a super-villain ate my homework using comics in the classroom
TRANSCRIPT
A Super-Villain Ate My A Super-Villain Ate My HomeworkHomework
Using COMICS IN THE Using COMICS IN THE CLASSROOMCLASSROOM
Comics - OverviewComics - Overview
THE LINGO:
• Sequential Art Narrative: a series of pictures (with or w/o text) that tell a cohesive story
• Comic Strip: ~6 or less frames, on-going series
• Comic Book: ~24 pages, on-going series
• Graphic Novel: Full stand-alone book/album
THE PEOPLE:
• Writer – writes the script (story + dialogue)
• Artist – draws/lays out the script
• Letterer – adds text to the drawings
• Inker – darkens the pencil drawings
• Colorist – adds color to the drawings
• Editor – the proofreader and business manager
THE HISTORY:• History: Cave Painting, Heiroglyphics, Stain-Glass Windows,
Wood Carvings, Illustrations, Political Cartoons, etc.• 1896: Richard Outcalt: Voice Bubbles + the Funny Pages (The Yellow Kid,
Krazy Kat, Pop-Eye)• 1929: Picture Adventures (Dick Tracy, Tarzan)• 1932-45: Golden Age of Superheroes (Superman, Batman, Shazam,
Wonder Woman, Captain America)• 1945: Rise of the Rest: Horror, Romance, Western, Crime, “Adult Themes”• 1950s: Seduction of the Innocent + Comics Code• 1956-69: Silver Age of Superheroes (DC Revivals: Flash, Green Lantern,
Aquaman, Marvel Origins: Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, X-Men, Daredevil)
• 1970s: Underground Comics + Weakening of the Code, Civil Rights • 1980s: The Graphic Novel (A Contract with God, Maus, Watchmen)• 1990s: The Gimmick Age, Image Comics (Spawn), Vertigo (Sandman)• 21st Century: Corporatization and the Comic Book Renaissance
Comics: TroubleshootingComics: Troubleshooting
Comics aren't Comics aren't intellectual!!intellectual!!
BUT REMEMBER…
• Stereotypical comic books are only one genre within the large medium of Sequential Art Narratives
• Texts rich in popular culture and varying formalist choices are misleadingly complex
Looking at Looking at Comics isn’t Comics isn’t
reading!!reading!!
BUT REMEMBER…
• Images have to be “read” using critical literacy skills in the same manner that words do
• Research shows that comics can help improve literacy with struggling readers
Comics are Comics are misogynistic!!misogynistic!!
BUT REMEMBER…
• Comics are products of their culture and reflect the social values found therein
• While some comics misrepresent various demographics, others empower them
Comics are Comics are too too
expensive!!expensive!!
BUT REMEMBER…
• Class sets, grant money, “sampling,” and scanning are cheap solutions
• Comics can also be studied in single images or excerpts
Comics Don’t Comics Don’t Fit into My Fit into My
CURRICULUM!CURRICULUM!!!
BUT REMEMBER…
• Contemporary curricula stress skills, not specific texts, in an era of abundant global multimedia
• Comics are rich sources for literary and writing lessons
Comics: Literature LessonsComics: Literature Lessons
#1) Literary Elements
• Comics offer short, accessible stories with lots of concrete examples of abstract literary concepts [Ex: Symbols, Point of View, Character Types, Plot Structure,…]
#2) Denotation vs. Connotation
• Use comic images to practice visual literacy skills: what literally do you see, what does the image suggest, how/why does it make you feel?
#3) Deconstruction
• Comics provide a visual context for discussion on how artists elicit intentional responses from readers using conventions
#4) American Mythology
• American comic books reflect our own cultural values + hero myths and should be studied alongside ancient mythology
#5) Dystopian Literature
• Graphic Novels are a popular medium for contemporary dystopian literature.
#6) Classic Adaptations
• Comics provide visual references for classic texts (Ex: Shakespeare), aiding in student comprehension and engagement
Comics: Writing LessonsComics: Writing Lessons
#1) Descriptive Writing
• Students can practice attempting to capture all the details of a picture in words, or having pictures drawn from their writing
#2) Storyboarding a Paper
• Students can create storyboards to help organize their writing and visually chart the flow of their papers
#3) Dialogue
• Students can use comic scripting as practice for incorporating dialogue into their prose writing.
#4) Hero Narratives
• Comic Books provide models for students to design their own hero myths: origins, powers, battles, personal lives, etc.
#5) Sequential Art Narratives
• Incorporate interdisciplinary learning into your Language Arts classroom by having students create their own comics or adapt existing literature.
Comics: ResourcesComics: Resources
Instructional Texts
• Understanding Comics – Scott McCloud• Comics and Sequential Art – Will Eisner• Graphic Novels: Everything You Need to Know – Paul Gravett• Drawing Words and Writing Pictures – Jessica Abel/Matt Madden• The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History – Mike Benton• Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels – Dr. James
“Bucky” Carter
The Graphic Classroom
<http://graphicclassroom.blogspot.com >
National Association for Comic Book Educators
<http://www.teachingcomics.org>
EN/SANE World
<http://ensaneworld.blogspot.com>
Comics: Reading ListsComics: Reading Lists
NONFICTION
Maus Art Spiegelman
PersepolisMarjane Satrapi
Safe Area GoraždeJoe Sacco
The 9/11 ReportSid Jacobson
FICTION: FANTASY
WatchmenAlan Moore
SandmanNeil Gaiman
Marvel FirstsStan Lee et. al.
MarvelsKurt Busiek, Alex Ross
Kingdom ComeMark Waid, Alex Ross
FICTION: REALITY
A Contract With GodWill Eisner
Jimmy CorriganChris Ware
Kings in DisguiseJames Vance
ALL AGES
BoneJeff Smith
Mouse GuardDavid Petersen
Robot DreamsSarah Varon
NEW STUFF!
American Born ChineseGene Yang
Satchel Paige - Striking Out Jim CrowJames Sturm
Pride of BaghdadBrian K. Vaughan
The ArrivalShaun Tan