1. Graphic Novels
Comic or Not?

2. Comic or Not 1? 06/03/2018 Learning objective: define the difference between a comic book and graphic novel.

3. Starter Activity In groups:
list graphic novels or comic books you might know.
Define graphic novel and a comic book.. How are they different?

4. Today’s Work
Comic Book: A magazine that presents a serialized story in the form of a comic strip, typically featuring the adventures of a superhero (Oxford Living Dictionaries, 2018). Graphic Novel: A novel in comic-strip format (Oxford Living Dictionaries, 2018). Wait what's a novel? Novel: A fictitious prose narrative of book length, typically representing character and action with some degree of realism (Oxford Living Dictionaries, 2018). Question (answer in your books): Are the following definitions similar to your hypothesis in the starter activity? If not why not why does it differ?

5. Comic or Not 1I? 06/03/2018 Learning objective: identify some elements and manipulations of a graphic novel. Starter Activity List a couple visual features of a comic and or graphic novel?

6. What is a graphic Novel?
Graphic novels tend to deal with serious issues related to war, poverty, migration, gender, race, growing up and family, to name just a few. For example, many novels or serious texts have been converted to a graphic novel, such as the Bible and Romeo and Juliet.
Many graphic novels:
Have complex narrative structures and characterisation
Demand sophisticated reading skills, requiring readers to infer a great deal of meaning and/or to fill in the gaps in storylines
Make reference to classical works of literature and/ or current events.

7. Some Examples

8. Elements of Graphic Novels
Some elements include:
Panels – framed images
Spreads – images that cover more than one page
Tiers – horizontal rows of panels
Gutters – the spaces between panels
Illustrations – the pictures within the panels
Captions – words giving information about a scene or character, usually below or above the panels
Speech balloons – balloons containing dialogue
Thought balloons – balloons containing characters’ thoughts
Sound effects – visual sound clues such as ‘Wonk!’ or ‘Pow!’
Symbols – images used as shorthand, such as a light bulb to show that a character has come up with an idea
Emanata – symbols that portray emotions, such as teardrops or sweat drops
Movement lines (or action lines or speed lines) – lines used to indicate movement
Burst lines – lines showing extreme force, such as the impact of a rock shattering a window
Activity
In pairs answer the following question:
Identify which elements listed on this slide are used in the image to the right.

9. The manipulation of graphic elements
The elements listed previously can be manipulated in various ways. Important forms of manipulation include:
Visual characterisation
Visual setting
Panel configuration
Framing distance
Visual perspective
Colour and hue

10. Visual characterisation
Refers to the way characters are drawn in order to convey ideas about them and the influence our response to them. Visual characterisation can be created through:
Facial features – for example, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, chin, facial shape
Facial expressions and body language
Hair – for example, colouring and style
Build for example, height, weight, physique, arm and leg length
Clothing and accessories – for example, jewellery, masks, handbags, backpacks

11. Activity (5 minutes)
Look at the characters in the image. Discuss in pairs the impression that has been created through the manner in which each has been drawn.

12. Visual setting
The manner in which the settings of the story are illustrated can be important in:
Suggesting ideas about characters
Creating atmosphere
Contributing to the themes of the story.

13. Activity (5 minutes)
In pairs, look at the settings in the images below. Discuss the atmosphere that has been created through the manner in which each ahs been drawn.

14. Panel configuration
Panels may vary in size, shape and arrangement in order to provide variety and for a number of other reasons:
Size: larger panels, especially longer ones, hold the eye for longer than smaller panels because the reader requires more time to take everything in.
Shape: panels with one or more diagonal frames can create action. While a image without borders (bleeds) and runs to the side create a sense of timelessness or time standing still.
Arrangement: panels might overlap in order to create a sense of fast-paced action or confusion.

15. Framing distance
Framing distance refers to the sense created by the artist of how fare we, the readers, are from a scene. The terms used to describe framing distance are the same as those used in film:
Extreme close-up
Close-up
Medium shot
Wide shot
Extreme wide shot.

16. Visual perspective
Refers to how the artist positions the viewer to observe a scene. It is often referred to as camera angle, as in film. Some important forms of visual perspective are:
Worm’s eye (extreme low angle)
Low angle
High angle
Bird’s eye (extreme high angle)
Over the shoulder (where we view a scene as if we are looking over the shoulder of someone else)
Point of view (where we are placed in the position of a character, seeing what they see).

17. Colour and hue
As mentioned earlier, colour and hue (which refers to shades of colour) often work in tandem with other aspects of construction, such as characterisation and setting. They do two things:
Create atmosphere
Covey ideas

18. Plickers - test
Time to test you!