Alay-Oop

William Gropper's Alay-Oop is a single-issue comic from 1930, published by Coward-McCann, that stands as a unique, early graphic novel. The book follows the story of a trapeze artist, using Gropper's bold, expressionistic linework to capture the grit and glamour of circus life. Though it was a one-shot, its ambitious, book-length narrative and artistic ambition mark it as a significant precursor to the modern graphic novel.