Last modified: Sunday, April 30, 2006 11:40 PM EDT Graphic novels have gained mainstream audience BY STACEY M. PERLMAN/FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE Meet Twigs Dupree. He's a man living a normal life in the suburbs, with one exception: He can't die. With his newfound immortality, given to him by accident via his friend Jerry, he and Jerry have set off on a mission to find the serial killer known as The Animal. OK, Twigs Dupree isn't a real person. He's a character in a new graphic novel written by former North Attleboro resident Jason M. Burns. `` The Expendable One'' is one of many graphic novels that are pushing the boundaries of the comic book world, which has traditionally featured men in tights with supernatural powers saving damsels in distress. Graphic novels range in content from kid-friendly stories and art to more graphic and violent stories geared towards adults. `` Just like in movies, music and television, there really should be a little bit for everyone,'' said Burns, whose graphic novel is being released by Viper Comics this month. The term graphic novel was coined by William Eisner who in 1978 wrote what is recognized as the very first graphic novel, `` A Contract With God,'' which ironically wasn't a novel. `` It's actually four short stories,'' said Stephen Weiner, director of the Maynard Public Library and author of `` 101 Best Graphic Novels'' and `` The Rise of the Graphic Novel: Faster Than a Speeding Bullet.'' `` (Eisner) was the most successful cartoonist of American comics and he wanted to do something more serious.'' That desire resulted in what we know today as graphic novels: stories told in sequential art that are longer than a typical comic book. Over their brief history, graphic novels have struggled for credibility, to be recognized as acceptable reading material. But ironically, comics faced the same problem. They became linked to juvenile delinquency during the McCarthy era in the 1950s, creating a stigma that almost shut down the industry. It was Art Spiegelman's `` Maus,'' a story about his parents' struggle in a concentration camp during the Holocaust, originally published in 1973, that broke that stigma. `` It was a dark and horrible story that he made acceptable through his cartooning,'' Weiner said. Graphic novels didn't gain popularity in mainstream culture until around 2000, said Weiner, who credits Hollywood and Japanese manga as two reasons for their sudden rise in popularity. The Sun Chronicle runs a weekly graphic novel serial called `` Splicers'' each Friday on the back page of The Place. Burns, who grew up loving comics, recently got into graphic novels. He also credits Hollywood with keeping comics and graphic novels alive with movies ranging from the `` Spiderman'' series to `` Road to Perdition,'' a film starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman that was originally a graphic novel. Other popular movies that were originally graphic novels include `` Ghost World,'' `` American Splendor'' and, most recently, `` V for Vendetta.'' `` They're sophisticated stories,'' said Burns. `` People assume it's a superheroes-in-tights sort of thing.'' Burns, a former Sun Chronicle music writer, did a stint as editor of the entertainment magazine Severe before taking a position as assistant publisher at Viper. `` The Expendable One'' is Viper's first original graphic novel. `` I never thought I'd be doing it. I feel funny telling adults I write comic books for a living,'' he said laughing. While graphic novels and comics still aren't being considered real literature by some, stories like `` Maus'' are being integrated into school curriculum. `` You get reluctant readers having a pleasurable reading experience,'' said Weiner, who recommends a mix of graphic novels and novels for children. `` You're getting them excited about reading. We're moving toward an increasingly visual society. This is part of it because these stories are told visually.'' Even the publishers of the `` Baby-sitter's Club'' series by Ann M. Martin are even experimenting with graphic novels. Two of the books from the series, `` Kristy's Great Idea'' and `` The Truth About Stacey,'' are set to be adapted. Weiner sees this becoming a popular trend but feels that these adaptations miss the point of this genre. `` It's a good way to get their feet wet,'' said Weiner about Scholastic's adaptation. `` I think there's a better way to do it. You have to find those things that graphic novels do best. The reason they work is because a cartoonist sat down and said, `I have a story to tell and I'm going to do it with pictures.' That's the best way. There are works that wouldn't really exist without that format.'' Burns feels it's a good way to keep the genre alive and strong. `` It helps because people are familiar with it already,'' he said. `` I think the more avenues to get this medium out there, the better it is.'' Despite the uphill struggle for the graphic novel to be accepted into mainstream culture, Weiner remains optimistic that the genre will maintain a strong readership. `` What's going to happen now that mainstream publishers are picking it up is that the people doing knockoffs will maintain fairly successfully. But people who really have a vision for this -- these graphic novels are going to continue to grow, continue to peak and then level off, but they'll still be there,'' he said. `` They're not going to go away. They're becoming a bigger part of our reading heritage.'' Stacey Perlman is an intern at the Sun Chronicle from Northeastern University and can be reached at perlman.s(at)neu.edu.