Graphic Novels and Comics: About Graphic Novels

On this page, you can learn about the history and impact of graphic novels, discover resources for creating your own graphic novels, and get inspired by some of the genre's most celebrated authors and artists.

If you're a teacher, check out this collection of resources for leveraging the power and popularity of graphic novels in the classroom.

Ready to read some great graphic novels? Head over to the Find Graphic Novels page to explore a selection of titles available in the MDC Libraries, plus ebooks you can enjoy right now!

• Comic Book
  A magazine relating one or more narrative episodes through a sequence of panels featuring art and text, often constituting a single issue in a series. (Adapted from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language)
• Comic Strip
  A series of drawings that tell a story, especially in a newspaper or magazine. (Collins Dictionary)
• Graphic Novel
  A story that is presented in comic strip format and published as a book. (Merriam-Webster)
• Manga
  Japanese comic books and graphic novels considered collectively as a genre. (Merriam-Webster) For more information, see Manga 101.
• Sequential Art
  [A]n art and literary form that deals with the arrangement of pictures or images and words to narrate a story or dramatize an idea. (Will Eisner, Comics and Sequential Art)

• Art & Architecture Source
  This database provides full text articles from the International Journal of Comic Art from October 15, 2005 to October 15, 2010.
• Digital Theatre+
  Visit this database and enter "graphic novel" in the search box to find a collection of literary classics in graphic novel form.
• Flipster
  This collection of digital magazines includes cover-to-cover issues of Comics & Gaming Magazine.
• Issues & Controversies
  Specializing in controversial issues, this database includes:
  • Pro/con discussion: Are comic books and graphic novels sophisticated enough to be considered legitimate art forms and used for educational purposes?
  • Article: Comic Books and the Question of Sexism
• Kanopy
  This streaming video collection contains a small selection of documentaries on graphic novels.
• OverDrive Digital Media Library
  This ebook database contains a curated collection of popular graphic novels.

SEE:

• Graphic Novels and Comics: Teaching Resources
• Body Image in Graphic Literature
• Graphic Medicine