Novels VS Comic Books

[Mistook]

If they can publish graphic novels...

can they not publish literary comic books?

And is this what the genre-novel truly is?

WHAM!


POW!

With the genre novel, descriptions are quick sketches, meant to get across the best picture in the fewest strokes. The characters faces are drawn in simple lines and left to the readers imagination. The plot and the action are all important, and the dialogue... well, they're all about the dialogue aren't they? and the more you can get across in the fewer lines the better.

Literary comic books, I say, and more power to them! :hooray:

[Writing Again]

I think a lot more has been done in this area than most people realize.

[Anatole Ghio]

If they can publish graphic novels...

can they not publish literary comic books?



I think you have some misunderstanding of what the term graphic novel refers to. Graphic novel is simply the term for any illustrated story published in a single collection, whose length is comparable to a novel.

A comic book is simply a periodical version of the illustrated story, some comic books tell storys over multiple issues (the equivilent of a novel), some comic books tell a story in one issue (the equivilent of a short story).

Content has nothing to do with these categories... many graphic novels were first comic books (serial issues) that were later published as a collection. Some of these were literary, some were genre related.

Almost all of the artists who publish "literary" garphic novels, first had their work published serially as comic books: Chris Ware, Robert Crumb, Daniel Clowes, the Hernandez Brothers, Alan Moore, etc... These comic books were "literary" and many have received much press and acolades recognizing their artistic value.

- Anatole

[mistri]

Go and browse a bookstore or comic shop that has a good selection of graphic novels. You may be surprised.

Daniel Clowes, and Alan Moore (both already mentioned) are very good. Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is of similar quality.

Gemma Bovery, a book/graphic novel by Posy Simmonds (aGuardian cartoonist according to Amazon) is an enjoyable reimagining of Madame Bovary and also very text heavy.

[Richard]

And of course, plenty of comic writers have done all sorts of other things. Orson Scott Card was recently tapped to write Iron Man, while in TV land, Joss Whedon has been doing Ultimate X-Men and other comics. On the other side, Alan Moore does books, and Warren Ellis has a novel coming out in the not too distant future.

[mistri]

Are you still reading my copy of Atlanta Nights, Richard? Now that would be an *interesting* graphic novel. Not very literary, though.

[veinglory]

'Maus' is a stunning literary graphic novel that effected me as deeply as ay novel.

I also think that genre novels adon't always fit your description. I have read some genre novels with exquisitely detailed characters and deep themes that moved me to tears.

[Richard]

Are you still reading my copy of Atlanta Nights, Richard? Now that would be an *interesting* graphic novel. Not very literary, though.

It'd need a brown paper bag to wrap around the brown paper bag ;-)

Was going to drop it over at your desk before leaving the office, then...uh...completely forgot. It's in my desk drawer. I'll bring in The Book Of DOOM as well, if I can wrench it out from where it's propping up my cistern. Worth opening up just to find the comedy on every page.