1. Vanessa Irvin Morris Assistant Professor The iSchool at Drexel University Philadelphia, PA, USA vmorris@drexel.edu

2. Comics to Graphic Novels  Historical Timeline ▫ Comic form originally literacy format for working class and poor ▫ Graphic novels go as far back as 1842 ▫ 1930s: Banner decade for Newspaper Comic Strip launchings ▫ Blondie & Dagwood (1930 – still running) ▫ Superman (1939 - 1966) ▫ The Phantom (1936 – still running) ▫ 1934: DC Comics established ▫ 1938: DC Comics launched Superman, volume 1 ▫ Superman ran 1939-1988, issues 0-423 ▫ Adventures of Superman ran 1987 – 2006, Issues 424-649 ▫ 1939: Marvel Comics parent company (Timely Publications) established

3. Comics to Graphic Novels ▫ 1940s: Big boom in comics – readership sky high – post-War reading – considered “Golden Age of Comics” ▫ 1940: Will Eisner lauded for The Spirit ▫ 1941: Marvel launched Captain America ▫ 1950s: TV makes fiction visual; Comic sales go down ▫ 1951: Timely (aka Atlas Comics) officially becomes Marvel Comics ▫ 1960s: Anime comes to America ▫ Underground comics ▫ Deal with political and social topics of the day ▫ Japanese animation comes to American TV

4. Comics to Graphic Novels ▫ Historical Timeline ▫ 1970s: Creation of “Graphic Novel”  1972: Maus, by Art Spiegelman is born as a small comic strip;  1978: Publication of Will Eisner’s Contract with God, the first ever graphic novel – a connective series of short stories bound in one volume, subtitled as “a graphic novel by Will Eisner” ▫ 1980s: Begins “Modern Age of Comics”  Graphic novel renaissance w/mass-market trade paperbacks;  1986: Art Spiegelman morphs Maus into full graphic novel form  1988: Eisner Awards are born at Comic-Con Conference  Considered the “Oscars” of comic book industry (see willeisner.com)

5. Comics to Graphic Novels ▫ Historical Timeline ▫ 1990s:  Batman, Darkman begin resurgence of comic characters in cinema;  Graphic novels available as serializations;  Graphic novels gain popularity in libraries;  1992 – Maus, A Survivor’s Tale, wins Pulitzer Prize, solidifying literary quality of graphic novel form ▫ 2000s: ▫ Comic franchises in cinema w/movie tie-ins, of course; ▫ X-Men I, II, III, IV (forthcoming), V (forthcoming) ▫ Spider Man I, II, III ▫ Fantastic Four I, II ▫ Iron Man I, II (forthcoming)  Biographies, literary classics in graphic novel form;  American Born Chinese (2006) wins 2007 Printz Award from YALSA

6. Contemporary US Comics Defined  Categories:  Traditional Comics  Typical flimsy magazine format serialized  Graphic Novels  Original book-length stories in comic format  Collected Works  Also called trade collections or graphic albums previously published in graphic novel form  Manga  Japanese comics, pocket-sized, highly serialized SOURCE: http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/formats/

7. Comics and Libraries  Traditional Comics (flimsy mags)  Not usually in library collections  Still popular in comic book shops, amongst collectors, comic conventions  May be stored in archives, historical art collections  Graphic Novels & Manga  Popular in library collections, esp. public libraries  If literary tie-in, may be present in school libraries  High circulating  Collected Works  Popular in library collections, esp. art collections  May circulate; may be reference

8. Comics & Censorship  May have challenges to:  Language  Graphic depictions of violence  Possible sexist representations  Possible objectionable themes  Horror/Supernatural  Science Fiction  Crime  Contemporary Issues (Middle East themes, war, etc.)  Collection development policy should cover intellectual freedom  ALA Code of Ethics counsels against self-censorship  Always use sanctioned resources for selection SOURCE: http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/dev/censorship.phphttp://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/dev/censorship.php

