I've recently become curious about how the graphic novel and its cousin the trade paper collection developed in mainstream comics, but I've been having trouble with the chronology, so I figured I could get some help here. Working from memory (because Googling wasn't terribly helpful), I'll list what I've got so far.
Sidestepping the argument about whether it was the "first graphic novel"--and if it wasn't, what was--Eisner's A Contract with God came out in 1978. Marvel's first, The Death of Captain Marvel, came out in 1982 and was followed the next year by DC's inaugural GN, Star Raiders. But how did reprint collections fit into all this? Dave Sim put out Swords of Cerebus, his first attempt to collect Cerebus, in the early '80s, but at some point he abandoned that and went to the phone-book collections in, what 1985, 1986, later? Somewhere around the same time, Love and Rockets collections started to come out from Fantagraphics. My sense is those were before the Cerebus phone books, but I'm not sure. And weren't there Elfquest collections?
Back to the majors again, Marvel started publishing its Masterworks in the mid-to-late '80s, and DC was a bit later to the party with DC Archives. Did the success of these inspire the trade paper collections, or was it the other way around? What was the first trade paper reprint from either of the majors that we'd recognize in a modern form today. Ronin was released as a mini-series in 1983, but when was it collected? If I recall, it wasn't a success at the time, so I'm thinking the collection didn't come until Miller had already proven his success with Dark Knight Returns. Speaking of which, how quickly was Dark Knight collected? All four parts of the mini appeared in 1986, but The Grand Comic Book Database lists contradictory publication dates of 1986 and 1988 for the trade. Dark Knight was finished before Watchmen, but did the Watchmen trade appear before Dark Knight?
So much of this happened so quickly that I'm not sure one can ferret out much of a cause-and-effect relationship, but I'm curious as to how much of one can be inferred.
I didn't mention Maus, which is certainly germane to the discussion. It won the Pulitzer in 1986, but was it released in '85 or '86? Either way, it would have been before either Dark Knight or Watchmen, but before Ronin? And was there an earlier trade collection from either of the majors that sank and has been largely forgotten today?
According to Wendy Pini, "back in the early 1980s Elfquest was the first full color continuing graphic novel series to be published and released in big chain book stores in America." I don't know if they actually collected anything, though; I tend to think that they were done as books originally, with the various comics coming later.
Since I have way too many Dark Knight collected versions, I checked for you -- the TPB first printing was 1986. The Watchmen trade was 1987. Ronin also was 1987.
I believe the first four ElfQuest collections were by Donning/Starblaze starting in 1981 and ending in 1984.
The GCD is a little dodgier with information on collected editions than it is with periodicals. It was originally set up for periodicals and the database structure doesn't lend itself nicely to the book model - multiple printings, multiple formats (hc, sc, etc). Believe me, the people there are aware of this shortcoming as more and more people have tried to index not just reprints but also series that do not appear in periodical form at all.
Wikipedia lists a couple pre-Eisner works that may or may not be considered graphic novels.
If you go to "Mike's Amazing World of DC" you can download "The Master List", a spreadsheet which lists every DC publication he knows of, along with the date (cover and estimated on-sale). This is everything listed as "TPB", "HC", "SC" or "GN" up to the end of 1989. Also, not listed but notable are several books they licensed out to mainstream publishers in the 1970s and early 1980s, which Marvel did as well (some "best of" superhero and other genre books, pocket books both reformated and not).
Picture Stories From the Bible Complete Old Testament Edition TPB October 27, 1943
Picture Stories From the Bible Complete Life of Christ Edition TPB October 31, 1945
DC Graphic Novel 1 August 11, 1983
DC Graphic Novel 2 December 22, 1983
DC Graphic Novel 3 July 26, 1984
DC Graphic Novel 4 March 21, 1985
DC Graphic Novel 5 August 29, 1985
DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel 1 September 26, 1985
DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel 2 November 28, 1985
DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel 3 December 5, 1985
DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel 4 March 6, 1986
DC Graphic Novel 6 April 10, 1986
DC Graphic Novel 7 August 14, 1986
DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel 5 September 25, 1986
Batman:The Dark Knight Returns HC October 23, 1986
Batman:The Dark Knight Returns TPB November 6, 1986
DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel 6 December 30, 1986
DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel 7 February 19, 1987
Shadow:Blood and Judgment TPB May 12, 1987
Ronin TPB July 21, 1987
Saga of the Swamp Thing TPB August 25, 1987
Batman:Son of the Demon HC September 8, 1987
Watchmen TPB September 29, 1987
Man of Steel TPB November 3, 1987
Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told HC November 24, 1987
Batman:Son of the Demon SC December 8, 1987
Camelot 3000 TPB January 5, 1988
Watchmen HC February 2, 1988
Batman:Year One HC March 1, 1988
History of the DC Universe HC March 8, 1988
Batman:Year One TPB June 14, 1988
New Teen Titans:The Judas Contract TPB August 30, 1988
Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told HC November 8, 1988
Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told HC December 6, 1988
Private Files of the Shadow HC February 14, 1989
Batman:A Death in the Family TPB February 28, 1989
Green Arrow:The Longbow Hunters TPB April 18, 1989
Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told TPB April 25, 1989
Justice League:A New Beginning TPB May 9, 1989
Sinners GN June 22, 1989
Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told TPB June 27, 1989
Art of Walter Simonson TPB July 6, 1989
Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told TPB July 13, 1989
Hawkman TPB August 1, 1989
Legion of Super-Heroes:The Great Darkness Saga TPB September 26, 1989
Arkham Asylum HC October 3, 1989
Complete Frank Miller Batman HC October 24, 1989
Superman Archives Vol. 1 HC October 24, 1989
Wasteland GN November 21, 1989
Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told HC November 28, 1989
Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told HC December 12, 1989
Hardcore GN December 12, 1989
continuing...
