Neil Gaiman tells a story about the time he was at a party and, when mingling, told somebody he had just met that he wrote comic books. The person was immediately disinterested, no doubt seeing comics as something for children, and therefore not worthy of intellectual discussion. Gaiman was used to that reaction. Then, a few minutes later, the person returned and said "Oh, somebody just told me who you were! You're Neil Gaiman! You don't write comic books, you write graphic novels!" The distinction is mostly academic, and has since taken on the meaning of letting snobby people read comics without having to admit that they're reading comics, but the word does have some legitimate history. Will Eisner, one of the greatest artists ever to work in the form, came up with it for his book A Contract With God. Eisner hoped it would differentiate this more serious, mature work from his celebrated Spirit comic strips. Graphic novels as a term are still used to separate more self-consciously literary works from the genre fare of superheroes and the like, thanks to the coinage Eisner made way back in 1978. For better or for worse, it's going to stick for a long time too.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
