Existing graphic novel or comic publishers and products

Marvel Comics is an American media and entertainment company regarded as one of the 'big two' publishers in the comics industry. Founded in 1939 by publisher Martin Goodman in New York, Marvel tends to focus their storylines on superheroes. For example, their first comic book featured the debut of characters Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, the Angel, Ka-Zar, and the Masked Raider.

With over 27,000 comics, Marvel produces comics in a range of forms. For example, they offer digital comics, graphic novels, and other physical comic strips. Most of their comics fall into the fiction genres of sci-fi, superhero, fantasy, action, or adventure.

One of Marvel's most popular comics is The Avengers. This comic series included a range of characters from different comics put together. One of the explanations for their success is because it targets a mass audience due to the range of characters. As readers can identify with different characters for different purposes, the idea of them all coming together allows them to immerse themselves into the fictional universe with all their inspirations.

Spiderman

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First appearing in the anthology comic book Amazing Fantasy 15 in 1962 (the Silver Age of Comic Books), Spiderman has become one of the most popular and well known comic book characters of all time. His character is a teenager with economic struggles. In the 1960s, residents in the US were facing a massive persistence of poverty due to the United States involvement in Vietnam. Furthermore, Spiderman does not have a relationship with his parents, and went through trauma as he witnessed the shooting of his uncle. Unlike most superheroes, who are illustrated as being completely strong and brave, Spiderman is shown to go through many struggles and hardship. Thus, readers can identify with him, and relate to his struggles. Seeing him succeed and save the day, despite his trauma conveys that they too can succeed and be heroic, no matter who they are and what they have gone through. This could be reinforced as Spiderman wears a full spider costume; whilst it is shown that he is a white male, when he is saving the day, he is wearing his costume. This informs readers that it does not matter what your race, ethnicity, or gender is, you can be heroic and strong.

Spiderman's powers give him the ability to climb up walls, have super-strength, and can sense when danger is around him. This links to the fantasy, sci-fi, and superhero genre, therefore targeting a mass audience.

The creators of Spiderman were Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. They wrote and illustrated the original Spiderman comics. The Amazing Spiderman began publishing in 1963, with a new story coming out monthly. Spiderman has also appeared in other Marvel comics, such as Dark Ages, and Avengers.

Iron Man

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Iron Man first appeared in Tales of Suspense 39 in 1963. Iron Man was also written by Stan Lee and assisted by Larry Leiber. He was illustrated by Don Heck and Jack Kirby. Iron Man was ranked third in IGN's top avengers.

Through a supersuit he created himself, he is able to fight evil with his advanced technology skills. For example, he can fly, is bullet proof, and has super-strength. His character inherited his father's business, launching him into economic success. The comic books show him using his powers to escape evil and attempt to save the world.

Iron Man has a complete opposite back story to Spiderman. In the 1960's, when Iron Man was created, the threat of communism for the USSR was a massive fear to the public. A possible explanation to the immense success of Iron Man was that he symbolised the meritocracy and work ethnic required for a capitalist society. He showed a mass audience that hard work and determination can pay off, and you should use opportunities given to you to create further success, with emphasis on differed gratification. In addition, Iron Man fought off communists from the Eastern Block, reinforcing ideas of meritocracy in a capitalist society.

Kodansha Comics - Japan

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Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company, based in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and was founded in 1909 by Seiji Noma. Members of his family continue as owners, either directly, or through the Noma Cultural Foundation.

Kodansha produces comics in a manga magazine form. Manga magazines are comics or graphic novels, conforming to a style that developed in 19th century Japan. Translating to 'whimsical pictures', manga is read from the right to left, and conventions include having a medium level of life-likeness, with exaggerated features.

Some popular titles from Kodansha include Sailor Moon, Attack on Titan, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Fairy Tail. Their comics vary from a range of genres, however most fall into the action and adventure genre.

Sailor Moon

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Sailor Moon is one of the most notable comic series from Kodansha. The series was created by Naoko Takeuchi, who wrote and illustrated the entirety of it. Originally featured in Kodansha's monthly magazine, Nakayoshi from 1991-1997, individual chapters were also published from 1992. This attracted a mass audience as readers of the magazine could begin reading this new story, and if they enjoy it, they can purchase the separate comics that were released months later. By the end of 1995, more than one million copies had been sold in Japan.

The series is based on the adventures of protagonist, Ugasi - a teenage student living in Japan. One day she meets a cat called Luna, who gives her a magical brooch which allows her to turn into superhero, Sailor Moon. Using her new abilities, she is able to fight evil.

