Graphic Narratives

What is a Graphic Narrative?

The term “Graphic Narrative is a general term used to identify illustrations with a story being told whether its completely fictional or a true story. Graphic Narrative is a broad terms and as such the following things fall under the term:

1. Comic Books – A comic book is a publication in the art form of comic art and usually consists of panels going along the pages in which the reader follows

2. Graphic Novels – A graphic novel is much like a comic book except the fact that it’s a novel. It does share the same comic-strip format though.

3. Manga – Manga is the Japanese equivalent of what comic books and graphic novels are to us. They are mostly aimed towards adults but some are made with children in mind too.

4. Bandes Dessinées – These are Franco-Belgian comics, Bandes Dessinées means this in French. They are exactly like comics and comic books except in a different language.

5. Novelas Em Quadrinhos – A much simpler name for this is Fotonovela, they’re novels in comics but utilise photographs instead of drawings to show a story. They’re popular in Brazil mostly.

Examples of Graphic Narratives –

1. Comic Books

This is an example of a comic book panel; this particular panel was taken from a Batwomen magazine. Comic books feature illustrated drawings and depictions of characters generally made up and their actions in relation to the story.

Typically, comic books are based upon superheroes and their attempts to stop crime or the villain. This is seen throughout all of the big and well know comic books In today's industry with big names like DC and Marvel leading the way.

2. Graphic Novels

Graphic Novels are very similar to comic books, their main different though is that they wont always be coloured like you’d expect a comic book. Another difference is the fact that a graphic novel tells the entire story from front to back.

Comic books don’t do this usually and feature multiple issues being published weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

3. Manga 

Manga is Japans way of publishing graphic novels and comic books. Manga is drawn and illustrated in their countries own traditional art style which can be seen also in anime, their animated way of story telling.

Black and white is used for these illustrations are the contents also features the Japanese language. In Japan, anime and manga is hugely successful and some of this has rubbed off to the other countries and places across the world.

4. Bandes Dessinées (Franco-Belgian Comics)

Bandes Dessinées are a form of comic books designed for French and countries that speak French. They’re produced in a more traditional art form but can still be digitally coloured and created for mass production. Like manga, Bandes Dessinées also use the language of people they were intended for. All of the text used in a Bandes Dessinées will be written in French. The word Bandes Dessinées is even French and means Franco-Belgian Comics and of course, Belgians speak French.

5. Novelas Em Quadrinhos (Fotonovela)

Novelas Em Quadrinhos are also called Fotonovela, and for the sake of simplicity I will be using this term to describe what they are.

In short, a Fotonovela is the same as a novel and comic in Portuguese. In English, comic books are generally illustrated and so are graphic novels. This isn’t exactly true in Fotonovela though. This Portuguese and Brazilian style of story telling is done using photographs to tell and progress a story instead of digital illustrations.