Serials Review

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A brief glossary of comic book terminology

Jane K Griffin

To cite this article: Jane K Griffin (1998) A brief glossary of comic book terminology, Serials
Review, 24:1, 71-76, DOI: 10.1080/00987913.1998.10764431
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 A BRIEF GLOSSARYOF
COMIC BOOK TERMINOLOGY

Jane K. Griffh

Comic books, like most subjects, use many specialized

terms. This glossary is intended to provide a brief
overview of common words and phrases, not a defini-
tive list. Comics fandom has its own well-defined cul-
ture, making extensive use of slang and shorthand
vocabulary. Examples of fan terminology include
“fanboy (or girl)” and “retcon.” By and large, this
glossary avoids fan language, focusing instead on
standard industry vocabulary.
Comics also use many common literary terms such
as antihero, flashback, and fourth wall. These terms
will only be included if comic books use them in a spe-
cialized manner.
Terms are grouped together in the following five
categories: comic book structure; creative teams;
comic book types and formats; content; and collecting
and preserving.

COMICBOOKSTRUCTURE

PANEL - A single picture, usually rectangular. A

comic book typically consists of six to eight pan-
els per page. Analogous to a single frame of a
motion picture.
BORDER - The line drawn around each panel.
GUTTER - White space between panels.
Griffin
is a recent graduate of the University of Wash-
ington Graduate School of Library and Information Sci- SPLASH PAGE - A page composed of a single
ence, Seattle, WA 98195 <[email protected]>. panel.

-ABRIEFGLOSSARYOFCOMICBOOKTERMINOLOGY- VOL.24, No. 1 (SPRING 1998) 71

 GATEFOLD - An oblong, oversize front cover detailed, including page-by-page breakdowns and
that folds in. Gatefolds are used to extend cover suggestions to the artist.
art, although they can also be used for advertising.
Recent Marvel comics have been using gatefolds SCRIPTER - Writer who takes a story idea sup-
to provide background for the current story line on plied by a PLOTTER and creates the dialogue and
the inside cover. captions seen in each panel.

WRAP-AROUND - Cover art which encompasses PENCILER - Artist who works with the writer to
both the front and back covers in order to present a create a story. The penciler is responsible for lay-
single, panoramic drawing. outs and the actual drawings on the page. His or
her work is done in pencil, then given to the
PAINTED ART - Instead of going through the INKER. In some cases, one penciler will block out
three-step process of artist, inker, colorist, some the rough layouts, while a second finishes the
art is painted. This method is usually reserved for detailed pencilling.
covers and graphic novels. Art can be either
photo-realistic or impressionist. Examples INKER - Embellishes the finished pencilled art
include Marvel Comics’ Marvels and DC’s Kin?- with black ink, using a paintbrush or mechanical
dom Come. pen. Inking is a craft in its own right, as the inker’s
interpretation can heavily influence the look of the
PHOTO COVER - Cover art which uses one or finished art, in extreme cases, changing the mood
more photographs rather than paintings or draw- completely. Some pencilers do their own inking,
ings. Photo covers may utilize fairly standard por- but most do not.
traits, as with Topps Comics’ X-Files covers, or
may employ complex, inventive mosaics, as with LETTERER - Graphic artist who supplies the let-
DC’s Sandman Mystery Theater. tering for captions, dialogue, and sound effects.
Often done with the assistance of computers.
COLOR SEPARATIONS - Provides coded
instructions for the printing process. Printers gen- COLORIST - Takes the inked art and colors the
erally deal with five colors only; separations are pages for the printer. This is often with the aid of
what give the machines the percentages of each computers. The colorist selects the color separa-
primary color necessary to create new colors. tions.
INDICIA - publishing information equivalent to COVER ARTIST - The front cover is not always
that found in the publisher’s statement of a news- drawn by the artist of the book. In fact, some art-
paper or periodical. In American comics, the indi- ists specialize in cover art.
cia is usually found in the bottom margin of the
first page, but sometimes can be seen on the inside EDITOR - Editors are responsible for ensuring the
front cover. comic is published in a timely manner. The editor
helps to keep the creative staff on amicable terms,
nags them to meet publication deadlines, consults
CREATIVE ‘~IXAMS with them on story ideas, and ensures that no glar-
ing errors occur on the finished product. Editors
WRITER - Creates the basic story in outline form typically oversee the creative teams on multiple
(how detailed depends on the writer). Often works books.
closely with the artist in developing the story.
After the penciled art is completed, the writer cre- ASSISTANT EDITOR - Responsible for choosing
ates dialogue and captions. In most cases, the the letters to appear on a comics’ letters pages,
writer handles both chores, but in some circum- writes responses to those letters, and assists with
stances, writing on a book is shared by a PLOT- editor with proofing copy and related tasks.
TER and SCRIPTER.
PLOTTER - Writer who supplies only the broad COMIC BOOK TYPES AND FORMATS
outline of events and character interactions to
appear in a story. This outline is fleshed out later EUROPEAN COMICS - Usually published in a
by the SCRIPTER. The outline can be fairly larger format than American comics, covering a

