SECRETS OF THE LIBRARY: Why are there comic books at the library?

The popularity of graphic novels, manga, and traditional bound comic books is on the rise, particularly among tweens and teens. It is clear that kids can’t get enough of “Black Cat,” “Daniel Boom: Loud Boy,” and “Bone.” The whole phenomenon seems to have some parents raising eyebrows, questioning if these titles even count as reading material.

The answer is yes. Yes. The comics count. The stories in these volumes are packed with as many complex characters and intricate story lines as half of the fiction books on the shelves. As personal friend, freelance artist for DC Comics, and long time comic collector, Thor Badendyk points out, novelists such as Charles Dickens originally released his novels in short articles in weekly and monthly magazines. And, some of these comics are novels, just novels with a lot of illustrations. What’s more, comics expose readers to visual art, and are especially enticing to visual learners who otherwise might not be reading at all. Librarians and teachers around the country are beginning to embrace comics as they are appealing to even the most reluctant readers.

So, when we say “comics”, what exactly do we mean? A comic is an ongoing series of short stories split between several volumes, and may not have as concise a story line as a graphic novel. “Manga” is defined simply by Merriam Webster as “a Japanese comic or graphic novel.”  “Fruits Basket” and “Spiderman” are examples of comics for young adults, “Fruits Basket” being Manga and “Spiderman” being by an American writer. Most of the “Spiderman” titles that the library owns were originally published as 22-page comics, released weekly, but which have now been compiled into “squarebound” volumes containing about six 22-page stories (comics) a piece.

A “graphic novel” is a self contained story with a clear beginning and end. Merriam Webster defines a novel as being “divided into chapters” and “not intended to be read at a single sitting.” “American Born Chinese” by Gene Yang and “Plain Janes” by Cecil Castellucci are both terrific graphic novels for young adults. “Dracula” adapted by Daniel Conner and “Frankenstein” adapted by Elizabeth Genco, part of the juvenile collection, are wonderful resources for generating interest in the classics among grade school children.

All of the comic related titles, including books on how to draw and write comics, are housed in a special section in non-fiction with a 741.5 Dewey Decimal number on their spines. Books such as “Drawing Words & Writing Pictures : Making Comics, Manga, Graphic Novels, and Beyond” by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden can be found in the adult section. You can find “So, You Wanna be a Comic Book Artist?” by Philip Amara and Xtreme Art: Draw Manga Villains by Christopher Hart in the juvenile section. Books such as “How to Draw Manga: Sketching Manga-Style v.2 Logical Proportions” by Hikaru Hayashi and “Superhero Explosion: 60 Easy Lessons for Drawing Comics by Neal Yamamoto” can be found in the young adult section.

Be sure to spice up your reading and your children’s reading this winter with titles from the Library’s “comic” collection.