Except for the use of "gay" and "fag" as general pejoratives, apparently.

I didn't say that very well, I just meant that common usage is the engine for words changing their meaning. The common usage becomes the correct use and the previous meaning becomes archaic. Otherwise, 'fag' would still be the short version of 'a bundle of sticks'. It's not a law or anything, you can still use it pejoratively if you want to, wait, hold up, maybe that IS a law now.

I've been told that some people in the UK call cigarettes fags, so smoking a fag there means something totally different than the same sentence here.

Right, but this etymological (I looked it up!) detour wasn't your aim with this thread. Did you get the info you were looking for, Alex? More importantly,have you decided the best way to describe your many upcoming epic publications in promos/ads? TPB or graphic novel?

I am going to call any comic a sequential picture story, and call any prose or poetry work a word thingy

That covers the bases!

How about:

Comic: A monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly saddle-stitched piece

Trade Paper Back: A book collecting old issues of The Hulk, Archie, Wolverine, Spiderman, Green Lantern, Batman

Graphic Novel: A book collecting old issues of The Spirit, Cerebus, Watchmen, Sandman, Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and/or crap like Blankets

Perhaps yes. I am uncertain Blankets is actually crap however.

Crap is relative.

Relatives aren't crap though?