Comics: Is it art?

On the Quality forum there's been a discussion raging regarding the medium of comics as an art form. A tutor of one of the regular contributors asked the question, why do you like comics? The inference being that it isn't serious art. What then followed was a long drawn out discussion that I felt was more revealing of some of the regular contributors than it was of the original statement. There appears to be some sniffiness toward the whole superhero genre and comics aimed at children. Part of the problem with the industry for me, and I'm sorry but I do blame the likes of Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman for this, is the move to make comics the exclusive preserve of adults. Moore as much as admits this in a recent interview on the web. My point is that comics should cover every age and every genre and be fun as well as serious and be political, exciting adventure ... etc, etc. There's room for all of it. Sadly, grim and dark is cool and that's it with the mainstream companies. People think Art Speigelman is what comics should be about and I say yes, but that it should be about the Beano and Captain America as well. Some of the best art produced in the last hundred years has been produced in the comics medium. If you don't believe me Google the Grantbridge Street and other Misadventures site, it is very instructive. This medium is essentially an open canvas for just about any kind of expression. It's as old as time and needs to to promoted as a tool for raising literacy as well as engaging the imagination. But let's keep it an open canvas for every kind of expression, eh?