Comics - Art Form or Joke?

I can settle this in two words: Alex Ross.

That being said, I'm a bit more used to looking at comics from a sociological standpoint, not so much an artistic one. I've always been interested in history, and lately I've been doing a ton of research on comics as propaganda (particularly during WWII) and comics as a "negative" influence (1950s, Kefauver, Seduction of the Innocent, etc.)

If anyone has come across some good books/articles on these topics, feel free to share. I'm writing a thesis next semester, and gathering up all I can find.

Best of luck with your research! As regards the scare that shut down EC comics, there were similar moments in Australia and New Zealand history.

If you're looking for propaganda / historical comics you can't go wrong with Ethan Persoff's site.

For general theory, Dylan Horrocks has some interesting things to say.

Both! Krazy Kat ran for decades with based on a simple gag.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krazy_Kat

While Rock and Rap covet the allure of underground/outsider status, comics have far more DIY cred.

Joe Herriman one of the two of greatest American artists of the Twentieth Century. Winsor McCay was the other. Love them both.