These Aren’t Your Father’s Funny Papers: The New World of Digital Graphic Novels

FeATuRe

Internetusagehasgrownexponentially,thanks,inpart,

totheincreasingpopularityofhandhelddevices,suchascellphones,tabletcomputers,ande-readers.Today’s21st-centurychildrenandteensaresurroundedbyamediasphereofvisualandtextualresources.AccordingtotheTeensandtheInternetreport(PewResearchCenter’sInternet&AmericanLifeProject2006,2),overelevenmillionteensgoonlinedaily,comparedtoaboutsevenmillionin2000.Increasingly,whetheritisthroughcomputers,televisions,cellphones,orgamingdevices,childrenandteensareaccessingonlineresourcestomeettheirsocial,recreational,andinformationalneeds.

Duetothedevelopmentofnew21st-centurytechnologies,theworldofchildren’sandyoungadultliteratureiscontinuallychanging.Forexample,oneofthefastest-growingmultimodalformatsthattoday’svisuallyliterateyouthembraceisthedigitalgraphicnovel.Forthepurposeofthisarticle,digitalgraphicnovelsaredefinedasgraphicnovelsproduced

onand/oraccessedonsomeformofdigitaldevice,includingcomputers,mobiledevices,ande-readers.Thisengagingliterarymediumisexpandingourdefinitionofchildren’sandyoungadultliterature,aswellasthewaysinwhichweteach.

Oftenreferredtoasonlinegraphicnovels,Webcomics,orlong-playcomics,thedigitalgraphicnovelfirstappearedonthesceneinthe1980s.Initially,theconversionfromprinttoWebpresentednumerouschallenges;however,themediumimprovedgreatlyinthe1990swithadvancesinWeb2.0technologies.Sincedigitalgraphicnovelsarerelativelyinexpensivetoproducecomparedtoprintnovels,graphicnovelistshavemoreincentivetopublishtheirworkonline,especiallyindependentandbeginningillustrators(Rousseau2009,206).Furthermore,publishingonlineenablesgraphicnoveliststomaketheirworkaccessiblemorequicklyandtolargeraudiences.Somedigitalgraphicnovelsandcomicshavesincecomeoutinprinteditions.Forexample,GeneYangoriginallypublished

AmericanBornChinese(2006)asadigitalcomiconthewebsiteModernTalesbeforepublishingtheawardwinninggraphicnoveledition.Also,AmericusbyM.K.ReedandJonathanHill(2011)firstbeganastheserializedWebcomic,“SaveApathea”,partoftheToBeContinuedlineofWebcomicsbyFirstSecondComics.Americusisaboutateenager’squesttokeephisfavoritefantasyseries,TheChroniclesofApatheaRavenchilde,frombeingbannedfromtheAmericuspubliclibrary.

Why use Digital graphic novels in schools?Althoughprintgraphicnovelsareanestablishedliteraryformatinschoollibrariesandclassrooms,digitalgraphicnovelsarearelativelynewmediuminschoolsettings.Thevisualnatureofdigitalgraphicnovelsisthewaymany21st-centurylearnersprefertoread;therefore,itisimportantforschoollibrariansandteacherstorecognizethevalueofdigitalliteraciesforengagingstudentlearners.Unfortunately,findingsfromthe2010SpeakUpNationalResearchProjectreveal

heather Moorefield-Langhmlang@vt.edu

Karen Gavigankgavigan@mailbox.sc.edu&

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These Aren’t Your Father’s Funny Papers: The New World of Digital Graphic Novels

a“persistentdigitaldisconnectbetweenthetech-intensivelivesofstudentsoutsideofschool,andtheunsatisfactoryexperiencesprovidedbymanyschoolstousetechnologymeaningfully”(ProjectTomorrow2011,3).Forthatreason,asE.SuttonFlyntandWilliamBrozonoted,“Wemustdesigninstructionthatreflectsthemediasphereinwhichchildrenandyouthlive”(2010,528).

