Sequential Art, Graphic Novels, & Comics: Technology-Enhanced Learning

The Basics

Cartoons. A cartoon is a full-size drawing. Balloons may be used to depict speech and a caption is sometimes found across the bottom of the visual. These works of art are often humorous. Editoral cartoons are funny but often have a serious tone using irony or satire.

Comics. Comics, comic strips, and comic books contain a series of cartoon illustrations that tell a story. Presented in a sequence, comics may be a few panels or many pages. Read the original Spider-Man comic at Marvel.

Graphic Novels. Graphic novels are a more lengthy version of a comic book. They usually have a more complex storyline than a traditional comic. Although many are for mature audiences, an increasing number are being produced for young people.

Many books are also available as graphic novels. For instance, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer is available as both a traditional novel and a graphic novel.

Manga. Manga is Japanese for comic or whimsical pictures. The format is often associated with a particular style of drawing, but can be applied to a wide range of Japanese comics. Manga are typically read from top to bottom and right to left. Manga produced by Viz media is particularly popular with young people. They produce materials for both boys and girls of various ages such as Beyblade, Medabots, MegaMan, and Pokemon. Other producers include Tokyopop, CPM Press, ADV Manga, and Dark Horse.

Sequential Art. The category of illustration that includes cartoons, comics, graphic novels, and manga is called sequential art.

Babymouse does a nice job explaining graphic novels and comics to young people.

Read Understanding Comics and Making Comics by Scott McCloud to learn more about the language of sequential art.