Those licensed books, by the way, included the Fireside original SILVER SURFER book by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott, which I think has a better claim to Marvel's first graphic novel than DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL. Others included (from Marvel) ORIGIN OF MARVEL, SON OF ORIGINS, BRING ON THE BAD GUYS, THE SUPER-HERO WOMEN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK. From DC, SUPERMAN FROM THE THIRTIES TO THE SEVENTIES, similar titled books for Batman and "Shazam", a Wonder Woman book, collections of war, romance and sci-fi stories. Many of those published in both hardcover and softcover.
I have a vague memory of X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills being touted as a major graphic novel at the time of its release (1982).
The first OGN I can remember is Jim Steranko's RED TIDE in 1976. All new material, all done by Steranko.
GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS was also numbered Marvel Graphic Novel #5, so it presumably came out after DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, ELRIC: THE DREAMING CITY, DREADSTAR and NEW MUTANTS. While I don't have as good a list of Marvel books as the one for DC (if one exists let me know), the Masterworks line started in 1987, as I recall they were originally released in a cluster late in the year (someone with a good run of MARVEL AGE could probably get the scheduled date at least). That same year they also published a BEST OF MARVEL hardcover. The first softcover reprint I can find actually published by Marvel is a reprint of the Delano/Davis CAPTAIN BRITAIN stories in 1988 (which might, technically, be published by Marvel UK). 1989 had MONSTER MASTERWORKS, THOR: THE BALLAD OF BETA RAY BILL and SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN (reprinting the O'Neil/Miller Spidey annuals) and possibly some others.
SWORDS OF CEREBUS #1 is dated January 1981. The first printing of HIGH SOCIETY (the first released in the "phonebook" format) was June 1985. AV also published a MS. TREE collection in 1984. The first LOVE AND ROCKETS book was October 1985. Also in 1985, First published reprints of the early AMERICAN FLAGG and NEXUS issues, and maybe some others (those two are labelled as "First Graphic Novel" #3 and #4, I'm not sure what the first two were, but I think at least one of them was an original work, not a reprint). Eclipse had some original graphic novels earlier than most, of course, starting with SABRE. Don't know offhand what their first collected reprint was.
EQ was floppy, oversized comics first, and collected into trades second.
Howard Chaykin did a GN in the 70's, forget the title.
Some books that I always think should get mentioned in the "first" GN argument are the early Pogo books by Walt Kelly with all new material. Not the reprint collections, but the other ones. Those date to the 50's. And I wish I could remember the titles off the top of my head.
At the time, Marvel billed "The Death of Captain Marvel" as the first graphic novel. "Epic" (Marvel's "Heavy Metal," so to speak) came out around then too--Marvel was looking to move comics away from the funny books perception.
If I remember correctly, the term graphic novel was coined intentionally at that time (in one of Stan's Soapboxes), and Marvel adopted/used it officially for "The Death of Captain Marvel." It was heralded as a new era of comic book publishing. I bought the book the day it came out in 1982.
If you're going to count reprint collections, Marvel's first would be the black and white regular paperback sized ones from the mid-60s. DC's would include those Superman and Batman "From the 30s Through the 70s" collections. But Jules Feiffer's The Great Comic-Book Heroes was probably the first regular trade book comic book reprint collection.
I think the Chaykin book you're thinking of is the first part of the adaptation of Bester's THE STARS MY DESTINATION in 1979. Finished much later.
The first POGO book with not collecting the strip was UNCLE POGO SO-SO STORIES in 1953. I think STEPMOTHER GOOSE was the same, but I don't have that one. I was never sure if those were all original or modified versions of what appeared in the Dell comics, although now having read some of the Dell comics they do feel different. And yeah, those are at least as graphic novelicious as A CONTRACT WITH GOD.
