The Cambridge Companion To The Graphic Novel

This Companion examines the evolution of comic books into graphic novels and the development of this art form globally.

Since the graphic novel rose to prominence half a century ago, it has become one of the fastest growing literary/artistic genres, generating interest from readers globally. The Cambridge Companion to the Graphic Novel examines the evolution of comic books into graphic novels and the distinct development of this art form both in America and around the world. This Companion also explores the diverse subgenres often associated with it, such as journalism, fiction, historical fiction, autobiography, biography, science fiction and fantasy. Leading scholars offer insights into graphic novel adaptations of prose works and the adaptation of graphic novels to films; analyses of outstanding graphic novels, like Maus and The Walking Man; an overview which distinguishes the international graphic novel from its American counterpart; and analyses of how the form works and what it teaches, making this book a key resource for scholars, graduate students and undergraduate students alike.

An overview of popular literature from the early nineteenth century to the present day from a historical and comparative perspective.

Interweaving history and theory, this book unpacks the complexity of comics, covering formal, critical and institutional dimensions.

This Companion focuses on the novel as a global genre and examines its role, impact and development.

Sixteen original essays by leading scholars on Mary Shelley's novel provide an introduction to Frankenstein and its various critical contexts.

This book explores the important role of the graphic novel in reflecting American society and in the shaping of the American imagination. It guides readers through the theoretical text-image scholarship to explain the meaning of the complex borderlines between graphic novels, comics, newspaper strips, caricature, literature, and art.

This introduction provides a historical overview of the graphic novel, with a strong focus on its international significance.