Graphic Novels??? Should we just call them COMICS?
In his recent appearance on The Daily Show, Jerry Craft opened by telling the audience something I’ve never even considered: the fact that some people think that the term “graphic novel” means “novels with graphic (aka mature) content”.
Craft jokingly suggested that, to clear up any confusion, we start calling graphic novels “Big ol’ comics”. It got me thinking: maybe this isn’t such a crazy idea. Why not just call them comics?
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As a person working in a profession with a bit of a name issue (you should see how many people hesitate when trying to say the name of my profession: “This is our, uh, school media tech librarian teacher specialist”) this makes me wonder if we need to go back to the basics.
When I began my career, I was a media specialist. Now I call myself a school librarian. Why? No one knows what the hell a media specialist is/does. It has dawned on me that there are folks who have no idea what a “graphic novel” is. But I bet they know what a comic is.
Now, I understand the counter-arguments here. “But Travis, graphic novels are DIFFERENT from comics. Comics are short, monthly, serialized stories. A graphic novel is longer and tells one story.” True. But to that I ask, who really cares?
I might be wrong here, but wasn’t the term “graphic novel” invented to legitimize longer comic stories told within a single book? As in “No, no – this sophisticated piece of art isn’t a lowly comic. It’s a graphic novel. You can read this without shame.”
Do comics still need the graphic novel moniker in order to be taken seriously? Because I feel like we’re to the point where audiences are more open to the idea of comics as a legitimate storytelling medium.
Another counter-argument might be that we shouldn’t call graphic novels comics just because some people don’t understand the term. I understand that, but I also know (from experience – see the whole librarian/media specialist bit above) that sometimes it’s best to go with what people know. It’s easier. It might not be 100% accurate, but it makes sense. Making sense goes a long way. Never underestimate the power of simplicity.
Or maybe you just think that I am not a graphic novel creator and I should stay out of a world I don’t live in. That’s understandable. But I have a whole section of my library labeled GN and I’m wondering if maybe we should change that to C.
But I’m curious what you think. Let me know in the comments.
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About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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The things that ended up being called graphic novels were, by comic fans, called trade paperbacks or collections because they collected individual issues of things that came out over the course of years. Then when loftier, more literary titles like Watchmen, Sandman, Dark Knight Returns etc came out they slapped graphic novel on because it’s better marketing. The first thing actually called a graphic novel for a very very long time was a run Marvel did in the 80’s. They were this odd square format, typically were mature content and oftentimes had painted art or medium used that wasn’t the standard pencil/ink/color method. They had the words “graphic novel” on them. A lot of really cool stuff too.
Everything else was just comics.
Thanks for the history here, Jeff – I appreciate it!
Additional counter argument: There are more than just comics within graphic novels. Our library hosts Manga in that section as well. Manga is a graphic novel, but not a comic. And in a high school library, the distinction to the kids is important.
I see your point, but I don’t think the solution will be ‘comic.’
Good points here – thanks, Skyler!
Actually I disagree; manga are just comics! Siloing it off is weirdly orientalist and incorrect. It’s literally just comics. You can still use “manga” or “comics from japan” if you want to be specific.
How about we call them “Comic Novels?” I always like the “Novel” part of the Graphic Novel tag because I feel like it convinces a few of the skeptical/hesitant parents to let their kids read them.
That’s pretty good too, I think
Then when we get to “graphic nonfiction”/”nonfiction graphic novels” the terms get more convoluted and scary for the uninitiated, especially now that the form is going younger and younger. Graphic nonfiction reader? A graphic picture book? We definitely need better words!
Really great post with food for thought. My father-in-law was one of those people who thought graphic novels equaled graphic content. His point was similar to Jerry Craft’s and yours: the vast majority hear ‘graphic’ and make a snap judgement.
Love the term Comic Novels mentioned above for the reasons mentioned. The word ‘novel’ does have a positive impact. My libraries always had GN’s labeled as 741.5 but shelved in a separate area (there were so many!). Signage listing them as Comic Novels would likely do a lot of good both for child and adult understanding.
Thanks, Travis, for spotlighting this conversation starter!
Great food for thought. I think Jerry Craft hit the nail right on the head. I’m going to start referring to them as Big Ol’ Comics, or maybe BOC’s for short. I’d never thought about the possible confusion over the term ‘graphic’ until recently. I also think I like the term Illustrated Novels and may go with that some too, if I have to be more serious about it. Your point about simplicity is right on. Anything that can be done to make things more clear should be done.
On a separate note regarding the job title, I’ve always liked Teacher Librarian. I think it sums things up reasonably well.
Thanks for getting this conversation going, Travis! Terminology has long been a sensitive subject and regular point of confusion both within and outside our community.
“Comics” is the medium (like literature or film). “Graphic novel” is a form and genre: a book-length work of comics fiction. The thing you refer to in the post (short, monthly, serialized stories) are “comic books,” also a form and not tied to any one genre, but historically associated with superhero comics. A lot of this terminology has been standardized for a while, some of it as far back as McCloud’s Understanding Comics. But as the medium of comics continues to grow and change, we see the tension where language meets art. That’s why you’ll see nonfiction comics referred to as graphic novels. It’s not really a huge problem, but it’s also not the most accurate description.
As a community of practice, comics creators and cartoonists have a long-established vocabulary for the work we do and how we talk about it. But as for the thing itself: it’s comics!
Thanks for the insights here, Jarod!
Thanks for this detailed breakdown of the different terms. Given how volatile the world of books & libraries are I can easily see how these books can be targeted by those who don’t understand.
“Picture novels”, just to be difficult. The term “comics” will raise some hackles.