Graphic Nonfiction
Encyclopedia
Non-fiction comics, also known as graphic non-fiction, is non-fiction
in the comics
medium, embracing a variety of formats from comic strip
s to trade paperbacks
.
, along with Ralph Graczak's Our Own Oddities
and King Features
' Heroes of American History and others. Dick's Adventures in Dreamland was another attempt by King Features to teach history with comics. Clayton Knight created a strip about aviators, The Hall of Fame of the Air (1935-40), later collected in a book. Texas History Movies, which began on October 5, 1926, in The Dallas Morning News
, received praise from educators, as did America's Best Buy: The Louisiana Purchase, a 1953 daily strip in the New Orleans States, distributed nationally by the Register and Tribune Syndicate (which also handled Will Eisner
's The Spirit supplement for Sunday newspapers.
Non-fiction was published in numerous comic books, notably Picture News, True Comics and Heroic Comics. A notable scripter of this material for 1940s comic books was novelist Patricia Highsmith
, who wrote for Real Fact, Real Heroes and True Comics.
in 2008, assembled a "list of essential titles for high schoolers" and reviewed graphic nonfiction by a variety of creators, including Rick Geary
(Treasury of Victorian Murder), Harvey Pekar
(Students for a Democratic Society), Stan Mack
(The Story of the Jews), Joe Sacco
(Palestine), Marjane Satrapi
(Persepolis), Osamu Tezuka
(Buddha) and Howard Zinn
(A People’s History of American Empire).
Larry Gonick
(The Cartoon History of the Universe
) produced graphic non-fiction about science and history for more than 30 years. Other examples are The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation and After 9/11: America’s War on Terror, both by Sid Jacobson
and Ernie Colón
. Hill & Wang, which published the 9/11 books, has published several other works of graphic non-fiction.
In A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
(2009), Josh Neufeld
documented true stories of survival during Hurricane Katrina as witnessed by the survivors: Denise, a counselor, social worker and sixth-generation New Orleanian; friends Abbas and Darnell, who await the storm in Abbas’s family-run market; pastor's son Kwame, entering his senior year of high school; and the young couple Leo and Michelle, who both grew up in New Orleans. Each confronts the same decision–stay or flee.
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
in the comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
medium, embracing a variety of formats from comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s to trade paperbacks
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
.
Comic strips and comic books
Traditionally, comic strips have long offered factual material in this category, notably Ripley's Believe It or Not!Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...
, along with Ralph Graczak's Our Own Oddities
Our Own Oddities
Our Own Oddities is an illustrated panel that ran in the Sunday comics section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from 1940 to 1990. When it began September 1, 1940, it was titled St. Louis Oddities. The feature displayed curiosities submitted by local readers and is often remembered for its drawings...
and King Features
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
' Heroes of American History and others. Dick's Adventures in Dreamland was another attempt by King Features to teach history with comics. Clayton Knight created a strip about aviators, The Hall of Fame of the Air (1935-40), later collected in a book. Texas History Movies, which began on October 5, 1926, in The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
, received praise from educators, as did America's Best Buy: The Louisiana Purchase, a 1953 daily strip in the New Orleans States, distributed nationally by the Register and Tribune Syndicate (which also handled Will Eisner
Will Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
's The Spirit supplement for Sunday newspapers.
Non-fiction was published in numerous comic books, notably Picture News, True Comics and Heroic Comics. A notable scripter of this material for 1940s comic books was novelist Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short-story writer most widely known for her psychological thrillers, which led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times, notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951...
, who wrote for Real Fact, Real Heroes and True Comics.
Books
Francisca Goldsmith, writing in the School Library JournalSchool Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
in 2008, assembled a "list of essential titles for high schoolers" and reviewed graphic nonfiction by a variety of creators, including Rick Geary
Rick Geary
Rick Geary is an American cartoonist and illustrator.-Biography:Rick Geary was born on February 25, 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri. Geary was initially introduced to comics readers with his contributions to the Heavy Metal and National Lampoon magazines...
(Treasury of Victorian Murder), Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name.Pekar described American Splendor as "an...
(Students for a Democratic Society), Stan Mack
Stan Mack
Stan Mack is an American cartoonist best known for his series, "Stan Mack's Real Life Funnies", which ran in The Village Voice for over 20 years. His Adweek comic strip, "Stan Mack’s Outtakes," covered the New York media scene...
(The Story of the Jews), Joe Sacco
Joe Sacco
Joe Sacco is a Maltese-American comics artist and journalist. He achieved international fame through the 1996 American Book Award-winning Palestine, and his graphic novel on the Bosnian War, Safe Area Goražde.- Biography :...
(Palestine), Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian-born French contemporary graphic novelist, illustrator, animated film director, and children's book author...
(Persepolis), Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
(Buddha) and Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
(A People’s History of American Empire).
Larry Gonick
Larry Gonick
Larry Gonick is a cartoonist best known for The Cartoon History of the Universe, a history of the world in comic book form, which he has been publishing in installments since 1977...
(The Cartoon History of the Universe
The Cartoon History of the Universe
The Cartoon History of the Universe is a book series about the history of the world. It is written and illustrated by American cartoonist, professor, and mathematician Larry Gonick. The final two volumes, published in 2007 and 2009, are named The Cartoon History of the Modern World volumes one and...
) produced graphic non-fiction about science and history for more than 30 years. Other examples are The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation and After 9/11: America’s War on Terror, both by Sid Jacobson
Sid Jacobson
Sid Jacobson is an American writer, having worked in the fields of children's comic books, popular music, fiction, biography, and non-fiction comics. He was managing editor and editor in chief for Harvey Comics, where he created the comics Richie Rich, Hot Stuff, and Casper the Friendly Ghost...
and Ernie Colón
Ernie Colon
Ernie Colón is an American comics artist, born on July 13, 1931,Colón was born in Puerto Rico and began his professional career at Harvey Comics as a letterer. He later worked, uncredited, as an artist on titles including Monster in My Pocket, Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost...
. Hill & Wang, which published the 9/11 books, has published several other works of graphic non-fiction.
In A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge is a non-fiction graphic novel by cartoonist Josh Neufeld. It tells the stories of a handful of real-life New Orleans residents and their experiences during and after Hurricane Katrina. A.D. was a New York Times best-seller and was nominated for a 2010 Eisner...
(2009), Josh Neufeld
Josh Neufeld
Josh Neufeld is an alternative cartoonist known for his nonfiction comics on subjects like Hurricane Katrina, international travel, and finance, as well as his collaborations with writers like Harvey Pekar and Brooke Gladstone...
documented true stories of survival during Hurricane Katrina as witnessed by the survivors: Denise, a counselor, social worker and sixth-generation New Orleanian; friends Abbas and Darnell, who await the storm in Abbas’s family-run market; pastor's son Kwame, entering his senior year of high school; and the young couple Leo and Michelle, who both grew up in New Orleans. Each confronts the same decision–stay or flee.