Graphic Novels

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Graphic Novels LIBRARY NEWSLETTER WORDS: MISS M ISSUE 8 DESIGN: MISS M Dear Students, THEME OF Graphic novels have a long and illustrious history, particularly in countries such as Japan and France! In the past few decades, they’ve also become more popular in Comics & More English-speaking countries, with higher sales, more recognition and greater acclaim. Most people are familiar with superhero comics or magazines like The Beano, but THE WEEK graphic novels are so much more! Today we’re celebrating the richness and diversity of the medium, plus recommending some brilliant reads. THETHE WEEK WEEK WHAT ARE COMICS? WHAT IS MANGA? WHAT ARE ATHE comic WEEKis a publication that uses art to Manga is the umbrella term for comics or GRAPHIC NOVELS? tell a story, usually in the form of panels. graphic novels originating in Japan. Unlike The phrase ‘graphic novel’ has been The earliest example of comic books in western comics, manga is read right-to- contentious since its first use in the the Western world date back to the 1920’s left instead of left-to-right. That’s because 1960’s! The term in its most basic sense and 30’s, when the medium became Japanese writing is read this way! Most refers simply to a book written in the popular in Britain and the US. Incredibly, publishers choose not to ‘flip’ illustrations style of a comic, where the story or some of those early publications are still to preserve the integrity of the art. This can narrative THEis expressed WEEK through a running: The Beano’s first issue was take some practice to get used to but combination of images and text. As released in 1938 and is still being enjoyed becomes easier over time. In Japan, comics became more adventurous in by people today! Since the introduction of manga is often serialised in magazines. If a the 1970’s, some illustrators and Superman in 1938, superheroes have series is popular, its chapters are then publishers employed the term to been one of the most popular comic collated and published in books known as distinguish between their more genres – but don’t make the mistake of tankōbon. These tankōbon are the experimental projects and the cartoons believing that’s all comics are about! volumes of manga we read in the UK! published in periodicals. As the comics medium was often looked down upon, RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED some felt that the phrase ‘graphic novel’ added credibility and prestige. COMICS MANGA The term became popular when Will Eisner, an American cartoonist, What would you do with a released A Contract With God, an The Tiny Titans series notebook with the power ambitious literary comic. Eisner wanted features funny short stories to kill anyone whose name the book to be published by a andTHE comic WEEK strips about DC THE WEEK is written on the pages? mainstream company sold in superheroes as kids! They’re Death Note is a twisty bookshops rather than comic stores; his not only hilarious, but serve THE WEEK THEpsychological WEEK thriller publisher therefore promoted the book as a brilliant introduction to about morality that follows the battle of as a “graphic novel”. From then on, it The DC universe. If you’re already a wits between teenage genius Light became the accepted term for a comics fan, you’ll also appreciate in- Yagami and the enigmatic detective L. book-length comic. Today, the phrase jokes from classic series. For something For something a little lighter, try the is generally used to refer to longer more educational, try Corpse Talk, which fantastical Witch Hat Atelier, which was stories, published as bound volumes, looks at famous figures from history. shortlisted for the 2020 Excelsior Award. with definite endings. LIBRARIAN’S CORNER RESOURCES RECOMMENDED This week, we’re recommending our If you’re interested in comics, there’s GRAPHIC NOVELS favourite comic reads! plenty of resources out there! Comichaus, Award-winning author an indie comics app, is giving away a Mrs P enjoys Raina Telgemeier’s Ghosts. free month of access to its entire library of Raina Telgemeier is known She thought the landscape illustrations comics until the end of lockdown. forTHE her WEEKwarm, funny stories were beautiful and enjoyed the kidscomics.com publishes daily updates about life as a teenager. In relationship between the sisters! on the latest comic releases aimed at Drama, theatre-loving THE WEEK young people. If you’d rather create your CallieTHE WEEKbecomes involved Mrs B loved Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona. own comics, BBC Bitesize has a wonderful in her school’s production crew, with which tells the story of a shape-shifting series of tutorials for creating graphic drama ensuing both on-stage and off! If girl who wants to be a villain’s sidekick. novels. Finally, for inspiring comic art, why you prefer more romance, try Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper, an LGBT+ love Miss M loved the fantasy manga Fushigi not check out comicartfans.com? With story about friendship, loyalty and Yugi so much when she was a teenager, over 450,000 pieces of original art in its mental illness. she even wrote an essay about it! gallery, it’s a wonderful place to start! .
