A different kind of novel

Jayswords · Nov 28, 2006

I've been lurking around these boards for a while, I've finally decided to register and post...

I found this website about reaching your dreams, one of them being publishing your book. First thing that comes to my mind is a novel (duh, cos I"ve been working on one forever.) The sample video they feature is about a GRAPHIC novel though... http://www.mydream.tv/dream_category.php?dc=1679091c5a880faf6fb5e6087eb1b2dc

I don't think I've ever seen it come up on the boards before... what does everyone think about Graphic Novels? Is this question too controvertial for a first post? LOL.

Err, I'll chime in with my thoughts after a couple other people have a go

Willowmound · Nov 28, 2006

But 'graphic novel' is just a fancy word for 'comic'. Everyone likes comics, right? They're a different kind of art than novel writing though...

Akuma · Nov 28, 2006

Comics and graphic novels aren't the same. Comics are more of a passing entertainment thing, while the graphic novels tell a story. (Neil Gaimen's Sandman series comes to mind)

I enjoy Graphic novels, since it feels like, IMO, the perfect merging of books and movies. You can absorb everything visually, but you aren't constricted in the time of viewing, thus allowing the characters to grow into their full potential.

CrankItTo11 · Nov 28, 2006

Why am I afraid to click that link? Maybe it is the way you emphasized GRAPHIC. I'll click on the link later... after a martini.

I don't know much about graphic novels - although I have heard they are making a comeback. I think I read that on a couple of agent blogs, so take it with a grain of salt.

If that's your thing, go for it!

Now... where's that martini...?

veinglory · Nov 28, 2006

Sandman is a comic in 40 page installments and a graphic when a 100+ page book. That's the only different--it's the long form. In terms of contraversy, um, we have a comic/graphic novel subforum so I am not quite sure what the beef would be? Are you promoting this 'dream' site or completely unaffiliated with them?

Willowmound · Nov 28, 2006

Akuma said:
Comics and graphic novels aren't the same. Comics are more of a passing entertainment thing, while the graphic novels tell a story. (Neil Gaimen's Sandman series comes to mind)

Nonsese. They're called graphic novels because they're for adults. The comics I read as a kid had stories too -- some quite good. If I'm reading a 'graphic novel', and someone asks me what I'm doing, I'll tell them I'm reading a comic.

A spade is a shovel no matter what colour it is.

Jayswords · Nov 28, 2006

CrankItTo11 said:
Why am I afraid to click that link? Maybe it is the way you emphasized GRAPHIC. I'll click on the link later... after a martini.

I don't know much about graphic novels - although I have heard they are making a comeback. I think I read that on a couple of agent blogs, so take it with a grain of salt.

If that's your thing, go for it!

Now... where's that martini...?

LOL, I didn't mean it THAT way, though I understand how it could've come out all wrong... the link is worth clicking. The story of how that woman achieved her dream is pretty inspiring.

Yeah, graphic novels are more of a one-shot, really long story. Comics are more serial. Its like TV vs. Movies kinf of.

I agree, they are a different kind of art than novel writing. I tihnk it's the philosophy major in me trying to talk when I say that I would like to see more aspects of a graphic novel in a written novel. Anyone know of anything experiemental like that?

veinglory · Nov 28, 2006

When they put 5 comic between the same cover they call it a graphic just the same as something that was created to be that length. It's just page count.

TrickyFiction · Nov 28, 2006

I always think of a graphic novel as a novel-length story told with both images and words (not just an illustrated book). I think of comics as those sunday morning things where you can read this week's, and you don't necessarily have to have read last week's to understand what's going on.

CrankItTo11 · Nov 28, 2006

Here was an article about graphic novels in Publishing Trends:
http://publishingtrends.com/copy/06/0604/0604DominoesandSuperheroesGraphicNovelsPressingForward.html

Scarlett_156 · Nov 28, 2006

Welcome, btw!

Akuma · Nov 28, 2006

Willowmound said:
Nonsese. They're called graphic novels because they're for adults. The comics I read as a kid had stories too -- some quite good. If I'm reading a 'graphic novel', and someone asks me what I'm doing, I'll tell them I'm reading a comic.

A spade is a shovel no matter what colour it is.

Thanks for clarifying--I'm remembering the time I read through a huge tome that was a collection of X-Men comics.
Unrealistic situations and characters? Maybe.
But, you're right, it's still a story.

Mr. Funktastic · Nov 28, 2006

I love graphic novels, personally, and I think they are making something of a comeback. I know when an arc of comics is published as one big piece, it's considered to be a graphic novel as well, so it must be purely a length issue.

Comic books are becoming more adult-oriented, though. Or, to put it better, they're moving from the childish appeal to a broader one. There are more adult-themes in comics now than there used to be.

I'd say they've been getting a boost from the recent comic-book movie phenomenon. That seems the most likely answer to me, at least.

But... yeah. I love 'em. (I've been a comic geek for a long time, if nobody noticed. Ha!)

Also, welcome!

sunandshadow · Nov 28, 2006

I would happily write a graphic novel script if I could get anyone to draw the thing. I've outlined a few and written the first few pages of script, but haven't been able to find an artost to partner up with. (We do have a forum for comics and graphic novels here BTW, it's in the "And The Rest" forum.

