Graphic Novels Take a Huge Step Forward: The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón

An Illustrated Version of the 9/11 Commission Report Demonstrates that Graphic Adaptations Are More Than Just an Outlet for Caped Crusaders

Unless you have fond memories of the now-defunct Harvey Comics - which chronicled the innocent adventures of "Casper the Friendly Ghost" and "Richie Rich" among others - the names Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon may not mean anything to you. But respectively, these two comic book creators (Jacobson was editor in Chief at Harvey and Colon drew RR and Casper) have over 50 years of experience at Harvey Comics alone, not to mention their efforts with other book publishers including Marvel Comics (home of the X-Men) and DC Comics (home of Super-Man).

So the comic book industry in particular, and the book publishing industry in general raised an eye-brow when Jacobson and Colon recently wrote and illustrated a 144-page condensation of the 600-page federal report released by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.

9/11. Heavy subject matter to be sure and not the typical illustrated adventures you think of when you crack open a graphic novel or comic book. In this tome you won't find any high-flying super-heroes, no spandex clad, muscle-bound defenders of peace and justice, no silicone-enhanced females bursting out of the skimpiest of costumes.

Which brings me to the title of this article and the subject of this paper. I've written other articles on comic books; graphic novels and their creators (check the AC article archive). And it's noteworthy that Jacobson and Colon have tackled this project (a "sequel" - documenting the impact of the WTC bombings on the American public is already in the works).The medium of graphic novels and comic books will benefit greatly by this worthwhile effort.