Digitalgraphicnovelsprovidenewwaysforstudentstoexperiencereading,and/orlearnnewcontent,usingthecomicformat.Intermsofcurriculum,theCommonCoreStateStandardsInitiativesincludethefollowingstatement,“Tobereadyforcollege,workforcetraining,andlifeinatechnologicalsociety,studentsneedtheabilitytogather,comprehend,evaluate,synthesize,andreportoninformationandideas,toconductoriginalresearchinordertoanswerquestionsorsolveproblems,andtoanalyzeandcreateahighvolumeandextensiverangeofprintandnon-printtextsinmediaformsoldandnew”(2010).

This engaging literary medium is expanding our

definition of children’s and young adult literature,

as well as the ways in which we teach.

31Volume 40, No. 3 | January/February 2012

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Throughtheuseofmultipleresources,suchasdigitalgraphicnovels,schoollibrariansandteacherscanstrengthentheirlessonsbyteachingliteracyskills,suchascomparingandcontrasting.Usingdigitalgraphicnovelsalsoenableseducatorstoallowfordifferentiatedinstruction.InthewordsofJohnShableski,presidentofFourColorPerspectiveandboardmemberofReadingwithPictures,“Weareinthemidstofaculturalshift.Educators,librarians,publishers,andparentsarebeginningtorealizethatliteracyhasmultipleaccesspointsandthecomicsmedium,akagraphicnovelsanddigitalgraphicnovels,areopeningdoorsforsomanyreaderswhotraditionallyhavebeenoverlooked”(2011).

apps and Digital graphic novelsDigitalgraphicnovelsarestillarelativelyyoungmedium,comparedtodigitalcomicbooks;however,subscriptionservicesandapplications(apps)fordigitalgraphicnovelsareontherise.In2010,IDWPublishing(adivisionofIdea+DesignWorks,LLC)introducedadigitalgraphicnovelseriesavailableforuseoniPadsand

othermobiledevices.IDW’sdigitalgraphicnovelsincludetheever-popularStarTrekseries,aswellasJamesPatterson’sseriesWitchandWizard:TheBattleforShadowland.

Furthermore,comiXologyrecentlyintroducedJeffSmith’sBoneandRASLgraphicnovelseriesasappsfortheiPad,iPhone,iPod,andtheAndroid.AdditionalcomiXologydigitalgraphicnoveltitlesforchildrenandteensincludetheMouseGuardseries(DavidPetersen),theScottPilgrimseries(BryanLeeO’Malley),TheWalkingDeadseries(RobertKirkman),andReturnoftheDapperMan( JimMcCannandJanetLee).ThroughpartnershipswithMarvelComics,DCComics,ArchaiaEntertainment,BOOM!Studios,DynamiteEntertainment,andImageComics,comiXologyhostsover10,000digitalgraphicnovelsandcomics(somefree)onitswebsite<https://comics.comixology.com>.

OthercompaniesthatdistributecomicappsanddigitalgraphicnovelsincludeCognitoComics,Comics,Comics+,ComicZeal,Graphicly,iVerseMedia,Panelfly,Viz,andYenPress.Pleaseseethecompanies’websitesforacompletelistoftheirappsanddigitalgraphic

novels,availableplatforms,andcostspervolume.Severalofthesecompaniesofferthefirstchapterortwooftheirproductsforfree,inthehopesthatconsumerswillreturntopurchasefuturechapters.

e-Book readers and Digital graphic novelsE-bookreadersarejoiningthedigitalgraphicnovelbandwagon,addingtitlesforchildrenandteenssuchastheGraphicUniverseseries(LernerPublishing)onAmazon'sKindleFire,aswellastheArchieComicsseriesandSonictheHedgehogseries,bothbyArchieComics,ontheBarnes&NobleNOOK.FreeSpiritPublishingandElectricEggplantrecentlypartneredtoproducetheappBeConfidentinWhoYouAre:AGraphicNovelbasedonBook1oftheaward-winningMiddleSchoolConfidentialseriesbyAnnieFoxandMattKindt.Theseriesformiddleschoolstudentsaddressesbullyingandothersocialissues.OriginallyanappfortheiPad,thedigitalgraphicnovelisnowavailableontheNOOKColorReader’sTablet.Dependingontheapplication,thepricetodownloaddigitalgraphicnovelscurrentlyrangesanywherefrom$1.99to$10.99pertitle.Asisthecasewith

32 Knowledge Quest | Futurecasting

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comicanddigitalgraphicnovelapps,someofthesetitlesareavailableforfreetowhetconsumer’sappetites.

