What? Why? How?

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. 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. 2 1 3 But the basic left to right rule still applies to panels 4

8. 2 and dialog balloons as well 1 3 4 5 6 7

9. Caption Panel Thought Bubble Gutter Scream Bubble Frame Sound Effect Dialogue Bubble

11. Caption Panel Thought Bubble Gutter Scream Bubble Frame Sound Effect Dialogue Bubble

12. Major Types Superhero

14. Humor

15. Non-Fiction

17. Fantasies

19. Adaptations or Spin-offs

22. Realistic Fiction

23. Personal Stories

25. Toon Books • For age 4+ • Can be read to or by children • Vetted by educators

27. New Formats

29. Manga • Manga=comic books • Period before WWII=beginning of modern manga

30. 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

31. 1 2 Panels are read right to left 3 4 5

32. 2 3 1 4 As are dialog balloons 6 5 7 10 11 8 9

33. Common Manga Character Traits Large, expressive eyes Small noses Tiny mouths

34. Types of Manga • Shonen: teenage boys • Shojo: teenage girls • Shonen-ai / Yaoi=boys love

35. Manga Adaptations

36. Popular & Respected • Read by everyone • Artists & writers well respected • Much anime based on manga

37. perceived as subversive=attractive! • Ratings

38. “God of Manga” Osamu Tezuka • Hayayo Miyazaki: anime & manga Names to Know

39. First comic “strip” • Appeared in New York World: 1895 • R. F. Outcault • Increased sales

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

42. Early 20th Century • Windsor McCay • Chalk-talk artist • Broadway musical • Animated movie

43. Popularity Grows • By early 1900’s, over 150 strips in syndication • 1929: Tarzan • 1931: Dick Tracy

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

45. Popular comics • Superman • First superhero • On newsstands: 1938 • Characters spun-off into radio & movies • Superheroes big during World War II

46. After WWII: crime, science fiction and horror comics

47. Shades of things to come… • The Spirit published as book-type supplement • National newspapers • Educated readers

48. 1950’s: comics in crisis! • Frederic Wertham • Comics examined by US Senate • Comics banned and burned

49. A New Beginning • Late 1950’s: Justice League of America born • 1961: Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, & Spiderman • 1960’s: Self-published underground comics

50. Milestones in the Graphic Novel World • 1978-Will Eisner coins term • 1986- Batman: the Dark Knight Returns • 1987- The Watchmen