gn brief history
TRANSCRIPT
Graphic NovelsA Brief History
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GRAPHIC NOVELS: DEFINED
What’s a graphic novel?
• Broadly defined, a story told in comic book format, but presented to the reader in a book.
“Graphic” & “Novel”
• The phrase “graphic novel” is sort of a misnomer. • Not all graphic novels are “novels”.• See Persepolis.
• Not all graphic novels are “graphic”.• American Born Chinese, for example.
A Rich History
• Graphic novels have a lengthy history outside of the US. • Japan & Manga• Europe even beat us to the punch. • US & Graphic Novels started a beautiful relationship in
the 80s.
GRAPHIC NOVELS: US HISTORY
Before the days off…
1938
1940s
• “Most children (and certainly most boys) read, collected, and exchanged comic books” (Monnin).
• Many adults were scared by the intensity with which kids’ embraced such stories.
WHY THE BAD REP?
1950s• A psychologist by the
name of Wertham denounced comics and claimed they were causing kids to turn “bad”.
• Many communities organized comic book burnings.
Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency Hearings (1954)
• Televised trials• Young people + comics
= juvenile delinquents• Only horror & crime
books investigated• Politicians, educators,
doctors, and comic creators were present
Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency Hearings (1954)
• Let’s do a close reading of the statement of purpose regarding these trials.
Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency Hearings (1954)
• Created a biased representation• Comic content “toned down” as a result• However, the public still linked crime,
horror, and delinquency to comics
1960s• Comic books were
virtually left for dead.• Appealed now to a
narrow field of hardcore fans.
1970s• Comic artists set out
to prove that image literacies could:• Appeal to a wide
audience (kids & adults alike)
• Operate on a serious, literary level
1980s & 1990s
• Maus I (1986) & Maus II (1991) = game changers• US Graphic novels was born.
• Brought new readers to the world of graphic novels. • Novel readers were reading comic books.
• We got the stories of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns out of this era, too.
Today’s Entertainment
Today’s Entertainment
• Clearly includes graphic novels
• Book store sections are overflowing
• Manga is has a growing fan-base.
What’s More?
• You can learn from reading them, too!
The truth…• Comics are more than superheroes, aliens, crime, and
violence. • Many subjects are successfully represented in comic books…• History/historical fiction• Science• Biography• Geography• Math• Classics/ poetry• Mythology/folklore/tall tales
Works Cited
Monnin, Katie. Teaching Graphic Novels. Gainsville, FL: Maupin House Publishing, 2010. Print.