Graphic Novel Vocabulary
Learn key vocabulary to talk about the different elements of a graphic novel.
A graphic novel is a book made up of comics content. It is a form of sequential art that uses images and text to tell a story. Panels are individual frames or boxes that contain a single scene in a graphic novel. Gutters are the spaces between panels in a graphic novel. They help to separate different scenes and moments in the story. Speech bubbles, also known as dialogue balloons, contain the spoken words or thoughts of a character in a graphic novel. Callouts are special types of speech bubbles that are used to indicate shouting or screaming in a graphic novel. Drop caps are large capital letters that are used at the beginning of a block of text. They are often used to start a new chapter or section in a graphic novel. Cropping an image involves removing the outer parts of an image to improve framing, highlight the subject, or change the aspect ratio. Word Art is a text-styling feature that allows you to apply visual effects to text, such as gradients, shadows, and outlines. Google Fonts is a library of free licensed fonts that can be used in Google Slides and other Google applications. A storyboard is a graphic organizer that provides a visual representation of the sequence of events in a story. Layer order refers to the arrangement of images or elements in a graphic novel. Elements can be moved forward or backward to create a sense of depth. A frame is a single drawing in the larger structure of a graphic novel. Each frame represents a particular moment in the story. A caption is a block of text used in a graphic novel to provide narration, describe a scene, or convey what's happening off-panel. Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between an image's width and height. It's important to maintain a consistent aspect ratio when resizing images to prevent distortion1. Graphic Novel
2. Panels
3. Gutters
4. Speech Bubbles
5. Callouts
6. Drop Caps
7. Cropping an Image
8. Word Art
9. Google Fonts
10. Storyboard
11. Layer Order
12. Frame
13. Caption
14. Aspect Ratio