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Graphic Novels and Comics: About Graphic Novels

#GraphicNovels #ComicBooks #Comics #SequentialArt #Manga

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About This Page

Welcome!

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!


Definitions

  • 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)

But it's complicated...


Create Your Own!

Listed here are free (or partially free) tools for creating your own comics.

The Comic Book Greats: How To Create A Comic Book: with Todd McFarlane & Rob Liefeld

 

10 Writing Tips from Stan Lee

Try this One Week Cartooning Workout, a free tutorial from the Center for Cartoon Studies.

History & Criticism


Authors & Artists

The Comic Book Greats: WIll Eisner wIth Stan Lee

 

Graphic Novelist Art Spiegelman

 

How Stan Lee Wrote Comics

 

The Mindscape of Alan Moore

 

Osamu Tezuka: The God of Manga and His Enduring Legacy

 

Robert Kirkman Interviews Frank Miller About His Career, From Batman to Hollywood

 

Scott McCloud: The Visual Magic of Comics

 

Todd McFarlane: Like Hell I Won't

 

Database Resources


Need Help?

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Credits

This LibGuide was created and is maintained by
Jenny Saxton.

Questions and comments are welcome.