Graphic novel facts for kids

A graphic novel is a long story told using pictures, like a comic book. These books use sequential art, meaning the pictures are arranged in a specific order to tell a story. Graphic novels can be fiction, non-fiction, or even collections of shorter works.

In the United States, people often see graphic novels as different from regular comic books. Comic books are usually shorter, like magazines, or collected into "trade paperbacks." Graphic novels are typically full-length books with a complete story.

The idea of a "graphic novel" was first mentioned by a fan historian named Richard Kyle in 1964. The term became more popular after Will Eisner published A Contract with God in 1978. It really took off in the late 1980s. This was when books like Art Spiegelman's Maus (1986), Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns (1986), and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen (1987) became very successful. By 2001, bookstores even started using "graphic novel" as a special category.

What Is a Graphic Novel?

The exact meaning of "graphic novel" can be a bit tricky. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says it's "a fictional story that is presented in comic-strip format and published as a book."

However, libraries and bookstores often include many types of books under this name. This can include collections of comic books that don't form one continuous story. It also includes anthologies (collections of different stories) or even non-fiction books told with pictures.

Sometimes, the term "graphic novel" is used to describe stories that were created to be a full book from the start. This helps tell them apart from collections of shorter stories that first appeared in comic book series.

In Europe, long stories told with pictures have been common for a long time. Books like The Ballad of the Salty Sea (1967) by Hugo Pratt were published as hardcover books. Popular European comics like The Adventures of Tintin have also been collected into "albums" since the 1930s.

The History of Graphic Novels

Since there's no single, strict definition of a graphic novel, its history can be seen in different ways. People often look at early examples of stories told with pictures.

The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck is one of the oldest American examples. It started as a French book in 1828 by Rodolphe Töpffer. An English version was published in 1841, and the first American edition came out in 1842. Another early book, Journey to the Gold Diggins by Jeremiah Saddlebags (1849), was inspired by Obadiah Oldbuck.

In 1894, a French artist named Caran d'Ache suggested the idea of a "drawn novel." He even started a 360-page book without words, but it was never published. In the U.S., it was common to collect old comic strips into books. For example, a collection of The Yellow Kid comic strips became a bestseller in 1897.

Early Examples (1920s to 1960s)

The 1920s saw a renewed interest in woodcut art, which uses carved blocks to make pictures. Belgian artist Frans Masereel was famous for this, with works like Passionate Journey (1919). American artist Lynd Ward also created similar books, including Gods' Man in 1929.

Other early examples include He Done Her Wrong (1930) by American Milt Gross. This was a wordless comic published as a hardcover book. Une semaine de bonté (1934) by surrealist painter Max Ernst was a novel made from collages of images. Charlotte Salomon's Life? or Theater? (1941–43) also combined pictures, story, and captions.

In the 1940s, Classics Illustrated began. This was a comic-book series that turned famous novels into standalone comic books for young readers. Citizen 13660 (1946) was an illustrated book telling the story of Japanese American internment during World War II.

In 1959, cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman created Harvey Kurtzman's Jungle Book. This book had four different stories and was published as a paperback.

By the late 1960s, American comic creators started trying new things. Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin self-published a 40-page comic novel called His Name Is... Savage in 1968. Some people even consider long comic book story arcs, like the Doctor Strange story in Strange Tales (1965-1966) or the "Panther's Rage" arc in Jungle Action (1973-1975), to be early graphic novels.

In Europe, long stories were already common. Popular comics like The Adventures of Tintin and Asterix were often published as serials (parts released over time) and then collected into long books. In 1968, the graphic novel Vida del Che was published in Argentina. It told the story of Che Guevara but was later destroyed by the government.

Modern Graphic Novels

Blackmark (1971) by Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin was a science fiction/sword-and-sorcery paperback. It was a 119-page story with comic-book art, captions, and word balloons, published like a traditional book. It's often called the "very first American graphic novel."

European artists also explored longer comic narratives. In the United Kingdom, Raymond Briggs created books like Father Christmas (1972) and The Snowman (1978). He called them "strip cartooning," but they are now often sold as graphic novels. Briggs also created more serious works like When the Wind Blows (1982).

Images for kids

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  Detail from Blackmark (1971) by scripter Archie Goodwin and artist-plotter Gil Kane

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  Bloodstar (1976) by Robert E. Howard and artist Richard Corben

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  Sabre (1978), one of the first modern graphic novels. Cover art by Paul Gulacy.

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  Will Eisner in 2004

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  The 1987 U.S. (left) and 1995 U.S./UK/Canada (right) collected editions of Watchmen, published by DC Comics and Titan Books, respectively

See also

In Spanish: Novela gráfica para niños