How to write a graphic novel online
http://www.ehow.com/how_4881381_write-graphic-novel-online.html
Comic book Graphic novel
http://www.ehow.com/search.html?rs=1&s=Comic+Book
Monday, 31 October 2011
Graphic novels, places & learning
http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/outreach/events/graphic-novels
During the 2010-2011 school year the Outreach Center at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies explored how the medium of comic arts and “graphic novels” can be used to teach and learn about the Middle East and Muslim communities. Anyone writing today about uses of comics in the classroom does not have to spend much time defending this medium as a valid form of art or an important pedagogical tool; thankfully, many creative minds have done this work already.
This introduction will focus on works and strategies of particular relevance to ME studies, including suggested uses of resources in The Outreach Center's lending library.
Highlighting the unique features of "sequential art" to combine visual, text-based, and cultural literacies, these workshops and events approached the subject from a variety of perspectives, ranging from exploring depictions of Muslim identity in superhero comics to grassroots comic collectives in Cairo and Beirut. We are developing a curriculum catalog of these materials.
Web-based resources
Using Comic Arts to Teach and Learn about the Middle East: Introduction to Pedagogy
Archive of interviews with independent and grassroots comic artists in the Middle East Region.
Panel Presentations on Comics and Muslim Identity
Our on-going blog on Graphic Novels and the Middle East
Programming Information and Archive
Comic Making Workshop
Panels on Comics and Muslim Identity
A Graphic Novelist's View of the Middle East and Israel Palestine
Using Comics to Enhance Global Studies in the Classroom
Graphic Novels, the Middle East, and Muslim Communities: Introduction to Content and Resources
On-Line Book Group
During the 2010-2011 school year the Outreach Center at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies explored how the medium of comic arts and “graphic novels” can be used to teach and learn about the Middle East and Muslim communities. Anyone writing today about uses of comics in the classroom does not have to spend much time defending this medium as a valid form of art or an important pedagogical tool; thankfully, many creative minds have done this work already.
This introduction will focus on works and strategies of particular relevance to ME studies, including suggested uses of resources in The Outreach Center's lending library.
Highlighting the unique features of "sequential art" to combine visual, text-based, and cultural literacies, these workshops and events approached the subject from a variety of perspectives, ranging from exploring depictions of Muslim identity in superhero comics to grassroots comic collectives in Cairo and Beirut. We are developing a curriculum catalog of these materials.
Web-based resources
Using Comic Arts to Teach and Learn about the Middle East: Introduction to Pedagogy
Archive of interviews with independent and grassroots comic artists in the Middle East Region.
Panel Presentations on Comics and Muslim Identity
Our on-going blog on Graphic Novels and the Middle East
Programming Information and Archive
Comic Making Workshop
Panels on Comics and Muslim Identity
A Graphic Novelist's View of the Middle East and Israel Palestine
Using Comics to Enhance Global Studies in the Classroom
Graphic Novels, the Middle East, and Muslim Communities: Introduction to Content and Resources
On-Line Book Group
Monday, 24 October 2011
What Is Manga
Wikipedia Answer
Manga (kanji: 漫画; hiragana: まんが; katakana: マンガ; listen (help·info); English /ˈmɑːŋɡə/ or /ˈmæŋɡə/) is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons (sometimes also called komikku コミック). In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th century. In their modern form, manga date from shortly after World War II, but they have a long, complex pre-history in earlier Japanese art.
In Japan, people of all ages read manga. The medium includes works in a broad range of genres: action-adventure, romance, sports and games, historical drama, comedy, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, horror, sexuality, and business/commerce, among others. Since the 1950s, manga has steadily become a major part of the Japanese publishing industry, representing a ¥406 billion market in Japan in 2007 (approximately $3.6 billion). Manga have also gained a significant worldwide audience. In 2008, the U.S. and Canadian manga market was valued at $175 million. Manga stories are typically printed in black-and-white, although some full-color manga exist (e.g. Colorful).
In Japan, manga are usually serialized in large manga magazines, often containing many stories, each presented in a single episode to be continued in the next issue. If the series is successful, collected chapters may be republished in paperback books called tankōbon. A manga artist (mangaka in Japanese) typically works with a few assistants in a small studio and is associated with a creative editor from a commercial publishing company. If a manga series is popular enough, it may be animated after or even during its run, although sometimes manga are drawn centering on previously existing live-action or animated films (e.g. Star Wars)."Manga" as a term used outside Japan refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan.
However, manga-influenced comics, among original works, exist in other parts of the world, particularly in Taiwan ("manhua"), South Korea ("manhwa"), and China, notably Hong Kong ("manhua"). In France, "la nouvelle manga" has developed as a form of bande dessinée (literally drawn strip) drawn in styles influenced by Japanese manga. In the United States, people refer to what they perceive as manga "styled" comics as Amerimanga, world manga, or original English-language manga (OEL manga). Still, the original term "manga" is primarily used in English-speaking countries solely to describe comics of Japanese origin.
Historians and writers on manga history have described two broad and complementary processes shaping modern manga. Their views differ in the relative importance they attribute to the role of cultural and historical events following World War II versus the role of pre-War, Meiji, and pre-Meiji Japanese culture and art.One view emphasizes events occurring during and after the U.S. Occupation of Japan (1945–1952), and stresses that manga strongly reflect U.S. cultural influences, including U.S. comics (brought to Japan by the GIs) and images and themes from U.S. television, film, and cartoons (especially Disney).
Alternately, other writers such as Frederik L. Schodt, Kinko Ito, and Adam L. Kern stress continuity of Japanese cultural and aesthetic traditions as central to the history of manga. Modern manga originated in the Occupation (1945–1952) and post-Occupation years (1952–early 1960s), while a previously militaristic and ultra-nationalist Japan rebuilt its political and economic infrastructure. An explosion of artistic creativity occurred in this period, involving manga artists such as Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy) and Machiko Hasegawa (Sazae-san).
Astro Boy quickly became (and remains) immensely popular in Japan and elsewhere, and the anime adaptation of Sazae-san continues to run as of 2009, regularly drawing more viewers than any other anime on Japanese television. Tezuka and Hasegawa both made stylistic innovations. In Tezuka's "cinematographic" technique, the panels are like a motion picture that reveals details of action bordering on slow motion as well as rapid zooms from distance to close-up shots. This kind of visual dynamism was widely adopted by later manga artists.
Hasegawa's focus on daily life and on women's experience also came to characterize later shōjo manga. Between 1950 and 1969, an increasingly large readership for manga emerged in Japan with the solidification of its two main marketing genres, shōnen manga aimed at boys and shōjo manga aimed at girls. In 1969 a group of female manga artists (later called the Year 24 Group, also known as Magnificent 24s) made their shōjo manga debut ("year 24" comes from the Japanese name for the year 1949, the birth-year of many of these artists). The group included Hagio Moto, Riyoko Ikeda, Yumiko Oshima, Keiko Takemiya, and Ryoko Yamagishi, and they marked the first major entry of female artists into manga. Thereafter, primarily female manga artists would draw shōjo for a readership of girls and young women.
