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Graphic novel

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A graphic novel is a novel or novella done in the medium of comics. It is typically a long-form work rather than a short publication such as an individual comic book, analogous to a novel rather than a short story. A graphic novel need not be a complete work unto itself, much as some novels are merely installments of an even longer work. When a graphic novel is a reprint of stories from a periodical publication, it is referred to as a trade paperback.

The term is also used by creators and readers who want to differentiate their work from lighter works intended for children. It has been noted that the format appears to have taken an aura of respectability that comic books could never obtain with major book stores and public libraries carrying titles.

Often a graphic novel is a collection of individual comic books, which may or may not have been written as part of a larger story. Usually, though, the term "graphic novel" implies that a significant fraction of the product is given over to a single long-form story.

The term generally implies that the book is published in a higher quality format than a traditional comic book, which was for decades published on newsprint and bound with staples. However, high quality binding is neither necessary nor suficient to make a work a graphic novel.

The term "graphic novel", in its current application, appears to have been coined in November 1964 by Richard Kyle in CAPA-ALPHA #2, a newsletter published by the Comic Amateur Press Alliance. The term was used in more general comics fandom in Kyle's Fantasy Illustrated #5 (Spring 1966). In 1976 the term was used by 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". Chandler: Red Tide 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 term was popularized by artist Will Eisner, as it appeared on the cover the 1978 paperback edition of his first graphic novel, A Contract with God, leading many sources to credit Eisner with originating the term. Contrary to popular belief, the original 1976 hardcover printing of A Contract with God did not use the term "graphic novel". Eisner admits that he was not the first person to use the term, but that he was unaware of previous uses at the time.

The graphic novel form is a newer development than the similar Japanese form of graphic literature known as Manga. Manga first came to Europe in the 19th century and influenced the work of popular European artists such as Toulouse Lautrec. In the 20th century another great European artist, Max Ernst, invented the collage novel.

The graphic novel also appeared slightly later than the publishing tradition of Franco-Belgian comics, which produces works which are nearly all hardbound "trade paperbacks" and has an early tradition grounded in a mix of upbeat adventure and humour with the original series of Tintin, Asterix and Spirou being the best examples. The European publishing houses producing Franco-Belgian comics sometimes have a separate but related imprint producing hardbound French translations of the most famous English language graphic novels.

Notable examples

Artist's book, collage novel, Manga, Trade paperback, Franco-Belgian comics

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