72 SERIALSREVIEW - JANE K. GRIFFIN-

 variety of genres for a broad audience. Examples than the “prestige” album format of a graphic
include the Tintin and Aster-ixseries. novel.

AMERICAN COMICS - Format is usually thirty- ADAPTATION - A comic book whose plot is
two pages with a paper cover. Most popular genre taken from another medium (usually movies).
is super-heroes, although Westerns, horror, furry Independence Day is an example. Ongoing comics
animals, biographical, and humor books are also which feature the characters from another medium
published. Examples: Superman, Fantastic Four. (e.g., Star Trek; Star Wars) are not adaptations
because they contain original stories.
BRITISH COMICS - Format is often an anthology
of three to eight page stories. Consequently, sto- ANNUAL - Many serial comics include an extra,
ries tend to be denser and the art more detailed. double-sized issue once each year. Typically, an
Examples: A.D. 2000 (Judge Dredd) and V for Annual will print one or more self-contained sto-
Vendetta. ries. Annuals may be designated by the title and
JAPANESE COMICS - See MANGA. year (DaredeviVDeadpool ‘Y7) or they may
receive sequential numbering, distinct from the
MANGA - Japanese style of comics. Manga has regular series (The Flash Annual #3).
the largest audience and greatest circulation of any
type of comics. Stories can be in any genre. The ASHCAN - A promotional comic, frequently
most common format are “phone books,” or thick issued at conventions. True ashcans are smaller,
paperbacks issued on newsprint and published and usually published in black and white. Ashcans
weekly in an anthology format. The art is often are intended to generate interest in a new comic,
less detailed and in many cases produced by stu- but are sometimes issued to protect the trademarks
dios instead of individuals due to time constraints. of infrequently used characters.
Examples: Akira, Ranma l/2. BLACK-AND-WHITE - Not all comics are
TRADE PAPERBACK - For comics, it is a collec- printed in full color. Due to the expense, many
tion of reprinted stories, rarely original stories. It independent comic publishers issue comics in
can be an anthology or a series than encompasses black and white, with color used for the cover
one story line. TPBs are the format most often only. This is rarely done by the larger publishers,
seen in libraries, with heavy paper covers and per- although b&w is occasionally used for effect.
fect bindings. Examples: Maus, the Dark Knight REPRINT - A comic that has been reissued in a
Returns.
new printing. Reprints command less market value
GRAPHIC NOVEL - A self contained story, for resale purposes, but they make classic works
printed with a heavy paper cover and better quality more accessible to readers who cannot locate or
paper. Examples: God Loves, Man Kills, the Cow- afford the original.
boy WallyShow.
INDEPENDENT COMICS (INDIES) - Comics
LIMITED SERIES - While most comics are which are issued by any company which is not
open-ended serials, some have a predetermined affiliated with one of the giant comics publishers
beginning and end. Often a limited series will use presently dominating the industry. In the past, an
an established character or team, but takes advan- Indy was considered to be any comic published by
tage of the limited nature to spotlight a different a company other than Marvel or DC. Today, the
aspect of the character that can not be featured definition is blurred by the fact that Image Comics
during the regular run. Examples of limited series has solidly entered the ranks of a new “Big
are Marvel’s Daredevil: Man Without Fear and Three.” Some Independent publishers, such as
DC’s JLA: Year One. Publishers will often reprint Dark Horse or Acclaim, are quite large, but most
a limited series as a trade paperback because of its are smaller firms.
self-contained story.
ALTERNATIVE COMICS - INDEPENDENT
ONE-SHOT - Similar in nature to a LIMITED COMICS which explore topics or themes outside
SERIES, but appearing as a single issue only. A of the mainstream comic genres, or which utilize
one-shot differs from a GRAPHIC NOVEL in that nontraditional formats, narrative techniques, or
it appears in standard comic book format, rather artistic styles. The majority of alternative comics