In the following decades (1975–present), shōjo manga continued to develop stylistically while simultaneously evolving different but overlapping subgenres. Major subgenres include romance, superheroines, and "Ladies Comics" (in Japanese, redisu レディース, redikomi レディコミ, and josei 女性). Modern shōjo manga romance features love as a major theme set into emotionally intense narratives of self-realization. With the superheroines, shōjo manga saw releases such as Pink Hanamori's Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Reiko Yoshida's Tokyo Mew Mew, And, Naoko Takeuchi's Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, which became internationally popular in both manga and anime formats. Groups (or sentais) of girls working together have also been popular within this genre. Like Lucia, Hanon, and Rina singing together, and Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus working together.
Manga for male readers sub-divides according to the age of its intended readership: boys up to 18 years old (shōnen manga) and young men 18- to 30-years old (seinen manga); as well as by content, including action-adventure often involving male heroes, slapstick humor, themes of honor, and sometimes explicit sexuality. The Japanese use different kanji for two closely allied meanings of "seinen"—青年 for "youth, young man" and 成年 for "adult, majority"—the second referring to sexually overt manga aimed at grown men and also called seijin ("adult" 成人) manga. Shōnen, seinen, and seijin manga share many features in common. Boys and young men became some of the earliest readers of manga after World War II. From the 1950s on, shōnen manga focused on topics thought to interest the archetypal boy, including subjects like robots, space-travel, and heroic action-adventure. Popular themes include science fiction, technology, sports, and supernatural settings.
Manga with solitary costumed superheroes like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man generally did not become as popular. The role of girls and women in manga produced for male readers has evolved considerably over time to include those featuring single pretty girls (bishōjo) such as Belldandy from Oh My Goddess!, stories where such girls and women surround the hero, as in Negima and Hanaukyo Maid Team, or groups of heavily armed female warriors (sentō bishōjo)
With the relaxation of censorship in Japan in the 1990s, a wide variety of explicit sexual themes appeared in manga intended for male readers, and correspondingly occur in English translations. However, in 2010 the Tokyo Metropolitan Government passed a bill to restrict harmful content. The gekiga style of drawing—emotionally dark, often starkly realistic, sometimes very violent—focuses on the day-in, day-out grim realities of life, often drawn in gritty and unpretty fashions. Gekiga such as Sampei Shirato's 1959–1962 Chronicles of a Ninja's Military Accomplishments (Ninja Bugeichō) arose in the late 1950s and 1960s partly from left-wing student and working-class political activism and partly from the aesthetic dissatisfaction of young manga artists like Yoshihiro Tatsumi with existing manga.
What Is Manga
http://bookshelf.diamondcomics.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=20&s=432&ai=0
Manga refers to an Asian style of trade paperback graphic novel that has recently reached new heights of popularity in the United States. While often digest-sized and usually printed in black &
white, Manga (which is the Japanese word for “comic book”) is currently one of the biggest trends in the publishing industry. Because most manga represents translated editions of books from Japan, Korea and China, English-language versions attempt to retain the title’s authenticity by printing it in a reading format that matches the original printing.
Since Japanese graphic novels are printed so that they read from right-to-left, the English translations are also printed from right-to-left. Korean graphic novels are originally printed so that they read from left to right, and the English translations are the same. Most manga titles are part of a series containing several volumes. Dark Horse’s Lone Wolf & Cub, for example, tells a complete story over 7,000 pages and 28 volumes!
Additionally, there are many terms affiliated with manga that are important to discern: the term manhwa is most identified with Korean graphic novels. Original English Language (OEL) or
Original English Manga (OEM) manga refers to original manga stories created by North American writers and artists rather than the typical manga that is translated. Manga also contains several genres that are marketed to very specific types of readers. Shojo (also spelled Shoujo) is a genre typically aimed at young teenage girls, usually involving drama and
romance. Shonen refers to manga primarily intended for boys and features humorous stories and high levels of action. The most recent manga genre to gain popularity in America is yaoi. Intended for mature readers, yaoi refers to romantic stories featuring gay male protagonists and aimed at a female audience.
While the above represent the most popular and frequently sought-out manga genres in the United States, curious readers will be able to find translated titles to suit all tastes, from sweet children’s stories to edgy alternative titles to serious autobiography and historical accounts for adults. Please see our Reference
Resources section to find some excellent books on the history, scope and
variety of manga.
Manga refers to an Asian style of trade paperback graphic novel that has recently reached new heights of popularity in the United States. While often digest-sized and usually printed in black &
white, Manga (which is the Japanese word for “comic book”) is currently one of the biggest trends in the publishing industry. Because most manga represents translated editions of books from Japan, Korea and China, English-language versions attempt to retain the title’s authenticity by printing it in a reading format that matches the original printing.
Since Japanese graphic novels are printed so that they read from right-to-left, the English translations are also printed from right-to-left. Korean graphic novels are originally printed so that they read from left to right, and the English translations are the same. Most manga titles are part of a series containing several volumes. Dark Horse’s Lone Wolf & Cub, for example, tells a complete story over 7,000 pages and 28 volumes!
Additionally, there are many terms affiliated with manga that are important to discern: the term manhwa is most identified with Korean graphic novels. Original English Language (OEL) or
Original English Manga (OEM) manga refers to original manga stories created by North American writers and artists rather than the typical manga that is translated. Manga also contains several genres that are marketed to very specific types of readers. Shojo (also spelled Shoujo) is a genre typically aimed at young teenage girls, usually involving drama and
romance. Shonen refers to manga primarily intended for boys and features humorous stories and high levels of action. The most recent manga genre to gain popularity in America is yaoi. Intended for mature readers, yaoi refers to romantic stories featuring gay male protagonists and aimed at a female audience.
While the above represent the most popular and frequently sought-out manga genres in the United States, curious readers will be able to find translated titles to suit all tastes, from sweet children’s stories to edgy alternative titles to serious autobiography and historical accounts for adults. Please see our Reference
Resources section to find some excellent books on the history, scope and
variety of manga.
What Are Graphic Novels?
Marvel's 1602 #1(comic book)
Issues from Marvel's 1602(series)
Marvel's 1602(graphic novel)
A comic book or “pamphlet” is the traditional periodical form most people are familiar with. A comic book can stand on its own or be a part of a series. A series is also sometimes called a “title,”
which refers to the entire series, not a single, discrete unit. Sometimes, multiple issues of a series are collected into one volume. It can be hardcover (as shown here) or softcover. Softcover editions are often called “trade paperbacks,” or just “trades,” regardless of size. A hardcover or a softcover can also be called a “graphic novel.” When a story is published in the hardcover or soft cover format first (that is, without periodical serialization), it is referred to as a graphic novel and only a graphic novel.
Many of these terms are inter-changeable, as you can see. A “graphic
novel” can refer to a hardcover or soft cover, to a reprint collection or an
original story. Similarly, all of the formats referenced can be called “comics”
or “comic books.”
A Brief History of the Graphic Novel By Stan Tychinski
Since the days of prehistoric man, people have been telling stories by using
pictures instead of prose. From the cave paintings of the Cro-Magnon Men to the
hieroglyphics of the Ancient Egyptians, graphic storytelling has been used as a
popular means for communicating thoughts and ideas.
pictures instead of prose. From the cave paintings of the Cro-Magnon Men to the
hieroglyphics of the Ancient Egyptians, graphic storytelling has been used as a
popular means for communicating thoughts and ideas.
