Spiegelman's "Comics 101": The San Jose Mercury-News talks with Art Spiegelman about his 9-11 graphic novel, and the cultural acceptance of comics:

"It's a done deal. There are museum shows that will include comics without blinking an eye. And bookstores all have their sections for comics or graphic novels or whatever they're calling them. Universities are teaching comics. It's now part of the culture without having to be something to apologize for. All of that changes the economics of making comics and makes it more possible for more people to do it. That's the up side.

"But there's a Faustian price to pay. Part of the vitality of comics came from the fact that they were considered lowbrow trash. There is something pleasurable about being able to fly below the radar. It meant you could work without having to keep a critic on your shoulder. ... You could allow that id monster prone to inhabit this medium to be free."