PeeDee · Nov 28, 2006

Neil Gaiman once told someone that he wrote comics for a living, and they were unimpressed. As they continued to speak, he mentioned that the comic book that he wrote was called "Sandman."

"My dear boy!" said the person he talked to, "You don't write comic books, you write graphic novels."

Sheesh. 75% of graphic novels are collected monthly issues of comic books. The terms are as different as short stories and anthologies, and they're completely irrelevant.

(come down to the comic forums and talk to me)

And if you've got an artist, and you've got a comic (or graphic novel, or sequential art, or whatever you want to call it) then why go that publishing route? Why not send it to DC and Marvel, to Image and Vertigo, and Dark Horse, to any of those? Honest, I'd rather do that.

Inkdaub · Nov 29, 2006

Graphic Novels are formatted like comics but tell a story independant of a monthly series. Watchmen and V for Vendetta are graphic novels since as far as I know they were never monthlies. When a monthly series is gathered together and bound in book form it is called a trade...a trade hardback or a trade paperback. Sandman, originally a monthly, is a trade and comes in both hardback and paperback.

Comics today are more and more geared toward the trade market. The monthlies are written in story arcs of six or seven(or whatever) monthly issues and then bound in trade form and released very quickly. Graphic Novels are a little fewer and further between but are still being produced.

The last graphic novel I bought was called 1001 Nights of Snowfall and is an independant story spinning out of a monthly series called Fables. The last trade I bought was a gathering of the end of Brian Michael Bendis's run on Daredevil. The next trade I will buy will be the beginning of Ed Brubaker's run on Daredevil.

The term graphic novel is not just a fancy word for comics and is almost always misapplied to trades. They are both comics, though.

That's how I break it down anyway.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 29, 2006

Here's my limited perspective: Comics books are illustrated stories printed on pulp paper. Graphic novels are illustrated stories printed on high gloss paper.

LeeFlower · Nov 29, 2006

I've always seen the difference as: one is a complete novel, sold all at once (like Maus). The other is serialized; usually without a concrete ending-point (like a TV show on paper. Sometimes more like a miniseries, if the writers are only planning to do a handful of issues).

I don't really think the kids/adults distinction is viable, because there are a lot of superhero comics (like Ultimate X-Men) that are definetely written for an adult audience. They're still comics.

I guess I just don't see what's wrong with writing a 'comic book.' It's just a different format, for pete's sake. Do people insist that their favorite TV shows are 'weekly movies?'

Jayswords · Nov 29, 2006

Thanks for the article CrankItTo. ITs good to know that graphic novels are making some money, if i ever want to make one.

Oh man. I'm gonna say that graphic novels are comics and that the words dont matter much. Do you liek them? Have you ever read one? Maus is a good one, LeeFlower. A popular guy is Daniel Clowes. His book "Ghost World" was made into a movie, and he's got some crazy other things too. Really weird kind of dark things about sad people. I wouldn't say he is the best out there, but I haven't read much. Mostly stuff I've borrowed from my dorkier friends.

Heh. I need recommendations!

JeanneTGC · Nov 29, 2006

One of the best books I've ever read also happens to be the best graphic novel I've ever read -- The Watchmen. It did come out in installments, btw, originally, as did League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

I think if you can draw, or are partnered with someone who can draw, and you want to tell the story both visually and with words at the same time, graphic novels are a great option.

Like ANY other genre, they have their proponents and their detractors. You cannot please all the people all the time, so you should create to please yourself...as Abe Lincoln and Ricky Nelson both so said so well.

Akuma · Nov 29, 2006

I think my only problem with Graphic Novels is that they're so expensive. Granted, it's probably cheaper than buying the individual comics but it still gives my wallet bruises.

*Sigh* When will I be able to get my hands on any more Preacher stuff?

James D. Macdonald · Nov 29, 2006

You might also check out Greasemonkey.

Mistook · Nov 29, 2006

Comic books and genre paperback novels both trace their heritage back to the pulps. Many of the pulp heroes who first appeared in that format of pure typeface with a glossy cover pic, later appeared in the comic books, and some made it back into prose in novel form.

Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer was first conceived as a comic book detective by the name of "Mike Danger." When that didn't fly, Spillane changed his name, beefed up the script a little, and turned him into a genre paperback detective instead.

Graphic novels and trades are just another expression of that close relationship between Comics and Genre fiction. The audiences of both have always overlapped, and always will.

And I love that.

Inkdaub · Nov 30, 2006

JeanneTGC said:
...The Watchmen. It did come out in installments, btw, originally...

Yeah? It would be cool to have the original run as a collectors item. I wager it would be expensive, though. My dog tore up my Watchmen trade.

JeanneTGC · Nov 30, 2006

Inkdaub said:
Yeah? It would be cool to have the original run as a collectors item. I wager it would be expensive, though. My dog tore up my Watchmen trade.

Yeah, I think you'd have to pay some real bucks for those.

And, bad dog! Watchmen is one that, if one of my dogs ate it, I would have to go out and get another copy right away.

I dread the potential movie; what makes this graphic novel a great *novel* to me is the many intertwined characters, which they can't do for a 2 hour movie.

A different kind of novel

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