Concepts
Graphic Novel
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A book-length narrative told in comic-strip format. Fan historian Richard Kyle first used the term in a 1964 fanzine essay, but it entered wide use only after it appeared on the cover of the 1978 trade-paperback edition of Will Eisner's A Contract with God, which Eisner is popularly, though not originally, credited with coining. The broader application of the term to nonfiction and anthologized comics work remains contested among scholars and industry professionals.
Facts
Disputed
Formulated YearRichard Kyle first used the term in a 1964 fanzine essay; it did not enter wide circulation until Will Eisner's A Contract with God (1978) put it on a trade-paperback cover. This entity records 1964 as the earliest documented use, not the year of popularization. Concept DomainComics publishing and terminology 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Eisner popularized the term with A Contract with God (1978); he did not coin it.
In Medium
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationGraphic novel, terminology sectionQuote, Graphic novel, terminology section
The term graphic novel began to grow in popularity months after it appeared on the cover of the trade paperback edition of Will Eisner's A Contract with God (October 1978).
1. Wikipedia
1. Wikipedia
1. Wikipedia
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