BY THE STROKE OF A PEN I WILL TELL

(1)

Visual storytelling is at once immediate and subversive. - Karin Slaughter (2)

INTRODUCTION

Life is all about learning. Lesson after lesson, trial after trial, and I dare say victory after victory. We all learn in different ways. Some through studying by reading, others through their visionary function.

Yes, there are different ways we can convey messages and information, or even tell a story. Today I wish to touch on a special subset of storytelling - visual storytelling.

VISUAL STORYTELLING

Visual storytelling includes mangas, graphic novels, and comics and combines words and images to narrate stories. (3)

MANGAS

Mangas (漫画) are a style of Japanese comics or graphic novels that originate from Japan. The term "manga" comes from the Japanese word 漫画, composed of the two kanji 漫 (man) meaning 'whimsical or impromptu' and 画 (ga) meaning 'pictures'.It literaraly means “whimsical pictures”. The same term is the root of the Korean word for comics, manhwa, and the Chinese word manhua. (4)

They typically feature clean, expressive artwork with detailed characters and backgrounds and large and expressive eyes.

They are read from right to left, top to bottom, and can cover a wide range of genres and themes, from action and adventure to romance, horror, fantasy, and slice-of-life. Among the most popular genres are:

Shonen: Targeted mainly at young male readers, often involving action, adventure, and coming-of-age stories (e.g., Naruto, One Piece).
Shojo: Targeted at young female readers, often featuring romance and character-driven plots (e.g., Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket).
Seinen: Aimed at adult men, typically dealing with more mature themes (e.g., Berserk, Ghost in the Shell).
Josei: Aimed at adult women, often exploring more realistic romance and relationships (e.g., Nana, Paradise Kiss).
Kodomomuke: Children's manga, often educational or simple, like Doraemon.

They are typically serialized in weekly or monthly magazines, then collected into volumes called tankobon. Some popular manga magazines include Shonen Jump, Shonen Magazine, and Weekly Young Jump. (3)

GRAPHIC NOVELS

A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. (5) Per Merriam-Webster's dictionary a graphic novel is "a fictional story that is presented in comic-strip format and published as a book". (5) It tells a complete story or a series of related stories and is often used to distinguish more complex, mature, or literary works from traditional comic books. They tend to be more self-contained, with a cohesive, book-length narrative, whereas comics often come in serialized issues. (3)

They cover a broad spectrum of artistic styles, from realistic to abstract. It is usually in full color, but can also be in black and white. They cover a wide range of genres but are often known for exploring more mature, personal, or experimental topics. Common genres include:

Fantasy and Science Fiction (e.g., The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan).
Memoir and Autobiography (e.g., Maus by Art Spiegelman, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi).
Historical Fiction (e.g., The Arrival by Shaun Tan).
Superheroes (though typically seen in comics, graphic novels sometimes explore superhero themes with more depth, like Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons).
Coming-of-age or slice-of-life (e.g., American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang). (3)

They are typically published as complete books, either hardcover or paperback and tend to be longer than comics, ranging from 100 to 300 pages or more.

COMICS

Comics describe a medium that combines visual art with written words to convey a narrative. Often they refer to shorter, serialized works in comic book format, usually containing around 20-30 pages per issue. (3)

The art ranges from highly stylized and exaggerated drawings to more realistic or abstract styles. They often use a combination of illustrations, text, and panel arrangements to move the story forward. (3)

Comics encompass a wide variety of genres:

Superheroes: The most famous genre, particularly in American comics, with characters like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and X-Men.
Adventure, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Crime: Comics often explore genres that range from high adventure to deep psychological horror.
Humor: Comics like Peanuts by Charles Schulz and Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson focus on comedy and daily life.
Political and Satirical Comics: Works that comment on societal issues, like Doonesbury or editorial cartoons. (3)

They are often serialized, with individual issues released on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. Major comic book publishers include:

Marvel Comics
DC Comics
Image Comics
Dark Horse Comics (3)

Comic strips are short, humorous, or satirical strips often published daily in newspapers (e.g., Garfield, Beetle Bailey, Family Circus). (3)

Webcomics have been on the rise. they are often serialized, while others are published as standalone stories. (3)

CONCLUSION

Stories, information, and messages can be conveyed through visionary art. Mangas, graphic novels, and comics are forms of visual storytelling combining words and images to narrate stories.

SOURCES

Image created via canva.com
Visual Storytelling Quotes. Brainy Quotes. Available at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/visual-storytelling-quotes
ChatGPT
Manga. Wikipedia. Available on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manga
Graphic Novel. Wikipedia. Available on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel

BY THE STROKE OF A PEN I WILL TELL - VISUAL STORYTELLING