When I was a kid, I used to read a lot of books, usually cartoon books like The Magic Treehouse, Junie B Jones, Henry and Mudge, Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, etc. However, as I got older, I stopped reading due to every Western fiction book aimed at people over the age of 12 being an unreadable wall of text. Every western cartoon book is aimed at children under the age of 12. If they added cartoons, it would be so much accessible and more readable. Imagine if they made a cartoon book about the Vietnam War. It would be heralded as not just a moving book, it would be considered one of the most moving pieces of media of all time. A picture is worth a thousand words for a reason. Nonfiction books already have this figured out. Instead of walls of unreadable text, they have illustrations and photos everywhere for better understanding. Cartoons are not just for kids. Grave of the Fireflies is an animated movie, but is one of the most moving and emotional war films ever made. Bloom county is a newspaper cartoon, yet it won a PULITZER PRIZE. East Asian countries have already figured this out. They have cartoon books for adults like Slayers, Monogatari, Haruhi Suzumiya, Baccano, Record of Lodoss War, ToraDora, and many more. I know some of you are typing a wall of text that says “um AKSCHUALLY read comic books 🤓” or “cartoons are exclusively for babies, books are meant to be imagined”. So western publishing industry, why do you think cartoons are for kids?

  • 85jellybeans@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    If I picked up what purported to be a serious book on the history of the Vietnam war and I opened it and it had cartoons in it I would think the book was not serious and certainly not buy it as a result.

    As someone who reads a lot of non-fiction books, yes there are photos and maps and illustrations in them. What they don’t have are cartoons for goodness’ sake.

    If you want to read cartoons for adults then there are enormous numbers of graphic novels, manga, and other such books available. My local bookshop has an entire section dedicated simply to those.

    • iwasjusttwittering@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Context matters.

      Well, I have read a “serious book” (in fact, a dissertation) on ethnic conflicts in post-soviet Eastern Europe, written by a war journalist and anthropologist.

      There were cartoons in the book.

      Because much of the text was dedicated to analyzing nationalist propaganda.

  • MrSixLotto@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    OP can start by google eisner awards and have a good reading list I personally recommended SAGA series. Or maybe you thought about art style like maybe Winnie the Pooh art style with story aim at adult ?

  • Sudden_Hovercraft_56@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    you posted this a month ago and apparently learned nothing.

    The TLDR was that you want Graphic novels. There is no such thing as a cartoon book and for the millionth time, you are wrong in calling illustrated books “Cartoon books”.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/179sahh/i_am_tired_of_western_cartoon_books_being/

    and stop reposting! how many times do you need to post this? or the same question in /r/suggestmeabook ??

  • captainhowdy82@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Comics. I don’t know why the hell you’re not accepting comics as “cartoon books.” That’s exactly what they are.

    • Several-Drag-7749@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      I already said this, but I feel like they’re talking about picture books instead of comics. I know it’s a huge stretch regarding their rant, but it may be the case, especially since they’re talking about them being made for 10-year-olds.

  • averge@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Cartoon books…? Are you talking about comic books? There are a massive amount of those aimed at adults, ranging from fiction to non-fiction.

  • Lsedd@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    A lot of people are telling OP they’re after Graphic novels or comics or manga, but is it possible they mean illustrated books?

    In which case I think that Western books don’t feature illustrations very often because it can put people off as much as an ugly cover can.

  • INITMalcanis@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    My nephews really enjoyed V For Vendetta and The Boys. They weren’t so keen on Sandman, though. Apparently it was a bit mopey for them, although they did like Destruction’s character.

    I’ll see how they go with Watchmen and Y

  • ScrittlePringle@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    every Western fiction book aimed at people over the age of 12 being an unreadable wall of text.

    They’re called books and they’re quite readable.

    Can’t believe you said that in a fucking book subreddit of all places for christ’s sake.