Introduction to Sequential Art: Graphic Novels & Comics for Young Adults

November 15, 2010EDML 177

(adapted from Bond, E. (2011), “Illustrated Literature for Young Adults”

What is a graphic novel?

What does the following picture mean?

Popular Graphic Novels

• “Maus” by Art Spiegelman, the only illustrator to win the Pulitzer Prize (1992).

• A Holocaust narrative based on the life of Spiegelman’s father.

Popular Graphic Novels (cont.)

Popular Novels (cont.)

Sequential Art

• A literary/artistic format

Sequential Art Definitions

• A comic book is a collection of sequential art in a single-issue publication of generally less than 36 pages.

Sequential Art (cont.)

• Manga is the Japanese term for comic book (“motionless picture entertainment”). In the U.S. the term refers specifically to Japanese comics.

Sequential Art (cont.)

• Graphic novel refers to a self-contained story in a comic book format. Graphic novels are trade books intended as literature, as opposed to comics, which are meant to be collected, traded, or discarded after being read.

Comics Code Authority (CCA)• In every instance good shall triumph over evil and criminal

will be punished for his misdeeds• Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols

that have acquired undesirable meanings are forebidden.• Suggestive and salacious illustration or suggestive posture

is unacceptable.• Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor

portrayed.• The treatment of love/romance stories shall emphasize

the value of the home and the sanctity of the marriage.

Graphic Novels Trivia

• Between 1902 and 1953 comics had become extremely popular, with peak U.S. readership at 80 percent of young people.

• The publication of “Seduction of the Innocent” fueled an anti-comic book crusade

Graphic Novel Trivia

• In contrast to the U.S., Japan saw a popularity of the format, which increased dramatically since World War II.

• After the CCA was established, superheroes became popular again

• New heroes appeared who had teen angst and other real-world problems

On Narrative in Graphic Novels

• In graphic novels, pictures tell part of the story• Captions and dialogue should only be used to

describe what the reader cannot see.• The visual and verbal information should be

integrated.• In a comic, the pictures carry a great deal of the

responsibility of the storytelling process• Like any literacy, one needs to learn how to read

a comic.

Why use Graphic Novels with Young Adolescents?

• The format is extremely popular with many young readers

• Comics present very complex ideas in readable formats.

• Can implement across the curriculum.

Why Use Graphic Novels with Young Adolescents (cont.)?

• Sequential art often appeals to reluctant readers and can be an excellent resource for English language learners

• Many international works in this format have cross-cultural appeal.

Why Use Graphic Novels with Young Adolescents (cont.)?

• Sequential art might foster interest in drawing skills and techniques

• Graphic novels tend to utilize a higher level of vocabulary than other formats do, while still being accessible to young readers.

Specific Instructional Value

• Link with multiple intelligences

• Teaches student to make inferences

• Allows student to frontload writing assignment by first creating a visual

The Brain and Literacy

• “Comics echo the way the brain works. People think in iconographic images, not in holograms, and people think in bursts of language, not in paragraphs” (Art Spiegelman)

A Survey of Graphic Novels for Young Adults

• Superheroes• Action and Adventure• Detective/Crime/Mystery• Westerns• Fantasy• Science Fiction• Life Stories• Manga• Historical Fiction

Your Turn…Draw a mini comic of an event from your week

The End