Recommended publications
  • Understanding Manga, Comics and Graphic Novels. Dr Mel
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Northumbria Research Link ‘So what is this mango, anyway?’ Understanding manga, comics and graphic novels. Dr Mel Gibson. Literacy Consultant and Senior Lecturer, University of Northumbria. Graphic novels, comics and manga can play an important part in encouraging reading for pleasure amongst students of any age and also have a role in teaching in many subject areas. I’m going to offer a small snapshot of the least well known of these, manga, below, but want to start with a few general points about the comic strip medium. Graphic novels, comics and manga are often seen as texts specifically for younger male reluctant readers, but such an assumption underestimates this enormously flexible medium, as it can be used to create complex works of fiction or non-fiction for adults and young adults, male and female, as well as humourous stories for the very young. The comic strip has been used to create a range of work that encompasses the superb Alice in Sunderland, by British creator Bryan Talbot, which explores memory, history and the nature of narrative, drawing on poetry, plays and novels, as well as other comics from around the world, as well as the slapstick humour of The Beano, with it’s cross-generational appeal and playful approach to language and image. It also includes television spin-offs, most notably, perhaps, The Simpsons and Futurama, which offer clever, witty takes on family, relationships and media, as well as genres that have generated spin-offs in other media, like superhero comics, themselves capable of addressing a huge range of ages and abilities.
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  • Chapter 3 Heroines in a Time of War: Nelvana of the Northern Lights And
    Chapter 3 Heroines in a Time of War: Nelvana of the Northern Lights and Wonder Woman as Symbols of the United States and Canada Scores of superheroes emerged in comic books just in time to defend the United States and Canada from the evil machinations of super-villains, Hitler, Mussolini, and other World War II era enemies. By 1941, War Nurse Pat Parker, Miss America, Pat Patriot, and Miss Victory were but a few of the patriotic female characters who had appeared in comics to fight villains and promote the war effort. These characters had all but disappeared by 1946, a testament to their limited wartime relevance. Though Nelvana of the Northern Lights (hereafter “Nelvana”) and Wonder Woman first appeared alongside the others in 1941, they have proven to be more enduring superheroes than their crime-fighting colleagues. In particular, Nelvana was one of five comic book characters depicted in the 1995 Canada Post Comic Book Stamp Collection, and Wonder Woman was one of ten DC Comics superheroes featured in the 2006 United States Postal Service (USPS) Commemorative Stamp Series. The uniquely enduring iconic statuses of Nelvana and Wonder Woman result from their adventures and character development in the context of World War II and the political, social, and cultural climates in their respective English-speaking areas of North America. Through a comparative analysis of Wonder Woman and Nelvana, two of their 1942 adventures, and their subsequent deployment through government-issued postage stamps, I will demonstrate how the two characters embody and reinforce what Michael Billig terms “banal nationalism” in their respective national contexts.
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  • “I Am the Villain of This Story!”: the Development of the Sympathetic Supervillain
    “I Am The Villain of This Story!”: The Development of The Sympathetic Supervillain by Leah Rae Smith, B.A. A Thesis In English Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved Dr. Wyatt Phillips Chair of the Committee Dr. Fareed Ben-Youssef Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School May, 2021 Copyright 2021, Leah Rae Smith Texas Tech University, Leah Rae Smith, May 2021 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to share my gratitude to Dr. Wyatt Phillips and Dr. Fareed Ben- Youssef for their tutelage and insight on this project. Without their dedication and patience, this paper would not have come to fruition. ii Texas Tech University, Leah Rae Smith, May 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………….ii ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………...iv I: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………….1 II. “IT’S PERSONAL” (THE GOLDEN AGE)………………………………….19 III. “FUELED BY HATE” (THE SILVER AGE)………………………………31 IV. "I KNOW WHAT'S BEST" (THE BRONZE AND DARK AGES) . 42 V. "FORGIVENESS IS DIVINE" (THE MODERN AGE) …………………………………………………………………………..62 CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………………………76 BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………………82 iii Texas Tech University, Leah Rae Smith, May 2021 ABSTRACT The superhero genre of comics began in the late 1930s, with the superhero growing to become a pop cultural icon and a multibillion-dollar industry encompassing comics, films, television, and merchandise among other media formats. Superman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and their colleagues have become household names with a fanbase spanning multiple generations. However, while the genre is called “superhero”, these are not the only costume clad characters from this genre that have become a phenomenon.
