplicity as a draw-back rather than an asset, and deeming it lesser than other, more visually engaging art genres. But in some cases, less can be more. While art is typically judged at face value by things like its amount of detail, its lifelikeness, or the amount of work or effort put into it; whether you prefer a classical or a post-modernist view, art is still much more than only the technical aspect. Art is expression; it is a form of communication. Whether it be thoughts, feelings, or ideas; art should convey a message to the viewer, regardless of how ‘good’ the art is, and it is undeniable that a comic strip can effectively communicate. Some of Calvin’s expressions may break the laws of physics, and Charlie Brown may be lacking anatomically correct facial features, but the utter terror from a pouncing tiger or feelings of complete depression and disdain for the world is immediately understood by readers of Calvin and Hobbes or Peanuts. Add dialogue to the potent illustrations and it is easy to see how comic strips can be so undeniably expressive.

     Even still, many people underestimate comic strips and write off the artists as lazy; thinking that just because comic strip illustrations tend to be simple, it means that they are ‘easy’ to draw, and don’t require much skill or talent. This is simply not the case, in fact, the opposite may be true. It’s like bringing a whip to a gunfight. In the hands of a master (like Indiana Jones!), a simple weapon like a leather whip can be just as effective in subduing armed gunmen, but it undoubtedly requires much more skill. The same is true for comic strips to be just as effective as other art forms while abstaining from many of the traits that make visual art so powerful, such as color, shading, depth, and larger canvasses. In any field, not just art, it takes skill to do something well, but it requires even more skill to do that same thing well, and make it look easy. To quote the late Charles M. Schulz, a pillar of the comic strip industry, “Drawing a comic strip is infinitely more important than we may think, for our medium must compete with other entertainments, and if a cartoonist does nothing more than illustrate a joke, he or she is going to lose.”

     While comic strips in themselves are rarely serious, I believe that as a medium, they should be taken seriously. It’s said that humor is like a rubber sword, it can make a point without having to draw blood; and in that manner, comic strips can bring artistic expression to different audiences in a way that the most beautifully ornate paintings never could. So before you write comic strips off as second-rate art, consider how with only a few monochrome frames, the have the power they can have to brighten your day or make a poignant statement about life. Appreciate the art that lies in simplicity.