 Previous Thread |
|
Next Thread 
|
|
 Why are comics called the "ninth art"?
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 16,853
Time Trapper
|
OP
Time Trapper
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 16,853 |
Anyone know? There's a site of comics essays & reviews called ninthart.com, I didn''t think too much about the name - but then found a French site calling comics the ninth art as well.
And what are the other eight arts? Aren't there nine muses? Could it be related to that?
Holy Cats of Egypt!
|
|
|
Re: Why are comics called the "ninth art"?
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 17,274
Time Trapper
|
|
Time Trapper
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 17,274 |
The nine arts are the following: Architecture Music Painting Sculpture Poetry Dance Cinema Television Comics Ricciotto Canudo defined the first seven. Then in the 1960's Claude Beylie called comics the ninth art because television was the eighth. I do believe you are right in corresponding the Muses with the Nine arts. The Muses were the nine who presided over the arts and sciences and were believed to inspire all artists, especially poets, philosophers, and musicians. They were also considered the goddesses of singing, art, and science. Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, Clio of history, Euterpe of lyric poetry, Melpomene of tragedy, Terpsichore of choral songs and the dance, Erato of love poetry, Polyhymnia of sacred poetry, Urania of astronomy, and Thalia of comedy. I believe that the French and Belgians are ultimately responsible for comics being called the ninth art. From what I've found the term started being used by them after the publication of Castafiore's Emerald, a Tintin adventure.
|
|
|
Re: Why are comics called the "ninth art"?
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 16,853
Time Trapper
|
|
OP
Time Trapper
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 16,853 |
Thanks LL. And Castafiore is my favourite Tintin book! A real classic, funny story.
Holy Cats of Egypt!
|
|
|
Re: Why are comics called the "ninth art"?
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 9,843
Time Trapper
|
|
Time Trapper
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 9,843 |
Love Tintin. Castafiore is great, but it's hard to choose -- I'm fond of all of them.
I think it would be intriguing to name one's children after the nine Muses in theory, but most of those names would probably subject a kid to teasing in today's society... Clio might not be so bad...
|
|
|
Re: Why are comics called the "ninth art"?
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 17,274
Time Trapper
|
|
Time Trapper
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 17,274 |
Glad to help. And I'll have to dig up a copy of Castafiore since I haven't even read a Tintin adventure in quite a long time.
|
|
|
Re: Why are comics called the "ninth art"?
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,948
Don't Stop Peelieving
|
|
Don't Stop Peelieving
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,948 |
Originally posted by STU:
... Clio might not be so bad... Ahh, I'd chase her around, asking her to tell my fortune with a fake Jamaican accent...  And Scott! You impress me, good sir. Thanks fo rthe enlightenment. 
"Anytime a good book like this is cancelled, I hope another Teen Titan is murdered." --Cobalt
"Anytime an awesome book like S6 is cancelled, I hope EVERY Titan is murdered." --Me
|
|
|
|
Forums14
Topics21,022
Posts1,045,471
Legionnaires1,729
| |
Most Online53,886
Jan 7th, 2024
|
|
|
Posts: 495
Joined: December 2003
|
|
|
|