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  • An Examination of Superhero Tropes in My Hero Academia
    The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Master's Projects and Capstones Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects Spring 5-29-2020 The World’s Greatest Hero: An Examination of Superhero Tropes in My Hero Academia Jerry Waller [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone Part of the Comparative Literature Commons, Japanese Studies Commons, Modern Literature Commons, and the Visual Studies Commons Recommended Citation Waller, Jerry, "The World’s Greatest Hero: An Examination of Superhero Tropes in My Hero Academia" (2020). Master's Projects and Capstones. 1006. https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/1006 This Project/Capstone is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Projects and Capstones by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The World’s Greatest Hero: An Examination of Superhero Tropes in My Hero Academia ​ Jerry Waller APS 650: MAPS Capstone Seminar May 17, 2020 1 Abstract In this paper the author explores the cross-cultural transmission of genre archetypes in illustrated media. Specifically, the representation of the archetype of American superheroes as represented in the Japanese manga and anime series, My Hero Academia. Through ​ ​ examination of the extant corpus of manga chapters and anime episodes for the franchise, the author draws comparison between characters and situations in the manga series with examples from American comic books by Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
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  • Comics and Webcomics: Super-Heroes, Over-Heroes and Poser-Heroes
    H-ermes. Journal of Communication H-ermes, J. Comm. 19 (2021), 249-262 ISSN 2284-0753, DOI 10.1285/i22840753n19p249 http://siba-ese.unisalento.it Comics and webcomics: super-heroes, over-heroes and poser-heroes Heraldo Aparecido Silva Comics and webcomics: super-heroes, over-heroes and poser-heroes. This article aims to analyse the superhero subgenre in comic books and webcomics. First, the study focuses on the characteristics of hero, superhero and antihero categories. Then we briefly describe some contemporary aspect of the history of the stories in superhero comics to propose the inclusion of two new sub-categories: the over-hero and the poser-hero. The theoretical foundation is based on authors such as: Moya (1977; 1994; 2003), Eco (1993), Mix (1993), Beirce (1993), Bloom (2002; 2003), McLauglin (2005), Knowles (2008), Irwin (2009), Mazur; Danner (2014), among others. The literature specializing in comic books and philosophical perspectives functions as analytical and theoretical support for the interpretation of themes taken from the superhero universe.With the advent of computer graphics and the internet, comic books have conquered new formats, new technologies and new audiences from a democratized distribution. In addition, two factors are important to understand the relevance of webcomics to the history of comics. First, as comics in print are scanned, the comics/webcomics distinction is not exclusive. In this text, we discuss about heroes and superheroes that can be found and read in both printed and digital formats. Second, webcomics have enabled many artists to achieve more visibility for their work through social media. From this perspective, we argue that the notion of webcomics evolve from the notion of comics.