In most early civilizations (and well into the current century) the majority of the
world's population was illiterate. Reading was a luxury reserved for the well to
do. Instead of written announcements, in many cases drawings and cartoons were
used as a simple way to convey ideas or sentiments to the working class
populace. As the world entered the Industrial Age and people began using
machines to do tasks quickly & more efficiently, these working class people
suddenly had more leisure time... time that was spent looking for entertainment.
As more folks began reading for entertainment, the daily or weekly periodicals
began to appear, many of them jokebooks or humor publications.
world's population was illiterate. Reading was a luxury reserved for the well to
do. Instead of written announcements, in many cases drawings and cartoons were
used as a simple way to convey ideas or sentiments to the working class
populace. As the world entered the Industrial Age and people began using
machines to do tasks quickly & more efficiently, these working class people
suddenly had more leisure time... time that was spent looking for entertainment.
As more folks began reading for entertainment, the daily or weekly periodicals
began to appear, many of them jokebooks or humor publications.
Humor was an effective way to address social ills or political agendas. One of the best
examples of this type of publication is POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC, printed
in 1732 by Benjamin Franklin. In it, Franklin used satirical cartoons to advance
the cause of American Revolution. Political cartoons have been an important part
of newspaper publishing ever since.
examples of this type of publication is POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC, printed
in 1732 by Benjamin Franklin. In it, Franklin used satirical cartoons to advance
the cause of American Revolution. Political cartoons have been an important part
of newspaper publishing ever since.
Another popular form of entertainment periodical was the Dime Novel Magazine, an early form of today's paperback book. These were usually illustrated, and most involved a sensational
adventure or mystery. Many were set in the American Wild West, and they help
popularize men like Davy Crockett and Buffalo Bill. Dime novels were also known
as "penny dreadfuls."
adventure or mystery. Many were set in the American Wild West, and they help
popularize men like Davy Crockett and Buffalo Bill. Dime novels were also known
as "penny dreadfuls."
In 1842, the first major graphic novel was published in the United States. THE ADVENTURES OF OBADIAH OLDBUCK by humorist Rodolphe Toffler, it originally appeared as a serial in a weekly humor magazine called Brother Jonathan. It concerned the misadventures of a young man and his "lady-louve", using captioned cartoons arranged in tiered or strip like fashion. THE YELLOW KID appeared in 1895, and quickly became the first successfully merchandised comic strip character. Created by Richard Outcault, The Yellow Kid was so popular that the strip's presence actually increased newspaper sales.
In 1897, the Hearst Syndicate released the first collected edition of Yellow Kid cartoons in book form. This best selling collection could be considered the very first financially successful graphic novel. Other companies also started using popular comic characters to promote their products.
In 1903 Sears & Roebuck distributed a promotional comic starring Buster Brown (also by Outcault), the first nationally distributed comic book.
In 1903 Sears & Roebuck distributed a promotional comic starring Buster Brown (also by Outcault), the first nationally distributed comic book.
A few book publishers (notably Cupples & Leon) began collecting popular
daily comic strips such as Bringing Up Father by George McManus & Tillie the
Toiler by Russ Westover into softcover "album" form. These series were published
regularly from around 1915 through the mid 1930S and were very successful. Other
companies such as Whitman published actual prose novels based on comic strip
characters such as Little Orphan Annie, Smilin' Jack, and Blondie, among
others.
daily comic strips such as Bringing Up Father by George McManus & Tillie the
Toiler by Russ Westover into softcover "album" form. These series were published
regularly from around 1915 through the mid 1930S and were very successful. Other
companies such as Whitman published actual prose novels based on comic strip
characters such as Little Orphan Annie, Smilin' Jack, and Blondie, among
others.
A popular form of entertainment periodical began to appear in the
United States after WW1...the Pulp magazine novels. Named as such for the cheap
pulp paper they were printed on, they usually featured adventure stories aimed
at male readers, with topics such as war stories, westerns, and science fiction.
Many popular pulp heroes such as The Shadow, Doc Savage, and the Spider were
spun off into popular radio series (& vice-versa). Most pulps had
spectacular covers and illustrations throughout.As publishers began to
look for new genres and ways to expand their readership, they hit upon
reprinting the daily newspaper strips, many of which featured serialized
adventure stories.
United States after WW1...the Pulp magazine novels. Named as such for the cheap
pulp paper they were printed on, they usually featured adventure stories aimed
at male readers, with topics such as war stories, westerns, and science fiction.
Many popular pulp heroes such as The Shadow, Doc Savage, and the Spider were
spun off into popular radio series (& vice-versa). Most pulps had
spectacular covers and illustrations throughout.As publishers began to
look for new genres and ways to expand their readership, they hit upon
reprinting the daily newspaper strips, many of which featured serialized
adventure stories.
In 1933, M.C. Gaines created the first comic book, called NEW FUNNIES, which reprinted daily comic strips. Later that year, a company called Humor Publications printed the first all original comic book, DETECTIVE DAN.And in 1938, everything exploded with the publication of ACTION COMICS #1 and its star, a guy named Superman!
Superman and his fellow "mystery-men" paved the way for the comic book's Golden Age, and a vast array of costumed heroes, detectives, cowboys, and the like flooded the newsstands. During the 1940's comic books sold millions of copies, and to readers of all ages, including many
adults.Comics were especially popular with soldiers. The paperback book
debuted around this period, selling wellbecause they were portable &
inexpensive.
adults.Comics were especially popular with soldiers. The paperback book
debuted around this period, selling wellbecause they were portable &
inexpensive.
There was a few attempts to crossover comic books into the more
popular paperback format: Among them notably IT RHYMES WITH LUST, by Arnold
Drake and Matt Baker...considered by many to be the first popularly printed
graphic novel. This book is now a very rare and very sought after collector's
item.However, in the mid-1950s, the comic book scene changed
dramatically. The new medium of television was attracting the attention of the
general public. Publication of Frederic Wertham's book SEDUCTION OF THE
INNOCENT led to a growing social concern over the content of horror and crime
comics aimed at childeren. With parental concerns over such lurid
content increasing, sales began to drop. In an effort to control this decline,
publishers began to offer a more acceptable, if somewhat bland, type of comic.
popular paperback format: Among them notably IT RHYMES WITH LUST, by Arnold
Drake and Matt Baker...considered by many to be the first popularly printed
graphic novel. This book is now a very rare and very sought after collector's
item.However, in the mid-1950s, the comic book scene changed
dramatically. The new medium of television was attracting the attention of the
general public. Publication of Frederic Wertham's book SEDUCTION OF THE
INNOCENT led to a growing social concern over the content of horror and crime
comics aimed at childeren. With parental concerns over such lurid
content increasing, sales began to drop. In an effort to control this decline,
publishers began to offer a more acceptable, if somewhat bland, type of comic.
Western and TV stars became the popular subjects, and the Comics Code was
instituted to appease the parental complaints of violence and sensationalism.
The Code, a self-imposed regulating device, eventually led to the stagnation of
comic books here in the United States as publishers bounced from genre to genre,
always looking for the next big trend. Comic books in America became
increasingly known as children's fare starring cartoon characters and buffoonish
super-heroes, particulaly after the Batman TV series debuted in
1966. But in many other countries, comics were marketed on different
levels for different readership groups.
instituted to appease the parental complaints of violence and sensationalism.
