The History and Evolution of Graphic Novels

Cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and English serialized engravings are examples of narrative art that have existed since before civilization.
The first precursor to the graphic novel is thought to be "Histoire de M.Vieux Bois" by Swiss artist and writer Rodolphe Töpffer in 1828, which used sequential imagery accompanied by text to tell a story.

In the early 20th century, surrealist painter German Max Ernst created the "Collage novel" by taking images from other publications and linking them together with a narrative.
American Cartoonist Milt Gross published "He Done Her Wrong: The Great American Novel and Not a Word in It" in 1930, a "wordless novel" that was a precursor to the graphic novel.
The term "graphic novel" was coined in 1964 by Richard Kyle, but it didn't become popular until Will Eisner wrote "A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories" in 1978.

"A Contract with God" was a collection of four stand-alone stories intended for adults and was published in bookstores, elevating the term "graphic novel" and comics as a long-form storytelling device.
Following "Contract," titles like "Sabre" and "The 'Nam" helped to establish the "prestige" division between "super serious" graphic novels and comics.
"Sandman" by Neil Gaiman demonstrated to readers, vendors, distributors, publishers, and writers that the future of comics lay not in monthly serials but in bound collections.

The major moment for graphic novels came in 1992 when Art Spiegelman's "Maus" became the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize.
"Maus" is now taught in schools, along with titles like "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, which depicts her childhood in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution.
The memoir graphic novel has emerged as a powerful storytelling device for coming-of-age stories, with examples like "Blankets" by Craig Thompson and "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel.

Independent comic publications outside of the big two (DC/Marvel) have allowed stories to shine, with creators like Noelle Stevenson, Tillie Walden, and Raina Telgemeier using the format to tell engaging stories that highlight the diversity of the medium.
Graphic novels have the power to aid low-level and non-native English-speaking readers, challenge higher-level readers to expand their analytical skills, and help energize students whose interests are hard to capture.

Cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and English serialized engravings are examples of narrative art that have existed since before civilization.
"Histoire de M.Vieux Bois" by Swiss artist and writer Rodolphe Töpffer in 1828 is considered the first precursor to the graphic novel, using sequential imagery accompanied by text to tell a story.

In the early 20th century, surrealist painter German Max Ernst created the "Collage novel" by taking images from other publications and linking them together with a narrative.
American Cartoonist Milt Gross published "He Done Her Wrong: The Great American Novel and Not a Word in It" in 1930, a "wordless novel" that was a precursor to the graphic novel.
The term "graphic novel" was coined in 1964 by Richard Kyle, but it didn't become popular until Will Eisner wrote "A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories" in 1978.

"A Contract with God" was a collection of four stand-alone stories intended for adults and was published in bookstores, elevating the term "graphic novel" and comics as a long-form storytelling device.
Titles like "Sabre" and "The 'Nam" helped to establish the "prestige" division between "super serious" graphic novels and comics.
"Sandman" by Neil Gaiman demonstrated to readers, vendors, distributors, publishers, and writers that the future of comics lay not in monthly serials but in bound collections.

In 1992, Art Spiegelman's "Maus" became the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize.
"Maus" is now taught in schools, along with titles like "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, which depicts her childhood in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution.
Memoir graphic novels like "Blankets" by Craig Thompson and "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel have emerged as a powerful storytelling device for coming-of-age stories.

Independent comic publications outside of the big two (DC/Marvel) have allowed stories to shine, with creators like Noelle Stevenson, Tillie Walden, and Raina Telgemeier using the format to tell engaging stories that highlight the diversity of the medium.
Graphic novels have the power to aid low-level and non-native English-speaking readers, challenge higher-level readers to expand their analytical skills, and help energize students whose interests are hard to capture.