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  • Intercultural Crossovers, Transcultural Flows: Manga/Comics
    Intercultural Crossovers, Transcultural Flows: Manga/Comics (Global Manga Studies, vol. 2) Jaqueline Berndt, ed. Kyoto Seika University International Manga Research Center 2012 Table of Contents Introduction 1 Jaqueline BERNDT 1: Particularities of boys’ manga in the early 21st century: How NARUTO 9 differs from DRAGON BALL ITŌ Gō 2. Subcultural entrepreneurs, path dependencies and fan reactions: The 17 case of NARUTO in Hungary Zoltan KACSUK 3 .The NARUTO fan generation in Poland: An attempt at contextualization 33 Radosław BOLAŁEK 4. Transcultural Hybridization in Home-Grown German Manga 49 Paul M. MALONE 5. On the depiction of love between girls across cultures: comparing the 61 U.S.- American webcomic YU+ME: dream and the yuri manga “Maria- sama ga miteru” Verena MASER 6. Gekiga as a site of intercultural exchange: Tatsumi Yoshihiro’s A 73 Drifting Life Roman ROSENBAUM 7. The Eye of the Image: Transcultural characteristics and intermediality 93 in Urasawa Naoki’s transcultural narrative 20th Century Boys Felix GIESA & Jens MEINRENKEN 8. Cool Premedialisation as Symbolic Capital of Innovation: On 107 Intercultural Intermediality between Comics, Literature, Film, Manga, and Anime Thomas BECKER 9. Reading (and looking at) Mariko Parade-A methodological suggestion 119 for understanding contemporary graphic narratives Maaheen AHMED Epilogue 135 Steffi RICHTER Introduction Kyoto Seika University’s International Manga Research Center is supposed to organize one international conference per year. The first was held at the Kyoto International Manga Museum in December 2009,1 and the second at the Cultural Institute of Japan in Cologne, Germany, September 30 - October 2, 2010. This volume assembles about half of the then-given papers, mostly in revised version.
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    Heroes and superheroes: from myth to the American comic book Hougaard Winterbach Faculty of Arts, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria. E-mail: [email protected] This article demonstrates that the mythological hero who appears in myth, legend and folklore has resurfaced in the twentieth century as the American comic book superhero. First, the differences between the hero and the superhero are explained. Then the characteristics of the archaic hero are discussed to show its parallels with the modern superhero. The argument is based on Joseph Campbell’s formulation of the complex pattern in the stages of the adventure of the hero. An analysis of a superhero comic book, Daredevil: Born Again, serves to show how these different stages, as distinguished by Campbell, form the basis for both the archaic and the American comic book superhero. Helde en superhelde: van mite tot die Amerikaanse strokiesprent Hierdie artikel demonstreer dat die mitologiese held wat in mites, legendes en volksverhale verskyn, sy herverskyning maak in die twintigste eeu in die vorm van die Amerikaanse strokiesprent superheld. Die verskille tussen die held en die superheld word eerstens bespreek. Vervolgens word die eienskappe van die argaïese held bespreek om die ooreenkomste met die moderne superheld aan te toon. Die argument is gebaseer op Joseph Campbell se formulering van die komplekse patroon in die fases van die held se avontuur. 'n Analise van 'n superheld strokiesprent (Daredevil: Born Again) toon hoe hierdie verskillende fases, soos deur Campbell onderskei, die basis vir sowel die argaïese held as vir die Amerikaanse strokiesprent vorm. he superhero1 has been a key character in the comic book, published largely in the United States of America, since 1938.
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  • The Superhero
    The Superhero ENGL 108A, Section 002 M/W 1:00-2:20 ML 349 Instructor Info Instructor: Philip Miletic Office: PAS 1061, AKA The Fortress of Solitude Office Hours: M/W 2:30-4:00 pm, or can assemble by appointment Email: [email protected] Course description This course is a critical examination of the hero figure across comic books, film, and TV. While this course mostly focuses on Marvel and DC comic book superheroes, we will be looking at superheroes beyond Marvel/DC. Throughout the course, we will learn about the historical and cultural context surrounding the emergence and development of a selection of heroes. We will look at how each text on our syllabus represents or explores tensions surrounding: the relationship between the individual and society; concepts of justice, moral action, and ethical responsibility; the power struggle between heroes and villains; national borders, community membership, and cross-cultural understandings; and social investments in particular forms of identity and images of embodiment. In this course, you will have the opportunity to develop and strengthen your skills in close reading, academic writing, critical thinking, and researching in the field of English. We will focus on topics in comics studies, including the relationship between image and text in graphic narrative, and the development, adaptation, and subversion of canonical characters and stories. Our course is divided into three units: The Traditional Superhero In this unit of the course, we will explore traditional superhero figures: their death, their origins, and their responsibilities. Additionally, we will be learning the ground work methods of interpreting and analyzing comics and its graphic narrative form, as well as discussing the adaptation of superhero figures.