Online and interactive

Alongwithdigitalgraphicnovels,whichcanbereadonlineorthroughdevicessuchasiPads,NOOKs,andKindles,thereisalsoagrowingbodyofinteractiveWeb2.0sitesandappsthatencompassthedigitalgraphicnovelstyle.Thesesitesandapplicationstakereadersintoatwo-wayinteractionwiththegraphicnovel,wherethebookmaybereadaloudtothem;theycanchooseoutcomesoroptionsforthecharacters,helpcreatestoriesaswellasreadthem,orcompleteactivitiesafterreadingWebcomics.Oneoptionforsharingthesesitesisthroughtheuseofinteractivewhiteboards.JohnShableskidescribeshowtheycanbeusedwithdigitalandinteractivegraphicnovelsforagreatcollaboration:

“ThebestpartnershippossibilityisviaSMARTBoardapplications…Whentheentireclasscanviewthesameimagesdisplayedonascreen,theinteractionopportunitiesmultiplyten-fold”(2011).

The following digital graphic novels are free, and can be used in your libraries and classrooms.

inanimate Alice<www.inanimatealice.

com>isamulti-chapter,interactivedigital

graphicnovelsetintheearlyyearsofthe

twenty-firstcentury.Readerscaninteract

withAlice’sadventuresasshetravelsin

searchofherfatherthroughoutremote

areasofnorthernChina.Fullofbeautiful

imagesandfunactivities,Inanimate

Alicenotonlywillhookreaders,but

teachersandschoollibrarianswillbeabletousetheeducationpacksand

standardalignmentpagesonthesite.(Grades4–6,andpossiblyhigher)

Toon books<http://toon-books.com/

rdr_one.php>willhelpemergingyoung

readersinmultiplelanguagesthrough

theseinteractive,fun-to-readcomic

books.Thebookscomeinthreelevels

forgradesK–3,andareavailablein

fivedifferentlanguages.Studentscan

readthegraphicnovelsthemselves,

orhaveaToonBooksnarrator

readthecomicstothembymoving

themousecursoroverthewords.Bookscanbereadineach

student’schosenlanguage.AvailablelanguagesareEnglish,

Spanish,French,Chinese,andRussian.(GradesK–3)

Myths and Legends<http://myths.

e2bn.org>isaninteractivesiteforthose

wholikeagoodstory,andforthosewho

enjoytellingafinestory.Thisresource

notonlyletsstudentsreadstoriesbased

onfolktalesandfablesfromtheBritish

Isles,butitalsohasaseparatesection

whereuserscancreatetheirown

talesandsharethem.Teachersand

schoollibrarianscanincorporatethe

resourcespage,aswell.(Grades3–6)

Image courtesy of Intimate Alice.

All images (c) RAW Junior, LLC/

TOON Books®. All rights reserved.

Image coutesy of myths.e2bn.org.

33Volume 40, No. 3 | January/February 2012

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Digital graphic novels and Your Library

AsstatedinAASL’sStandardsforthe21st-CenturyLearner,“Multipleliteracies,includingdigital,visual,textual,andtechnological,havenowjoinedinformationliteracyascrucialskillsforthiscentury”(AASL2007,3).However,teaching21st-centuryliteracyskillsthroughdigitalresourcescanbechallengingforschoollibrariansandteachers.MarkSiegel,editorialdirectorofFirstSecondBooks,pointsout,“TheInternetoftenchangesthenatureofconnectionbetweenauthorandreaders”(Brothers2011).Therefore,itisimportantforschoollibrarianstolearnhowdigitalgraphicnovelsuseimageandtextinmultiplewaystoproducemeaningforchildrenandteens.Schoollibrariansmustalsobecomeknowledgeableaboutequipmentandlicensingissuespertainingtodigitalgraphicnovels.Then,bysharingtheirknowledgeregardingdigitalgraphicnovelswithfelloweducators,schoollibrarianscanfurtherestablishthemselvesastechnologyleadersintheirschools.Last,butnotleast,addingfreedigitalgraphicnovelstotheirrepertoireofdigitalresourcescanhelpschoollibrariansexpandtheirlibrarycollectionsduringtougheconomictimes.

