Welcome to the New Frontier!

So much has happened in the graphic novel publishing industry over the past few years and yet we have only begun to scratch the surface.  I had a phone conversation with my boss this summer after Bob Thompson’s story ran in the Washington Post and he made the observation that everyone is still acting like this is a new thing.   While that’s a true thing to say I think it’s still going to be a new thing for quite a while more.  Or, at least until we hear the term graphic novel being used in every day conversation much like you would hear someone describe rock and roll.

So here is where we are:  graphic novels have made some major inroads into the library market, more comic shops are carrying them in addition to comic books, independent retailers are just beginning to take a look at them and now, teachers are starting to use them in the class room.   What adds fuel to the fire is when you have major block buster movies generating billions-yes BILLIONS of dollars in ticket sales.

That is when the stuff blows up.

It would be a wonderful world if something actually sold on the merit of being a well crafted story.  In the movie, music and book publishing industry it’s about the latest trend.  If one person creates something that works well, you can bet the rest of the industry will follow.   Success breeds a herd of followers.

In the case of our graphic novel world, I really hope it stays that way.   You get great books that stand on their own as a memoir or fictional work, or maybe a new line of beginning readers launches a new category of books.  Take for instance the line of TOON Books from Francoise Mouly and her husband Art Speigelman.   These are well crafted graphic novels for little kids!   They took this idea to virtually every publishing house and were told “this is nice but we just don’t see it happening”.   Had it not been for their persistence and belief in what they were doing, the books would not have been created.

Now, you have more publishers saying “hmmmmm maybe they have something there.   We will see quite a few books for beginning readers on the market next year.  Our good friends at Udon were smart enough to learn from TOON Books and will have four new titles-manga titles- for little kids next year.  From what I have seen they look perfect.

2009 is going to bring about some amazing books and movies.   Just when we think we have reached the peak we discover another bigger mountain range just ahead of us.  I can’t wait to see what’s on the other side.

John Shableski is a sales manager with Diamond Book Distributors.   He has also been a moderator and panelist for graphic novel programs at Book Expo America, New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic Con.  He has collaborated on graphic novel symposiums around the country including the launch of the Comix Galaxy at the Miami Book Fair International.  Shableski is also a panel judge for the 2009 Eisner Awards.   He can be reached via email at shjohn@diamondbookdistributors.com

DiamondBookShelf.com, Diamond Comic Distributors’ graphic novel resource for educators and librarians, has recently been updated with all kinds of goodies!

This month’s features include an interview with Ralph Macchio, editor of Marvel Comics’ Marvel Illustrated series, a look at Udon Entertainment’s upcoming Manga for Kids, a Graphic Novel Outreach Roundtable in which leading comics-in-education advocates present their best elevator pitches, courtesy of educator and frequent BookShelf guest writer Peter Gutierrez, and a whole lot more.