2. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 22
What is aWhat is a
Graphic Novel?Graphic Novel?
DefineDefine graphicgraphic??
S: (adj) graphic, graphical, in writing
(written or drawn or engraved) "graphic symbols"
S: (adj) graphic (describing nudity or sexual activity in
graphic detail) "graphic sexual scenes"
S: (adj) graphic (of or relating to the graphic arts) "the
etchings, drypoints, lithographs, and engravings which
together form his graphic work"- British Book News
S: (adj) graphic, graphical (relating to or presented by a
graph) "a graphic presentation of the data"
S: (adj) graphic, lifelike, pictorial, vivid (evoking lifelike
images within the mind) "pictorial poetry and prose";
"graphic accounts of battle"; "a lifelike portrait"; "a vivid
description"
WordNet: a
lexical database
for the English
language
3. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 33
What is a Graphic Novel?What is a Graphic Novel?
FromFrom
Suddenly a totally new genre is every where we
look. Is a graphic novel a comic book? Yes, sort
of, not quite. It looks like a comic book, sort of.
Is it a "novel?" Yes, because it tells a fictional
story of some length.
What makes it "graphic?" Well, a great deal of
the story is told by the pictures, the graphics.
Which makes graphic novels a new way to read.
4. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 44
Aren’t they justAren’t they just
book-lengthbook-length
comics?comics?
Graphic novels represent aGraphic novels represent a
formatformat, rather than a, rather than a genregenre..
Comics are presented in a format defined as sequential
art – thus the panels, the text bubbles, and all of the
usual trademarks of your local newspaper’s comic strips.
In terms of genre, remember that while superhero tales
traditionally dominated the comics industry in the U.S.,
today's graphic novels range into every possible genre,
from literary fiction to memoir to fantasy.
• More Than Words: Graphic Novels in Kentucky's Libraries.Graphic Novels: Wher
By Robin Brenner
5. Graphic Novels:Graphic Novels:
Here to Stay!Here to Stay!
Graphic novels exist in a broad range of
genres: humor, romance, suspense, political
satire, soap operas, horror, porn, Japanese
manga, nonfiction journalism. In 2006, Publishers
Weekly reported, 2,800 new titles were published. For
the first time, graphic novels surpassed standard comic
books in sales, $330 million to $310 million.
"The days when publishers aimed at only 15-year-old
boys - or 50-year-old men who are shopping for their
inner 15-year-old - those days are over," said Calvin
Reid of Publishers Weekly.
•The big battle: It's edge versus respectability as graphic novels go m
Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 55
6. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 66
Define GraphicDefine Graphic
Novel?Novel?
graphic novelgraphic novel
A term coined by Will Eisner to describe his semi-
autobiographical novel A Contract with God (1978),
written and illustrated in comic book style, the first
work in a new genre that presents an extended
narrative as a continuous sequence of pictorial
images printed in color and arranged in panel-to-
panel format, with dialogue given in captions or
enclosed in balloons. . . . This new literary form is
viewed with suspicion by traditionalists who regard it
as a marketing ploy aimed at attracting adult reader
s to comic books by removing the stigma attached to
them. Click here to connect to the Yahoo! list of
graphic novel Web sites. See also: fotonovela.
7. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 77
A ContractA Contract
With God?With God?
A Contract With God and Other Tenement StoA Contract With God and Other Tenement Sto
This collection of four
stories takes us back to
the Bronx of the 1930s as
seen through Eisner's own
eyes, when tenement
blocks were crammed with
European immigrants
jostling their way to a
better life.
8. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 88
AnotherAnother
pioneeringpioneering
graphic novelgraphic novel
Maus: A Survivor's TaleMaus: A Survivor's Tale
In Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
Art Spiegelman has simultaneously expanded the
boundaries of a literary form and found a new way of
imagining the Holocaust, an event that is commonly
described as unimaginable. The form is the comic
book, once dismissed as an entertainment for children
and regarded as suited only for slapstick comedy,
action-adventure, or graphic horror.
Maus IIA Survivor's Tale: A
Began
Maus IIA Survivor's Tale: A
Began
9. An older “graphicAn older “graphic
novel” seriesnovel” series
(80 years old!)(80 years old!)
