Sunday, January 31, 2016

Comics in Childhood

Looking back to when I was a child I did not find comics interesting, but I did not have access to comics either. Once in a blue moon we would get the newspaper and I would read the comics in the back, but that was only a couple times a year. I lived my childhood with no idea that comics outside the newspaper existed until I was in about sixth grade. A peer was reading a comic that had to do with super heroes. At this point in time I was not interested. Now as an adult I still do not find comics interesting. I have looked through them and tried to understand that craze is about.

As I stated above I do not read comics nor graphic novels. I have tried to read graphic novels before and they just do not keep my attention or interest. I love to read and I love images, but I just do not enjoy reading graphic novels. But when thinking about middle school  and high school aged kids I think that they love comics and graphic novels because they are different from reading traditional novels. I also believe it is because they make graphic novels and comics for every age that kids can relate to. Teaching an art lesson around comics and graphic novels is a good idea because they are popular and kids are interested in them. Being able to bring what kids are interested in into the classroom is important.

When researching and looking at comics I was surprised  to see how many there were. I knew that there were more comics than just superheroes, but there are a lot of other comics that are about other subjects. I came across a website that was discussing the 20 Best Comics of 2015 and the website gave a short synapses about each one. http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/07/the-20-best-comics-of-2015-so-far.html There were only two comics on this list that I had ever heard of. Finding this article really helped me realize that there can be comics about almost everything and that finding a comic that students can relate to or enjoy is not that difficult. I think I need to spend more time looking at comics and graphic novels so that I can become better acquainted and bring that information into my classroom.


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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2016 at 12:10 PM

    Like you, I never really understood all the craze about comic books, and I still feel that way somewhat. I am still not into the comic books about superheroes, however I did come across an artist last semester whose work I fell in love with because he turned people's fears into something funny. That artists is Fran Krause. I think that graphic novels are a great thing for students because it takes serious subjects, such as the holocaust, and gives a different perspective on the events, as well as the visuals are helpful too. I really hope that when you do plan on making a lesson plan about comic books you will come across some artists that you enjoy!

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2016 at 5:57 AM

    I feel the same way about not really understanding and connecting to comics when I was younger, but now I feel I can have a better understanding of them. Although comics are popular among students, do you ever worry how popular are they really? Not every child may be interested in them. like you were. I think it's about finding ways to show students other than the stereotypes that comics present. Finding the artists that interest you may be the best way. I liked how you researched a broad topic of comic book heros, rather than just one.

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