Comics, Graphica, Cartoons ... Oh My! Part 1

The whole genre of cartoon-type pictorial works (or graphica, a term I really like) is tremendously complicated in Subject Heading Land. My last post was before I finished with "Cartoons and caricatures," and I was so drained by the experience that I haven't posted anything since. Having just finished with the "Comic books, strips, etc." heading, however, I decided I couldn't in good faith continue until I'd commented on this area of headings. This post will only concern those works which use cartoon-type drawing as a medium as opposed photographic or fine art works.

Library of Congress uses a couple subject headings for these works: Caricatures and cartoons and Wit and humor, Pictorial. These two are Related terms, hierarchically equivalent. Comic books, strips, etc. is a narrower term under each of these. There are, of course, many narrower terms under each of these headings including, under Wit and humor, Pictorial: Cartooning; Comic books, strips, etc.; Editorial cartoons; and Political cartoons. Under Caricatures and cartoons, the narrower terms include: Animated films; Cartoon captions; Cartooning; Cartoon characters; Comic books, strips, etc.; Editorial cartoons; and Political cartoons. The See also reference states that the subdivision Caricatures and cartoons may be used "under names of individual persons, families, and corporate bodies and under classes of persons, ethnic groups, topical subjects, and individual wars, for collections or discussions of caricatures or pictorial humor about these persons or topics."

The subject heading Comic books, strips, etc. is not only a subject heading on its own (150) but is also a fFaceted application of subject terminology, meaning it can be used as a subheading "under names of individual persons and corporate bodies, uniform titles of sacred works, and under classes of persons, ethnic groups, and topical headings for fictional or nonfiction works in comic strip form." It can also be used as genre/form heading (155) as listed in Guidelines on subject access: fiction, drama, etc. (GSAFD) but not, evidently as an LoC genre/form heading (at least in the online Authorities database).

LoC Children's subject headings doesn't use this heading. Its equivalent is Cartoons and comics. "For fictional cartoons and comics, an additional entry is made under the heading [topic]--Fiction. For nonfiction cartoons and comics, an additional entry is made under the heading [topic]--Cartoons and comics."

I only wish Sears were that simple. In my next entry, I'll tackle that rat's nest.