TintinTintin - -
80 years old but still a young reporter80 years old but still a young reporter
Somehow, ever since January 10 in 1929,
the day when together they took the
train to the Soviet Union, the renowned
reporter and his inseparable side-kick
Snowy have surrendered nothing of their
timeless appeal. As it is, the Soviets
have passed into history but Tintin's
adventures retain their same old
magnetic power unabated.
Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 99
10. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1010
Useful ResourcesUseful Resources
byby
Michele GormanMichele Gorman
Getting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with PretGetting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Pret
by Michele Gormanby Michele Gorman
Linworth, 2003Linworth, 2003
“What Teens Want: 30 Graphic Novels You Can’t Live Without”“What Teens Want: 30 Graphic Novels You Can’t Live Without”
cover article;cover article; School LibrarySchool Library
JournalJournal, August 2002, August 2002
11. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1111
Graphic NovelsGraphic Novels
Reviews forReviews for
YoungYoung
AdultsAdults
No Flying, No TightsNo Flying, No Tights
Why is this site here?
I just want to broadcast my opinions to the
world! Actually, no -- I decided to create
a page devoted to graphic novel reviews
specifically for those who read them the
most -- mainly teens -- and for those who
might be involved in distributing them to
teens -- namely teachers, librarians, and
parents.
• Robin Brenner, by day a
mild-mannered library technician
at Cary Memorial Library in
Lexington, Massachusetts
See also
Graphic Novels 101
12. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1212
A classic:A classic:
BoneBone
AA TIMETIME top ten graphic noveltop ten graphic novel
Bone combines the humor and look of
early Disney movies with the scope of
the Lord of the Rings cycle. Smith draws
characters that are both cute and scary,
infusing every panel with dynamic energy.
The best all-ages novel yet published in
this medium, while children will read
Bone for its breathless adventure and
sight gags, older kids and adults will
No Bones About It
13. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1313
A graphic novelA graphic novel
byby AviAvi
City Of Light, City Of DarkCity Of Light, City Of Dark
In City of Light, City of Dark Avi
creates a parallel world that
resembles our own, maybe it is our
own and we just don’t know it. In
this world the boogie men really do
exist, but they have another
name…the Kurbs. The Kurbs were
here first.
• Graphic Novel Review - City of Light, City of Dark
by Rich Haynes, Youth Services
Librarian, Harlan County Public Library
14. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1414
A graphicA graphic
novelnovel
publisherpublisher
So, what the heck is Oni PressSo, what the heck is Oni Press??
Oni Press, Inc. was founded in 1997 by
Joe Nozemack and Bob Schreck with the
goal of publishing the kinds of comics and
graphic novels they themselves would want
to read. Unsatisfied with the material
that was dominating the industry, the
men believed firmly that sequential art
could be used to tell virtually any story.
• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
15. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1515
Meet Barry Ween, the smartest
living human. What does a ten-
year-old boy do with a 350 I.Q.?
Anything he wants. Cranky,
egotistical, arrogant, and foul-
mouthed, Barry wants to conduct
his experiments and be left alone,
but it never seems to work out.
Hurdles that Barry must
outmaneuver range from time
warps, to art thieves, to
accidentally turning his best
friend into a dinosaur.
Barry WeenBarry Ween
(Series)
Meet the Gang |
Preview the Issues
Find Out Why Everyone Lo
16. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1616
Another Oni YAAnother Oni YA
publicationpublication
Matthew LouxMatthew Loux
Brian, Brad and Matt are
good guys with no direction and
zero motivation. . . . But their
serene laziness disappears when
Matt’s crush, Amber, announces
her intention to accompany
Matt’s nemesis, Richard the
jock, to the big rock show.
17. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1717
Another OniAnother Oni
seriesseries
By Cullen Bunn
& Brian Hurtt
High and mighty
gangsters rake in the dough hand over
fist, rival criminal families hit the
mattresses, and anyone who gets in the
way ends up in the morgue. . . . But
here's what you don't know, wise guy.
As powerful as the mobs are, a more
sinister force is pulling their leashes,
using greed, gluttony, and lust to fuel a
much more lucrative trade: human souls.
• http://www.thedamnedcomic.com/
18. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1818
NonfictionNonfiction
graphicsgraphics
The Man Who Would Draw KingThe Man Who Would Draw King
: Ho Che Anderson: Ho Che Anderson
TIME.comix on a biography of M. L. King
"King" volume one establishes the series'
tone — an attempt to get beyond the near-
saintly mythologization of King's life.
