Do Graphic Novels Need To Be Serialized?

Do they have to be written as a series of thin comics first and then after a few years collected into a graphic novel or can you just send the whole package?

Actually, yes, they can, and some people do that. However, comics started out in single-issue formats, and it's something that's just stuck to to this day, mainly with comic companies. People who self-publish tend to just put out Graphic Novels instead.

Personally, I'm starting to think that most single-issues series these days should just go to a Graphic Novel-only format, because that's really what they're being written as anyway. If you're going to be putting out only 20 or so pages of a series per month, then those pages need to be able to last, but some issues only last around 5 minutes these days; if you're lucky, you'll get 10 minutes out of it, but it's not often that you can can find a single issue in this day&age that will last you 20 minutes or more. And many stories these days can last anywhere from 5 issues to well over a year. That seems to be the route many comic-writers are taking — treating their comics not like single-issues, but like they're writing a full-blown novel — and if so, then they should just go with that completely, and stop putting out single-issues altogether.

edited 31st Dec '13 2:07:24 PM by kkhohoho

It's actually not quite as bad as it was, say, a decade ago when writing for the trade was relatively new. Many of the writers have gotten better at putting at least some content in each issue so the readers don't feel completely cheated. I still want to see more done-in-one stories.

But non DC or Marvel say like a completely original story or would the artist feel aggravated by the haul of work he's given?

edited 31st Dec '13 6:17:06 PM by Imoo57

That's impossible. If a comic is published in weekly or monthly instalments, then it is by definition not a graphic novel.

But I see what you mean. I agree - Marvel and DC should probably dispense with monthlies and just publish the trades. Heck, that might put a stop to events in one title concluding in another.

The artist may or may not feel aggravated having to do a single-issue series, but regardless, he/she will do it nonetheless, if he wants that coveted paycheck. (Besides, you've got a whole month to do 20 pages, and it's (usually) not like one person is handling all the work art-wise, because beyond the pencils, you also have inking and coloring, and often, the latter two are done by someone other then the main artist. So I think they have enough time to do the art for the issue, and not get 'aggravated' like you say.

edited 31st Dec '13 6:27:55 PM by kkhohoho

Actually, in most cases, the artist has more than a month per issue; I remember an interview (I think it was John Burns, but don't quote me on that) where he said that after spending so much time drawing a series of pages, it's weird to see them all come out in such a short space of time.

This is why the publishers plan things out six months or more in advance, so they have a solid buffer to work with and can plan ahead when things are going to happen.

And that just further proves my point.

There's also the possibility that coming out monthly might actually be the better buisness model. Fans who come out with manifestos to save the comic book industry almost always insist on doing away with serialization, but people who work in various parts of the industry have different opinions as to whether this will help or not.

Single issues help subsidize the cost of the trade paperback, as well as putting more immediate money into the pockets of the creators, IIRC.

I do think that a move away from serialization will happen, but it is indeed not any time soon. Serialization does too much good for the trades.

Also, hey, serialization was the format for many novels of yesterday - all of Charles Dickens' work was serialized in segments first. That format has fallen away for novels, but it may as well stick around for a different medium.

Some titles do better in trade than single issue, as well - and that's probably a factor in why some creators disagree. Certainly, those single issues help build buzz for trades - Hawkeye would not have gotten as huge trade sales as it has without reviewers and fans hyping up the issues.

edited 1st Jan '14 11:35:56 PM by TheEvilDrBolty

Eh, once paper media gets phased out and comics become all-digital, whether a story is serialized or not won't be much of an issue. Some people prefer trade paperbacks because you get the whole story in one package, usually at a reduced price, and without advertisements. But when the comics are in a digital format, the difference between reading a collected edition and reading six single-issues back-to-back is scarcely noticeable. And if the collected edition comes at a reduced price, purchasing a subscription to the series will probably get you a similar discount.

My guess is: fewer readers want or buy monthly issues, but those who do are still considered the hardest-of-hardcore fans; they exert disproportionate influence on the market, and contribute a disproportionate number of creators to the industry. Their tastes also seem to have an outsized effect on the titles' creative and storytelling directions, along with format decisions.

To put it less charitably and more sweepingly: modern comics consumers mostly resemble the cast of Modern Family, but comics are still getting created & marketed for the benefit of the cast of Comic Book Men. Not ideal.

edited 2nd Jan '14 7:26:44 AM by Jhimmibhob