Karen gavigan

isanassistant

professorinthe

SchoolofLibraryand

InformationScience

attheUniversityofSouthCarolina.A

primaryfocusofherresearchisusinggraphic

novelsinschools.Sheistheauthorofthe

article“MorePowerfulthanaLocomotive:

UsingGraphicNovelstoMotivateStruggling

MaleAdolescentReaders”intheJournal

ofResearchonLibrariesandYoungAdults.

SheandMindyTomasevicharecoauthorsof

ConnectingComicstoCurriculum:Strategies

forGrades6–12(LibrariesUnlimited2011).

Heather

Moorefield-Lang

istheeducationand

appliedsocialsciences

librarianatVirginia

Tech.SheiscurrentlythechairoftheAASL

BestWebsitesforTeachingandLearning

Committee.Thefocusofherworkison

technolog yinlibrariesandartsinlibraries.

Toreadmoreofherwork,seeherwebsiteat

<www.actinginthelibrary.com>.howtoons<www.howtoons.com>calls

itselftheworld’sgreatestDo-It-Yourself

ComicWebsite.OnHowtoons,students

canreadabouttheadventuresofTucker

andCeline,andlearnhowtocreate

useful(orsillybutfun)projectsfromlistsof

everydaymaterials.Schoollibrarianscan

useHowtoonstogetideasforactivities

andscienceprojects.CurrentlyHowtoons

isaread-onlyonlinecomicstrip;however,

itwillsoonbeavailableasaninteractive

e-readerapp,aswell.(Grades3–6)The

bb brothers<www.blunderbrothers.

com>(whichisshortforBlundernagging

Brothers).ThisstoryissolelyaniPad,iPod

Touch,andiPhoneapplication.Thestory,

withgorgeousillustrations,isreadtousers

byanexpressivenarrator.Aswithmany

comicbookandgraphicnovelapps,the

companygivesreadersthefirstthree

chapters(60minutes)freeandthenrequests

paymenttofinishthestory($2.99forthefull

story).Studentswillenjoythenarrationand

interactionwiththestory.(Grades3–6)

Image courtesy of Howtoons.

Image courtesy of Whirlwhim.

34 Knowledge Quest | Futurecasting

All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.

2010.“VisualLiteracyandtheContentClassroom:AQuestionofNow,NotWhen.”ReadingTeacher63,no.6(March)526–28.

PewResearchCenter’sInternet&AmericanLifeProject.2006.“TeensandtheInternet.”Washington,DC:PewResearchCenter.

ProjectTomorrow.2011.TheNewThreeE’sofEducation:Enabled,Engaged,Empowered:HowToday’sStudentsAreLeveragingEmergingTechnologiesforLearning.Irvine,CA:ProjectTomorrow.

Rousseau,Taylor,2009.“ComicsGoDigital:TheRiseofWebcomics.”TeachingGenerationM:AHandbookforLibrariansandEducators.VibianaBowmanCvetkovicandRobertJ.Lackie,eds.NewYork:Neal-Schuman.

Shableski,John.2011.Personalcommunication.July26.

Works cited:

AmericanAssociationofSchoolLibrarians.2007.“Standardsforthe21st-CenturyLearner.”<www.ala.org/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/standards>(accessedOctober14,2011).

Brothers,David.2011.“FirstSecondEvolvesfortheInternetwithWebcomicsImprint.”Publisher’sWeeklyBookNews.<www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/comics/article/47007-first-second-evolves-for-the-internet-with-webcomics-imprint.html>(accessedSeptember22,2011).

CommonCoreStateStandardsInitiative.2010.“EnglishLanguageArtsStandards.”<www.corestandards.org/the-standards/english-language-arts-standards>(accessedSeptember22,2011).

Flynt,E.Sutton,andWilliamBrozo.

"Adding free digital

graphic novels to

their repertoire of

digital resources

can help school

librarians expand

their library

collections during

tough economic times."

35Volume 40, No. 3 | January/February 2012

AASL VOLunTEERinG

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