Writing and launching a graphic novel turns out to be a different experience to producing 'standard' fiction. People are as interested in the process - even the format - as the actual content. Reactions range from excited cries of 'fantastic!' and 'oh, cool!' to the less-edifying "you're writing a what?!" Explaining the format of Dark Satanic Mills to those unfamiliar with the term 'graphic novel' will often end up with the remark: "oh, so it's a comic" and the assumption that the pages will involve superheroes, war stories or sci-fi. Or some combination of all three.
If you grew up reading comics, perhaps alongside other more "acceptable" forms of reading, then it can come as a great surprise many years later to find that a vast number of people not only haven't read a graphic novel, but also profess to not know how to. Which is strange, because the comic, or to use one of the posh terms being applied these days, sequential art, has always been with us: if you knew how to read hieroglyphics, and the order in which the pictures sitting next to them should be read, you would find that the inscriptions on the temple walls of Ancient Egypt are no more or less than comics.
When thinking about how to encourage people to read graphic novels, I find myself thinking of the conversations I have with very young people sometimes, ones who tell me they don't like reading. On inspection it turns out they have only tried to read a couple of books, and have "logically" concluded that books are not for them. It's the same with graphic novels: there is such a vast array and variety of them out there now, that it's very important to spend a little time exploring to find the ones that suit you. You don't have to like them all.
The genre - which has a far longer and richer history in countries like Japan ("manga") or France ("bandes dessinées") - is now making huge strides in English speaking countries, and showing the richness and diversity of the subject matters that can be explored. Below we suggest some of our favourites for further reading…
As to how to read them, the only advice I have is to take your time. Just because they seem "text light" doesn't mean they are to be raced through and disposed of. The lower word count of comics means you can spend time soaking in the carefully thought-of art that accompanies the text. And as with 'real' books, one of the principle joys of a good graphic novel is that you might want to, or even have to, re-read certain passages or flick back a page or two, to really get what the author and illustrator are saying.
So why should you read graphic novels? If you love reading, if you love stories, I think you really should give the medium of comics a try, because there are things that a graphic novel can do that other kinds of text cannot.
1. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
No list of must-read graphic novels would be complete without something from Alan Moore. The man who created Watchmen, League of Extraordinary Gentleman, From Hell et al has had an enormous influence on the industry for many years. V for Vendetta sees a reworking of the Guy Fawkes story in modern times – Moore was writing during the Thatcher era and this powerful book is redolent of a mistrust of government spawned during that time.
2. The Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isabel Greenberg
A beautiful book to hold and to look at, this quirky graphic novel twists stories inside stories inside stories, and is a great example of what the medium can do better than any other narrative form. Delightful retro art and touching tales make this a wonderful present for anyone 'afraid' of graphic novels.
3. The Complete Alan Moore Future Shocks by Alan Moore
Alan Moore wrote for 2000AD, the seminal British sc-fi comic, which brought us Judge Dredd amongst many other memorable strips. Future Shocks was a place for stand-alone stories, and was a great testing ground for many comics creators.
4. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Clowes' pitch perfect delivery of teenage angst and humour is a graphic novel must-read that transcends the genre. Nothing much happens, but everything happens in brief vignettes of beautifully balanced imagery and dialogue. It was made into a sparky film starring Scarlett Johansson and Thora Birch.
5. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Satrapi blends quirky autobiography, politics and history as she graphically depicts her own life story as a young girl coming-of-age in revolutionary and wartime Iran. Funny and moving, it shows how simple black and white drawing and text can punch way above the weight of 'mere comics' - and sometimes reveal the truth of a story more than heavyweight journalism.
6. Building Stories by Chris Ware
For an idea of the creative possibilities within the genre, try this multilayered and graphically stunning experience. Chris Ware presents a book that comes in 14 separate parts in a box the size of a board game. The components can be ready in any order to reveal the story, and each section comes in a different format: flip book, newspaper, comic, bound mini-book etc. Exciting just to open!
Do you read graphic novels? What would you recommend for a first-time reader? Email us - childrens.books@theguardian.com - or get in touch on Facebook with your thoughts and suggestions
Your suggestions
Josh
I have always been reading comics since a little boy: Victor, Roy of the Rovers, Tiger, Dandy, Beano, Whizzer and Chips and more, and then Tintin and Asterix books. Then 2000AD moving onto Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, and Hate by Peter Bagge. Comics opened my eyes to a fantastical world where anything is possible. I came to love reading them, fascinated by the drawings, the colours, and the artistic talent. I actually was too young to understand the adult jokes in the Asterix books but I loved the drawings. Graphic novels tend to be viewed as geeky (no thanks to the Simpsons), but they are a very powerful form which can punch your senses in all directions. Joe Sacco's books are a prime example of why I think that graphic novels can put forth raw images much better than films can.