I'm back in El Paso after spending several days at a Conference of English Education event in Elmhurst, IL. It was an interesting event. I found it intriguing to see how people viewed my work and my reputation. Based on comments and deep reading, I think there are some definite generational differences in how established leaders in the field of English Education view my interest in graphic novels and how younger, newer folks view it. Now, I'll be just fine if all the right people die off or retire and split the scene at the right times over the next decade or so, and the right up-and-comers take their places, Lol. I kid, I kid ..... ahem .... cough ... sigh.....
These generational differences also seem to be evident in how folks view graphic novels in general. I've gleaned from more than one source that many think that the emphasis on graphic novels in education represents a flash in the pan fad. Hipper sources seem to understand that there's a 70 year history of comics and education intersection in the U.S. and that there is actually a thing called comics scholarship that has been growing since the 1960s as well.
My biggest worry is how those who might truly be waiting for the "fad that isn't a fad" to fade and for basking in "We were right all along. All hail the traditional print text!" glory might be influencing the next generation of CEE leaders, who might be all-too-eager to ride coat tails via adapting stolid ideologies if it means getting ahead. But, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there also seem to be many mature and established members of my field that appear to see the longevity and future potentialities of the sequential art form. So, we'll see how it all plays out over the next....twenty or thirty years, I guess. Sheesh! There's a lot of my career left, lol.
But, it was very nice to meet new people, to put faces with names, to scope out nuances in conversations and "friend patterns" and -- most importantly -- to get together with some folks on some project ideas that might actually see the light of day! :) More on those as it is appropriate to talk about them, of course! :)
4 comments:
I suspect it will change as we send children your way who have grown up with teachers who support the medium. The change doesn't really come from the ivory tower but from the younglings.
Yes, good point! Also, good to hear from you, my friend!
It's still hard to have people take comic books seriously. When I was passing out flyers to my new comic book, I gave a flyer to a guy, and his girlfriend asked, "What is that?" He answered it's a flyer for a comic book. She answered, sarcastically, "A comic book?" and laughed.
I was pretty pissed off and I wanted to say something, but I just kept my mouth shut and kept passing flyers. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who still don't think comics are important. Even entertaining.
If I had a copy of my book, I would've GIVEN her a copy, just to see what her opinion on comic books would be after actually reading one.
I hear you, Jimmy. But, I'll bet some folks took your flyer and will find your work to be pretty awesome! If not, they just have no taste!!
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