Day: July 18, 2019

Graphic novels and comic books were never really on my radar when I was growing up and learning to read, so they haven’t been a genre I gave much thought to until now. Honestly, I had forgotten all the great cartoons I loved reading in the newspaper on Sunday: Breathed’s Bloom County, Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbs, and Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury, but I do not think I ever classified them as books. Like many skeptics believe, they were just cartoons, intended to entertain me with color and cute characters. Mad Magazine and Archie’s comics which WERE staples in my home were treated with very little reverence. In a family with seven children, the older readers devoured each comic book and had to tape them back together to preserve them for the younger readers to enjoy. I was second to last, so they came to me in sad shape. I still didn’t think these were books with much merit – they were funny (when I was able to get the jokes) and the artwork was colorful and clever.  

When I became a middle school teacher with a 6^th grade homeroom, Bill Watterson was at the height of his career with Calvin and Hobbs, and many of my students aspired to be just like Mr. Watterson. They were less familiar with Berkley Breathed, who gave life to Opus T Penguin in Bloom County, so it was my duty to introduce them to each other. Of course, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the priceless talents of Klasky, Germain, and Csupo, the creators and animators of Nickelodeon’s Rugrats. Who could resist these talented cartoonists and foundational graphic novelists? Not my students.

Today, comics and graphic novels have earned a place on the shelves in most school and public libraries. Pinkley and Casey (2013) remind us that “graphic novels have not only appeared in libraries and bookstores, but have become an integral part of popular culture and a vital aspect of the literary community” (p. 1) because they appeal to a variety of elements: the complex or simple artwork; color choice: multicolor or black and white; simplicity of the story; visual sequence of the plot as it unfolds before the reader. The choices are abundant and rich.

If I were to assign graphic novels, comics, or media, (and the likelihood that I will teach this in the fall is strong), I would start with some history on the genre because it took a long time to be recognized as a genre of its own. In fact, most of the authors of this week’s readings have driven home the point but disagree on when the first graphic novel was the first to achieve that status. Without arguing who is right or wrong or first, I would ask students to look at the elements in the selected reading materials. Using the viewpoint of consumers, I would urge my students to see what is happening on the page in terms of thesis and anti-thesis. For example, what words (or lack of words), color (or lack of color), plot, theme, or artwork style is the author using. Why were these choices selected for this particular topic? Could something else worked instead? When authors and artists make these choices, who are they looking to hook? Why? How would this work be different if the target audience changed? I would want my students to see beyond the pages in front of them to decipher the critical components in these works. I have no doubt students today could easily articulate their choices because they are visual learners, and as Karp (2011) suggested “contemporary students have a much wider visual vocabulary than we did growing up, I contend that the format offers great opportunities to teach as well as to entertain” (The Case for Graphic Novels in Education website). In fact, I would not be surprised if students offered additional materials for comparison because they have been exposed to this genre since they small children.

Since these are the books that fly off the shelves and have the longest waiting lists in circulation, most librarians would agree that graphic novels, comics, and media maintain their resilience because “they contain meaningful themes and allow readers of all ages to develop critical thinking, learn visual literacy, and improve comprehension and literary interpretation skills” (Pinkley and Casey, “Graphic novels,” p.1). These are the so-called ‘soft-skills’ students need in all areas of education that drive critical thinking and encourage students to become active participants in their education rather than just passively “sit and get” course content. I would argue that when stakeholders (administrators, parents, and community members) see the impact this genre has on readers of all ages, they would be more likely to support additional acquisitions for libraries. It’s a powerful genre, and one that won’t likely die away anytime too soon, given the visual nature of our technological world. Our students are already invested in visual materials on the Cartoon and Nickelodeon networks, with shows such as Rick and Morty, Archer, or SpongeBob, so it only makes sense to bring in printed materials they love. Learners who are actively engaged with materials they love, who can articulate the elements involved in themes and messages, who question what is on the page, and who appreciate the value of the materials offered for their consideration become life-long learners, and isn’t that the ultimate goal of education?

References

Hertzog, B. (2015, July 7). Cross-branding the library symbol. Swiss army librarian. Retrieved from http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2015/07/07/cross-branding-the-library-symbol/

Karp, J. (2011.) The case for graphic novels in education. American Libraries. Retrieved from: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2011/08/01/the-case-for-graphic-novels-in-education/

Pinkley, J. & Casey, K. (2013) Graphic novels: A brief history and overview for library managers. Library Leadership & Management, 27(3), 1 – 10. Retrieved from: https://journals.tdl.org/llm/index.php/llm/article/viewFile/7018/6233Janet.

Superhero clipart. (n.d.). Clipart library. Free superhero clipart for teachers. Retrieved from http://clipart-library.com/superhero-cliparts.html