The Code, a self-imposed regulating device, eventually led to the stagnation of
comic books here in the United States as publishers bounced from genre to genre,
always looking for the next big trend. Comic books in America became
increasingly known as children's fare starring cartoon characters and buffoonish
super-heroes, particulaly after the Batman TV series debuted in
1966. But in many other countries, comics were marketed on different
levels for different readership groups.
In Japan, Manga comics appeared, first as individual issues, then as wholly created album type comic books. Manga is distinguished as being published in multiple genres, each aimed at a specific age or type of reader. Manga would become a major graphic novel genre in the
late 1990s here in America, eventually becoming one of the biggest, if not THE
biggest sections of the graphic novel trade. Most major bookstores now carry a
very large Manga section.The concept of album style graphic novels also
became popular in other countries, France & Germany in particular. In 1930 a
Belgian artist named Herge created an adventure story of a boy and his dog,
Tintin.
late 1990s here in America, eventually becoming one of the biggest, if not THE
biggest sections of the graphic novel trade. Most major bookstores now carry a
very large Manga section.The concept of album style graphic novels also
became popular in other countries, France & Germany in particular. In 1930 a
Belgian artist named Herge created an adventure story of a boy and his dog,
Tintin.
The first graphic album, TINTIN IN THE LAND OF THE SOVIETS was a
major success and eventually Herge produced 24 Tintin albums, up until his
passing in the late 1980s. Tintin is still being published in over 29 languages.
Other major Belgian graphic novel series include ASTERIX THE GAUL by Goscinny
and Uderzo (starting in 1961 with 37 albums to date in 30 countries) and Peyo's
THE SMURFS, arguably one of the most successful comic album series of all
time.Back in the United States, underground comics began to appear in the mid-sixties. Undergrounds were self- published comics that did not conform to the restrictions of the Comics Code. Although many underground comics dealt with sexual themes and drug related culture, many used satire to comment on political and social issues of the times such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement.During the late 1970s and early 80s, a new factor entered the picture.
major success and eventually Herge produced 24 Tintin albums, up until his
passing in the late 1980s. Tintin is still being published in over 29 languages.
Other major Belgian graphic novel series include ASTERIX THE GAUL by Goscinny
and Uderzo (starting in 1961 with 37 albums to date in 30 countries) and Peyo's
THE SMURFS, arguably one of the most successful comic album series of all
time.Back in the United States, underground comics began to appear in the mid-sixties. Undergrounds were self- published comics that did not conform to the restrictions of the Comics Code. Although many underground comics dealt with sexual themes and drug related culture, many used satire to comment on political and social issues of the times such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement.During the late 1970s and early 80s, a new factor entered the picture.
The changing face of retailing, such as the advent of malls and mass merchandisers, were eliminating the local mom-and-pop corner store retailers, a major outlet for comic book rack sales. Comic publishers began to sell to the direct market, stores that sold mainly comic
books and related merchandise. This direct market opened up the way for creators
to do comics and albums using specific themes and target audiences, similar to
what the overseas market had been creating for years. Creator's rights, such as
character ownership and profit sharing, became an issue between the publishers
and the creators.
books and related merchandise. This direct market opened up the way for creators
to do comics and albums using specific themes and target audiences, similar to
what the overseas market had been creating for years. Creator's rights, such as
character ownership and profit sharing, became an issue between the publishers
and the creators.
Most comics were created under a work-for-hire clause, but that would soon change as creator's demanded more control over their creations, as well as a cut of the profits from sales. In 1978, Marvel Comics produced the first original mass-market trade paperback graphic novel,
THE SILVER SURFER, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Lee and Kirby were paid standard rates for their work, but Marvel reaped all the profit. Later that year, Eclipse Comics released SABRE by Don McGregor and Paul Gulacy. Sabre, a science-fiction adventure story, was the first graphic novel that granted full copyright ownership and sales royalties to its creators. Other major creator graphic novels also released around this time were A CONTRACT WITH GOD by
Will Eisner (the first creator owned and published graphic novel) and ELFQUEST by Wendy and Richard Pini (the first creator owned series to receive mass market distribution in mainstream bookstores).
THE SILVER SURFER, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Lee and Kirby were paid standard rates for their work, but Marvel reaped all the profit. Later that year, Eclipse Comics released SABRE by Don McGregor and Paul Gulacy. Sabre, a science-fiction adventure story, was the first graphic novel that granted full copyright ownership and sales royalties to its creators. Other major creator graphic novels also released around this time were A CONTRACT WITH GOD by
Will Eisner (the first creator owned and published graphic novel) and ELFQUEST by Wendy and Richard Pini (the first creator owned series to receive mass market distribution in mainstream bookstores).
1985 saw the release of DC Comics' THE WATCHMEN by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Watchmen was notable as being the first collected series graphic novel, spinning out of a new comics vehicle called the limited series, which were designed to only last a finite number of issues. This limited series concept would prove to be a major factor in today's collected series graphic novels. WATCHMEN remains one of the most best-selling graphic novels of all time, continuing to make top ten sales lists over 20 years later.Meanwhile, many of the artists from the underground comics were becoming involved in self-publishing graphic novels. Art Spiegleman, whose work first appeared in 'Raw', released MAUS: A SURVIVOR'S TALE. MAUS, the biographical story of Spiegleman's parents in World War 2 during the Holocaust, was nominated for several literary awards, and in 1992 received a special Pulitzer Prize.Arguably the most
successful graphic novel series in the United States so far has been Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN series, published by DC Comics under their Vertigo imprint. Collecting the original comic book series into book form, there are currently 10 volumes with estimated sales of over one million copies.
Watchmen was notable as being the first collected series graphic novel, spinning out of a new comics vehicle called the limited series, which were designed to only last a finite number of issues. This limited series concept would prove to be a major factor in today's collected series graphic novels. WATCHMEN remains one of the most best-selling graphic novels of all time, continuing to make top ten sales lists over 20 years later.Meanwhile, many of the artists from the underground comics were becoming involved in self-publishing graphic novels. Art Spiegleman, whose work first appeared in 'Raw', released MAUS: A SURVIVOR'S TALE. MAUS, the biographical story of Spiegleman's parents in World War 2 during the Holocaust, was nominated for several literary awards, and in 1992 received a special Pulitzer Prize.Arguably the most
successful graphic novel series in the United States so far has been Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN series, published by DC Comics under their Vertigo imprint. Collecting the original comic book series into book form, there are currently 10 volumes with estimated sales of over one million copies.
An odd twist concerning graphic novels involves American creations who have had limited success here in the States, but enjoy enormous popularity overseas. A great example of this is the Phantom. While still done as a continuing daily strip in American papers, he is extremely popular in graphic novel form throughout Europe and Australia. By far the most popular graphic album series of all time features the characters of Walt Disney.
