The Evolution of Graphic Novels

It is fascinating to see the origins of today's comic books and graphic novels because it reflects a significant shift in our literacy to one that is more visual and multi-faceted. The political cartoons of the nineteenth century marked a starting point in American culture where we began to demand visuals from the media. Although, communicating through pictures is an ancient technique the political cartoons marked a change in how that form of communication was utilized. The funnies and comics in the newspapers provided entertainment AND often social commentary, which is what graphic novels now do encased in their own bindings. The shift illustrates that each generation has become more visually oriented than the previous, with the current youth population completely ruled by a series of screens and imagery. In some ways it allows the popular culture to be disseminated to them faster and allows it to contain more complexities, but it is certain that the visuals that we are surrounded by every day (especially in the city) are constantly affecting how tweens interact with each other and the world around them. Their communication with others and interpretation of the world that they inhabit evolves as the culture becomes better at communicating visually. This doesn't mean that the written word is less important, but that it is now a part of a larger literacy machine that uses pictures, videos, music and words together.