a super-villain ate my homework using comics in the classroom

A Super-Villain Ate My A Super-Villain Ate My HomeworkHomework

Using COMICS IN THE Using COMICS IN THE CLASSROOMCLASSROOM

Nick KremerColumbia Public Schools

University of Missouri

nkremer@columbia.k12.mo.us

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 Comic Book Project

<www.comicbookproject.org>

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