Crash Course in Graphic Novels

A graphic novel is like a regular novel, but it tells the story using a combination of words and images. Romanian-born artist Joseph Franz von Goez is credited with creating the first graphic novel in 1783. Called Lenardo und Blandine, above, it is an adaptation of an opera composed of 160 images and accompanying captions. Today graphic novels are so popular that they’ve been adapted for TV and film, and regularly win awards.

A graphic novel is a type of book that uses images and words together. The first known graphic novel was created in 1783 by a Romanian artist named Joseph Franz von Goez. Lenardo und Blandine, above, has 160 graphics and captions. Today graphic novels are adapted into movies and TV shows and win many awards.

Anything! Graphic novels can be about any subject, fiction or nonfiction. It’s common for artists to translate beloved novels into graphic novels, like the Goosebumps book The Haunted Mask, above. This approach engages readers in new, exciting ways. Graphic novels are also a popular way to write a memoir. Raina Telgemeier is famous for sharing stories about her youth and family in works like Sisters, below. 

Anything! They can depict real or imaginary events. Books—like the Goosebumps book The Haunted Mask, above—are often adapted into graphic novels. Graphic novels are also a popular way to write memoirs, or personal stories. Raina Telgemeier writes about her childhood in works like Sisters, below.

Fantasy narratives, including the Wings of Fire series, below, work beautifully in graphic novel form because artists can create entirely imagined worlds using a balance of words and images. And some graphic novelists tackle complex moments in history. Pearl, far below, presents the story of a young Japanese American girl during World War II.

Fantasy stories work well as graphic novels. The Wings of Fire series, below, is one example. Some graphic novelists tackle complex moments in history. Pearl, far below, is about a Japanese American girl during World War II.

It varies. Telgemeier works alone to write and illustrate memoirs like Sisters. But sometimes a writer and an illustrator or cartoonist collaborate, each contributing their own talents. For Pearl, author Sherri L. Smith and illustrator Christine Norrie worked together to develop written and visual styles that seamlessly work together to convey the story. The Haunted Mask was originally published in 1993. When Maddi Gonzalez adapted R.L. Stine’s book for a graphic novel format, she had to consider the story’s existing fans and how they’ve been imagining the story for more than 30 years.

It depends. Telgemeier writes and illustrates her memoirs. But sometimes a writer and an artist collaborate. For Pearl, author Sherri L. Smith and illustrator Christine Norrie worked together. The Haunted Mask, written by R.L. Stine, was first published in 1993. Maddi Gonzalez adapted it into a graphic novel. Gonzalez considered Stine’s fans when she designed the artwork. Fans had been imagining the story for more than 30 years!

Study the examples shown here. Graphic novels can be cartoons like the drawings in Sisters, realistic like those in Pearl, or completely imagined like in Wings of Fire. Every graphic novel has a unique style.

Graphic novels can be cartoons, like the drawings in Sisters. The illustrations can be realistic, like those in Pearl. Or they can be imagined, like in Wings of Fire.

Everyone! In recent years, there’s been an explosion of graphic novels. Since they can be about any topic, there’s at least one graphic novel out there for every reader!

Anyone! So many graphic novels have been published in recent years, and they can be about any topic. There’s one out there for everyone!

Graphic novels are a bridge between literature and the visual culture in which we live. They present stories and information in a way that’s similar to other media we encounter today: bite-size pieces like social media and dialogue like in movies and television. Think about this as you continue reading: How might this way of consuming a story transform the way you understand it?

Graphic novels share information in bite-size pieces—just like movies, TV, and social media. Graphic novels connect modern media and traditional literature.