Download - Graphic Novel Chapter Conference
Adults Just Wantto Have Fun (Too!)
Graphic Novels & Gamingfor a Mature Audience
Don Boozer
Anastasia Diamond-Ortiz
What are COMICS ?• Comics are a MEDIUM...NOT a
genre• The average age of comics buyers
is 23 (TIME, 6/30/08)• “Adult” graphic novels vs. graphic
novels “for adults”
• Think comics are something new?...
A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING
Visual storytelling started over 30,000 years ago. Skeptical?
A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING
Moving onto 1275 BC, it was eventually picked up by the Egyptians…
A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING
Next, we come to Trajan’s Column in AD 113…
A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING
Finally, we come to 1066 AD and the most famous piece of medieval VISUAL NONFICTION…
What is a GRAPHIC NOVEL ?
• Single issue comics• Trade paperbacks• Graphic novels
– “sequential art”– “comic-strip novel”– “picture novella”– “graphic literature”– plain old “comics”
Practical Concerns
• Purchasing
• Cataloging
• Shelving
Award-winning Graphic Novels
Pulitzer Prize, 1992
TIME Magazine #1 Book of the Year
Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, 2007
Hugo Award, 1988
– plus only graphic novel on TIME Magazine’s All-time 100 Best Novels, 2005
Films, Games, TV...
The BIG Guys!
Who Belongs to Whom?
Looks Can Be Deceiving…The Big Guys…Looking Independent
Independents & Self-Publishers
Independents & Self-Publishers
Dark Horse ComicsDrawn & QuarterlyFantagraphics BooksIDW PublishingImage ComicsTop Cow Productions, Inc.Top Shelf Productions
Manga! Manga!
International/European
Dealing With Challenges
A little history…Do you know this intrepid plumber?
What about this go-getter hedgehog?
This guy has a score to settle with some aliens..
A few dates….
• 1972—Pong • 1977—Atari 2600• 1986—Sega and NES• 1989—Sim City, Game Boy• 1991—Civilization • 1992—Mortal Kombat• 1993—Doom and Myst• 2000—PlayStation 2• 2001—Xbox• 2002—G4 TV Network• 2004—Nintendo DS• 2005—Xbox 360• 2006—PlayStation3 and Wii
Console GamingConsole gaming refers to
gaming done on a home system—
Pong, Atari, PlayStation, Xbox, Wii
Remember?
There are also several handheld consoles—PlayStation Portable (PSP), Nintendo DS Lite
Some facts about console gaming to blow your mind
• Halo 3, the most recent installment of the Halo series, recorded $300 million in sales in the first week.
• Grand Theft Auto IV, the fourth version of the controversial game, recorded over $300 million sales on the first day.
PC Gaming• PC games have traditionally included more strategy games
(Civilization) and fewer sports games. • Includes casual gaming like Yahoo! games and online Scrabble and
Tetris• Games rated for adults only are made for the PC and not for consoles
Civilization (1991)
Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB)
Games on the big screen
Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games
What people learn from gaming?• Flexibility in problem
solving• Social networking• How to succeed and fail
in a “safe” environment
How can libraries interact with gamers?
• Set up a console and a projector and host a game night.
• Subscribe to the print publications that gamers read.
• Consider discussing games and the stories in them as you would a film.
• Consider hosting a LAN party after hours.
What libraries are doing
• Console gaming—Wii Libraries
• PC gaming—Waterloo Public Library
• Role Play gaming—Barberton Public Library
• Board Games—Chess Tournaments
• Game Design—PLCMC
• Check out libsuccess.org
How Cleveland Public Library is gaming
• CPL Gaming Initiative—Cleveland Public Library has game consoles in several branches and is purchasing more for patron use.
• Scratch (Scratch.mit.edu)
– Zombie Librarians of Doom!!!
If you haven’t played video games since Pong…
• Try the Wii!
• Pick up Guitar Hero
• Sign up for a free account in Second Life and cruise around
• Whatever you do, have fun and enjoy it.
…and this is just the beginning!For additional suggestions and resources, check out
the handouts and our PowerPoint at www.slideshare.net/cpl.presentations
THANK YOU...