GRAPHIC NOVEL

noun (Lifestyle and Leisure) A full-length story (especially science fiction or fantasy) in comic-strip format, published in book form for the adult or teenage market. Etymology: Formed by compounding: a novel in graphic form (that is, told in pictures rather than continuous text). History and Usage: Graphic novels and comic-books generally have been popular in Japan (where they are known as manga 'exciting pictures') since about the sixties, and represent an important section of the publishing industry there. For as long as ten years there has been a cult following among adults in the West for 'adult comics' and for certain comic strips (such as the Tin-Tin and Asterix stories) in book form; the popularity of this format for science fiction and fantasy, together with the increasing popularity of fantasy in general in the eighties, led to the promotion of graphic novels as a distinct section of the publishing market from about 1982--a policy which by the end of the decade had proved a great commercial success. By November of this year [they] will be publishing 10 monthlies and will have 11 graphic novels in print. Chicago Tribune 28 Aug. 1986, section 5, p. 1 There is far more to the graphic novel than recording the exploits of Donatello and his ninja friends. Times Educational Supplement 2 Nov. 1990, Review section, p. 1 See also photonovel