Graphic Novels and Comic Books: Overview
Reference Works on Graphic Literature
101 Outstanding Graphic Novels by Publication Date: 2015Expert librarian Stephen Weiner, with the crowdsourcing help of professionals in the field, has sifted through thousands of graphic novels to choose the top 101.
Comics by Call Number: PN6710 .M33238 2013This is the history of comics around the world from the late 1960s to the dawn of the 21st century.
The Readers' Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels by Publication Date: 2010This title acknowledges the explosion in graphic publishing, including titles on every possible topic, for every age group.
Graphic Novels by Publication Date: 1995This annotated guide describes and evaluates more than 400 works, including the quality of the graphics, characterizations, dialogue, and the appropriate audience.
What is Graphic Literature?
This research guide is intended to introduce you to the TCTC library's extensive collection of work in the genre of graphic literature.
Literatu
re is defined by Merriam Webster as "writings in prose or verse".
Graphic literature can be defined as written work that takes the form of sequential pictures, with or without text, often in the form of a series of panels with word bubbles. This includes
- Comics, in the form of single-panel comics or longer comic strips and books
- Graphic Fiction (often called graphic novels) meaning book-length fictional work on a variety of subjects
- Graphic Nonfiction (often also called graphic novels) which could include history, biography, and works in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
There was a time when storytelling through pictures was not considered a part of "serious" academic study. That has changed. Writers, artists, historians, and scholars from a wide range of other fields use the graphic medium to explore new ideas. We have graphic work in fields as diverse as mathematics, physics, architecture, history and fiction. This guide is meant to help get you started with finding sources, as well as simply finding your next great read. Have fun!
What is a Graphic Novel?
- What is a Graphic Novel?
This is a great explanation of graphic literature created by Jessica Abel and featured on the website "Drawing Words and Writing Pictures".
This work is licensed by Jessica Abel under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, - Definition of a Graphic novelA new format in which an extended narrative is presented as a continuous sequence of pictorial images printed in color or black and white and arranged panel-to-panel, with text given in captions and dialogue usually enclosed in balloons. A precursor can be found in the picture story albums of the 19th-century Swiss writer Rodolphe Topffer, who also wrote novels in conventional form. This new literary form is viewed with suspicion by traditionalists who regard it as a marketing ploy aimed at attracting adult readers to comic books by removing the stigma attached to them.
[from the Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science] - Definition of a Comic BookA booklet, usually printed in color on paper made from wood pulp, containing one or more stories told pictorially in a continuous strip of panels drawn in cartoon style, with dialogue or monologue enclosed in balloons or given in captions. An extended form of the comic strip published in daily newspapers, comic books are often issued in series and classified by genre (adventure, fantasy, romance, science fiction, etc.). They are acquired by libraries for special collections on popular culture and are of considerable interest to private collectors.
[from the Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science]
Librarian
Using Graphic Literature
- The Case for Graphic NovelsThis article from the journal Communications in Information Literacy makes a compelling argument for the use of graphic literature as a scholarly resource.
Marvel vs. DC
Marvel or DC? You decide!
The Marvel EncyclopediaCall Number: PN6725 .M37 2014The Marvel Encyclopedia features entries on the latest characters and teams, updated facts on existing ones including their latest looks and story lines, and expanded entries on major superheroes.
Marvel Graphic Novels and Related Publications by Publication Date: 2008This work provides an extensive guide for students, fans, and collectors of ""Marvel Comics"".
Here are two wikis maintained by citizens of the Marvel and DC universes.