Question: What do Comic Books, Comic-style Books, and Graphic Novels Have in Common?
Answer: Comic books, comic-style books, and graphic novels
all use sequential art to present a story, stories, or other content. According to the Savannah College of Art and Design, which offers a degree in sequential art, “The field of sequential art encompasses graphic novels, comic books, comic strips, children’s books and storyboards for animation and film. Sequential artists combine words and pictures to form entertaining and effective narratives.”
Think of a comic book, with its panels of sequential art that generally incorporate text in the form of thought bubbles, voice bubbles, and captions. The inside of comic-style books and graphic novels look much like the above description. However, comic-style books are generally hardbound or softbound like picture books. They are longer than comic books but not as long as novels. Graphic novels are also available in hardbound or softbound editions but are substantially longer than comic books or comic-style books. To further confuse matters, some librarians, educators, and authors use the term “comic(s)” to refer to all three: comic books, comic-style books, and graphic novels.