-ABRIEFGLOSSARYOFCOMICBOOKTERMINOLOGY- Voi,. 24, No. 1 (SPRING 1998) 73

 are printed in black & white, and many are self- ply publish without the Code logo. Many of newer
published. Acme Novelty Library is an alternative publishers do not even submit their books to the
comic. See Also COMIX. Comics Code Authority.
COMIX - Term used originally for underground or CONTINUITY - Most comics, taking advantage
independent comics of the sixties, sold in head of the serial format, employ ongoing stories. Some
shops and other counter-culture venues. “Comix” comics allow characters to have memories of what
also refers to current-day ALTERNATIVE COM- happened previously; ones that do are said to have
ICS. Comix tend to be experimental, iconoclastic, continuity, especially if memories of past events
irreverent, scatological, or even offensive, and are affect current stories.
more likely to contain adult subject matter. Robert
CROSSOVER - A crossover is where Character A
Crumb draws and writes comix.
appears in a title where he normally would not,
BAD-GIRL COMICS - A genre in which the pro- Character B’s. The next week Character A hosts
tagonist is a well-endowed female dressed in Character B in A’s book. The Flash might appear
tight-fitting or scanty costumes. She is usually an in a Batman story, then two weeks later Batman
antihero. Examples include Shi and Catwoman. would show up in The Flash to continue the story.
FURRY ANIMAL COMICS - Comics based on ORIGIN STORY - A story which explains how
anthropomorphic animals. Donald Duck is a pro- the hero got his or her special abilities and why he
totypical furry animal comic. does what he does. Villains can also have origin
stories. While origin stories are usually in the
TEAM BOOK - A subset of the super-hero genre.
introductory appearance, the origin is usually
Instead of one character confronting villains alone,
retold at frequent intervals and in many cases
a group of super-heroes goes up against teams of
recapped at the beginning of each issue. Peter
villains. Teams are often comprised of teenagers
Parker, for example, was bitten by a radioactive
or young adults. JLA (Justice League of America)
spider at a science exhibition, giving him the abili-
and the Avengers are team books.
ties of a spider. That explains his abilities. While
UNDERGROUND COMICS - See COMIX. using these abilities for profit, he allowed a crimi-
nal to go free, who then killed the uncle who
raised him. Racked with guilt, Parker became Spi-
CONTENT
der-Man to atone for his selfishness; motive.

BACK-UP STORY - When the main story runs REBOOT - The direction of an ongoing series is
short or if space otherwise needs to be filled, a radically revamped, often by rewriting the estab-
back-up story is inserted. A back-up is a filler, typ- lished history of the characters. A reboot typically
ically a shorter story, often done by beginning art- occurs when a character’s history has become too
ists and writers. Often they illustrate some aspect complex and self-contradictory, or when a pub-
of the character of the main story. lisher strives to bolster a faltering line by starting
from scratch. A reboot may result in completely
COMICS CODE AUTHORITY - During the new volume numbering for the series (e.g., the
195Os, comic books came under fire from Con- Avengers), or may involve continuous numbering
gress and other sources for being allegedly (Legionnaires). Examples of major reboots
unhealthy for children. The response of the major include Marvel’s recent “Heroes Return” titles,
publishers was to participate in self-regulation, Acclaim Entertainment’s Valiant/Acclaim switch-
They created the Comics Code Authority (CCA), over, and the most radical example, DC’s Crisis on
much like the MPAA for movies or the ratings
Infinite Earths. See Also PRE/POST CRISIS.
symbols now seen on television. Any comic that
has the Comics Code logo on the cover has met RELAUNCH - A previously canceled series
certain standards. It does not utilize bad language, which is later revived, usually by a different cre-
drugs or violence are not glorified, and crime can- ative team, and sometimes by a completely differ-
not pay. With the rise of the DIRECT MARKET, ent publisher. Examples are numerous, including
the Comics Code became less important, and if a DC’s The Creeper, Marvel’s Ka-Zar, and Image’s
comic does not pass muster, a publisher will sim- Mage.

