Why Comics are Awesome!

🌟 Why Comics Are AWESOME! 🌟

I’m not just a huge fan of comics—I’m living proof of how awesome they are! 📚✨ Comics have been a big part of my life, and they’ve helped me learn and grow in so many ways! But hey, don’t just take my word for it! I’ve reached out to some amazing folks in education, comics, and retail to share their stories and show you just how powerful comics can be! 🎨💥

 

Lately, when I ask my students if they read, many say they don't; this is a big difference from the beginning of my teaching career almost three decades ago.  Many blame this shift on the current digital age and instant access to visual content that panders to the ever-shortening attention spans of our youth.  I offer a different perspective, one that is just as true now as it was 30 years ago -- some potential readers have just not found what interests them.  Providing access to engaging texts for young readers can be a challenge in a school setting.  With limited resources and curriculum requirements imposed by districts, teachers do not have time or the access to all the types and genres of books in order to pique the interest of the most reluctant reader.  Enter comic books, those "easy to read' paper books (or their digital counterparts) that are just right for young hands.  This style of writing provides stories in a myriad of genres that are of high interest to young (and older) readers.  Not only can comics hook a reluctant reader, but they can also assist the one that is struggling.  The writing style of comics is to use an economy of words that is strongly supported with active illustrations.  These illustrations help support a struggling reader that is encountering new vocabulary, or a new language, and attempting to follow a storyline.  The benefits of comics in literacy development are limitless.  Access to this type of resource is important for any young person embarking on their literacy journey.

- J. Harvey; Columbus City Schools 

Fandom communities are made up of folks coming together to connect and share in their love of an aspect -- or many -- of pop culture.  Too often, fans are made to feel embarrassed about their love for specific shows, characters,  or games.  Fictional worlds are described as "escapist," implying that engagement with popular culture is somehow diminishing one's "reality" or engagement with the "real world."  Well, in my professional and undiluted opinion -- I BEG TO DIFFER!

Is curling up with your favorite book, or sitting down to watch your comfort show for the 36th time "escapist" -- absolutely?  Is there something "wrong" with this -- absolutely not!  What is "escaping" to a beloved fictional world if not a valuable coping skill, and one that serves to build a sense of community and belonging with others who enjoy that world just as much as you do?  Fictional narratives serve to inspire fans, often validation one's personal identity and evoking a sense of empowerment.  There stories can also provide spaces for us -- both individually and collectively -- to safely navigate difficult feelings, which ultimately leads to improved mental health and overall wellness.

- Dr. V. Hintz, Licensed Clinical Psychologist 

In 1975, I saw the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #149.  "Spider-Man fighting Spider-Man!?", I was intrigued and comics have owned a part of my heart since.  That unique blend of words and pictures has taken me to so many places.  I've wandered feudal Japan with Usagi Yojimbo, a samurai rabbit.  I've encountered so many creatures and characters from the world's folklore and fables, side by side with Hellboy, The Devil's own son!  In Barefoot Gen, I've been told of the horrors of being at a nuclear bomb's devastation from someone that was actually there.  So many journeys in so many wonderful worlds.

Seeing the world through so many eyes is a gift that I can never fully repay.  I owe comics, and I owe comics a lot.  It truly is a gift that keeps giving.  Every Wednesday brings more greatness into our world, and I appreciate that gift.

And I can't wait to see what comes next.  There are so many young people telling their stories with comics.  One person with a pencil and a stack of paper can make a comic book that may very well change someone's life.  I know those guys that created Amazing Spider-Man #149 changed mine.

- G. Bickel, The Laughing Ogre Ohio