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Mark Mayerson on Satrapi and the Potential for Collaboration
posted April 24, 2005
 

Mark Mayerson
Via the Internet

Hi Tom. I read The Comics Reporter regularly and always enjoy it.

I've read the two volumes of Persepolis, but I haven't seen Embroideries yet. I think that we're in for a lot more of the type of criticism you quoted, as writing and drawing feel like different skills, even if they come from the same person.

I'm sure you're aware of how much Jack Kirby's prose was criticized on the Fourth World series at DC. Now, Satrapi's drawings are being criticized.

My thinking, though, is that it's all of a piece and if you bring another person into the mix, you're altering the intent of the work. There's no question that there's room for collaboration in the arts, but that results (we hope) from creative people who choose to work together because they enjoy it or because they compliment each other's skills. However, I would hate to see critics be responsible for Satrapi ceasing to draw her own work.

A novel writer might be criticized for structure or dialogue, but no one ever suggests that the writer collaborate with another in order to "fix" the problem. While writing and drawing are distinct skills, it strikes me as a bad idea to force a collaboration to please a critic.