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  • Bodies in Transition. Queering the Comic Book Superhero
    QUEER(ING) POPULAR CULTURE BODIES IN TRANSITION Queering the Comic Book Superhero BY DANIEL STEIN ABSTRACT This essay analyzes the comic book superhero as a popular figure whose queer- ness follows as much from the logic of the comics medium and the aesthetic prin- ciples of the genre as it does from a dialectic tension between historically evolving heteronormative and queer readings. Focusing specifically on the superbody as an overdetermined site of gendered significances, the essay traces a shift from the ostensibly straight iterations in the early years of the genre to the more recent appearance of openly queer characters. It further suggests that the struggle over the superbody’s sexual orientation and gender identity has been an essential force in the development of the genre from its inception until the present day. The comic book superhero has been a figure of the popular imagination for eight decades, if we count Superman’s appearance in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) as the beginning of the genre. Almost as old as the genre itself are associations of the superhero with what the American amateur psychologist Gershon Legman de- scribed as »an undercurrent of homosexuality and sado-masochism«1 in his book Love and Death (1949). These associations became part of the broader public dis- course when the German-born psychiatrist Frederic Wertham expanded on them in Seduction of the Innocent (1954), a flawed but popular study of the effects of comic-book reading on juveniles that played into the climate of sexual anxieties at the height of the so-called comics scare.
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  • Superheroes and Identities: an Introduction
    Superheroes and Identities: An Introduction EDITOR 1: Mel Gibson Address: CETL Hub@CLC, 1 Coach Lane, Coach Lane Campus, Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7XA Telephone: 0191 215 6378 Email: [email protected] Biographical note: Dr. Mel Gibson is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Northumbria, UK. Her research is in Comics and Graphic Novels, Picturebooks and Children’s Literature. She runs training and promotional events about comics, manga, visual literacies and graphic novels for libraries, schools. Her website is http://www.dr-mel-comics.co.uk/. EDITOR 2: David Huxley Address: Address: Manchester Metropolitan University, 307 Chatham Building, Department of Media, Cavendish St, Manchester, M15 6BR. Telephone:01612471942 Email: [email protected] Biographical note: David Huxley is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is editor of Routledge's 'The Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics' (2010 - ) and has drawn and written a wide range of adult and children's comics. Academic research is in censorship and the media. EDITOR 3: Joan Ormrod (corresponding author) Address: Manchester Metropolitan University, 307 Chatham Building, Department of Media, Cavendish St, Manchester, M15 6BR. Telephone: 01612471938 Email: [email protected] Biographical note: Joan Ormrod is a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is editor of Routledge's The Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics (2010-). Her research areas are in women in comics, subcultures and fantasy. 1 Superheroes and identities: an introduction The superhero represents, in many ways, the aspirations, concerns and dreams of contemporary life. Superhero films became the biggest genre in Hollywood after 9/11 and they are the focus of top selling video games.
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  • Superhero Comics: Artifacts of the U.S. Experience Dr
    Superhero Comics: Artifacts of the U.S. Experience Dr. Julian C. Chambliss Sequential SmArt: A Conference on Teaching with Comics, May 19, 2012 Julian Chambliss is Associate Professor of History at Rollins College. n the last two decades, comic books and comic book heroes have experienced increased scholarly I interest. This attention has approached comic books and characters as myth, sought context of the superhero archetype, and used comic books as cultural markers for postwar America. What all of these efforts share is an acknowledgement that comic books and superheroes offer a distinct means to understand U. S. culture.1 The place of comic books in contemporary discussion of the American experience has been seen as space linked to popular culture. The comic book genre, especially its most popular aspect, the superhero, uses visual cues to reduce individual characters into representations of cultural ideas. This process has allowed characters to become powerful representations of nationalism (Superman), or the search for societal stability (Batman), or struggles over femininity (Wonder Woman). Scholars have established the importance of heroic characterization as a means to inform societal members about collective expectations and behavioral ideas.2 In many ways, the use of comics in the classroom has become standardized over the last few years as teachers have discovered the medium’s ability to engage students. Indeed, academic conferences like this one have grown in number as scholars have rediscovered what we all know: kids who read comics tend to go on and read other material.3 Perhaps the most visible and lauded use of comics is in the History classroom, following the pattern established with the successful integration of comics focused on war and politics, found notably in Maus by Art Spiegelman and, more recently, in Alan’s War: The Memories of G.I.
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  • The Marvel Comic Collector's Information Resource Guide
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