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. Toon Books For age 4+ Can be read to or by children
Vetted by educators
First comics created to be read by emerging readers
Created by “veteran children’s book authors, renowned cartoonists, & new talent”

24. New Formats
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.

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

26. Manga Manga=comic books Period before WWII=beginning of modern manga
Manga is the Japanese word for comics-literally translated it means “whimsical pictures”
Mid 1990s=came to US

27. How to read a Manga Page
Unlike traditional western books, Manga is read right-to-left and “back” to “front”
Often, if you start at what looks like the front of the Manga, you will see a message like this
Tokyopop: JAPANESE traslations are right-to-left KOREAN translations are left-to-right

28. Panels are read right to left1 2
Panels are read right to left 3 4 5

29. 2 3 1 4
As are dialog balloons 6 5 7 10 11 8 9

30. Common Manga Character Traits
Large, expressive eyes
Small noses
Tiny mouths
Osamu Tezuka began large eye trend (1960s), influenced by Disney & Betty Boop cartoons
YOUTHFUL FEATURES=more attractive character
Also lots of eminata

31. Types of Manga Shonen: teenage boys Shojo: teenage girls
Shonen-ai / Yaoi=boys love
These denote the demographic group at whom the manga is marketed and usually indicates what kind of story it will be.
Shonen: more sports, contests, fighting
Shjo: more relationships, character development
Shonen-ai=FEMALE ORIENTED homoerotic/homoromantic male relationships USUALLY CREATED BY FEMALE AUTHORS

32. Manga Adaptations

33. Popular & Respected Read by everyone Artists & writers well respected
Much anime based on manga
Both children & adults reach high level of manga literacy in Japan
“Manga helps to release tension from the controlled work/school environment“ and helps teach people about the BELIEFS, VALUES AND PRACTICES of the culture

34. perceived as subversive=attractive!
Ratings
Read “backwards” / cultural cues=subversive!
Viz BIG TITLES
Tokyopop BIG TITLES

35. Names to Know “God of Manga” Osamu Tezuka
Hayayo Miyazaki: anime & manga
Tezuka: Ambassador Atom=Mighty Atom=Astro Boy, Astro Boy=mark of rise of manga of contemporary Japan
also: Adolf, Buddha
Hiyayo Miyazaki=Spirited Away (first anime to win Academy Award), Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Names to Know

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

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

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

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

40. 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.

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

42. 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.*

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

44. 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

45. 1950’s: comics in crisis! Frederic Wertham
Comics examined by US Senate
Comics banned and burned
investigation into Juvenile Delinquency

46. 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.

47. 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)”

48. 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)

49. 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.

50. 2007-YALSA creates new annual booklist: “Great Graphic Novels for Teens”
2009-NYT Graphic Books Bestseller List
2009- David Small’s Stitches NBA finalist

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

52. Educational GNs Ottaviani: Masters in NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
Fallout: science & politics of first nuclear bomb
Mohwawk: written from primary source document.

53. Manga Guide to Statistics

54. Conan the Barbarian comics
President Obama
collects both
Spider-Man and
Conan the Barbarian comics
And there has already been Spiderman storylines with Obama as a character

55. 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.

56. 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

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

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

59. Collection Development Policies
Clear (enough) definition
Selection criteria
Maintenance
Challenges

60. Classification & Shelving
Within general collection
Format specific (PS, NC or 741.5)
Graphic Novel designation
DNC
741.5 Cartoons, caricatures, comics, graphic novels,
fotonovelas
PS=American Literature
PL=Manga (Asian Literature)
NC=Drawing, Design

61. Learning more about Graphic Novels & Manga!
Reviews & More
School Library Journal
Library Journal
Diamond Comics Bookshelf
Cooperative Children’s Book Center
LJ=youth & ADULT gn reviews

62. Graphic Novel Resources: SUNY at Buffalo First Second Books
Get Graphic!
Graphic Novel Resources: SUNY at Buffalo
First Second Books
Public Square Books
First Second: *Show trailer for LOST COLONY