Part two puts you right in the middle of all
the most important civil rights actions from
1960 to 1965, culminating in the March on
Washington.
19. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 1919
Romance inRomance in
graphic novelsgraphic novels
Swoon!Swoon! Romance is theRomance is the
main theme here, though thatmain theme here, though that
doesn't prohibit a bit ofdoesn't prohibit a bit of
action, a bit of angst, and aaction, a bit of angst, and a
bit of erudition. In the end,bit of erudition. In the end,
though, it's all about catchingthough, it's all about catching
your breath and thinking,your breath and thinking,
“That's how I want it to be.”“That's how I want it to be.”
Robin on “No Flying, No Tights”
20. MangaManga
Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2020
What is Manga?What is Manga?
Though manga as we know it probably came
into being at the dawn of the 20th century,
most aficionados of the genre agree that
the modern manga style was invented by
Osamu Tezuka — the creator of such classic
works as Astro Boy and Kimba the White
Lion — in the late 1940s/early 1950s.
• Beginner's Guide to Manga
21. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2121
MangaManga
What is Manga?What is Manga?
“It used to be fairly straightforward to say
that manga were black-and-white comics
originating in Japan,” Mr. Kiley [Mike Kiley, the
senior vice president of the publisher Tokyopop]
wrote. “But for many years now, there have
been manga ‘variants’ in many places around
the world,” including manhwa in Korea and
original English language manga in the United
States.
• Graphic Books Best-Sellers: What Is Manga? By
GEORGE GENE GUSTINES
October 22, 2010, 10:00 am
22. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2222
What aboutWhat about
anime?anime?
What is animeWhat is anime??
(ah-nee-may, is one way to romanize the(ah-nee-may, is one way to romanize the
pronunciation)pronunciation)
Anime, as defined by common fan usage, is simply
any animation that is made in Japan for a Japanese
audience. In Japan the word simply means any
animation made anywhere in the world. Commercial
anime dates back to 1917. Modern anime
dates from the 1960s with the work of
Osamu Tezuka, best known in the U.S.
for "Astro Boy", Tetsuwan Atom in the
original Japanese.
23. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2323
Who readsWho reads
manga?manga?
60% are female60% are female
While comics feature 50-year-old
superheroes who appeal to boys, manga in the
U.S. is often created by women for women of
all ages. . . . The 11-to-21-year-old
market is huge, says CEO [of Tokyopop, the
largest U.S.-owned creator and licensor of
manga] Jane Friedman, who predicts steady
growth for the category.
• America is Drawn to Manga: Why girls--and
publishers--love Japan's comics By COCO MASTERS
• Posted Thursday, Aug. 10, 2006
R.O.D. – Read or Die –
Preview the Manga here!
25. Manga asManga as
gender-gender-
empowering?empowering?
The Transformative PowerThe Transformative Power
of Manga:of Manga:
[“Boys’ love manga”] postulates that
gender fluidity and change are ways we
can identify with those who are different
from us, experience new things, and, most
importantly, achieve things that were
impossible before.
• Gender Alchemy by J.D. Ho Horn Book Magazine
September/October 2007.
Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2525
26. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2626
GraphicsGraphics
OscarsOscars
The Will Eisner Comic Industry AwardsThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards::
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are
considered the "Oscars" of the comic book
industry. They are handed out each year in a gala
ceremony at Comic-Con International: San Diego
• The "Oscars" of Comics A Brief History
• 2010 Eisner Awards Winners
• Best Publication for Teens
• Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin
and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
27. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2727
Harveys’ Comics AwardsHarveys’ Comics Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the
comic book industry's oldest and most
respected awards. The Harveys
recognize outstanding achievements in
over 20 categories, ranging from Best
Artist to the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame.
• History
• Harvey Bio
2010 Harvey Award Winners
Best Original Graphic Album
“Asterios Polyp“, by David
Mazucchelli, Pantheon
28. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2828
Ignatz AwardsIgnatz Awards
The Ignatz Awards, named
for the character in the classic comic
strip Krazy Kat by George Herriman, is a
festival prize that recognizes
outstanding achievement in comics
and cartooning.
2010 Outstanding Graphic Novel
Market Day, James Sturm
(Drawn & Quarterly) Preview (PDF)
29. Graphic Novels--or Just Comics?Graphic Novels--or Just Comics? 2929
Are they?
What do you say?
Who says so? Can they?