What is a Graphic Novel? What is a Comic Book? Jot down your ideas on a piece of notebook paper. What is a Graphic Novel? What is a Comic Book?

Characteristics of a Graphic Novel Narrative work Usually in 1st person or autobiographical Story conveyed in sequential art Can use experimental design Usually in traditional comic format

Are Graphic Novels the same as comic books? Well, yes and no.

Graphic Novel Comic Book Length Length Story Arc Story Arc Themes Some up to 400-500 pages Story Arc Resolved Themes More real world themes Such as: Identity, religion, death, fitting in, personal struggles Splash Pages Used for mood and strong emotions Length Between 30-40 pages Story Arc Printed in serial form (which means short segments of the whole story are printed periodically) Themes Superheroes Comedy Splash Pages Used for big reveals or cliff hangers

A profuse amount of comic books A graphic novel

What are the other parts of a Graphic novel?

Panel- a combination of image and text in endless variety Gutter- the space between framed panels Frame- the lines and borders that contain the panels

Thought Bubble- internal speech Narrative Box Speech Bubble- external speech

Splash Page- used for a big reveal or a cliff hanger

Splash pages are used for effect and mood. Panels keep up the flow of a story. When they are removed, it creates a powerful effect.

Some other terms and definitions Bleed When the image runs off the page

Some other terms and definitions Emanata A symbol above a character’s head Like a question mark or a squiggle

How to read a Graphic Novel A graphic novel is “not only something one reads but something one sees as well… [it is] like reading and watching a movie at the same time.” (Gallo and Weiner 115)

Read from left to right, then from top to bottom, just like a traditional book. Words and dialogue are the primary focus with the image coming in second. Transitions happen much faster in a graphic novel.

How to Read a Graphic Novel Page Graphic novels are read left to right, just like traditional texts

Dialog Balloons dialog balloons are read left to right or top to bottom as is appropriate. 1 4 2 3 5

Sometimes it can get a little more complicated…

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

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

Read the text first, then look at the image within that panel before moving on to the text in the next panel. Rule of Thumb- The bigger a panel is, the more time you should spend looking at it and analyzing it.

Major Types Superhero

Humor

Non-Fiction Jay Hosler: PhD in Biology (teaches at Juniata College in Huntington, PA)

Fantasies

wordless

Adaptations Spin-offs or Also: Give it Up! And other short stories by Kafka, The Jungle, Spy vs. Spy

Realistic Fiction

Personal Stories

Manga Manga=comic books Manga is the Japanese word for comics-literally translated it means “whimsical pictures” Mid 1990s=came to US

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

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

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

Born August 9, 1973 in Alameda, CA. Dad was an electrical engineer from Taiwan. Mom was a programmer who lived in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. Now, Yang lives in San Francisco and teaches computer science at Bishop O’Dowd High School Gene Luen Yang Author of American Born Chinese