Usagi is portrayed as a very typical, average teenager. Pulling on the culture's stereotypes, Usagi's mother is seen a harsh Japanese parent who enforces her daughter to get good grades. Whilst she is lazy and naive, she is still kind-hearted with positive intentions. Thus, whilst she may not seem like the typical candidate for a world-saving superhero, Sailor Moon/Usagi can be seen as a very positive role model to a mass audience. This is because many young readers will be able to identify with her due to the conforming of stereotypes that are present in this comic. Additionally, the fact she is a female protagonist further attracts a mass audience in a modern society with the rise of feminism. This shows readers that despite how society may label them, they can still be a hero, despite their gender.

Attack on Titan

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Attack on Titan was written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. The series began in the first issue of Kodansha's monthly publication, Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine, released on September 9th 2009. Stories from Attack on Titan continued to release for 11 years in the magazine. In November 2020, it was announced that Attack on Titan would be released individually. As of December 2019, the comic had over 100 million copies sold worldwide, making it one of the best selling manga series of all time. Furthermore, it has won many awards, such as the Kodansha Manga Award, the Attilio Micheluzzi Award, and the Harvey Award.

The series falls into the action, dark fantasy, and post-apocalyptic genre. It is set in a world where humanity is forced to live in cities surrounded by walls that protect them from giant, man-eating creatures, known as Titans. The storyline follows Eren Yeager, the protagonist who is a teenage school-boy. He is determined to get revenge on the Titans as they killed his mother.

Eren is hardheaded, impulsive, and determined to fight the Titans. Whilst he may appear harsh, he deeply cares for his friends and family, risking harm and even death in order to protect them. His limited self-control is evident when angry; he often acts recklessly in temper when he does not mean to. This contrasts to the typical comic hero or protagonist as he is not perfect - he is still a young man that has a lot of personality issues. Thus, readers can identify with him more than other comic book heroes as his flaws are shown explicitly, yet he still manages to try his best to save others.

Casterman - Belgium

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Casterman is a comic book producing company based in Brussels, Belgium. They were founded in 1780 by Donat-Joseph Casterman - a book seller and creator from Tournai. Owned by conglomerates, Groupe Flammarion and RCS MediaGroup, Casterman specialises in children's literature, making their stories based on adventure and treasure hunting.

They have a range of comic series surrounding The Adventures of Tintin. Since 1929, over 270 million copies were sold, and it has been translated into over 110 languages. Their books come in graphic novels, or comic strips.

The creator of Tintin was Georges Remi. After completing his studies, Remi was employed by Le Petit Vingtième - a weekly magazine subscription for a young target audience. This is where he first created Tintin. Using the style he created and termed 'Ligne claire', the illustration of the Tintin series is rather simple and clean. This illustration style portrays a timeless feel, and attracts a mass audience as it is not too overcomplicated for young children, but still detailed enough for it to be engaging.

Tintin

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Tintin is the protagonist of The Adventures of Tintin series. He is an adventurous teenager who travels around the world with his dog, Snowy. Through his investigative reporting, Tintin is able to solve mysteries and complete adventures.

Having no supernatural powers, Tintin is conveyed to be a regular person. This is reinforced by his neutral personality, which allows the reader to identify with his character and immerse themselves into his adventures instead of feeling as if they are merely following the storyline. This is further demonstrated through the 'ligne claire' style of the illustrator, as the simpleness of the drawings helps the reader 'safely enter a senusally stimulating world'.

Tintin has a sharp intellect, and is shown to be honest, kind-hearted, and compassionate. This would attract a mass audience as it gives a positive role model that many can aspire to be like.

Despite the creator dying in 1983, Tintin remains a very popular literacy figure. Throughout Belgium, murals and statues of Tintin are seen. Moreover, the series has been adapted into plays, radio, television, and animated films. One of note is the 2011 Hollywood film, The Adventures of Tintin, which was directed by the iconic Steven Spielberg.

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Alongside Tintin, the series includes many supporting characters to add interest and allow the narrative to progress. One of these characters is Captain Haddock. Debuting 12 years after the series was created, Captain Haddock was first introduced in the The Crab with the Golden Claws, one story in the series. At first, Haddock is depicted as a weak alcoholic character. After witnessing Captain Haddock being taken advantage of because of his alcoholism by his co-worker, Tintin rescues him. His friendship with Tintin continued ever since, where the two solve mysteries and adventures together.

Captain Haddock has a major shift throughout the series. Whilst at first, he is displayed as nothing but an incapable alcoholic, he later evolves to become heroic and admirable. Many readers are able to identify with the character as he can come across much more authentic than Tintin; he is always quick with a dry comment whenever Tintin's ideas seems too idealistic, and uses a range of sarcastic and creative insults. Furthermore, the ability to evolve to become a better version of yourself is demonstrated through Haddock's character, as he shows that anyone can be heroic, despite what others may think. Whilst Tintin is always displayed as a hero, Captain Haddock shows that anyone (even people with addiction problems) can achieve great things if you try. This targets a mass audience as it adds a level of realism and the ability for people to identify with a range of characters.

