More definitions

Graphic Novels by Brad J. Guigar

Despite the supremacy of superhero comics in the marketplace, smaller independent publishers are constantly pushing the envelope to prove that this medium delivers powerful dramatic stories — even when the lead character doesn't wear a cape.
These comic books are telling complex, fascinating stories in the traditional comic book format. Although superheroes are still present in some, graphic novels are just as likely to deal with mystery, erotica, humor, biography, historical fiction, and journalism.And their popularity is escalating. Graphic novels now enjoy their own section in many bookstores — a fact that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Furthermore, mainstream book publishers are opening graphic novel divisions. Graphic novels have even been translated into popular movies such as Ghost World, American Splendor, and The Road to Perdition.The major difference between a graphic novel and a comic book is the production schedule.
A comic book, like a magazine, gets published monthly on inexpensive paper. A graphic novel is more like a book. It's a one-time purchase, has more pages, and is printed on glossy stock bound by a substantial cover. Some graphic novels are reprints of several consecutive issues of a comic book, but many are original stories being published for the first time.

About.com answer

Question: What Exactly is a Graphic Novel?

While in another FAQ, I discussed what comic books, comic-style books, and graphic novels have in common, now I want to discuss the definition of graphic novels. There seems to be no one accepted definition for graphic novel, although the varying definitions have a lot in common.

Answer:
There are differing viewpoints as to how broadly “graphic novel” should be defined.
According to Scholastic, “The term graphic novel is now generally used to describe any book in a comic format that resembles a novel in length and narrative development.” According to an article by Keir Graff in the American Library Association’s Booklist/February 1, 2003, “A graphic novel, like a regular novel, is a stand-alone story that is published as a book. It’s easy to get confused, though, because some people will still use comics for the whole genre or graphic novel for any comic-style work that’s handsomely published, even if it’s just a collection of superhero stories.”

However, the About.com Guide to Comics, Aaron Albert, says, “A graphic novel is often a set of collected comic books or a stand alone story that is squarebound.” (About.com: Comics)

In The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Creating a Graphic Novel, authors Nat Gerther and Steve Lieber give a broader definition:“A graphic novel is a comics project of substantial length that is designed to be understood as a single work. Fiction, nonfiction – even a comics format cookbook – would count as a graphic novel.” (page 13, 2004 edition. ISBN: 9781592572335) Perhaps, the broadest definition comes from the No Flying, No Tights Teen Graphic Novel site, run by Robin Brenner, Teen Librarian at the Brookline (MA) Public Library and others: "The shortest definition of a graphic novel is this: a book-length comic." While I particularly like the brief Scholastic definition, in some cases, I do not have a problem with a broader definition. For example, I have no problem with a biography that is novel length, uses sequential art with text to tell the nonfiction story of a person’s life, and is bound like a traditional book being described as a “graphic novel biography” because I would understand what that meant.

However, I don’t see myself as considering a comics format cookbook as a graphic novel. What about you?

Suggested Reading

What do Comic Books, Comic-style Books, and Graphic Novels Have in Common?
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Christopher Paolini's Fantasy Novel Brisingr

Elsewhere on the Web
Graphic Novels for Younger Readers
Making the Case for Graphic Novels: Why Kids Like Them and Why Librarians Should
Sidekicks: Graphic Novels for Kids

Comic Books:
About.com Resources
About.com:Comics SiteTop 10 Comic Book Superheroes
An Introduction To Collecting Comic Books

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