Graphic novels are a book format that presents information using imagery, often compared to a comic strip.
There is disagreement about the exact definition of what is considered a graphic novel; some authors will use comic and graphic novel interchangeably, while others do not consider their work to be a comic but rather its own unique format. Libraries may classify what is a graphic novel and what is not differently based on age group. Many children's books use images heavily to support their story, but not every book with pictures is a graphic novel. At the ICC Library we designate an item as a graphic novel if it is a comic, manga, manwa, and if it is designated that way by the author or publisher. While there is disagreement, there are some commonly accepted characteristics of graphic novels, including:
Speech bubbles are used to show dialogue and conversation between characters.
Regular speech bubbles can be round or rectangular. Anger and surprise are sharp and bold. Multi-bubbles are speech...with a pause. Weary or fading speech is wiggly. Whispers are light and disconnected.
Speech bubbles normally have a pointed end facing the speaker.
Panel - Each of the boxes on a page is called a panel.
Tier - A tier is a row of panels.
Gutter - The spaces in between panels are called gutters.
Splash - An image that takes an entire panel.
Spread - An image that takes up multiple pages.
Page layouts can vary greatly.
Graphic novels in English are generally read from left to right. Some graphic novels are written from right to left, like Manga. These books will also start from what English readers consider to be the back of the book.
Plain rectangles convey captions, narration, and non-dialogue information. Dark backgrounds with light text are foreboding, heavy, or negative emotions. Depending on the color scheme of the book, these rules may not always apply.
Inner thoughts look like clouds and have little circles instead of a point.
