Here (comic)
Encyclopedia
"Here" is an influential 6-page comic
by Richard McGuire (born 1957) published in RAW
Volume 2 #1 in 1989.
The first panel of "Here" shows an unadorned corner of a room in a house. The 35 panels that follow all show the location in space
depicted in the first panel at different points in time
, ranging from the year 500,957,406,073 BCE to the year 2033 CE. The panels are not ordered chronologically, and most of the panels are subdivided into multiple panes to show different points in time within the same panel. A wide variety of people, animal
s, and furnishings are shown passing through the space, including several recurring characters, such as a woman shown cleaning the room in 1973, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. The corner of the room itself is the most enduring presence in the story; panels show the house being constructed in 1902 and sheltering several generations of occupants before burning in a fire in 2029 and being demolished in 2030. The space is shown to be a barnyard
in the 19th century before the house is built, and the site of open-air band concerts after the house has been razed.
"Here" has been recognized as a groundbreaking experiment with the formal properties of comics; Douglas Wolk
wrote that its "influence has echoed through art comics for decades." Its influence is particularly notable in the work of Chris Ware
, who wrote a lengthy essay on it in the magazine Comic Art #8. "Here" was also reprinted for the first time in that issue.
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
by Richard McGuire (born 1957) published in RAW
RAW (magazine)
RAW was a comics anthology edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly and published by Mouly from 1980 to 1991. It was a flagship publication of the 1980s alternative comics movement, serving as a more intellectual counterpoint to Robert Crumb's visceral Weirdo, which followed squarely in the...
Volume 2 #1 in 1989.
The first panel of "Here" shows an unadorned corner of a room in a house. The 35 panels that follow all show the location in space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
depicted in the first panel at different points in time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
, ranging from the year 500,957,406,073 BCE to the year 2033 CE. The panels are not ordered chronologically, and most of the panels are subdivided into multiple panes to show different points in time within the same panel. A wide variety of people, animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, and furnishings are shown passing through the space, including several recurring characters, such as a woman shown cleaning the room in 1973, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. The corner of the room itself is the most enduring presence in the story; panels show the house being constructed in 1902 and sheltering several generations of occupants before burning in a fire in 2029 and being demolished in 2030. The space is shown to be a barnyard
Barnyard
A barnyard or farmyard is a yard adjoined to a barn . As a combination of architecture and landscape design, the barnyard is less common now than in former times, especially since the tractor and truck have replaced the horse and wagon.A barnyard of the 19th century was fenced-in an area of or...
in the 19th century before the house is built, and the site of open-air band concerts after the house has been razed.
"Here" has been recognized as a groundbreaking experiment with the formal properties of comics; Douglas Wolk
Douglas Wolk
Douglas Wolk is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, The Nation, The New Republic, Salon.com, Pitchfork Media, and The Believer...
wrote that its "influence has echoed through art comics for decades." Its influence is particularly notable in the work of Chris Ware
Chris Ware
Franklin Christenson Ware , is an American comic book artist and cartoonist, widely known for his Acme Novelty Library series and the graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he resides in the Chicago area, Illinois...
, who wrote a lengthy essay on it in the magazine Comic Art #8. "Here" was also reprinted for the first time in that issue.