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The Graphic Novel
A graphic novel is an extension of the comic book medium. It is most often a stand-alone work using sequential pictures to tell a story. The content of the graphic novel is typically about serious subjects. Although most are original stories, some classic works of literature have been adapted.
Except for advertising, graphic novels are the principle form of expression and communication that exclusively uses illustrations and text woven together to inform and entertain. This unique combination is often quite powerful creating a wide range of emotional responses by readers.
The length of a graphic novel may range from 48 pages to several hundred. The "Road to Perdition" written by Max Allan Collins, Robert Lappan, and illustrated by Richard Piers Payner, is nearly 300 pages in length. Portlander Craig Thompson's acclaimed "Blankets" is a 592 page graphic novel that uses themes of adolescent insecurities, faith, family, and first loves.
Although comic books have lost some appeal as an entertainment medium for many children, teens and young adults find the graphic novel a good read. The Japanese manga is a form of graphic novel that has gained a wide audience in the United States and elsewhere. The Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing series are manga examples. Manga is sometimes confused with anime. However, Manga and anime are often interrelated, as many artists will work in both media. A popular Manga graphic novel may become the bases for an animated film.
Comic illustration has evolved from the familiar newsprint comic book that once sold at newsstands into an appreciated art form. For many artists in the 1960's,such as Robert Crumb and Harvey Pekar,the telling of stories through sequential illustrations provided a unique form of expression. Their work resulted in a new type of publication. Art Spiegelman's non-fictional Holocaust tale, "Maus," (1993) raised the literary and artist standard for the cartoon medium.
One of the unique values of comic illustration is that one can pause and take time to explore and appreciate the illustrative form. Portland comics author Craig Thompson notes, "Comics you can linger over and look at each page," he said. "You see the author's lines as if you're looking at a handwritten letter from them." (1)
Today, the graphic novel is purchased by libraries and sold in bookstores right along with other literature. In 2002 the graphic novel represented a $100 million market. This, according to Publishers Weekly, was a "33 percent increase from the year before, when they accounted for 1 percent of American book sales." (2)
Portland, Oregon, according to a recent article, is an active center for the writing, illustrating and publishing of graphic novels.
Artists and publishers have found Portland a more enticing environment in which to work compared with other cities such as Seattle and New York. Portland is home to publishers Dark Horse Comics, Oni Press and Top Shelf Publications. Writer and illustrators Craig Thompson, superhero comics' writer Greg Rucka, and journalist Joe Sacco, all live in Portland. "It's a place where you can daydream," said Sacco. "You can step out of your house and think while you're out on the streets." (3)
The graphic novel has the approval of many educators. The visual appeal is attractive to many reluctant readers. Research studies have suggested that the use of graphic novels has facilitated interests in reading. This has created a market for graphic novels written for young adults.
For multimedia designers the graphic novel, Japanese 'manga' or French 'bandes dessinnées', provide lessons in the use of frame, lighting, viewpoint, and image sequences to tell a story. Such lessons may prove valuable in the conceptualization and storyboarding of film, video, and multimedia.
Reference (1-3): Comics writers embrace quieter Portland scene, By Sarah Linn. The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, 12 January 2004.
Illustration: "Noise" by Gabriel Guzman