Although Disney comics have been sporadically published in the United States since the late 70s, they have been in constant publication all over the world, usually in graphic novel form
not comic books. Currently Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Uncle Scrooge albums
are printed in over 90 languages worldwide.Today, graphic novels are an increasingly important part of comic book publishing. Along with a growing US market for import books like Manga, traditional bookstores and libraries are carrying larger selections of graphic novels. With an
ever-shrinking base of direct comic shops to sell from, publishers are finding
that packaged collections (trade paperbacks) are very appealing to mainstream
bookstores & libraries.
not comic books. Currently Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Uncle Scrooge albums
are printed in over 90 languages worldwide.Today, graphic novels are an increasingly important part of comic book publishing. Along with a growing US market for import books like Manga, traditional bookstores and libraries are carrying larger selections of graphic novels. With an
ever-shrinking base of direct comic shops to sell from, publishers are finding
that packaged collections (trade paperbacks) are very appealing to mainstream
bookstores & libraries.
Comic readers now "wait for the trade", because many of today's comics are produced in "story-arcs", basically limited series within the actual comic series' run. Many of these arcs are produced by big-name industry writers & artists, anxious to do a story about Batman or Spiderman,
but unable to commit long-term to any given series. These "made-for-trade" five
or six issue runs are usually collected into book form very soon after the final
issue is released, and many of the trades feature expanded story or bonus
features, similar to DVD packaging.The success of such films as
Spiderman & X-Men has led to Hollywood movie studios seeking out other comic
related material. Films such as 300, V FOR VENDETTA, and soon WATCHMEN, all
based on original comics & graphic novel series, have favorably increased
the general public's awareness and opinion of comic books here in the United
States.
but unable to commit long-term to any given series. These "made-for-trade" five
or six issue runs are usually collected into book form very soon after the final
issue is released, and many of the trades feature expanded story or bonus
features, similar to DVD packaging.The success of such films as
Spiderman & X-Men has led to Hollywood movie studios seeking out other comic
related material. Films such as 300, V FOR VENDETTA, and soon WATCHMEN, all
based on original comics & graphic novel series, have favorably increased
the general public's awareness and opinion of comic books here in the United
States.
Other non-mainstream creators such as Dan Clowes (Ghost World) and
Harvey Pekar (American Splendor) have seen their graphic novels turned into
critically acclaimed motion pictures. As current media interest continues to
focus on comic books and related series, the popularity of the graphic novel
will continue to grow. The time has come for graphic novels to take their place
as valid literature in the United States, as they have been for years in the
rest of the world.
Harvey Pekar (American Splendor) have seen their graphic novels turned into
critically acclaimed motion pictures. As current media interest continues to
focus on comic books and related series, the popularity of the graphic novel
will continue to grow. The time has come for graphic novels to take their place
as valid literature in the United States, as they have been for years in the
rest of the world.
Brief History of the Graphic Novel
The Postmodern Novel Answer
The Graphic Novel
The earliest comic books date from the early 1930s and generally were reprints from newspaper comic strips. Superman made his debut in comics in the late 1930s; since then comic books
have been dominated by superheroes of various sorts. Stephen Weiner, author of The 101 Best Graphic Novels, provides the following definition of the graphic novel: A cousin of comic strips, a graphic novel is a story told in comic book format with a beginning, middle, and end. Graphic novels also include bound books conveying nonfiction information in comic book form.
Weiner dates the use of the term "graphic novel" to the publication of A Contract with God: And Other Tenement Stories by Will Eisner in 1978. Eisner marketed his book to adult audiences and sold it in bookstores rather than in drugstores and comic book specialty shops.
In his introduction to Teaching the Graphic Novel editor Stephen E. Tabachnick offers another definition of the graphic novel: The graphic novel is an extended comic book that treats nonfictional as well as fictional plots and themes with the depth and subtlety that we have come to expect of traditional novels and extended nonfictional texts. The term graphic novel seems to have stuck despite the fact that graphic novels are often compelling nonfictional works, such as biograpies, autobiographies, histories, reportage, and travelogues.
Two breakout graphic novels are Art Spiegelman's Maus, which won a special Pulitzer Prize, and Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, both published in 1986.
In Comics and Sequential Art, Will Eisner points out that the reader of a graphic novel must attend to not only the elements of fiction (plot, character, setting, theme) but also the syntax or grammar of graphic art, that is perspective, symmetry, color, font style, brush-stroke
style. Furthermore, says Eisner in Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative, the cognitive processes involved in reading words and viewing graphics are different; readers might see the words or the pictures first or simultaneously. Regardless, the graphics and the text give meaning to each other
Some Elements of Graphic Art
Paneling
The page of the graphic novel is divided into panels rather than paragraphs.
The graphic novelist manipulates the size and placement of the panels to achieve
a particular result.
In Comics and Sequential Art, Eisner points out how paneling works:
"The art of paneling or boxing the action not only defines its perimeters
but established the position of the reader in relation to the scene and
indicates the duration of the event" the "number and size of the panels. . . contribute to the story rhythm and passage of time" ; for example, to compress time increase the number of panels
on the page long, narrow panels imply a sense of being crowded
The panel border can be used like language:
rectangular, straight-edged panels imply action in the present a wavy or scalloped border implies a flashback a lack of frame implies limitless space
Text Treat the text as an image, says Eisner in Comics and Sequential Art.
The font or style of text can convey a mood
The outline of the balloon that encloses the text can convey the sound of the
speech.
The Human Form
Eisner notes that the artist must freeze the form in such a way that he conveys the movement that precedes and the movement that follows from the moment being portrayed.
Gestures, posture, and facial expressions all contribute to the emotion being portrayed
Eisner notes several limitations of the graphic novel:
Because of the specificity of the image portrayed, the graphic novel cannot convey the reader's richer construction of a visual image from words alone.
Graphic novels have difficulty conveying any abstraction or strong emotion.
Eisner sums up the nature of the graphic novel:
The art then [of the graphic novel] is that of deploying images and words, each in exquisitely balanced proportion, within the limitations of the medium and in the face of the still unresolved ambivalence of the audience toward it.
Sources and Further Reading
Eisner, Will.
Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices of the Worlds
Most Popular Art Form. Tamarac, FL.: Poorhouse Press, 1985.
Eisner, Will. Graphic Storytelling and Visual
Narrative. Tamarac, FL.: Poorhouse Press, 1996.
Trabachnick, Stephen, ed. Teaching the Graphic
Novel. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009.
Weiner, Stephen. "Graphic Novels." Bookmarks
Magazine. September/October 2004: 24-29.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel 
The Graphic Novel
The earliest comic books date from the early 1930s and generally were reprints from newspaper comic strips. Superman made his debut in comics in the late 1930s; since then comic books
have been dominated by superheroes of various sorts. Stephen Weiner, author of The 101 Best Graphic Novels, provides the following definition of the graphic novel: A cousin of comic strips, a graphic novel is a story told in comic book format with a beginning, middle, and end. Graphic novels also include bound books conveying nonfiction information in comic book form.
Weiner dates the use of the term "graphic novel" to the publication of A Contract with God: And Other Tenement Stories by Will Eisner in 1978. Eisner marketed his book to adult audiences and sold it in bookstores rather than in drugstores and comic book specialty shops.
In his introduction to Teaching the Graphic Novel editor Stephen E. Tabachnick offers another definition of the graphic novel: The graphic novel is an extended comic book that treats nonfictional as well as fictional plots and themes with the depth and subtlety that we have come to expect of traditional novels and extended nonfictional texts. The term graphic novel seems to have stuck despite the fact that graphic novels are often compelling nonfictional works, such as biograpies, autobiographies, histories, reportage, and travelogues.
