Comics/Books/Comic Books

[Mr. Palmer]

When I was younger, I always referred to my collection as comic books. Whenever I was heading to the local store, it was for comics. Heck, that's how I still am.

This is, honestly, the first place where I've constantly heard them called "books". Not that that's bad, or anything.

But, I was wondering what everyone else has called them over the years?

[The Confessor]

They're Comics as far as I'm concerned...or maybe Comic Books if I just happen to feel like calling them that. Thinking about it, I may have referred to them as 'books' once or twice but in my mind that's just short for Comic Books.

The same goes for collected editions of comics, they're still Comics or Comic Books to me. I never refer to them as trade paperbacks or graphic novels. Actually, I've always had a suspiscion that people who call the graphic novels are just embarressed of scared to say that they read comics. That may not be strictly true of course, but it's what I've always secretly believed.

[Jolly Mon]

They're Comics as far as I'm concerned...or maybe Comic Books if I just happen to feel like calling them that. Thinking about it, I may have referred to them as 'books' once or twice but in my mind that's just short for Comic Books.

The same goes for collected editions of comics, they're still Comics or Comic Books to me. I never refer to them as trade paperbacks or graphic novels. Actually, I've always had a suspiscion that people who call the graphic novels are just embarressed of scared to say that they read comics. That may not be strictly true of course, but it's what I've always secretly believed.
Agreed, I always just called them either comics or comic books. And the graphic novel thing reminds me of "action figures". Seems lots of people collect "figures", but wouldn't dream of calling them "toys". Me, I have a crapload of toys.

[Sir Tim Drake]

I call them comic books or comics, although "comics" is confusing because it also refers to the medium. I prefer to reserve the word "books" for actual books.

I'm not sure what word to use for collections of comics in book form. "Trade paperbacks" is an acceptable term, but I really dislike the practice of referring to such objects as "trades," because they have nothing to do with trading. "Graphic novel" is a problematic term because not all trade paperbacks are graphic novels, and vice versa. Perhaps we ought to adopt the French practice of referring to these objects as "albums."

[swinebread]

It seems to me that the calling comic books, ‘books’ comes from the pros. “I gotta’ new book comin’ out,” etc. and I think some fans have picked that up. Maybe it stems from the days when working in comics was a not considered respectable.

With regard to graphic novels, it was supposed to be a term that was used for comic style works written, drawn, and published in the larger book format from the get go, like some of Will Eisner’s works, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, or Blankets by Craig Thompson. Marvel and DC started using the name to refer to their collected additions so they could get more respect, which muddied the meaning, and I consider dishonest. Collected Trade Paperback is what these works are, serialized comic stories collected into a larger work. But not originally intended to be so.

I have heard comics also called a “read” meaning “Spiderman #158 is a good read.”

[Josh S]

I call monthlies comics. I call collections of monthlies trades. And I call works that originally appear in the large format graphic novels. The only time I hear them called books is when I'm here or at my LCS, so I assumed it was just what "we" called them amongst ourselves because it's clear what we're talking about.

[dan bailey]

occasionally i'll call comics "mags," though usually i reserve that term for b&w periodicals like creepy or savage sword of conan or whatever. though occasionally i'll call those zines ...

[The Confessor]

Perhaps we ought to adopt the French practice of referring to these objects as "albums."

:eek: No, no, no...albums are collections of songs that bands or solo artists put out every few years. Calling comics 'albums' can only lead to trouble and confusion...at least in my head! ;)

[Red Oak Kid]

I use the term "books" only when talking to other fans, either online or in person.

If I'm talking to non fans, I use comic book.

I've never used graphic novel.

[Jonathan Bogart]

I call the ones with the staples "pamphlets," and the ones with the spines "books."

Not really, or at least not consistently, but it's an option that hasn't been offered up yet.

I think the sensible thing to do is to say whatever will most easily distinguish what you're talking about to whomever it is you're talking to. If using "book" to mean a continuing series of monthly comics won't be misunderstood to mean a collection or something in prose, go ahead and use that; if "graphic novel" is the only way the hearer will understand that you mean comics that aren't superheroes or Archie, then that's fine too.

[Mike Kuypers]

Am I the only one old enough to remember when they were referred to as comic mags?

[TheTen-EyedMan]

I had a friend as a kid named Jim, who had speech impediment.

He used to call them "Comet Boots"

[swinebread]

Am I the only one old enough to remember when they were referred to as comic mags?

Wow, I've never heard them called mags by themselves. Comic Magazine or comic mags maybe, but just mags, haven't heard it.

[CaptChucky]

My grandparents referred to them as "books" or "Joke Books" as the earliest versions were reprints of "The Jokes." I believe "books" was shorthand for "Joke Books." The word "comics" wasn't typically used in my family, and they bought lots of them.

[Cherokee Jack]

Am I the only one old enough to remember when they were referred to as comic mags?


As in "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!"?

[dan bailey]

of course, too, some of the less reverent among us make use of "funny books" & (after al capp) "comical books" ...

[joe bloke]

Ask any kid anywhere what they're called and they'll tell you straight out. They're comics. Pure and simple. Magazines, books, graphic novels, trades, all the other guff? that's us adults, that is. Hey, if it's got feathers, it floats, and it quacks, it's a duck.

[Mike Kuypers]

As in "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!"?
Yep. I think it was mainly in Marvel lettercols they referred to comics as comic mags.