P2 (U9): Describe a chosen graphic novel or comic product

Heartstopper

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Heartstopper is a British graphic novel written and illustrated by Alice Oseman. Initially published as a webcomic on Tumblr in 2016, the significant following lead to Oseman deciding to self-publish the first two chapters as physical copies. However as this was self-published, she was only able to produce a limited number of copies. In 2018, Hachette Children's Group (HCG) acquired the rights to physical publishing of the first two volumes of the novel. In 2019, HCG further acquired the rights to the third and fourth volume of the novel. Two more volumes are planned to be released in 2023.

Heartstopper tells the story of 15 year old, Charlie Spring and 16 year old, Nick Nelson as they fall in love. Fitting into the drama genre, Heartstopper targets a teenager audience.

Target Audience

Heartstopper's primary target audience is teenagers. One main reason why this is this case is because the novel is set in a high school. This means that almost all of the characters are teenagers, giving readers a range of people to identify with. Additionally, whilst there are older characters, such as parents or teachers, the narrative focuses on the perspective of students, allowing readers to relate to the relationships with the figures of authority.

With the main focus of the narrative being on the homosexual relationship of Charlie and Nick (yet still displaying a range of other sexualities and identities such as asexuality and transgender), the novel portrays a range of countertypes. Whilst in typical media, alternative sexualities such as gay people are not seen as the protagonist, and when featured, they are stereotypically seen as an outsider, Heartstopper challenges this by displaying the positives and real aspects that many people can relate to. This gives the young and impressionable target audience of teenagers someone to identify with and relate to the struggles they may face. Similarly, there are a range of races and ethnicities, implying that everyone is welcome to read this book, reflecting the author's message that we should become more equal and not judge people by racist stereotypes.

Charlie Spring

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Charlie Spring is one of the two protagonists in the Heartstopper series. After being outed as gay by his classmates, Charlie is said to have experienced bullying throughout school. Initially, Charlie is portrayed as being sensitive and has a habit to overthink things. However, throughout the novel, Charlie gains more confidence with support from his boyfriend, Nick Nelson. Despite this, Charlie does open up about his struggles with body dysmorphia, and eventually ends up receiving the medical attention he requires. This demonstrates to the young target audience who may be struggling with similar issues that things can get better and it is not something to be ashamed about. The use of the development of his character throughout the novel allows the reader to start with identifying with him and his struggles, and then see his growth, implying that they too will be able to get through their issues.

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Nick Nelson is the the other protagonist of the series. Because of his popularity and being the leader of the school's rugby team, Nick is seen as being a stereotypical, empty-minded rugby lad. However, upon befriending Charlie, Nick proves to be extremely kind and patient, causing Charlie to grow romantic feelings for him. After witnessing someone bullying Charlie for his sexuality, Nick jumps in and defends him, then checks up on Charlie. This would eventually lead for Charlie's feelings of romantic interest to be reciprocated. Nick discovers he is bisexual, and eventually comes out to everyone. Readers can identify with Nick's journey of self-discovery. As someone who does not fit typical stereotypes of gay people, Nick shows that it is okay to challenge these conceptions that many people have, and to be proud of your sexuality.

Structure and Elements

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The paneling of this graphic novel makes some panels bigger than others. They are shown to cropped in different shapes. This allows the author to focus the readers attention on certain aspects, displaying them as more important to the story line. As seen above, the speech bubbles extend out of the panels, and are in a hand-written font. This reinforces the appeal to the young target audience as it gives a younger aesthetic. This is reinforced by the cartoon, simple illustration style of the characters. Furthermore, doodles are drawn in the negative space around the panels, such as hearts; this demonstrates the mood of the characters and scene, reinforcing the narrative and storyline.

Iconography is used to reinforce the storyline and appeal to the target audience. A study by Hopelab and Well Being Trust found that 93% of teenagers in the UK used social media daily. Thus, the use of the main messaging platform that the characters are shown to use being Instagram appeals to the target audience as it adds a sense of realism.

The fact that the graphic novel is in black and white may reinforce the drama genre of the novel because it allows for the reader's attention to be focused on the narrative. Additionally, it may appeal to the target audience because it conforms to conventions of typical, regular books.

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The use of costume reinforces the narrative in a visual way and allows for the storyline to progress. For example, when at school, it is clear for the readers to identify this as the characters will be wearing school uniform. On the other hand, when in other outfits, it shows the time of day or location based on the formality of the clothing. An example of this in Heartstopper (as shown on the right) is when Nick comes over to Charlie's house as a surprise, and Charlie is still in his nightwear. This conveys how Nick puts effort into the relationship as he comes over early in the morning.

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Sammy Bentwood Unit 4 and 9

Existing graphic novel or comic publishers and products

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