Sequential art combines words, which appeal to the intellect, and pictures, which appeal to the emotions, in a way no other art form does. Unlike picture books, the words and illustrations in sequential art coexist in one conceptual space (the panel) and are joined into a single piece, most commonly by word balloons. Television and movies demand the use of two senses, our eyes and our ears. But to process sequential art (comics and graphic novels), we use only our eyes and we absorb the material at our own speed, not the pace dictated by the filmmaker.
- Jesse Karp, "The Case for Graphic Novels in Education." American Libraries
.
Graphic novels are more than picture books put together with a few words used to convey a story or ideas. Graphic novels are a higher order of storytelling where both the artwork and narrative work together to portray feeelings and build worlds for the reader's transformation. Watch the TedTalk with Professor Michael Chaney as he discussed the power of the graphic novel style.
What to learn more about the history and process of graphic novels? Check out our interactive tutorial!
Click here and you'll be taken to the tutorial. Enjoy!
