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illustrations in fanfiction
Apr. 18th, 2013 11:01 pmso, i'm sitting here and attempting to sketch out stuff for the tony/steve reverse big bang (which i'm terribly behind on) and got to thinking.
i don't think i've ever heard of a fanfic writer who didn't like fanart of their fic or illustrations with their fic, and i also don't think i've ever heard of a reader who didn't like illustrations within the fic they're reading.
but when it comes to actualfax novels out there in the "real world", i can't think of a single "adult novel" (i say "adult novels" not because i'm thinking of novels with erotic content, but novels that aren't aimed at children or young adults) that has illustrations in it. kiddie books have them in abundance and some YA novels have "ornaments" rather than illustrations - the artemis fowl novels come to mind, with the fairy symbols adorning the pages like framework.
illustrations within fiction in the "real world" seem to be...i don't want to say frowned upon, because that's not the wording i'm looking for, but it seems as if illustrations degrade the work. there's a picture in it? it must be a children's book! and therefore, logically, not fit for reading unless you're seven years old.
and what's really interesting to me is that this hasn't always been the case. you don't even need to go very far back in time to get illustrations within novels. so there's clearly been a shift in attitude over time and illustrations have been removed from the "proper adult literature" while it stays on as an identifying marker of children's books, to put it simply.
and then you have fanfiction, which is a whole genre of its own that defies and subverts a lot of do's and dont's in literature, and apparently also illustrations. not all fanfic illustrations are x-rated (the ones i'm making for the tony/steve reverse big bang most certainly aren't), even if many of them are (just as much of the fanfiction is x-rated). and i wonder, are illustrations of fanfiction just yet another way in which fanfiction as a genre looks at literature and goes "no, i don't care - i want this, and so be it"?
thoughts and comments are much appreciated! i'm interested in hearing what you've all got to say.
i don't think i've ever heard of a fanfic writer who didn't like fanart of their fic or illustrations with their fic, and i also don't think i've ever heard of a reader who didn't like illustrations within the fic they're reading.
but when it comes to actualfax novels out there in the "real world", i can't think of a single "adult novel" (i say "adult novels" not because i'm thinking of novels with erotic content, but novels that aren't aimed at children or young adults) that has illustrations in it. kiddie books have them in abundance and some YA novels have "ornaments" rather than illustrations - the artemis fowl novels come to mind, with the fairy symbols adorning the pages like framework.
illustrations within fiction in the "real world" seem to be...i don't want to say frowned upon, because that's not the wording i'm looking for, but it seems as if illustrations degrade the work. there's a picture in it? it must be a children's book! and therefore, logically, not fit for reading unless you're seven years old.
and what's really interesting to me is that this hasn't always been the case. you don't even need to go very far back in time to get illustrations within novels. so there's clearly been a shift in attitude over time and illustrations have been removed from the "proper adult literature" while it stays on as an identifying marker of children's books, to put it simply.
and then you have fanfiction, which is a whole genre of its own that defies and subverts a lot of do's and dont's in literature, and apparently also illustrations. not all fanfic illustrations are x-rated (the ones i'm making for the tony/steve reverse big bang most certainly aren't), even if many of them are (just as much of the fanfiction is x-rated). and i wonder, are illustrations of fanfiction just yet another way in which fanfiction as a genre looks at literature and goes "no, i don't care - i want this, and so be it"?
thoughts and comments are much appreciated! i'm interested in hearing what you've all got to say.
