Graphic Novels : Graphic Novels in Education

"Focusing on the art and literary form of manga, this volume examines the intercultural exchanges that have shaped manga during the twentieth century and how manga's culturalization is related to its globalization. Through contributions from leading scholars in the fields of comics and Japanese culture, it describes "manga culture" in two ways: as a fundamentally hybrid culture comprised of both subcultures and transcultures, and as an aesthetic culture which has eluded modernist notions of art, originality, and authorship. The latter is demonstrated in a special focus on the best-selling manga franchise, NARUTO"-

Focuses on English-language comics with special emphasis on the new graphic novel format that emerged in the 1970s.

"The Graphic Novel offers an examination and analysis of the contemporary graphic novel as literature. Specific attention will be paid to the use of narrative genre in the graphic novel (e.g. the superhero graphic novel, the crime narrative graphic novel, the horror graphic novel, and the realistic/fantastic graphic novel). Attention will also be paid to the most important and most frequently discussed graphic novels published during the past three decades, including Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, The Crow by J. O'Barr, Sin City: The Hard Goodbye by Frank Miller, The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner, A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories by Will Eisner, Maus by Art Spiegelman. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, and Sandman: preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth (et al)."--Publisher's website.

Heroes and superheroes provides insight into more than 130 of the most popular and studied graphic novels. These essays look beyond the pop culture aspects of the medium to show the wide range of literary themes and artistic styles used to convey beliefs and conflicts, some harking back to ancient times. They challenge the researcher to see beyond the panels of a comic book, and show readers how the themes of ancient literary tradition are still alive in the literature of graphic novels.

This book offers in-depth insight into themes and topics related to graphic novels. It provides insight into various aspects of the industry, from craftsmanship such as lettering, inking, and illustration styles, to the production and distribution of graphic novels and the significance and history of comic book conventions.

This three volume set covers over 215 well-regarded works of the independent and underground genre of graphic novels, summarizing plots and analyzing the works in terms of their literary integrity and overall contribution to the graphic novel landscape.

Provides insight into the most popular and studied manga graphic novels. The manga tradition includes josei manga, which targets a mature female audience, shoujo-ai manga, which focuses on the spiritual, sexual, or emotional aspects of relationships, shonen-ai, manga created by female authors that focuses on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, and kodomo manga, created exclusively for a young audience.

"The book provides a helpful overview of the increasingly important role that graphic novels play in collection development. David S. Serchay covers both American and foreign works, and provides invaluable insight into their growing use in university and higher education settings, as well as their historical content, use in targeted library programs, and of course, their ties to popular media and entertainment. There is also instruction for deciding exactly which novels to purchase, how best to manage your collection, and tips for displaying and promoting books to your patrons. Plus, you'll find guidance for dealing with common issues that may arise, like knowing which graphic novels might be inappropriate for younger readers, as well as an invaluable list of recommended purchases, further reading and electronic resources."--Jacket.

This title acknowledges the explosion in graphic publishing, including titles on every possible topic, for every age group, spanning avant-garde experimentation through traditional retellings of classics.

"These essays combine close analyses of popular television shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer; such films as The Matrix, The Dark Knight and Twilight; Watchmen and other graphic novels; and video games; with explanations of how best to use these and similar works in the classroom"--Provided by publisher.

"The essays in this collection discuss how comics and graphic narratives can be useful primary texts and learning tools in college and university classes across different disciplines. The book brings together discussions among teacher-scholars to advance the scholarship on teaching comics and graphic narratives--and provides scholars with useful references, critical approaches, and particular case studies"--Provided by publisher.

For millions of fans around the world, Joss Whedon is known as the cult creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel", and "Firefly", television designed to be, as he says, 'an emotional experience, to be loved in a way that other shows can't be loved'. Whedon's works, the "Whedonverses", have generated astonishing critical and scholarly interest, but nothing has hitherto investigated in depth their source: the mind of Joss Whedon. An intellectual biography written by world expert on the Whedonverse David Lavery, this book tracks Whedon's multi-faceted magic from the source - early influences of parents and teachers, comics, books, films, television, collaborators - to artistic incarnation, including Whedon's "Dollhouse". Whedon's imaginative output is not limited to the small screen, of course. He's written film scripts and music, comic books and essays; he's contributed to other people's TV shows, and made a movie, all in less than twenty years of creative work. Lavery explores all these, as well as Joss in his many guises: as fan boy, script doctor, librettist, writer, actor, TV auteur, and aspiring movie director.

The 2005 James McTeigue and Wachowski Brothers film V for Vendetta represents a postmodern pastiche, a collection of fragments pasted together from the original Moore and Lloyd graphic novel of the same name, along with numerous allusions to literature, history, cinema, music, art, politics, and medicine. Paralleling the graphic novel, the film simultaneously reflects a range of authorial contributions and influences.
This work examines in detail the intersecting texts of V for Vendetta. Subjects include the alternative dimensions of the cinematic narrative, represented in the film's conspicuous placement of the painting The Lady of Shalott in V's home; the film's overt allusions to the AIDS panic of the 1980s; and the ways in which antecedent narratives such as Terry Gilliam's Brazil, Huxley's Brave New World, and Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 represent shadow texts frequently crossing through the overall V for Vendetta narrative.

