Rutledge was responding to an open letter, released Wednesday, Novel Summary to the council from two of Canada’s most prominent graphic novelists, Chester Brown and Seth (Gregory Gallant), with the support of such prominent international counterparts as Art Spiegelman and Chris Ware.
The letter - which Rutledge acknowledged “makes some very good and compelling points” - urges the council to formally recognize Jillian Tamaki’s contribution to Skim, a graphic novel she created with her cousin, author Mariko Tamaki. The book, published by Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, is one of five titles short-listed for the $25,000 G-G prize in children’s literature (text), with Mariko Tamaki cited as the sole creator. It is believed to be the first graphic novel to have won G-G consideration.
The G-G children’s awards are set up to recognize illustrated texts, including novels - indeed, in its official list of the five nominees in the illustrated category, the text writer also is named - but not graphic novels.
Seth and Brown argue that Jillian Tamaki “is being slighted” because the council mistakenly views a graphic novel as an illustrated novel. “The text of a graphic novel cannot be separated from its illustrations because the words and the pictures together ARE the text.”
Mariko Tamaki said yesterday that she was “supportive of that letter being written. …Novel Summary I’ve always considered Jillian my co-creator in this and neither of us conceive of it as being ‘this is words, this is pictures.’ “
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