TIME Shows Comics Some Love in May 7 Issue

This week, TIME has articles on Alison Bechdel's latest graphic novel, Are You My Mother? and also features a write-up on Joss Whedon due to his role in the Avengers movie.

Here's a great quote from Whedon: "For genre to be ghettoized in the minds of the big thinkers means that they're not thinking big enough."

I heart Joss.

Please Support The Graphic Textbook Project

Reading With Pictures has launched its second major Kickstarter campaign, this time to support The Graphic Textbook:

"Aimed at grades 3-6, The Graphic Textbook features a dozen short stories (both fiction and non-fiction) that address topics in a variety of disciplines (Social Studies, Math, Language Arts, Science) drawn from the list of Common Core Standards used in classrooms countrywide. The accompanying Teacher’s Guide will include Standards-correlated lesson plans customized to each story, research-based justifications for using comics in the classroom, a guide to establishing best classroom practices and a comprehensive listing of additional educational resources."




To learn more, click here:

Disclaimer: I am associated with Reading With Pictures now. Happy to be so associated, in fact.

Comics Get Political in Malaysia

From an April 13, 2012 story in Malaysia Chronicle:

"KUALA LUMPUR,— Copies of a political comic book extolling the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government have been circulating among teachers in recent weeks ahead of the 13th general elections, purportedly distributed by state education departments."

Big Questions wins 2012 Lynd Ward GN Prize

"Sponsored by Penn State University Libraries and administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or non-fiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. citizen or resident."

Click the link embedded in this post's title for more information and more honorees.

The Color of Earth Makes ALA's "Frequently Challenged" Books List for 2012

Kim Dong Hwa's graphic novel trilogy is the only comics work on the list this year, which is not as strange to me as the fact that I never read any stories about this book being challenged, and I'm sort of on the lookout for those things.

To read the rest of the list, click here. It may have been posted in 2012, but it is based in information from 2011, of course.

White, Mixed-Race Spider-Men to Meet this Summer!

Some of you may recall the uproar that stemmed from Marvel's decision to make the new Ultimate version of Spider-Man a teen of mixed ethnic heritage. Miles Morales is half African American and half Latino, but he's all-fan when it comes to Peter Parker, the white teen who was the original Ultimate Spider-Man and who remains the eponymous web slinger in Marvel's 656 universe (albeit no longer a teen). Morales only knows the Ultimate version, though, who was killed last year.

Despite the fact that Morales is a great character and respectful of the Spidey legacy, some will never be happy with him simply because he's "of color."

So, it makes me very happy to see that Marvel is going to let the "original original" Spider-Man meet the latest. It's going to be a little subversive slap in the face to the haters when these two hit it off. :)

Wildcat Comic Con Brings Together Comics Lovers and Educators, April 13-14

The two-day "celebration of comics in the classroom to be held this weekend, April 13-14, at the Pennsylvania College of Technology." Our buddy John Shableski seems to be a key organizer. Bet it will be a fun event!

Teacher Says No Comics; Student Replies With Research

When Sam, a third-grader in Alaska, was told by his teacher that comics weren't allowed in the classroom, he decided to do something about it. He researched the benefits of reading comics and presented his findings at the Science Fair. His project ended up winning a prize at the state finals!

Action research, folks. What's not good about this story? By the way, you can get more details by clicking the link embedded in this post's title.

YA Graphic Novel Goodness w/ Dr. Carter Come Summer Session 2012

I've already mentioned all the graphic novel's we're going to be covering in ENG 5340, but my YA Lit class is also going to feature several comics. Raina Telgemeier's Smile will be the book with which we open the course. Jeremy Love's Bayou is also on the reading list, as is Faith Erin Hicks' recent Friends with Boys.

That's 3 of 13 texts in the comics format, 4 if we count the cartoon hybrid text in Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Several other books will make us of imagetext dynamics as well, such as Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why and Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The course will be offered throughout the month of June as one of UTEP's "Summer Session I" classes.

Nich Sousanis' Comics Dissertation Gets Love from The Chronicle of Higher Education

Great to see this high-profile resource spotlighting what is apparently going to be a major work on learning and comics, crafted in the comics form. Go, Nick!