1. What?
Why?
How?
What in the World??

2. Same format as comic books
Text & illustrations present information
Medium, not genre
Book-length, usually contain one story

3. Pages consist of a variety of elements
A Graphic Novel Page
Pages consist of a variety of elements
Panels-squares or rectangles that contain a single scene
Gutters-space between panels
Dialog Balloons-contain communication between/among characters
Thought Balloons-contain a character’s thoughts
Captions-contain information about a scene or character
Sound Effects-visual sound clues i.e.. Wonk! Pow!

4. How to Read a Graphic Novel Page
Graphic novels are read left to right, just like traditional texts

5. Dialog Balloons
dialog balloons are read left to right or top to bottom as is appropriate. 1 4 2 3 5

6. Sometimes it can get a little more complicated…

7. But the basic left to right rule still applies to panels2 1 3
But the basic left to right rule still applies to panels 4

8. and dialog balloons as well2
and dialog balloons as well 1 3 4 5 6 7

9. Major Types
Superhero

11. Humor

12. Non-Fiction
Jay Hosler: PhD in Biology (teaches at Juniata College in Huntington, PA)

14. Fantasies

16. Adaptations Spin-offs or
Also: Give it Up! And other short stories by Kafka, The Jungle, Spy vs. Spy

19. Realistic Fiction

20. Personal
Stories

22. From The Photographer: into war-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders by Emmanuel Guibert published by First Second

23. First comic “strip” Appeared in New York World: 1895 R. F. Outcault
Increased sales
NYWorld=Pulitzer
Outcault also created BUSTER BROWN

24. Katzenjammer Kids 1897 Used word balloons
Used multiple panels to tell story

25. The Katzenjammers combined internal dialogue and panelized continuity, and designed and solidified the form of the modern visual narrative strip.

26. Early 20th Century Windsor McCay Chalk-talk artist Broadway musical
Animated movie
Ran in NY Herlad in Hearst’s Journal American paper

27. Popularity Grows By early 1900’s, over 150 strips in syndication
1929: Tarzan
1931: Dick Tracy
over 150 strips in syndication *(this doesn’t include the ones running only in local papers)
Dick Tracy’s villains were direct predecessors of super villains.

28. The Comic Book 1933-reprints of comic strips Initially free
1935-original stories & characters
10 cents each

29. Popular comics Superman First superhero On newsstands: 1938
Characters spun-off into radio & movies
Superheroes big during World War II
Superman teenagers: Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster (Title: Superman of Metropolis)-Jewish teens influenced by superhero figures of Jewish folklore?
Comic book sales soared during WWII.
*SUPERHEROES had young male sidekicks so that they would be seen as FATHER FIGURES by boys who had fathers off fighting the war.*

30. After WWII: crime, science fiction and horror comics
Recent DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA and new REBIRTH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA

31. Shades of things to come…
The Spirit published as book-type supplement
National newspapers
Educated readers
Began as supplement in 1940
Also: CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED educational gns w/support material included

32. 1950’s: comics in crisis! Frederic Wertham
Comics examined by US Senate
Comics banned and burned
investigation into Juvenile Delinquency

33. A New Beginning Late 1950’s: Justice League of America born
1961: Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, & Spiderman
1960’s: Self-published underground comics
SATURATION of market w/Superhero comics to the detriment of all other types.

34. Milestones in the Graphic Novel World
1978-Will Eisner coins term
1986- Batman: the Dark Knight Returns
1987- The Watchmen
Watchmen (Allen Moore / DC comics)=one of 1st superhero GNs to present itself as serious literature
Only GN to:
Win Hugo Award
Appear on Time Magazine’s “100 Best English Language Novels 1923-Present (2005)”

35. 1992- Maus: A Survivor’s Tale wins Pulitzer
2005-”Graphix” imprint launched
2006- American Born Chinese named NBA finalist for Young People’s Literature
2007- American Born Chinese wins Printz Award for excellence in YA literature
Graphix=BONE (originally self-published in black and white, Scholastic began publishing color version in 2004)

36. 2007 The Invention of Hugo Cabret finalist for NBA
2008 Invention wins Caldecott
Brian Selznick blends text and visual (text-less) narrative to produce more than an illustrated novel.
Jeff Kinney Diary of a Wimpy Kid also uses pictures (with word balloons) to advance the story.

37. 2007-YALSA creates new annual booklist: “Great Graphic Novels for Teens”
2009-NYT Graphic Books Bestseller List
2009- David Small’s Stitches NBA finalist

38. New Graphic Classics Marvel Illustrated IDW Manga Shakespeare
Classical Comics
Marvel Illustrated DOWNLOADABLE teacher guides
IDW=Idea and Design Works
Classical Comics=UK publisher

39. Why Graphic Novels & Manga?
6.3 million secondary school students reading below grade level.
Average American age spends only 7 minutes of daily leisure time reading.
>57%of high schoolers devote 3 or more hours of an average school day to electronic viewing.
Students with access to variety of reading materials=higher average reading scores.
About 93 percent of U.S. teens use the Internet and 97 percent play video or computer gaming systems, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

40. Graphic Novels & Manga:
Present complex material in readable text
Serve as a bridge to more difficult reading
Challenge readers of more traditional literature
Embrace nature of multimedia world
Fulfill NCTE’s “21st Century literacies” (multiple streams, simultaneous information)
Help ESL students
Help students learning non-English language
Help stuents learn about different cultures

41. Checking Out Graphic Novels & Manga
Public Library
Local comic stores
Book stores

42. Purchasing
Many traditional library suppliers offer graphic novel titles.
Local comic stores
Book stores