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"Graphic novel" ??
Andy Birkenhead
10-05-2011
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 ?
zwixxx
10-05-2011
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)
not_the_doctor
10-05-2011
Originally Posted by zwixxx:
“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.
knowndeserter
11-05-2011
Originally Posted by not_the_doctor:
“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.
mred2000
11-05-2011
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!
knowndeserter
11-05-2011
Originally Posted by mred2000:
“Think of Graphic novels as a special edition album and a comic book as a one track single... ”

Wither 2000AD, The Dandy, Beano, UK DC and Marvel reprints etc...
anneliese
11-05-2011
I think of graphic novels as a compliation of several stories or one large story that would make up several comics.
Oldoldboy
11-05-2011
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.
mred2000
11-05-2011
Originally Posted by knowndeserter:
“Wither 2000AD, The Dandy, Beano, UK DC and Marvel reprints etc... ”

anthology comics... it all gets complicated

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

Originally Posted by Oldoldboy:
“Graphic Novel was a term invented to make Guardian readers feel less bad about reading comic books.”

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!
zx50
17-05-2011
Originally Posted by Andy Birkenhead:
“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 ?”

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.
CLL Dodge
18-05-2011
Aren't comics supposed to be funny?
tingramretro
18-05-2011
Originally Posted by Oldoldboy:
“Graphic Novel was a term invented to make Guardian readers feel less bad about reading comic books.
”

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.
tingramretro
18-05-2011
Originally Posted by CLL Dodge:
“Aren't comics supposed to be funny?”

Only humour comics are supposed to be funny. Comics can be used to tell pretty much any kind of story, and have been.
lil lexie
18-05-2011
Originally Posted by zwixxx:
“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)”

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.
JonDoe
18-05-2011
A graphic novel is usually a compendium of a serialised comic book chapters in a single volume.
not_the_doctor
18-05-2011
Originally Posted by JonDoe:
“A graphic novel is usually a compendium of a serialised comic book chapters in a single volume.”

Nope, that's a trade paperback.
CLL Dodge
18-05-2011
“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
JonDoe
18-05-2011
Originally Posted by not_the_doctor:
“Nope, that's a trade paperback.”

So Watchmen isn't a graphic novel?
not_the_doctor
18-05-2011
Originally Posted by JonDoe:
“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.
JonDoe
19-05-2011
Originally Posted by not_the_doctor:
“Not really, no. It was originally promoted as a "limited series"......snip”

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

Most of my favourite graphic novels aren't graphic novels.
not_the_doctor
19-05-2011
Originally Posted by JonDoe:
“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.
Bob Paisley
24-05-2011
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.
Mandark
15-06-2011
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!
cloudsailor
15-06-2011
Originally Posted by Mandark:
“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.
Residents Fan
18-07-2011
Originally Posted by tingramretro:
“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.”

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.
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