Comics in the CLassroom An adaptation of an online article by Ross White at ©2009 Worldwide Hock

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Ways of knowing Sense Perception Sense Perception Language Language Reason Reason Emotion Emotion

Graphic novels aren't just “literature lite”: they're a genre you can use to explore philosophy, history, human interactions, visual literacy, and more with soon-to-be adults in a high school English class.

What do you think of when you hear the phrase comic book? Superman or Spider-Man? Superman or Spider-Man? Batman or Wonder Woman? Batman or Wonder Woman? X-Men? X-Men? cheap, cheesy horror stories? cheap, cheesy horror stories? pirate adventures? pirate adventures? some other muscle-bound, spandex-clad crusader whose first response is a strong punch? some other muscle-bound, spandex-clad crusader whose first response is a strong punch? I imagine a school classroom isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.

But maybe it should be…

Comics in culture A recent explosion of academic interest in comic books and graphic novels has stirred the creation of comics curricula nationwide. Several colleges and universities are now offering courses in comics literature, and high school teachers are exploring graphic novels as a new way to stimulate young readers’ interest in literature...Comics have been the subject of a national best-seller, Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and novelists and screenwriters like Brad Meltzer and Kevin Smith have lined up to write the adventures of the heroes they grew up with. Art Spiegelman’s Maus, the story of his father’s internment in Nazi Germany, was the first comic to win a Pulitzer Prize, and comics have nabbed prestigious awards in other fields.

Comics in culture Considering the success of comics-inspired film and television shows like Smallville, X-Men, and Hulk, and their popularity with children, there is a tremendous interest in comics-related material that educators could easily turn into an enthusiasm for reading. However, it’s difficult to know which comics are appropriate for children, and many educators place a stigma on comic books — a stigma that dates back to the 1950’s, when at the height of McCarthyism, comics were the targets of congressional scrutiny. In fact, it’s tough to know what a comic is, when the most respected example of the form, Maus, received this “praise” in the New York Times: “Maus is not a comic book.” Considering the success of comics-inspired film and television shows like Smallville, X-Men, and Hulk, and their popularity with children, there is a tremendous interest in comics-related material that educators could easily turn into an enthusiasm for reading. However, it’s difficult to know which comics are appropriate for children, and many educators place a stigma on comic books — a stigma that dates back to the 1950’s, when at the height of McCarthyism, comics were the targets of congressional scrutiny. In fact, it’s tough to know what a comic is, when the most respected example of the form, Maus, received this “praise” in the New York Times: “Maus is not a comic book.”

What are comics? “juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer.” Scott McLeod, Understanding Comics

But then…this would be a comic.

The comics we know

Or even better…

Comics Each of the images serves the same purpose, in the end. The reader is expected to see a progression of time through images displayed in a certain order. This typically occurs in one of six ways:

Classroom appropriate? Comic books, the pulpy-papered, saddle-stapled mixture of art and story, have gained a new respect from the literary community in the past fifteen years. The alter ego of the comic book is the graphic novel, which is also a medium in which stories are told through both text and pictures, but replaces the flimsy saddle stapling with solid binding. Increasingly, comics publishers are collecting multiple issues into single volumes, and comics writers are responding with more ambitious and artistic story arcs that spread across many issues. Graphic novels are increasingly appearing in local libraries, are reviewed alongside traditional novels in publications like the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly, and have sections devoted to them in bookstores and on Amazon.com.

Classroom appropriate? Comic books and graphic novels have a wide range of styles and subject matter. They range from social commentary to fantasy to autobiography to mystery. While most comics from the 1950s through the 1980s were targeted at younger children and teenagers, the change in marketing in the 1990s led to an explosion of more complex material that explores the world around us in more keen depth. Even comics such as X-Men are metaphors for racism in America, and Swamp Thing has explored a wide range of environmental issues.

Persepolis What are your thoughts on the book so far? What are your thoughts on the book so far? What are the key events in the first four chapters? What are the key events in the first four chapters? Are there any clear themes? Are there any clear themes? Considering Satrapi’s introduction, why do you think this novel may be a useful read in Western educational institutions? Considering Satrapi’s introduction, why do you think this novel may be a useful read in Western educational institutions?