Abigail+Smith

Proposal: I would like to try out the genre of graphic novels/comic books.

Why I'm Interested: I've read maybe one or two graphic novels in my life. I am interested in the kinds of opportunities this type of genre has in its combination of both graphics and text to help convey meanings, guide interpretation, and carry the narrative forward. I'm also interested in studying the differences between the classic comic book and the graphic novel, if there really is a difference.

What I already know: I pretty much know nothing about the genre.

//Dear Abigail: This could be very labor intensive, so you might consider writing one chapter of a graphic novel and plotting out the rest. You can use digital tools to draw, if it helps and saves time, but the drawings will have to be done as a graphic novel demands. Make sure you know what this requires.//

//Bill//


 * // User's Guide to Graphic Novel/Comic Book/Manga //**

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The term //graphic novel// can mean several things. It can be used as a synonym for the comic book itself, or it can refer to a somewhat more fleshed out graphic-oriented narrative that is similar to a prose novel. It can also refer to a particular format, such as a bound book of comics that is either soft- or hardcover. Modern opinion states that the graphic novel is more of a hybrid medium of text and image that is capable of producing a range of genres within itself. For example, Art Spiegelmen’s //Maus I// and //Maus II// have been classified under biography, though they were created within the graphic novel medium. Other well-known genre’s that have been organized within the graphic novel medium include superhero science fiction, the graphic poem, Manga, and cartoon (comic strip) art. In fact, many classic pieces of literature have been translated into the medium of graphic novel, such as //Beowulf// and many of Shakespeare’s plays.=====

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Because the graphic novel is more of an ambiguously defined medium of art than a specific genre, I have chosen to focus on Manga as the specific archetypal genre that I will draw conclusions about structure, content, style, and purpose within its culture and throughout time.=====

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To begin with, Manga began as cartoon art designed primarily for child readership. It has since developed into an original and unique art style that has grown in literary complexity and depth. Whereas before it was primarily humorous cartoons, it has since evolved into graphic narratives that depict complex human dramas that interest older readers, such as adolescents and adults. Early Manga storylines mostly addressed simple evil vs. good plotlines, though content-wise, many have developed into complex and diverse stories that bring up political, religious, or social-cultural issues.=====

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Manga also has what is called the “grammar of manga”. This includes //**picture**// (objects and figures), //**word**// (including onomatopoeia), //**balloon**// (words) and //**frames**// (anything that surrounds the pictures). Frames have the ability to express space and time, and are often (especially in modern manga) used to express psychological situations. Text (or word) has the capacity to appear as //inside voices// within character’s minds or coming directly from character voices, or //outside// //voice//, which refers to sound such as onomatopoeia. Word can also be used independently to connect frames together. Manga can then become almost multi-dimensional in its ability to convey ideas and conceptions, as we can see a character’s thoughts simultaneously with what they are speaking. By analyzing western comic books, we see that much of the “grammar of manga” is a part of our own comic book structure.===== As Manga has developed into a more complex literary art form, more and more people are recognizing it for it’s educational value. Whereas previously manga, and comic books and the graphic novel in general, have been seen as child-oriented “low art”, the stories themselves have developed so far that educational curriculum’s across the world are recognizing the graphic-text medium’s potential to address literacy needs. Japan has certainly adopted manga and comic art into its curriculum more so than western societies, who are still struggling to regard graphic novels as “art” in general.

Annotated Bibliography:

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What is Manga?: The Influence of Pop Culture in Adolescent Art.  Masami Toku. //Art Education// Vol. 54, No. 2, Considering Content (Mar., 2001), pp. 11-17 Published by: [|National Art Education Association] Article Stable URL: []   =====

This article offers specific information about the genre of manga. Specifically, it focuses on how manga has developed in Japanese culture from a genre of cartoon art with a child-oriented readership to a more complex form of literature with a very diverse adult and adolescent audience. Also proposes that Manga be included in school curriculum.

What Is a Graphic Novel? Eddie Campbell. //World Literature Today// Vol. 81, No. 2, Graphic Literature (Mar. - Apr., 2007), pp. 13-15 Published by: [|University of Oklahoma] Article Stable URL: []

This article offers a short summary of many of the genres within the medium of the graphic novel. Also talks about graphic poetry, with references to the cartoon //Krazy Kat.//

Looking High and Low at Comic Art. Katherine Roeder. //American Art// Vol. 22, No. 1 Spring 2008. Published by: The University of Chicago Press. Article Stable URL: []

Talks about how comic art has typically been associated with a “lower” art form. Explores why these perceptions have been held historically, where the comic art currently stands in art society, and why it should not be considered a lower art.

//Dear Abigail: Good idea to narrow down to Manga. I don't know if this is a particularly challenging form, but it certainly has its own conventions. Looking forward to seeing a draft.//

//Bill//