What's the difference between a "Graphic Novel" and a "Comic" ?
I don't see any difference.
Maybe it is more "grown-up" to call it a graphic novel instead of a comic ?

Get yourself a copy of The Beano and Batman's Arkham Asylum and I think you'll see a different (albeit slight difference, but a difference nonetheless)

Quality isn't really a factor. There are many crappy "graphic novels" around.

There's no clear-cut definition, but the main difference is that graphic novels tend to be written as a single story with a beginning, a middle and an end. This (supposedly) differs from normal comic strips or the more serialized nature of many comics published on a weekly or monthly basis, which is why trade paperback collections should not be confused with graphic novels, although they often are. Trade paperback does sound rubbish, though.

I think you hit it on the nail there with no clear-cut definition as a trade paperback could just contain the works of a limited series that had a beginning, a middle and an end; such as The Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen.

If you meant a "true" graphic novel as being a piece that was specifically produced for this release, containing work that is completely self contained and probably has a hard spine.

Like a Commando.

Which is a digest.

Think of Graphic novels as a special edition album and a comic book as a one track single...

Trade paperbacks could go anywhere from a 4-track EP upwards to album status but a trade would never have stuff in it like a special edition album would...

To confuse even more, some graphic novels get released as cheaper trade editions in time, too.

It's a minefield. I tend to go with it's a graphic novel if it's a self contained story that wasn't released previously in comic form. Everything else is a trade paperback UNLESS it's something special edition (like the Absolute series from DC or the hardcover releases of Powers)... but even that's not solid!

Wither 2000AD, The Dandy, Beano, UK DC and Marvel reprints etc...

I think of graphic novels as a compliation of several stories or one large story that would make up several comics.

Graphic Novel was a term invented to make Guardian readers feel less bad about reading comic books.

If it comes up, I read comics - nothing wrong with that, I don't feel the need to ponce it up just cos I'm 40.

anthology comics... it all gets complicated

And no-one has mentioned the medium of sequential artform narratives yet...


It's not so much a term the Guardian made up so much as people in the industry demanding it to be taken more seriously!

I'd say a graphic novel is a cross between a very slim book and a comic. A comic is just simply the flimsy paper type ones. The best I can come up with. I've bought a few graphic novels before.

Aren't comics supposed to be funny?

Since the term 'graphic novel' appears to have been coined in the US in 1976, I doubt if it was invented with readers of a British newspaper in mind.

Only humour comics are supposed to be funny. Comics can be used to tell pretty much any kind of story, and have been.

or maybe get yourself a copy of Batman's Arkham Asylum and Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan - the Smartest Kid on Earth and I think you'll see a difference.

A graphic novel is usually a compendium of a serialised comic book chapters in a single volume.

Nope, that's a trade paperback.

“graphic novel”: a genre which combines novelistic storylines with comic-book graphics.

- from the e-notes entry on Neil Gaiman.

http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-l...sm/gaiman-neil

So Watchmen isn't a graphic novel?

Not really, no. It was originally promoted as a "limited series". It was later released as a trade paperback and pretentiously branded a graphic novel to allow DC to get into markets and appeal to audiences their average capes and tights comics would not otherwise reach.

If you absolutely insist, there's a weak case to made for its status as a graphic novel, in that it was specifically written with a beginning, middle and an end, unlike most serialized comics that are later collected in TPBs. With that in mind, I wouldn't actually kick anyone for calling it a graphic novel, as long as it's not held up as an example of why serialized comics collected in TPBs are graphic novels, because they are for the most part not.

Well there you go, you learn something new every day.

Most of my favourite graphic novels aren't graphic novels.

Don't worry, it shouldn't make any difference to the quality or your enjoyment of them.

I think these days most people would refer to most trade paperbacks as graphic novels. Graphic novel has simply become a generic term for any comic-book that's more than, say, 50 pages long, with a hardback or card cover. The term covers a multitude of sins.

I recall reading an interview with one comic writer who refuses to use the term 'graphic novel'. He says that they're comics and that's that!

Oh well he must be correct then.

Graphic novels are basically similar length to a paperback. They usually have a definite story like a novel, but told in pictures. Comics tend to be more serialised and short stories.

True, although the actual idea of of a "novel" told in pictures goes back to the 1920-30s, with artists such as Franz Masreel and Lynd Ward producing graphic novel-style books in this period.

EDIT: I also think the term "graphic novel" is useful to
differentiate material aimed at adult readers (like Art Spiegelman's "Maus" or Moore and Lloyd's "V for Vendetta" ) from material aimed at children.