Graphic Novels and Video Games by Kosta Patapis and Kara Emerton

Graphic Novels
and
Video Games
by Kosta Patapis
and
Kara Emerton
KINGS COMICS.

What Graphic Novels and Video Games have in common...
Both based primarily on visual storytelling
Both have introduced colourful, iconic characters into mainstream culture
Both are accused of being pointless entertainment and harmful influences (NOT TRUE!!)
Both are successful fixtures in pop culture (a major influence currently to both film and television)
Amazing Spider-man Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

A perspective ....
The TOP 2 best-selling single volume books
Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
(first published 1859)
sold 200 million copies
Lords of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
(first published 1954-55)
sold 150 million copies
Compare to:
CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS
Sold over 7 MILLION
in the first 24 HOURS !!
and surpassed the $1 billion worldwide sales mark after just six weeks of availability!
In an industry where we are seeing major book chains closing and a fear of electronic methods of reading, gaming and comics are embracing this change and thriving!

Video Games outsell DVDs and Music combined! The following is an excerpt from an article from The (British) Telegraph, 1 April 2011 written by Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Statistics from the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) show that in 2010 , two of the top three titles in volume terms were video games , beating all forms of music, both physical and digital and DVDs. The most popular title of the year was Call of Duty: Black Ops . It sold 3.27 million copies in Australia between its launch in November and the end of the year, beating Avatar , the futuristic film, which sold 3 million. The third most popular tile was Fifa 11 , the football video game, which sold 2.39 million copies. The DVD of Toy Story 3 , the animated film, was the fourth most popular title, with 2.08 million copies sold. In the top ten there was just one music title, Progress by Take That , which sold 1.93 million copies. Steve Redmond, spokesman at the ERA, said: "We've long been used to the idea that in value terms the video games industry is bigger than film or music. But it is a significant moment when a game outsells all other forms of entertainment . Sales of video games actually fell by 12 per due to the fact that there were no new consoles or hand-held devices being launched by the hardware manufacturers, and the recession. Guy Cocker, at Gamespot, the games industry website, said: "Many people will be surprised by how popular video games have become, but they are a key part of many people's lives and a hugely profitable industry." These statistics would not have captured the increasing number of games that are played by people on their mobile phones, via "apps" or software applications, the most famous of which is probably Angry Birds , which has been bought by at least 12 million worldwide. “

The Development of Game-Related Comics Game related comics have been around for almost as long as games themselves. DC Atari Force in 1980, incorporated Atari games into a grandiose series of space adventures. Sonic began in the early 1990s, and there is now a comic book tie-in for virtually every rpg/sci-fi/fps.

The Development of Game-Related Comics
As games developed, so too did their storylines and are now an integral part of the game.
Players become interested in the motivations and experiences of the characters and as worlds become more immersive, so does the desire to know all there is to know about the universe.
The focus of play can put limitations on the narration. This is where comics/graphic novels can step up and place more focus on the characters, telling stories that convey the spirit that one feels when playing the game.
MASS EFFECT relates back to a story previously published in comics, showing that not only do these additional stories matter within the game universe, but are also fully consistent with that universe.

Comic creators working with gaming companies
Comics are often used to bridge the gap between games, acting as prequels, sequels and stories set between games.
Also used to provide a character’s back story and events leading to their placement at the start of a game.
High profile creators have worked on adaptations with many crossing over mediums between gaming and comics.
Comic book creators often work with gaming companies developing designs, characters and backgrounds and then take this work across into comic adaptations.
Dark Horse Comics’ Games & Comics Panels at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo 2011 Dark Horse has a growing library of games-based books, which already includes Mass Effect: Evolution and Mass Effect: Retribution , as well as a graphic novel for Fallout: New Vegas and comics based on ID Software’s Rage . Dark Horse editor David Marshall, who was accompanied on stage by writer John Jackson Miller, praised the potential of the Mass Effect universe and compared it to his company's other major license, Star Wars .

Major Gaming / Comic Book franchise crossovers This transition has also gone the other way, with numerous games being developed based on comic book characters. Titles such as Batman: Arkham Asylum and DC Universe Online which has taken DC’s staple super-heroes and developed a mmorpg around them.

Comic Book Industry professionals talk about Comics and Literacy...

Bridging the Gap
Video Games have an extremely wide audience.
Graphic Novels that tie into these games can bridge the gap between the console and the bookshelf [library].
Video Games have always been a successful draw for reluctant readers, especially boys.
Comic books based on characters they are familiar with provide a strong resource for encouraging literacy.
They help to increase the young readers’ vocabulary, studies have shown even more than movies, television and novels.
They are a multi-modal form of communication, (communicated through visual context, not just words), similar to spoken language and thus a great bridge to written language in young readers.
They provide a well-crafted engaging means of telling a story – something that can transcend any media and any age group.

Graphic Novels and Video Games by Kosta Patapis and Kara Emerton

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