Over the past 30 years, another vehicle for the depiction of Myanmar in the West's popular culture has been graphic novels. These publications have most often been used to recount adventure stories of various kinds, often with a mystical twist. However, more recently they have had a distinctly political flavour. Some of the latter have been inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi's life story.

Before 1988, Myanmar (then known as Burma) did not feature prominently in comic strips, comic books and graphic novels. After the nationwide prodemocracy uprising that year, however, the situation suddenly changed. Assisted by the global campaign being waged against the military regime, Myanmar found a new place in popular culture.

These days, graphic novels in particular are influencing perceptions of the country and its government, by conveying images and views directly to an international audience.

Graphic novels date back to the 1930s, but they were only recognised as a distinct genre of publication in the mid-1960s. The term “graphic novel” was coined in 1964. These works are essentially collections of cartoon drawings that tell a continuous story. Initially reserved for works of fiction, the label now embraces fiction, non-fiction and anthologies. It is usually applied to original long form narratives, but the term has also been applied to bound collections of comic strips and comic books.

Over the past 30 years, Myanmar has featured in nearly two dozen graphic novels. Most have been produced in Europe, where there is a strong tradition of bandes dessinees (literally “drawn strips”). They have portrayed the country in different ways, but there have been a number of consistent themes. Most have been intended simply to entertain, but some have had a strong historical flavour, usually referencing World War II. More recent works have aimed to educate readers about contemporary developments in Myanmar, and have often conveyed strong political messages.