This article was written by Camryn Yi of Richard Montgomery High School.
Comic books, from colorful cartoons in the newspaper to superheros in graphic novels. These drawings and books that you might have read in your childhood have been around for over a century. However, you might not know about the benefits you or your child might have gained from reading comic books. Additionally, you may not know the misconceptions surrounding comic books or the history that brought comic books to where they are today.
Why should your children read comic books?
Although comic books might not look like a book you want your child to read, there are actually many benefits children can gain from reading them. Comic books can help improve a child's reading comprehension, vocabulary, inference and memory. With their colorful images and interesting plot, comic books are also known to motivate children who are reluctant to read. According to Dey Project, once a child begins to develop an interest in reading comic books, they will then gradually move towards reading other books.
In addition, comic books also help children who have a learning disability or have English as a Second Language (ESL). For example, when certain children with autism read a comic book, it helps them identify emotion through the images. Likewise, children with dyslexia feel more accomplished when finishing an entire comic book because it helps boost their self esteem, making them want to read more (Scholastic). Additionally children with ESL can strengthen their reading and language skills, and boost their reading confidence when reading a comic book. According to Scholastic, “Teachers and librarians do not want to give ESL students picture books. Kids would reject that and deem it embarrassing. However, a comic book at a lower reading level might give kids the reading confidence they need while boosting reading and language skills.”
History of Comic Books
Comic books have been around since 1897, during the beginning of the Platinum Age. According to the Norman Rockwell Museum, the first-ever comic book that was published in 1897 was The Yellow Kid in McFadden’s Flats. This book was made of reprints from popular newspaper comic strips. Before this comics began with political and satirical cartoons printed in the newspapers and periodicals.
When the era of the Platinum Age came to an end in 1938, superheros were created. The age that came next was Golden Age, starting in 1938, with the debut of Superman in Action Comics #1 in June of 1938 (Norman Rockwell Museum). During this age, the first Marvel Comic was released in October 1939. Comic books peaked in popularity during the mid-1940s, whenover 100,00 copies were sold and by the mid-1950s,comic books contained more serious themes like horror and crime (Norman Rockwell Museum).
In the beginning of 1956, the Silver Age began, during this time comic book publishers created the Comic Magazine Association of America (CCMA). According to NPR, The CCMA was created when Dr. Fredric Wertham wrote a book called Seduction of the Innocent, which stated that comic books were damaging kids’ psychological health and placed the blame juvenile delinquency on comic books. To protect their industry, comic book publishers created CCMA laws, whichall comic book publishers and writers must follow, (Norman Rockwell Museum)
“In every instance good shall triumph over evil…”
“If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.”
“Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities.”
“…vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism and werewolfism are prohibited.”
By the late 1950s-1960s comic book themes changed from dark and supernatural to more light-hearted. After the Silver Age, came the Bronze Age, which began in 1970, when new artists like Neal Adams, John Byrne, and Frank Miller appeared and the art style for comic books became more realistic. In addition, during this age, some of the regulations in CCMA were relaxed, particularly the one involving more horror and supernatural themes, which allowed the return of horror comics. Additionally, more socially conscious stories appeared, for example, the collaborative adventures of Green Lantern and Green Arrow as they fought against racism, pollution, and social injustice (Norman Rockwell Museum).
By the mid-1980s to early-1990s, anti-heroes and dark, pessimistic stories were popular, marking the beginning of the Dark Age. During the end of this period, the comic book industry downsized, and massive sales dropped due to excess merchandise and too many collector’s editions produced during an inflated market (Norman Rockwell Museum). The last era, and the era we are currently in, is the Modern Era, marked with the publication of Kingdom Come by Alex Ross in 1996, bringing back superheroes and an optimism theme from the Silver Age. According to the Norman Rockwell Museum, during this time, publishers also tried to fix mistakes by creating a more leaner business plan and putting more effort into fewer number of projects.
Comic Book Misconceptions
Many people have different thoughts on what comic books are, which leads to the disinterest of not wanting to read them. Some misconceptions are that comic books are all about superheroes, graphic novels and comic books are generally the same and that their only audience target is towards kids. According to Therefore I Geek, not all publishers publish comic books about superheroes, as publishers like Image and Vertigo have published comics that do not feature any superheroes. For example, Image is creating and publishing lots of science fiction comic books (Therefore I Geek). In addition, many people believe comic books’ only target audience is towards kids. However what they do not know is that there are many comic books targeted towards a more mature audience. According to Therefore I Geek, once comic books reached the Modern Age, they did not only target kids, but “all ages,” which led to an increase in not only “all ages” titles but also more mature titles.
Famous Comic Book Writers
There are lots of famous comic book writers, from Stan Lee to Alan Moore, that have influenced the world’s favorite stories and characters. According to Goliath, Stan Lee is the most influential comic book writer of all time and the creator of Spider-Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor and X-Men. In addition, in the 1960s to 1970s, he took comic books in new directions by creating narratives that focused on character’s flaws, problems, and contemporary issues (Goliath). In addition to Lee, there is also Frank Miller the creator of the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City, and 300. Miller is also known for how he reshaped Marvel’s Daredevil into the character he is today, and his darker-themed books that proved that comics are not just for kids (Goliath). Lastly, there is Alan More, who is known for his writings of V for Vendetta, From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman and Watchmen. His book, Watchmen, was a masterpiece that won the Hugo award and has made the Time Magazine’s list of the 100 greatest novels of the 20th century (Therefore I Geek).
Conclusion
In conclusion, you should support and encourage your childrens’ interest in comic books. As the benefits they can gain from simply reading one is life changing. The boost in vocabulary and reading comprehension will help benefit your child in school, and their day-to-day life. Additionally, your child will gain an interest in reading and gradually be drawn to read other books that aren’t comics. Overall, although comic books may look very simple and don't seem enriching for a child’s mind. You shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, and instead allow your child to grow from reading comics.
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