74 SERIALS REVIEW - JANE K. GRIFFIN-

 PRE/POST CRISIS - A specific reference to DC COLLECTINGANDPRESERVING COMICS
comics. Over several decades, the DC universe
became cluttered with parallel worlds, different GOLDEN AGE - The first period in which comic
versions of characters, and convoluted histories of book publishing flourished. Includes any comic
long-time characters like Batman and Superman. books issued between the years 1938 and 1944,
To simplify this, the publisher started over in what the first classic era of super-hero comics. Some
was known as the Crisis on Infinite Earths. After comics historians cite 1950 as the end of the
Crisis, everything started at zero; characters got Golden Age, while others extend it as far as 1954,
either streamlined or completely new origin sto- based on annual sales of all comics published per
ries, and all the parallel Earths were gone. Readers year.
looking for pre-Crisis books want stories that hap-
SILVER AGE - The second period of classic
pened prior to the transition. Crisis on Znjbzite
comic book publishing, covering the period from
Earths is the quintessential example of a process
1956 to 1969. Note that collectors and comics his-
known as the REBOOT.
torians do not always agree on Silver Age dates;
SUPER-HERO - An individual that uses enhanced another frequently seen end-date is 1974.
abilities to aid the helpless. A typical super-hero
OVERSTREET - Shorthand for the Overstreet
has a costume, special powers, and a “secret iden- Comic Rook Price Guide, the standard price guide
tity,” meaning the super-hero does not reveal the for reselling comics. Published annually in book
name he operates under in “civilian” life. Super- form, with irregular supplements.
man, for example, wears a costume, has special
powers (flight, x-ray vision, etc.) and does not let WIZARD - An alternate source of determining
the world know that he is mild-mannered Clark comic book values, published monthly as part of
Kent. Not all super-heroes have all of these char- Wizard magazine, and annually in book form.
acteristics; Batman is a normal human who has SPECULATOR VS. COLLECTOR - Speculators
developed special skills through a lifetime of rig- buy comics for potential economic value, often not
orous training. even reading them; their concern is for the condi-
SUPERHUMAN - Individuals with special pow- tion of the book. Collectors read comics, and buy
ers, also called metahuman, parahuman, etc. Spe- what interests them with little concern over future
cific terms vary from one publisher to another. For economic value.
example, Marvel has come to refer to superhu- DIRECT MARKET - Comics were once primarily
mans as “Marvels,” while Image’s WildStorm uni- sold through newsstands. While this market still
verse uses the phrase “Super Powered Being exists, today most comics are bought through spe-
(SPB).” cialty shops or via subscription. The direct market
MUTANT - A mutant is a SUPERHUMAN with is comprised of this network of comics shops,
special powers due to genetic makeup (i.e., he or which usually specialize in the sales of comics,
she was born that way). It is also a general term comics-related merchandise, games and/or sports
used to describe Marvel’s X-Men and the associ- cards. Shops are supplied by distributors who spe-
ated spin-off comics such as X-Force. cialize in comics. The direct market makes it eas-
ier for independent comics to find an audience,
OFF-PANEL - Action which takes place behind since it would be much harder for them to break
the scenes (i.e., occurring between comic panels into the newsstand distribution chain. The direct
or issues). Analogous to “off-stage” or market is also less susceptible to censorship.
“off-screen” in the theater and motion pictures.
FIRST ISSUE - The first issue (or #l), in most
STORY ARC - Comics frequently make use of the cases provides the background for the comic. The
serial format by having multi-part stories. The first issue often tells the characters’ ORIGIN
overall story which is completed over this span STORY, although not always. Many have intrinsic
(anywhere from two to twenty issues) is called the collecting value, but this has become less preva-
story arc. This term is rarely used in conjunction lent in recent years. In some cases, first issues
with a LIMITED SERIES. have become phenomenally valuable due to

-ABRIEFGLOSSARYOFCOMICBOOKTERMINOLOGY- VOL.24,No.l (SPRING 1998) 75

 extreme scarcity (e.g., Action Comics #I, the first more common due to cost concerns. Bags are
appearance of Superman), but that is not typical. often used in conjunction with boards.
VARIANT COVERS - Some books will have dif- BOARDS - Acid-free pieces of cardboard used to
ferent covers although the inside content is the support comics standing upright. Employed for
same. This is done primarily to promote sales. protection in conjunction with bags.
X-Men #l (Marvel) published with five different
LONG BOX - Standard storage method for com-
covers, and the Darkness #1 1 (Image), with eleven
ics. It is a cardboard box that is 8 l/2” x 11 l/2” x
covers, are extreme version of this practice.
28” with a cardboard lid. Good boxes should be
BAGS - Protective covers for comics. Mylar is the acid-free, although use of bags minimizes the
best method, although polypropylene bags are need. Boxes also come in shorter sizes.

76 SERIALSREVIEW - JANE K. GRIFFIN-