Two breakout graphic novels are Art Spiegelman's Maus, which won a special Pulitzer Prize, and Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, both published in 1986.
In Comics and Sequential Art, Will Eisner points out that the reader of a graphic novel must attend to not only the elements of fiction (plot, character, setting, theme) but also the syntax or grammar of graphic art, that is perspective, symmetry, color, font style, brush-stroke
style. Furthermore, says Eisner in Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative, the cognitive processes involved in reading words and viewing graphics are different; readers might see the words or the pictures first or simultaneously. Regardless, the graphics and the text give meaning to each other
Some Elements of Graphic Art
Paneling
The page of the graphic novel is divided into panels rather than paragraphs.
The graphic novelist manipulates the size and placement of the panels to achieve
a particular result.
In Comics and Sequential Art, Eisner points out how paneling works:
"The art of paneling or boxing the action not only defines its perimeters
but established the position of the reader in relation to the scene and
indicates the duration of the event" the "number and size of the panels. . . contribute to the story rhythm and passage of time" ; for example, to compress time increase the number of panels
on the page long, narrow panels imply a sense of being crowded
The panel border can be used like language:
rectangular, straight-edged panels imply action in the present a wavy or scalloped border implies a flashback a lack of frame implies limitless space
Text Treat the text as an image, says Eisner in Comics and Sequential Art.
The font or style of text can convey a mood
The outline of the balloon that encloses the text can convey the sound of the
speech.
The Human Form
Eisner notes that the artist must freeze the form in such a way that he conveys the movement that precedes and the movement that follows from the moment being portrayed.
Gestures, posture, and facial expressions all contribute to the emotion being portrayed
Eisner notes several limitations of the graphic novel:
Because of the specificity of the image portrayed, the graphic novel cannot convey the reader's richer construction of a visual image from words alone.
Graphic novels have difficulty conveying any abstraction or strong emotion.
Eisner sums up the nature of the graphic novel:
The art then [of the graphic novel] is that of deploying images and words, each in exquisitely balanced proportion, within the limitations of the medium and in the face of the still unresolved ambivalence of the audience toward it.
Sources and Further Reading
Eisner, Will.
Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices of the Worlds
Most Popular Art Form. Tamarac, FL.: Poorhouse Press, 1985.
Eisner, Will. Graphic Storytelling and Visual
Narrative. Tamarac, FL.: Poorhouse Press, 1996.
Trabachnick, Stephen, ed. Teaching the Graphic
Novel. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009.
Weiner, Stephen. "Graphic Novels." Bookmarks
Magazine. September/October 2004: 24-29.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel
Wikipedia Answer
As the exact definition of graphic novel is debatable, the origins of the artform itself are open to interpretation. Cave paintings may have told stories, and artists and artisans beginning in the Middle Ages produced tapestries and illuminated manuscripts that told or helped to tell narratives.The first Western artist who interlocked lengthy writing with specific images was most likely William Blake (1757–1826). Blake created several books in which the pictures and the "storyline" are inseparable, such as Marriage of Heaven and Hell. The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck, the 1837 English translation of the 1833 Swiss publication Histoire de M. Vieux Bois by Swiss caricaturist Rodolphe Töpffer, is the oldest recognized American example of comics used to this end. The United States has also had a long tradition of collecting comic strips into book form. While these collections and longer-form comic books are not considered graphic novels even by modern standards, they are early steps in the development of the graphic novel.
1920s to 1960s
The 1920s saw a revival of the medieval woodcut tradition, with Belgian Frans Masereel cited as "the undisputed king" of this revival. Among Masereel's works were Passionate Journey (1926, reissued 1985 as Passionate Journey: A Novel in 165 Woodcuts ISBN 978-0-87286-174-9). American Lynd Ward also worked in this tradition, publishing the first wordless, woodcut-picture novel, Gods' Man, in 1929 and going on to publish more during the 1930s. Other prototypical examples from this period include American Milt Gross' He Done Her Wrong (1930), a wordless comic published as a hardcover book, and Une Semaine de Bonté (1934), a novel in sequential images composed of collage by the surrealist painter Max Ernst. In 1941, author/illustrator Virginia Lee Burton published Calico the Wonder Horse, or the Saga of Stewy Slinker. Intrigued by her nine-year old son's fascination with comic books, she had tailored the book to his interest, creating an early graphic novel.
As the exact definition of graphic novel is debatable, the origins of the artform itself are open to interpretation. Cave paintings may have told stories, and artists and artisans beginning in the Middle Ages produced tapestries and illuminated manuscripts that told or helped to tell narratives.The first Western artist who interlocked lengthy writing with specific images was most likely William Blake (1757–1826). Blake created several books in which the pictures and the "storyline" are inseparable, such as Marriage of Heaven and Hell. The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck, the 1837 English translation of the 1833 Swiss publication Histoire de M. Vieux Bois by Swiss caricaturist Rodolphe Töpffer, is the oldest recognized American example of comics used to this end. The United States has also had a long tradition of collecting comic strips into book form. While these collections and longer-form comic books are not considered graphic novels even by modern standards, they are early steps in the development of the graphic novel.
1920s to 1960s
The 1920s saw a revival of the medieval woodcut tradition, with Belgian Frans Masereel cited as "the undisputed king" of this revival. Among Masereel's works were Passionate Journey (1926, reissued 1985 as Passionate Journey: A Novel in 165 Woodcuts ISBN 978-0-87286-174-9). American Lynd Ward also worked in this tradition, publishing the first wordless, woodcut-picture novel, Gods' Man, in 1929 and going on to publish more during the 1930s. Other prototypical examples from this period include American Milt Gross' He Done Her Wrong (1930), a wordless comic published as a hardcover book, and Une Semaine de Bonté (1934), a novel in sequential images composed of collage by the surrealist painter Max Ernst. In 1941, author/illustrator Virginia Lee Burton published Calico the Wonder Horse, or the Saga of Stewy Slinker. Intrigued by her nine-year old son's fascination with comic books, she had tailored the book to his interest, creating an early graphic novel.
The digest-sized "picture novel" It Rhymes with Lust (1950), one precursor of the graphic novel. Cover art by Matt Baker and Ray Osrin.