Other notables in the collected edition list, the Barks Library from Another Rainbow began in 1983, well before DC and Marvel were in the game. Anyone know when the first EC Library volumes came out? There was also at least one big book format EC collection in the 1970s, and some pocket books from the 1960s, plus of course lots of MAD books in many formats with both reprint and original material.
I'm not too familiar with undergounds, but the earliest underground I have that looks right on a bookshelf is FAT FREDDY'S CAT from October, 1977. Not sure if it's all reprint or some of the stories are new.
Warren had a BLAZING COMBAT collection in 1978 that should be on the chronology somewhere. I think they had some other original or reprint collections, as did the publisher of Heavy Metal, but I don't know too much about that stuff, except that there were adaptations of ALIEN and 1941.
Speaking of adaptations, I know Marvel's EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was published in a pocket book format shortly after the movie. Was STAR WARS ever in a format that would be considered a book in the 1970s? I know it was in a tabloid, but that probably still qualifies as a periodical in format and distribution (otherwise you'd have a lot more to add to the list, both original material and reprint).
The earliest english translation of a japanese comic I have is a 1982 copy of BAREFOOT GEN v1. Were there any earlier? Anyone know when the first american editions of ASTERIX or TINTIN or other european comics came out?
Didn't Gil Kane publish something ("His Name is Savage?" Something like that?) earlier in the 70s, later claiming he beat Eisner to the "first graphic novel" title?
The Heavy Metal Alien adaptation is from 1979. The copyright page lists some other books from them without dates (but obviously preceding Alien):
Is Man Good? by Moebius
Arzach by Moebius
Candice at Sea by Lob and Pichard
Ulysses by Lob and Pichard
Conquering Armies by Dionnet and Gal
More Than Human by Sturgeon, Moench, Nino, edited by Byron Preiss
Barbarella by Jean-Claude Forest
So Beautiful and So Dangerous by Angus McKie
The Book of Alien by Paul Scanlon and Michael Gross
Wow, this is very informative. I knew this would be the right place to ask my question. Ralf's Wikipedia link was interesting. It traced the term graphic novel back to the mid-'60s. I also found a couple of good columns Stuart Moore wrote for Newsarama on the development of graphic novels and trade paperback reprints. He mentions collections of the Gold Key Star Trek comics from the late '70s.
Tom mentioned it above but I remember having the collected early Spidey issues in pocket book sized format, in color, for a long period of time. Was this the earliest format for collecting back issues? I enjoyed the pocket size when I was a wee lad. Looked like a standard paperback book when I peeped through it class at school. Fooled the teachers!
Wasn't Marvel's "Sons of Origins" one of the ealier collected trade reprints? I found the re-print of it from 1997 but I think the original printing of it was 1975.
The Chaykin GN that was mentioned might be Empire, which was written by Samuel R. Delaney and illustrated by Chaykin, released in 1978. There's a review of it at http://joglikescomics.blogspot.com/2005/02/old-stuff-from-todays-stars-part-1-of.html .
The Chaykin graphic novel that was mentioned might be Empire, which was written by Samuel R. Delaney and illustrated by Chaykin, released in 1978. There's a review of it at http://joglikescomics.blogspot.com/2005/02/old-stuff-from-todays-stars-part-1-of.html .
The pocket books were around in various forms for quite some time. I had (and possibly still do, though I'm not sure where) a Superman one from the '60s that collected Wayne Boring stories in black and white. I remember Spider-Man and Hulk ones from the late '70s, and I know there were Green Lantern/Green Arrow ones in there, too.
Stan Lee's trade paper books, Origins of Marvel Comics, Son of Origins, et al., were interesting and distinct from today's trade reprints because Stan provided long introductions and explanations of the stories as if to justify reprinting them in the upscale format. They originally came out in the '70s.
Gil Kane published His Name is ...Savage in 1968, but this was in magazine format, not anything recognisable as a graphic novel.
However, there's his Blackmark project, a series of eight paperback format comics novels, of which the first came out in 1971; unfortunately this would also be the last in the series.
Howard Chaykin always seemed to be stretching the limits of comics. In the '70s, he did Cody Starbuck for Star*Reach, a self-described "ground-level" comic book and an early attempt by mainstream creators to break away from the Marvel/DC axis, and then followed that with a handful of original graphic novels--in addition to the already mentioned The Stars My Destination and Empire, he also did The Swords of Heaven, the Flowers of Hell with Michael Moorcock. He broke new ground with American Flagg in the '80s, and if I remember correctly, Time² was supposed to be a series of graphic novels, but after one or two, it never got off the ground. According to the list Bob provided above, his Shadow mini-series was the second trade paper reprint DC put out.
