Avengers #1
OK, time to dig out my old Marvel comics…
An article published Friday in the UK’s Telegraph cites a University of Illinois study that found that, contrary to conventional wisdom (and prior studies), reading comic books is as good for developing minds as reading other kinds of books.
The gist is that, even though some kids might prefer to just look at the pictures (which has always been the criticism), that’s no different than for conventional picture books. And when the kids do begin to read the words — or have them read to them — they are engaging in the same synthesis of images and pictures that other picture books require.
So there’s no reason to shield your up-and-coming readers from comics, right?
Well…
The article didn’t address another concern (because it wasn’t the point of the article) that many parents might have about comic books, and that is their appropriateness for young children. Little Skeptic Boy has just recently (thanks to a Taco Bell giveaway) become introduced to comic books. But we check them out before he gets his hands on them. He’s six, and there’s a limit to the amount of generally-young-teen-intended material that we’d like him exposed to.
I’ll let pictures to the talking…
The Death of Captain America
Robin Dies
Ultimate Scarlet Witch
Psylocke
Some if it has a little more sex and violence than I’d like. Nice positive body image by Psylocke up there. She must have some impressive muscles around her midsection that keep her from snapping at the waist due to her ample top-half…
Anyhow…
What’s my point? Well, I’m not saying that six-year-olds like Little Skeptic Boy should read only Sandra Boynton picture books and Archie comics from the 50’s. What I am saying is that while this new study means parents don’t need to feel guilty when their kids want to read comics – guilty that it’s not as good as “real” reading – we do – like always – need to be aware of the content.
Just like some PG movies are fine for LSB and his sister, other PG movies will not be appropriate for years. There’s a spectrum.
So let your kids enjoy the comics – but pick them out yourself. I’m not going to be buying Watchmen for LSB anytime soon…
NOT The Comedian's last moments alive (thanks, simon!)
A great way to get some that are (somewhat) less violent and sexy is to head to a comic book store and look through the cheap racks for old comic books from the 60’s and 70’s. You can usually skim through them (these are the cheapies – not Action Comics #1), decide the content is OK, and not break the bank. Admittedly, though, what you lose in violence and skimpy outfits, you gain in sexism (i.e. The Avengers can’t reach The Wasp to come help stop a supervillain because she was shopping at Macy’s).
..Rob T.
Tip o’ Mystic Mjolnir to Derek Colunado for pointing out the Telegraph article.
Ticktock
philosodad
Rob T
Jason
November 8, 2009 at 6:34 pm |
I defeated my supposedly undefeated high school English teacher in a round of scrabble by using the word “troika”, which he challenged. It turns out that troika is a “Russian horse drawn carriage”, but I learned it from comic books. In your face stupid English teacher!
Thank you for posting that picture of Scarlet Witch. You’ve really helped me understand your point by giving me a well-rounded example.
November 9, 2009 at 1:07 am |
See, now I’m sitting here wondering where that was used… Troika… Troika… I’m stumped. The nerd in me just died a little…
And yeah, that’s not the Wanda Maximoff I grew up with….!! :O
November 9, 2009 at 9:37 am
There was a trio of villains in the WildCats comic book called the Troika. I was a big Image Comics nerd.
November 9, 2009 at 12:41 am |
That not the comedian last moment alive!
The comedian would live almost five more decades before getting murdered by **spoiler** at the beginning of Watchmen!
/nerd of.
Apart from that, yes, indeed, great post.
November 9, 2009 at 12:50 am |
Gah! Sorry!
I now have to confess to only having seen the movie. I’ve been trying to get a friend at work to loan the graphic novel to me, but since the movie came out, everyone (including me!) wants to borrow it.
I just assumed it was that opening scene, and that outfit his assailant used was different… I’ve edited the caption. Thanks for setting me straight.
November 9, 2009 at 12:59 am |
Also, Simon, forgive me, but I edited out the spoiler in your comment. Sure, the movie’s been out for a while now, but… well… It’s totally personal, truth be told…
My wife A) will read this article (and the comments), B) hasn’t seen the movie yet, and C) does want to see it (I think). This way, she’s still spoiler-free.
Come to think of it, she hasn’t even seen Iron Man yet… What am I doing wrong here???
November 10, 2009 at 8:00 pm |
I’m a comic book artist…specifically, a mangaka–which means I specialize in creating manga. Manga, for those who may not be familiar, is basically the comic book form of anime (like Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Naruto.
Manga appeals to a wider audience than traditional American comics; you can find manga series for all ages (kids, preteens, teens, young adults, adults!) and there are a great number of series that gear themselves towards girls and women. It’s a great ‘gateway drug’ into reading!
My love of science and skepticism has fueled a passion for creating manga series that promote critical thinking and contain characters who are scientific role models.
November 11, 2009 at 1:12 am |
Sara… While I’ve never personally gotten into the Manga style of comics (and haven’t read many comics at all in years), I love the idea of series centered around those kinds of characters.
In a recent Skeptoid about making skepticism commercial, Brian Dunning said: “You must deliver a good, exciting, engaging story first; and within that story you can weave the importance of critical thinking. But if you set out to make a movie about critical thinking, you set yourself up for failure.”
I love the idea of a comic book that includes scientific role models and promotes critical thinking. Seems like the exact right approach to take. Good luck!