Comics, graphic novels, sequential art have gained unprecedented legitimacy. The articles collected in this volume provide an overview of this wildly diverse, increasingly popular, and widely accepted form of literature. --from editor's preface.

Graphic novels are now appearing in a great variety of courses: composition, literature, drama, popular culture, travel, art, translation. The thirty-four essays in this volume explore issues that the new art form has posed for teachers at the university level.--From publisher description.

Graphic novels have exploded off bookstore shelves into movies, college courses, and the New York Times book review, and comics historian and children's literature specialist Stephen Weiner explains the phenomenon in this groundbreaking book--the first history of graphic novels. From the agonizing Holocaust vision of Art Spiegelman's Maus to the teenage angst of Dan Clowes's Ghost World, this study enters the heart of the graphic novel revolution. The complete history of this popular format is explained, from the first modern, urban autobiographical graphic novel, Will Eisner's A Contract with God, to the dark mysteries of Neil Gaiman's Sandman, the postmodern superheroics of Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight, and breakout books such as Alison Bechdel's Fun Home and R. Crumb's The Book of Genesis. It's all here in this newly updated edition, which contains the must-reads, the milestones, the most recent developments, and what to look for in the future of this exciting medium.

"This critical text examines the seventy-year history of comic book superheroes on film and in comic books and their reflections of the politics of their time. Superheroes addressed include Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Superman, the Invisible Woman and the X-Men, and topics covered include American wars, conflicts, and public policy"--Provided by publisher.

In this thoughtful, engaging, and at times eye-opening volume, the author, a writer and well-known authority on the psychology of superheroes, offers readers a wealth of insight into superheroes, drawing on the contributions of a top group of psychologists and other scholars. The book ranges widely and tackles many intriguing questions. How do comic characters and stories reflect human nature? Do super powers alone make a hero super? Are superhero stories good for us? Most contributors answer that final question in the affirmative. One of the authors, for instance, argues that we all can learn a lot from superheroes, and what we can learn most of all is the value of wisdom and an ethical stance toward life. On the other hand, another author, a scholar of restorative justice decries the fact that justice in the comic-book world is almost entirely punitive, noting extreme examples such as "Rorschach" in The Watchmen and the aptly named "The Punisher, who embrace a strict eye-for-an-eye sense of justice, delivered instantly and without mercy. In the end, the appeal of Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and legions of others is simple and elemental. Superheroes provide drama, excitement, suspense, and romance and their stories showcase moral dilemmas, villains we love to hate, and protagonists who inspire us. Perhaps as important, their stories allow us to recapture periods of our childhood when our imaginations were cranked up to the maximum, when we really believed we could fly, or knock down the bad guy, or save the city from disaster. -- Publisher's description.

"This book explores the connections between comics and the Gothic from four different angles: historical, formal, cultural and textual. It identifies structures, styles and themes drawn from literary Gothic traditions and discusses their presence in British and American comics today, with particular attention to the DC Vertigo imprint"--

Comic books are a true literature, according to this book, which aims to prove its point by comparing the medium to memoir, Holocaust memoir and photography, journalism, film, and the "classics" of literature. The author, for example, compares autobiographical comics to memoir, suggesting that the best comics raise the same issues as their prose counterparts and with as much sophistication, but also arguing that the nature of the medium allows comic book writers to explore issues of self-representation in ways not available to the prose memoirist. Similarly, he compares Art Spiegelman's Maus to Holocaust memoir and photography; journalistic comics such as Joe Sacco's Palestine or The Fixer to the "New Journalists" of the 1960s, war comics to war films, and comic adaptations of canonical literature to the originals.

"Originally published in France and long sought in English translation, Jean-Paul Gabilliet's Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books documents the rise and development of the American comic book industry from the 1930s to the present. The book intertwines aesthetic issues and critical biographies with the concerns of production, distribution, and audience reception, making it one of the few interdisciplinary studies of the art form. A thorough preface by translators and comics scholars Bart Beaty and Nick Nguyen brings the book up to date. The book is organized into three sections: a concise history of the evolution of the comic book form in America; an overview of the distribution and consumption of American comic books, detailing specific controversies such as the creation of the Comics Code in the mid-1950s; and the problematic legitimization of the form that has occurred recently within the academy and in popular discourse. Viewing comic books from a variety of theoretical lenses, Gabilliet shows how seemingly disparate issues--creation, production, and reception--are in fact connected in ways that are not necessarily true of other art forms. Analyzing examples from a variety of genres, this book provides a thorough landmark overview of American comic books that sheds new light on this versatile art form."--Cover.