9. Comics and Gender  Comics (American)  Typically attracts males, young & old  Female characters can be sexist in representation, even the super- heroes  Sub-genres  Bad-girl Comics  Catwoman  Xena: Warrior Princess  Babe Comics  Witchblade  Lady Pendragon  Manga (Japanese)  Typically attracts females, young & old  Gender-swapping common (girl mistaken for boy, vice-versa)  Gender representations culture-specific to Japan  American publications may be sensitized to American cultural norms http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/dev/women.phphttp://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/dev/women.php; http://web.mit.edu/rei/www/manga-gender.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/rei/www/manga-gender.html

10. Creators & Artists  Writer: writes story / dialogue  Penciller: draws comic in pencil  Inker: outlines images in black ink  Colorist: adds color to black/white line art, using paints, photography, digital media, etc.  Letterer: writes story in speech bubbles, usually last part of process  Editor: oversees process, for glitches and errors Artist: can be combo of penciller and/or inker

11. Graphic Novel - Formats  Series  Monthly,  Bi-Monthly  Quarterly  Irregular  Limited Series (finite set of issues)  Most contain 4 issues  But can be from 2 to 12 issues.  Mini-Series  4 issues or less  Maxi-Series  10 issues or more SOURCE: http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/formats/

12. Graphic Novels - Formats  Standard Annual  Yearly supplement to an ongoing series  Batman Annual  Fantastic Four Annual  Stand-alone titles  Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror  Aliens vs. Predator Annual  One-Shot  Monographic (one-time) publication.  Standard comic format or  Prestige Comic or  Treasury Edition SOURCE: http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/formats/

13. Graphic Novel - Formats  Standard format  Typically 32-page s, 7” x 10”  “Double-Size" = 48 pages,  Annuals  Special editions (anniversary, special event, lengthier story)  “80-Page Giants”: Some DC Comics annuals and special anthologies  Prestige Format  Standard 8" x 10“  square-bound with heavier stock covers  Oftentimes high quality paper  Most are one-shots  Treasury Edition  Folio sized  Typically prestige format and tabloid-sized. SOURCE: http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/formats/

14. Graphic Novels - Formats  Magazine  Ongoing series, but can have larger dimensions and pages than standard format  Black & White Comics  Smaller publishers  Independent publishers  May have color covers, but black and white content (typical of manga) SOURCE: http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/graphicnovels/formats/

15. People to Know in Comics  Marvel Comics (founded 1939)  Stan Lee (1922 - )  Captain America  Spider Man  X-Men  Fantastic Four  Daredevil  The Hulk  Iron Man  Partners: Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko  Will do the “Hitchcock Thing” in his movies!

16. People to Know in Comics  DC Comics ( founded 1934)  Batman: Bob Kane (1915 – 1988) & Bill Finger (1914-1974)  Superman: Jerry Siegel (1914-1996) & Joe Schuster (1914-1992)  Wonderwoman: Wm Marston (1893 – 1947)  The Flash: Gardner Fox (1911-1986) & Harry Lampert (1916-2004)  Green Lantern: Bill Finger (1914-1974) & Martin Nodel (1915-2006)  The Watchmen: Alan Moore (1953 - ) & Dave Gibbons (1949 - )  Other important DC Comics characters:  Bat-Girl  Catwoman  League of Extraordinary Gentlemen  Promethea

17. People to Know in Comics  Art Spiegelman (1948- )  Maus I, A Survivor’s Tale (1986)  Won Pulitzer (1992)  Maus II, And Here My Troubles Began (1991)  Osamu Tesuka (1928 - 1989)  Astro Boy (1963)  Kimba the White Lion (1966)  “Father of Anime” | “God of Manga”  There were legal issues for the similarities between Kimba the White Lion and Disney’s film, The Lion King (1994)

18. People to know in Comics  Moto Hagio (1949 - )  The Heart of Thomas (1974)  Regarded as “mother of Shonen manga”  Will Eisner (1917-2005)  A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories (1978)  First US Graphic Novel  Comic Award named after Eisner