Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was one of the first to offer royalties and creator ownership of rights.
Catherine Yronwode and Dean Mullaney at the 1982 San Diego Comic Con
A graphic novel is a long-form work of sequential art. The term graphic novel is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics scholars and industry professionals. It is, at least in the United States, typically distinct from the term comic book, which is generally used for comics periodicals and trade paperbacks.
The digest-sized "picture novel" It Rhymes with Lust (1950), one precursor of the graphic novel. Cover art by Matt Baker and Ray Osrin.
Detail from Blackmark (1971) by scripter Archie Goodwin and artist-plotter Gil Kane
Bloodstar (1976) by Robert E. Howard and artist Richard Corben
Sabre (1978), one of the first modern graphic novels. Cover art by Paul Gulacy.