Adults Want to Have Fun (Too!)--Graphic Novels

Adults Just Wantto Have Fun (Too!)

Graphic Novelsfor a Mature Audience

Don Boozer

dboozer@cpl.org

Anastasia Diamond-Ortiz

anastasia.diamond-ortiz@cpl.org>

What are COMICS ?• Comics are a

MEDIUM...NOT a genre• The average age of comics

buyers is 23 (TIME, 6/30/08)• Think comics are something

new?...

A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING

Visual storytelling started over 30,000 years ago. Skeptical?

A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING

Moving onto 1275 BC, it was eventually picked up by the Egyptians…

A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING

Next, we come to Trajan’s Column in AD 113…

A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING

Finally, we come to 1066 AD and the most famous piece of medieval VISUAL NONFICTION…

What is a GRAPHIC NOVEL ?

• Single issue comics• Trade paperbacks• Graphic novels

– “sequential art”– “comic-strip novel”– “picture novella”– “graphic literature”– plain old “comics”

How to Tell the DifferenceBetween Graphic Novels

for Children, Teens, and Adults• Rating Systems: • Varying levels of sex, blood, gore, & adult

themes...– “The Ten Gallon Rule”

• Don’s criteria: “Would I be comfortable recommending this to my 16-year old daughter?”

• “Adult” graphic novels vs. graphic novels “for adults”

Practical Concerns

• Purchasing

• Cataloging

• Shelving

Award-winning Graphic Novels

Pulitzer Prize, 1992

TIME Magazine #1 Book of the Year

Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, 2007

Hugo Award, 1988

– plus only graphic novel on TIME Magazine’s All-time 100 Best Novels, 2005

Films, Games, TV...

The BIG Guys!

Who Belongs to Whom?

Looks Can Be Deceiving…The Big Guys…Looking Independent

Independents & Self-Publishers

Independents & Self-Publishers

Dark Horse ComicsDrawn & QuarterlyFantagraphics BooksIDW PublishingImage ComicsTop Cow Productions, Inc.Top Shelf Productions

Manga! Manga!

International/European

Dealing With Challenges

…and this is just the beginning!For additional suggestions and resources, check out

the handouts and our SlideShare site at ….

THANK YOU...