Odd fact: Around 1986 or so, I clipped out a sales order for Bring on the Bad Guys from an old Peter Parker: the Spectacular Spider-Man comic. The comic was totally deteriorated, so I wasn't ruining anything. It was one of the first issues - Lightmaster was the villain, so it must've been from 1976 or so. That's a 10 year difference.
Random House still mailed me a copy of Bring on the Bad Guys. There must still have been copies in a warehouse somewhere. I wonder what would happen if I did it now?
Other really early pre-Eisner GNs
From the earliest known and up (and cribbed from various sources).
1929 - Lynd Ward's GOD'S MAN was published.
MADMAN'S DRUM the Fall of 1930; with four more following (1932, 1933, 1936, and 1937, respectively).
1930 - Milt Gross' HE DONE HER WRONG (later reprinted as HEARTS OF GOLD) saw print. Note, this is a wordless GN.
1939 - Lev Gleason reprints the first 12 issues of Tip Top Comics in one book and put on sale for The Worlds Fair. Future collections are done in a similar manner.
As already mentioned, there are a bunch of DC tpbs. Picture Stories of the Bible being the first among them.
1949 - Dell published Walt Disneys Christmas Parade. It's 132 pages (for 25 cents) of various Disney characters and also contains 2 text stories taking up 12 pages in total.
Some of it is done by Carl Barks. Cover by Walt Kelly. I suppose this book is debatable, but it clearly is an attempt to produce comics in a much thicker, higher priced package with more in it.
1950 - St. John Publishing Company (later home of Joe Kubert's TOR) launched their "Picture Novel" imprint with IT RHYMES WITH LUST, written by Drake Waller and illustrated by Matt Baker and Ray Osrin.
1953 - Edward Gorey's THE UNSTRUNG HARP; OR, MR. EARBRASS WRITES A NOVEL. These are apparently very short books.
Sometime in the 1950s - Mansion Of Evil by Joseph Millard published by Gold Medal Books.
1966 - Grove Press reprints in America for the 1st time BARBARELLA.
1976 - George Metzger's Beyond Time and Again. This collected an underground title that ran from 68-72. IT's a 48-page, black-and-white, hardcover book published by Kyle & Wheary.
1976 - Bloodstar by Richard Corben. This book and the above books were the first to use the term "Graphic Novel" to describe themselves.
1978 - Don McGregor's Sabre. It came out after Contract with God, but it was the first GN sold to the direct market. It cost 6 dollars and everybody screamed they were crazy because nobody would buy it.
Of course if you consider comic strip collections or even Platinum Age Comics to be GNs, then we go way back to the 1840's.
Note: Other than Sable I've never read any of these books. I have flipped through Gods Man in a library though and confirm it is a graphic novel.
Forgot one important book!
1959 - The Jungle Book by Harvey Kurtzman. This has nothing to do with the Disney story. It was published as a book for the bookmarket. It did poorly. The Grasshopper and the Ant (the next planned Graphic Novel) was published in a magazine instead.
If I'm not mistaken, Marvel did reprint TBPs of the X-Men's "Dark Phoenix Saga" and the Iron Man alcoholism story arc back around '83 or '84. Unlike "Bring on the Bad Guys" and "Son of Origins," they were full story arcs and prototypical of today's TPBs. I remember they both had Bill Sienkiewicz covers.
Also, DC had a huge line of reprint digests throughout the late '70s and early '80s. I always thought it was cool that they were reprinting stories, but damn at that size the art was hard to see sometimes, and the coloring bled big time.
And would you count DC's oversized treasury editions of the '70s and '80s as TPBs or graphic novels? Man, I loved those as a kid.
Oh, and I want to say Matt Wagner's "Mage" and "Grendel: Devil by the Deed" were collected around 1985, '86.
Devil by the Deed was actually fairly late, maybe '88 or so. The big, Starblaze-Donning Mage collections were probably the best form that story ever took; too bad that format wasn't more viable.
The S-D collections/colorizations of the Foglio Myth Adventures comic were pretty early in there too.
I'd assume treasuries/tabloids and digests wouldn't count, since the distribution model for them was the same as with magazines. On the other hand, if you're going to call some 48 page thing that's less substantial than two regular comics a "graphic novel" it's hard not to call Jack Kirby adapting 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY for 70 big pages or sending Captain America through time for 77 pages a graphic novel.
Interesting, I'd never heard of or seen those Iron Man and X-Men books, but yep, there they are. I wonder if they published those themselves or had a mainstream publishing partner like the Fireside books? Also, X-Men has a "2" on the cover, Iron Man has a "3", which implies (but doesn't guarantee) a "1".