Comics =/= Graphic Novels

May 04, 2014 00:53

I had an argument with another woman today about the strict definition of "graphic novel ( Read more... )

fandom: sequential art, fandom: comics

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Comments 9

jossedintime May 4 2014, 04:58:24 UTC
Gah. Nerds.

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eldarwannabe May 5 2014, 23:03:38 UTC
NERDS! *fistshake*

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pocky_slash May 4 2014, 14:09:30 UTC
I have recently had to have the same conversation with someone, SO I FEEL YOUR PAIN. (Except he was kind of like, "Oh, whatever, same thing" and I wanted to be like, "WORDS MEAN THINGS" but I didn't, I was just like, "Yeah, whatever," and moved on.)

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kel_reiley May 5 2014, 02:32:33 UTC
It's always been my understanding that graphic novels are completed works, and comics are serialized works. BUT PLEASE CORRECT ME IF WRONG.

Also. If you had recs for completed works, that would be cool, too ;)

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eldarwannabe May 5 2014, 23:03:13 UTC
Oh yeah, you're essentially correct as far as I know although I would trust pocky_slash to correct me.

It gets complicated because "comics" also refers to the medium as a whole which is why I like throwing around "sequential art." (Added bonus of sounding SUPER snooty.)

It also gets complicated with stories like Maus which started as a serialized comic until Spiegelman stopped and then published the rest in two books. Haphazard development of the medium means that we don't have appropriate terminology all the time.

I'm not the best recs person, but sure! I like sharing! What are you looking for? I just finished reading Whiteout by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber and I would recommend both volumes to anyone because they are v. good. :D

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kel_reiley May 6 2014, 00:10:36 UTC
IDK! I wouldn't even know where to start. I got a bunch of recs last week on twitter - mainly I was looking for my nephew. And Mandr gave me some non-superhero recs today. But, yeah, I have no idea really. The only comics (graphic novels?) I've ever really read are Ghost World and American Splendor (after the movie came out).

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90scartoonman May 11 2014, 07:23:49 UTC
...the professor asked you to introduce something? Whoa.

I like using this analogy - Comic Books : Graphic Novels :: Chapters : Novels

Of course, that's only if the graphic novel itself has a beginning, middle, and end. You can't collect every single issue of Fantastic Four since 1961, bound it up in a paperback or a hardcover and call it a graphic novel because so many different creative teams have worked on it and it hasn't ended yet. Something like Maus works, though.

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