Title: The Avengers and philosophy : Earth's mightiest thinkers
Add. Author/Contrib.: Mark D. White 1971- editor of compilation.
Subjects: Avengers (Fictitious characters) ; Comic books, strips, etc -- Moral and ethical aspects ; Superheroes in literature ; Superhero films -- History and criticism ; Philosophy in literature ; Philosophy in motion pictures ; Philosophy -- General
Notes: Superhuman ethics class with the Avengers prime / Mark D. White -- Shining the light on the dark Avengers / Sarah Donovan and Nick Richardson -- The Avengers : earth's mightiest family / Jason Southworth and Ruth Tallman -- Superhero identity : case studies in the Avengers / Stephen M. Nelson -- I am made of ink : She-Hulk and metacomics / Roy T. Cook -- The self-corruption of Norman Osborn : a cautionary tale / Robert Powell -- Forgivers assemble! / Daniel P. Malloy -- Gods, beasts, and political animals : why the Avengers assemble / Tony Spanakos -- Cap's kooky quartet : is rehabilitation possible? / Andrew Terjesen -- Fighting the good fight : military ethics and the Kree-Skrull War / Christopher Robichaud -- Secrets and lies : compromising the Avenger's values for the good of the world / Louis P. Melançon -- The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. : the problem with proactive superheroics / Arno Bogaerts -- Can Kang kill his past self? The paradox of time travel / Andrew Zimmerman Jones -- "No Other Gods Before Me" : God, ontology, and ethics in the Avengers' universe / Adam Barkman -- Love Avengers style : can an android love a human? / Charles Klayman -- The way of the arrow : Hawkeye meets the Taoist masters / Mark D. White.
"An engaging look at the philosophical underpinnings of Earth's Mightiest Heroes-timed for the release of Joss Whedon's long-awaited film adaptation Avengers, assemble! Tackling intriguing dilemmas and issues that no single great philosopher can withstand, this powerful book enlists the brainpower of an A-list team of history's most prominent thinkers to explore the themes behind the action of Marvel Comics' all-star superhero team. Arms you with new insights into the characters and themes of The Avengers. Deepens your appreciation both of The Avengers comics and the Joss Whedon movie adaptation Answers the philosophical questions you've always had about Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including: Can a reformed criminal become a superhero? Can an android love a human? If a hero beats his wife, is he still a hero? Helps you think differently about the members of the superhero team-Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the others This thought-provoking book will help you understand this band of superheroes better, whether you've followed the Avengers for years or are a Joss Whedon fan just getting to know them"--Provided by publisher.

"Watchmen has been hailed as the quintessential graphic novel and has spawned a body of literary criticism since its 1986 release. This work explores the graphic novel's reception in both popular and scholarly arenas and how the conceptual relationship between images and words affect the reading experience"--Provided by publisher.

"Watchmen is the most critically acclaimed graphic novel ever published and turned the world of comic superheroes on its head. This masterpiece of realistic storytelling, dialogue, and artwork, courtesy of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, raises a host of compelling philosophical questions. How do Ozymandias and Rorschach justify their actions? What are the political ramifications of the Comedian's work for the government? How do we explain the nature of Dr. Manhattan? And can a graphic novel be considered literature? Whether you're reading Watchmen for the first time or have been a fan for more than twenty years, Watchmen and Philosophy will help you read deeper into the philosophical questions and the revolutionary story that changed comic fiction forever."--Jacket.

Dave Gibbons presents a behind-the-scenes account of how this ground-breaking work come to be. Gibbons has kept a thorough record of the production of the series in all its forms, and lends his memories - and a wealth of previously unpublished art - to this incredible guide to all things Watchmen. Never-before-revealed secrets include early versions of the series' iconic characters, correspondence and editorial notes chronicling the work's evolution, and thumbnail sketches that show how Watchmen's complex story and art dovetailed so perfectly. And Gibbons gives his own chronological account of Watchmen's creation, including discarded concepts, secret origins, and occasional misadventures." "Long studied for its recurring images, symbolism, and intense level of detail, Watchmen here finally receives the full attention and historical overview it deserves, directly from one of its creators. Filled with archival materials and eye-popping images - presented by acclaimed book designers Chip Kidd and Mike Essl - Watching the Watchmen is the essential companion to the original graphic novel.

Over the past twenty years, Neil Gaiman has developed into the premier fantasist of his generation, achieving that rarest of combinations—unrivaled critical respect and extraordinary commercial success. From the landmark comic book series The Sandman to novels such as the New York Times bestselling American Gods and Anansi Boys, from children’s literature like Coraline to screenplays for such films as Beowulf, Gaiman work has garnered him an enthusiastic and fiercely loyal, global following. To comic book fans, he is Zeus in the pantheon of creative gods, having changed that industry forever. For discerning readers, he bridges the vast gap that traditionally divides lovers of “literary” and “genre” fiction. Gaiman is truly a pop culture phenomenon, an artist with a magic touch whose work has won almost universal acclaim. Now, for the first time ever, Prince of Stories chronicles the history and impact of the complete works of Neil Gaiman in film, fiction, music, comic books, and beyond.

"This book, full of practical advice and innovative ideas for librarians, educators, and archivists, provides a look at how graphic novels and comics can be used in educational settings. An established component of library and archive collections across the globe, graphic novels are proving to be one of the last vestiges of the printed form gaining in popularity"--Provided by publisher.