Graphic+Novels

toc =Graphic Novels=

Introduction
A Graphic Novel at a distance is an adult comic book. Graphic novels unlike comic books are full length stories which contain a beginning middle and end, rather than have the story continue throughout several issues. They still have most of the characteristics of comic books, such as the artistic comic strip look and the speech bubbles. However, instead of story lines that are fictional or fantasy related, graphic novels tend to be based around the author’s experience.

Many styles of graphic novels exist, including manga, a form of comic books from Japan, as well as the various forms of North American Content. Manga and North American comics both include examples of stories directed towards children, teenagers, and adults, though manga is known more prominently for a proliferation of adult themes, language, and violence, as well as 'hentai' comics, which are essentially pornography. The story lines of hentai novels tends to run the gambit from well written stories of love and lust to thinly veiled pornographic drawings.

Unrestricted Creative Freedom
Many comics creators acknowledge the creative freedom allowed by comics as a reason for choosing it as their profession and vehicle of expression. Comics' combination of powerful static images with text and narrative offers creators a rich storytelling palette that is less restrictive creatively and more financially viable than other media outlets. Comics writer and illustrator Brian Wood explains his choice of comics:

"Comics and graphic novels are an incredibly versatile storytelling medium that remains free of a lot of the control and restrictions that larger entertainment media (film, television, video games) place on its creators." [ [|1] ]

Examples and Sources
Many examples can be found in the booklist of novels picked by class.

American

 * [|To the Heart of the Storm] - Will Eisner



Considered the godfather of American comics, Will Eisner's To the Heart of the Storm is seen by many, including Scott McCloud, as a graphic novel masterpiece. The book is an autobiographical-based story in which a young man riding a train out for duty in World War II reminisces about his youth as a Jew growing up in America. The book's main themes centre around the anti-Semitism and the poverty-stricken life which the protagonist recalls. And although the character in the work is fictional, many of the events and sentiments mirrored Eisner's life experiences. As the author puts it,

> //At the end it turned out to be a period of deep therapy. I had to deal with untrustworthy memory and the residue of guilt about the fairness and accuracy of the portrayal of loved ones."// **-- July 2000.**
 * //About one-third into the book, I realized that I was producing an autobiography. It gave me serious pause, for writing a self-revealing account of one's life takes considerable courage. It took me a year to produce.//

[|http://www.willeisner.com]


 * [|Maus]: A Survivor’s Tale - Art Spiegelman

Maus is a story about Spiegelman's father and his experience being a Polish Jew during the Holocaust; [|In the Shadow of No Towers][|], Spiegelman explains and recalls the events of 9/11. Blanket is another graphic novel done by Craig Thompson, which tells the story of his coming to age in a Christian family. As we see themes of struggle and reality, with Spiegelman, and the issues of adulthood, with Thompson, graphic novels hold themes and messages for that of an older audience.



>
 * [|Sin City] - Frank Miller
 * A graphic novel series that has become extremely popular after it's movie adaptation. The movie kept not only the form of its comic roots, but the style and even almost every line. Exceedingly violent, sometimes seedy, the world of sin city is both full of darkness and intrigue, big mob bosses and violent thugs.
 * The Crow - James O'Barr
 * Jinx - Brian Michael Bendis
 * The Hardy Boys: The Ocean of Osyria - Scott Lobdell
 * Batman: The Killing Joke - Alan Moore, Brian Bolland
 * Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction - Mike Mignola
 * Road To Perdition - Max Allan Collins
 * Watchmen - Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons
 * V for Vendetta - Alan Moore, David Lloyd
 * A History of Violence - John Wagner, Vince Locke
 * Ruse: Enter the Detective - Mark Waid, Butch Guice
 * Blankets - Craig Thompson
 * A Contract With God - Will Eisner
 * Why I Hate Saturn - Kyle Baker
 * Bone: Out From Boneville - Jeff Smith
 * Our Cancer Years - Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner and Frank Stack
 * The Originals - Dave Gibbons
 * Signal to Noise - Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
 * The Sandman Papers- Niel Gaiman
 * [|Kampung Boy] - Lat

There have also been various graphic novels that have been adapted into film and television: >
 * Ghost World - Daniel Clowes
 * From Hell - Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
 * Art School Confidential - Daniel Clowes
 * Sin City- Frank Miller

Japanese
> >
 * Manga** (note that many of these have also been turned into anime, japanese television series)
 * kenshin
 * [|berserk]
 * [|jiraishin]
 * [|gantz]


 * Hentai**
 * [|red bravo]
 * bible black

**Some misconceptions about Graphic novels:**
-That comics and graphic novels are for kids. Simply because comics and graphic novels have images, adults assume it is for kids. In actual fact, the average age of comic readers is age thirty. Several graphic novels such as Sandman preludes by Neil Gaiman and Sin City have adult content and images meant for an older audience. -On the other hand, there is a misconception from some adults who fear that graphic novels are full of sex and violence. There are some with X-Rated and R-rated content, but that does not include all the comics available. -That all graphic novels have a superhero. This is true only to an extent. Several authors are branching off, to historical fiction books and fantasy books. Many people used to think that fantasy novels were for kids and were a less 'intellectually valid' genre. Harry Potter proved these people wrong. -That graphic novels are for people who don't read otherwise and 'reluctant book readers'. Graphic novels in fact encourage young readers to be more confident in their reading. Graphic novels are for everyone, all types of readers. -Graphic novels aren't real books. Sequential art is just another way to narrate a story, they are not meant to replace any prose or any other type of novel. They are a media form on their own and just as creative and challenging as any book.

Other Links:

 * Comics