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.
In comics studies, sequential art is a term proposed by comics artist Will Eisner to describe art forms that use images deployed in a specific order for the purpose of graphic storytelling or conveying information. The best-known example of sequential art is comics.
Although separated spatially on the page, the frames of this comic represent (among other transitions) the passage of time.
Eadweard Muybridge was interested in what closely-spaced sequential photography could show about motion; his works blur the line between science and art, although they are not proper comics.
