Graphic novel

A book-length work of sequential art, usually fictional, that tells a story through words and images. Its narrative unfolds through the interaction of images, text, and page design.

Comics: A medium that tells stories or conveys ideas through sequences of images, often combined with text. Graphic novels are book-length works within this broader sequential-art medium.
The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck: A nineteenth-century illustrated narrative by Rodolphe Töpffer, published in English in 1842. Its sequential pictures and captions make it an early book-length precursor.
Maus: Art Spiegelman’s graphic narrative about his father’s Holocaust experience and their relationship. Its layered memoir demonstrates how graphic novels can represent trauma and family memory.
Comic book: A periodical publication containing comic strips or stories, often issued in serialized installments. Its serial format contrasts with the graphic novel’s book-length presentation.
Panel (comics): A bounded image or scene in a comic that represents a moment in the narrative. Panels divide a graphic novel’s story into visible units of time and action.
Richard F. Outcault: An American cartoonist known for creating The Yellow Kid and shaping early newspaper comics. The Yellow Kid’s popularity helped establish the commercial setting for later comics publishing.
Persepolis: Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel about growing up during and after the Iranian Revolution. Its personal perspective shows how the form can connect political history with childhood.
Comic strip: A short sequence of comic panels, commonly published in newspapers or online. Its compact form contrasts with the extended narrative scope associated with graphic novels.
Gutter (comics): The space between comic panels, where readers infer transitions and events not shown. Its implied action lets a book-length story move beyond the moments drawn.
Famous Funnies: A 1930s American publication that reprinted newspaper comic strips in a magazine format. Its collected-strip format helped normalize comics as purchasable bound reading.

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