graphic novels

In the beginning it
The comic or was comic… the
United to
newspapers
later, the Comic strip, as we know it today, emerged in the late 19th century in the
themes. In United States (1896), forming part of the illustrated ones. At first, they were
simple comic strips. More stories became longer and diversified. Europe,
for decades, the comic was considered a
product aimed solely at children.
 Characteristics of the comic language
• The comic is a means of communication formed
by a set of images, called vignettes, that are arranged to
form a narrative sequence. The language of comics is
characterized by the integration of image and text. The
narration
spatio-temporal and the use of a series of
conventions, mark comics as a
language.
Some of the characteristics of comics language,
such as framing, points of view or editing, are
common to other artistic manifestations such as
photography, illustration or cinema. However,
compared to other media that also use images
to express themselves, such as ilictreciAn A - m
Ihlicin-N AAct-eA
 The vignette: significant unit
• The minimum unit of narration is the vignette. The vignette is the box or space that
contains the image.
• The vignette represents a space and time to which the reader gives narrative continuity.
It must be taken into account that a vignette alone has no meaning.
• The vignette can have different contour shapes, although
the most common is rectangular. The form of the vignette
influences the character and atmosphere of the narrative.
To express a monotonous narration rhythm, rectangular
and equal vignettes are used to achieve a monotonous
narration rhythm. On the contrary, if we want to express
movement and dynamism we will use vignettes of irregular
shapes, which disturb the reader by transmitting the action
and movement.
• The passage of time is represented through a succession
of images that f~ rr - m IIN- c AC II ~ m c i - AN ci~mifeN~
AcI
 Graphic novel
• It is a term that can refer to both a publication
format and a modern type of comic with complex
themes and generally focused on adults.
As a publication format it can be defined by the following
features:
• Book format.
• A single author and very rarely a group of them.
• A single story, extensive and prone to density .
• Thematic pretensions of Literature with a capital letter, with
recourse to autobiographical subjectivism, flashbacks ,
Different times
narratives, etc.
• Intended for a mature or adult audience.

In addition, the graphic novel also refers to an avant-garde

movement of the 21st century, heir to alternative comics
and with international distribution, which includes both
American comics (Charles Burns, Daniel
Clowes, Gary Panter) and international (Guy Delisle,
Marjane Satrapi, Katsuhiro Otomo, Jiro Taniguchi, etc.).
As such, it implies a revolution
from
8:00
 What is the difference between a graphic novel and a
comic?

• Exhaustiveness in history
• A comic usually does not include the beginning, middle,
and end of the story in the same book. Typically being a
periodical, each issue contains a part of the complete
story. The reader cannot, in an issue, discover the
characters or know the story . In contrast, a graphic
novel tends to cover an entire story .
• Format and length
• If we take into account the completeness of the story from the
previous point, it is easy to deduce that the length of a
comic and a graphic novel will be different. As a general
rule, a comic has 20 – 30 pages and most can be read in a
short time, 10 to 30 minutes, which makes them ideal to enjoy
in short periods of free time. Graphic novels can be much
longer.
 Presence of advertisements
• Although not always, it is common to find
advertisements in comics . Many of these
advertisements are designed to draw the reader's
attention to other publications from the publisher
itself. Other ads may be from third parties.
Graphic novels do not usually include
advertisements, they are minimal.

On the left, vignettes from Blankets, by Craig Thompson. On the right, part of Jimmy Corringan, the smartest boy in the world, by Chris Ware.
• Points of sale
Most comics are sold directly in specialized stores
and newsstands, only a few are distributed
through bookstores. Graphic novels are available
in traditional book stores and also frequently in
libraries.
• Target audience age
• Graphic novels since their inception have been focused on adult
readers, mainly due to the themes of the stories and their focus.
Comics were for a time mainly aimed at a children's audience,
although today it is

feature has disappeared and the comic has

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a wide audience facts.
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• Identification numbers
• Graphic novels, like any other novel or
book, receive an ISBN ( International
Standard Book Number ) identification
number.

• Cost and acceptance

• Comics are very popular but are often considered a “minor”
form of art . This consideration may be due to the usual
relationship between comics and children's audiences that
deal with simple themes. Graphic novels tend to be more
accepted as literary works, some of them on the best seller
list competing with novels in the purest traditional style.
by CHRISTOPHER CLARE MONT and BRENT ERIC ANDERSON
MARK MILLAR
DAVE JOHNSON KILIAN
PLUNKETT ANDREW ROBINSON
WALDEN WONG

BATMAN THE DAO KNIGHT RETURNS

N.K.
ALAN MOORE DAVE GIBBONS
SEN
Y
o
GUY DELISLE
PYONGYANG
A JOURNEY IN NORTH KOREA
RADIANT SKIES
J[RO TANIGUCHI

SATOS
HI KON
SPEAKER MON

PLANETA-DeAGOSTINI
COMICS