The 1940s saw the launching of Classics Illustrated, a comic-book series that primarily adapted notable, public domain novels into standalone comic books for young readers. The 1950s saw this format broadened, with popular movies being similarly adapted. By the 1960s, British publisher IPC had started to produce a pocket-sized comic-book line, the "Super Library", that featured war and spy stories told over roughly 130 pages. In 1950, St. John Publications produced the digest-sized, adult-oriented "picture novel" It Rhymes with Lust, a film noir-influenced slice of steeltown life starring a scheming, manipulative redhead named Rust. Touted as "an original full-length novel" on its cover, the 128-page digest by pseudonymous writer "Drake Waller" (Arnold Drake and Leslie Waller), penciler Matt Baker and inker Ray Osrin proved successful enough to lead to an unrelated second picture novel, The Case of the Winking Buddha by pulp novelist Manning Lee Stokes and illustrator Charles Raab. In 1955, EC Comics devised the label "Picto-Fiction" when it attempted to graduate from the conventional comic book format to typeset graphic stories with a line of experimental magazines—Confessions Illustrated, Terror Illustrated, Shock Illustrated and Crime Illustrated. By the late 1960s, American comic book creators were becoming more adventurous with the form. Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin self-published a 40-page, magazine-format comics novel, His Name is... Savage (Adventure House Press) in 1968 — the same year Marvel Comics published two issues of The Spectacular Spider-Man in a similar format. Columnist and comic-book writer Steven Grant also argues that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange story in Strange Tales #130-146, although published serially from 1965–1966, is "the first American graphic novel". Meanwhile, in continental Europe, the tradition of collecting serials of popular strips such as The Adventures of Tintin or Asterix had allowed a system to develop which saw works developed as long form narratives but pre-published as serials; in the 1970s this move in turn allowed creators to become marketable in their own right, auteurs capable of sustaining sales on the strength of their name.By 1969, the author John Updike, who had entertained ideas of becoming a cartoonist in his youth, addressed the Bristol Literary Society, on "the death of the novel". Updike offered examples of new areas of exploration for novelists, declaring "I see no intrinsic reason why a doubly talented artist might not arise and create a comic strip novel masterpiece".
Modern era
Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin's Blackmark (1971), a science fiction/sword-and-sorcery paperback published by Bantam Books, did not use the term originally; the back-cover blurb of the 30th-anniversary edition (ISBN 978-1-56097-456-7) calls it, retroactively, "the very first American graphic novel". The Academy of Comic Book Arts presented Kane with a special 1971 Shazam Award for what it called "his paperback comics novel". Whatever the nomenclature, Blackmark is a 119-page story of comic-book art, with captions and word balloons, published in a traditional book format. It is also the first with an original heroic-adventure character conceived expressly for this form.
The first six issues of writer-artist Jack Katz's 1974 Comics and Comix Co. series The First Kingdom were collected as a trade paperback (Pocket Books, March 1978, ISBN 978-0-671-79016-5), which described itself as "the first graphic novel". Issues of the comic had described themselves as "graphic prose", or simply as a novel.European creators were also experimenting with the longer narrative in comics form. In the United Kingdom, Raymond Briggs was producing works such as Father Christmas (1972) and The Snowman (1978), which he himself described as being from the "bottomless abyss of strip cartooning", although they, along with such other Briggs works as the more mature When the Wind Blows (1982), have been re-marketed as graphic novels in the wake of the term's popularity. Briggs notes, however, "I don't know if I like that term too much".
Defining Graphic Novels and/to Manga
Wikipedia answer
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format. The term is employed in a broad manner, encompassing non-fiction works and thematically linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number of genres. Graphic novels are typically bound in longer and more durable formats than familiar comic magazines, using the same materials and methods as printed books, and they are generally sold in bookstores and specialty comic book shops rather than at newsstands. Such books have gained increasing acceptance as desirable materials for libraries which once ignored comic books.
The term is not strictly defined, though one broad dictionary definition is "a fictional story that is presented in comic-strip format and presented as a book." In the publishing trade, the term is sometimes extended to material that would not be considered a novel if produced in another medium. Collections of comic books that do not form a continuous story, anthologies or collections of loosely related pieces, and even non-fiction are stocked by libraries and bookstores as "graphic novels" (similar to the manner in which dramatic stories are included in "comic" books). It is also sometimes used to create a distinction between works created as stand-alone stories, in contrast to collections or compilations of a story arc from a comic book series published in book form. Whether manga, which has had a much longer of both novel-like publishing and production of comics for adult audiences, should be included in the term is not always agreed upon. Likewise, in continental Europe, both original book-length stories such as La rivolta dei racchi (1967) by Guido Buzzelli, and collections of comic strips have been commonly published in hardcover volumes, often called "albums", since the end of the 19th century (including Franco-Belgian comics series such as "The Adventures of Tintin" and "Lieutenant Blueberry", and Italian series such as "Corto Maltese").
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format. The term is employed in a broad manner, encompassing non-fiction works and thematically linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number of genres. Graphic novels are typically bound in longer and more durable formats than familiar comic magazines, using the same materials and methods as printed books, and they are generally sold in bookstores and specialty comic book shops rather than at newsstands. Such books have gained increasing acceptance as desirable materials for libraries which once ignored comic books.
The term is not strictly defined, though one broad dictionary definition is "a fictional story that is presented in comic-strip format and presented as a book." In the publishing trade, the term is sometimes extended to material that would not be considered a novel if produced in another medium. Collections of comic books that do not form a continuous story, anthologies or collections of loosely related pieces, and even non-fiction are stocked by libraries and bookstores as "graphic novels" (similar to the manner in which dramatic stories are included in "comic" books). It is also sometimes used to create a distinction between works created as stand-alone stories, in contrast to collections or compilations of a story arc from a comic book series published in book form. Whether manga, which has had a much longer of both novel-like publishing and production of comics for adult audiences, should be included in the term is not always agreed upon. Likewise, in continental Europe, both original book-length stories such as La rivolta dei racchi (1967) by Guido Buzzelli, and collections of comic strips have been commonly published in hardcover volumes, often called "albums", since the end of the 19th century (including Franco-Belgian comics series such as "The Adventures of Tintin" and "Lieutenant Blueberry", and Italian series such as "Corto Maltese").
Word iQ answer
A graphic novel is a long-form comic book or manga; the comics analogue to a prose novel or novella.However, because it disassociates these works from the juvenile and/or humorous connotations of the terms "comics" and "comic book", the term "graphic novel" has also been adopted as a marketing category: it describes comic books that are bound and sold as hardcover or paperback books, as distinguished from those presented in the traditional comic book magazine or children's book formats.
When used in this sense, the term is sometimes extended beyond novels; story collections, sometimes even anthologies, have been gathered and sold under this umbrella term.Popularized by Will Eisner, the term appeared on the cover the 1978 paperback edition of his first graphic novel, A Contract with God. This lead many sources to incorrectly credit Eisner with originating the term. However, "Graphic novel" was used as early as November 1964 by Richard Kyle in CAPA-ALPHA #2, a newsletter published by the Comic Amateur Press Alliance, and again in Kyle's Fantasy Illustrated #5 (Spring 1966). In 1976 the term appeared in connection with three separate works.
Bloodstar by Richard Corben (adapted from a story by Robert E. Howard) used the term on its cover, and George Metzger's Beyond Time and Again (published by Richard Kyle) was subtitled "A Graphic Novel." by Jim Steranko used the term "graphic novel" in its introduction and was labelled "a visual novel" on the cover, although Chandler is more properly an illustrated novel than a work of comics. (The original 1976 hardcover printing of Eisner's A Contract with God did not use the term).Long-form comic books existed long before the term's popularization and subsequent use as a marketing category: for example, the book-length (and hardcovered) Franco-Belgian comics featuring Tintin, Asterix and Spirou are graphic novels.
This format is the most popular for the Franco-Belgian comics since the 1960s
Notable examples Blankets by Craig Thompson
Cages by Dave McKean
A Contract With God by Will Eisner
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
It's a Good Life, if You Don't Weaken by Seth Jimmy Corrigan,
the Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware
Louis Riel by Chester Brown
Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner
Related artforms
External linksThe Big Comic Book DataBase (http://www.comics-db.com/) an online searchable database of graphic novel and creator information.
Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries (http://my.voyager.net/~sraiteri/graphicnovels.htm) Graphic Novels and Comic Trade Paperbacks - An Annotated List (http://www.geocities.com/dawnanik/grnovels.htm)
The Visual Telling of Stories Archive (http://www.adh.brighton.ac.uk/schoolofdesign/MA.COURSE/TheLectListPage.html) The Comics Journal Message Board: The history of the term "graphic novel" (http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002261-2.html)
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Wikipedia Visual Novel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_novel
A visual novel (ビジュアルノベル, bijuaru noberu?) is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage.[1]
As the name might suggest, they resemble mixed-media novels or tableau vivant stage plays.In Japanese terminology, a distinction is often made between visual novels proper (abbreviated NVL), which are predominantly narrative and have very little interactive elements, and adventure games (abbreviated AVG or ADV), which typically incorporate problem-solving and other gameplay elements.
This distinction is normally lost in the West, where both NVLs and ADVs are commonly referred to as "visual novels" by Western fans. Visual novels and ADVs are especially prevalent in Japan, where they made up nearly 70% of the PC game titles released in 2006.[2]Visual novels are rarely produced for video game consoles, but the more popular games are sometimes ported to systems such as the Dreamcast or the PlayStation 2.
The more famous visual novels are also often adapted into the light novel, manga or anime formats. The market for visual novels outside of East Asia, however, is small, though a number of anime based on visual novels are popular among anime fans in the Western world; such titles include
To Heart (1997) by Leaf;
Kanon (1999),
Air (2000) and Clannad (2004) by Key;
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (2001) by âge;
School Days (2005) by 0verflow;
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (2002) and Umineko no Naku Koro ni (2007) by 07th Expansion; Tsukihime (2000) and Fate/stay night (2004) by Type-Moon;
Steins;Gate (2009) by 5pb.
Visual novels are distinguished from other game types by their extremely minimal gameplay. Typically the majority of player interaction is limited to clicking to keep the text, graphics and sound moving (most recent games offer 'play' or 'fast-forward' toggles that make even this unnecessary).
Most visual novels have multiple storylines and many endings; the gameplay mechanic in these cases typically consists of intermittent multiple-choice decision points, where the player selects a direction in which to take the game.
This style of gameplay has been compared to the Choose Your Own Adventure books. Most, however, strive for a higher level of plot and character depth than the aforementioned series of interactive children's books. These can be more closely compared to story-driven interactive fiction.
While the plots and storytelling of mainstream video games is often criticized, many fans of visual novels hold them up as exceptions and identify this as a strong point of the genre.Some visual novels do not limit themselves into merely interactive fictions, but also incorporate other elements into them. An example of this is Symphonic Rain, where the player is required to play a musical instrument of some sort, and attain a good score in order to advance.
Usually such an element is related as a plot device in the game.Some shorter works do not contain any decision points at all. Most examples of this sort are fan-created. Fan-created novel games are reasonably popular; there are a number of free game engines and construction kits aimed at making them easy to construct, most notably NScripter, KiriKiri and Ren'Py.
Many visual novels use voice actors to provide voices for the characters in the game. Often, the protagonist is left unvoiced, even when the rest of the characters are fully voiced. This is to aid the player in identifying with the protagonist and to avoid having to record large amounts of dialog, as the main character typically has the most speaking lines due to the branching nature of visual novels.
A visual novel (ビジュアルノベル, bijuaru noberu?) is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage.[1]
As the name might suggest, they resemble mixed-media novels or tableau vivant stage plays.In Japanese terminology, a distinction is often made between visual novels proper (abbreviated NVL), which are predominantly narrative and have very little interactive elements, and adventure games (abbreviated AVG or ADV), which typically incorporate problem-solving and other gameplay elements.
This distinction is normally lost in the West, where both NVLs and ADVs are commonly referred to as "visual novels" by Western fans. Visual novels and ADVs are especially prevalent in Japan, where they made up nearly 70% of the PC game titles released in 2006.[2]Visual novels are rarely produced for video game consoles, but the more popular games are sometimes ported to systems such as the Dreamcast or the PlayStation 2.
The more famous visual novels are also often adapted into the light novel, manga or anime formats. The market for visual novels outside of East Asia, however, is small, though a number of anime based on visual novels are popular among anime fans in the Western world; such titles include
To Heart (1997) by Leaf;
Kanon (1999),
Air (2000) and Clannad (2004) by Key;
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (2001) by âge;
School Days (2005) by 0verflow;
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (2002) and Umineko no Naku Koro ni (2007) by 07th Expansion; Tsukihime (2000) and Fate/stay night (2004) by Type-Moon;
Steins;Gate (2009) by 5pb.
Visual novels are distinguished from other game types by their extremely minimal gameplay. Typically the majority of player interaction is limited to clicking to keep the text, graphics and sound moving (most recent games offer 'play' or 'fast-forward' toggles that make even this unnecessary).
Most visual novels have multiple storylines and many endings; the gameplay mechanic in these cases typically consists of intermittent multiple-choice decision points, where the player selects a direction in which to take the game.
This style of gameplay has been compared to the Choose Your Own Adventure books. Most, however, strive for a higher level of plot and character depth than the aforementioned series of interactive children's books. These can be more closely compared to story-driven interactive fiction.
While the plots and storytelling of mainstream video games is often criticized, many fans of visual novels hold them up as exceptions and identify this as a strong point of the genre.Some visual novels do not limit themselves into merely interactive fictions, but also incorporate other elements into them. An example of this is Symphonic Rain, where the player is required to play a musical instrument of some sort, and attain a good score in order to advance.
Usually such an element is related as a plot device in the game.Some shorter works do not contain any decision points at all. Most examples of this sort are fan-created. Fan-created novel games are reasonably popular; there are a number of free game engines and construction kits aimed at making them easy to construct, most notably NScripter, KiriKiri and Ren'Py.
Many visual novels use voice actors to provide voices for the characters in the game. Often, the protagonist is left unvoiced, even when the rest of the characters are fully voiced. This is to aid the player in identifying with the protagonist and to avoid having to record large amounts of dialog, as the main character typically has the most speaking lines due to the branching nature of visual novels.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Introduction?
Introduction
Abstract
My report will reflective on graphic novels and there transmission to digital games. The report will explain where graphic novels come from, why & how they were created, who created them and what they are? Furthering this I will reflect on what difficulties the creators may have had
produce the novel. Also I will explore why a graphic novel is laid out the way it is. Most importantly however I will reflect on the differences between graphic novels and games. Such as what & how are characters chosen to be in the game or novel? Why are new characters introduced to the games when they aren’t in the novel? What part of the novel will become the games storyline?
Research on Graphic Novels
Report Questions and Ideas
How do graphic novels relate/Process/Transmit to digital games and vice a versa
What & how are characters chosen to be in the game or novel?
Is it because they are main characters/most recognisable/ favourite from a public vote
Why are new characters introduced to the games when they aren’t in the novel?
Perhaps the process goes like this novel – film – game
How are techniques /moves chosen for different characters?
Naruto & Bleach have hundreds of characters to choose from each one may play a role. Which ones will become an NPC & why?
What part of the novel will become the games storyline?
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