Comic biographies are tricky business, plagued with art complexity. When we read fictional stories, we create iconography based upon how the characters are described or drawn. Not so in a biography of a famous person because the reader is already familiar with what the person looks like.
Realistic art requires every single image of the person be spot-on accurate and recognizable. There is no room for wonky faces or goofy facial elements and no tolerance for strange positions or awkward faces or hands. They must look like themselves in each panel. Realism must be realistic. The other choice is iconic or cartoony art, whereas the image is not a replication of the person but merely an iconic representation. This approach allows for more artistic license.
Bluewater Productions has produced several nonfiction comics, all of which have used realism with differening success. The MARTHA STEWART comic surprised me because the internal art here is not realistic –– a gamble on the part of Bluewater, I would think. How will readers respond to cartoonish art in a serious, nonfiction comic?
I found the iconic representation allowed me to place my own mental images of Stewart onto the comic character without taking me out of the story. With realism, I find I constantly compare the image of the comic book character to the real life character. If the art is outstanding, then I stay in the story. If not, I leave the comic to analyze how the image does not look proper.
In short, I was able to see Stewart as a character as opposed to a realistic drawing. For this reason, the iconic art worked exceptionally well. The story, too, was very interesting. Themes of her problematic relationships with others and her drive to succeed were fascinating.
Stewart has a lot of warts, especially when it comes to relationships. The comic hits those points strongly.
Click here for the lesson plan in pdf.
Interior art from "The 9/11 Commission Report: A Graphic Adaptation".
Starting two weeks ago, the media started calling our school asking to interview teachers and students about 9/11. The September 11, 2011 attacks are a hard thing to teach on the elementary level. Most of our students weren't even born yet so their understanding is vastly different than some junior high and high school students.
The media outlets find it fascinating how teachers bring 9/11 into the classroom –– if they do at all. I have compiled a list of comics that may be helpful when studying the attacks, the aftermath, our nation's response, the United States Constitution and democracy. A comics-based unit on these subjects would be very powerful and engaging in the classroom.
Dr. Katie Monnin’s TEACHING GRAPHIC NOVELS is a superhero among textbooks for middle and high school teachers. Pedagogy, philosophy, research, practical strategies, lesson plans, graphic organizers, and most importantly a down-and-dirty explanation of the elements of comic literature are crammed into a 236 page, easy-to-read guide. You don’t have to read every page to get what you need to begin.
Monnin does what is necessary for practicing teachers: Tell us what we need to know quickly, give us reproducible tools to make it work effectively, attach it to national standards, organize the information well, and keep it simple.
Any ELA teacher who wants to introduce comics but is scared to death to do it need only grab Monnin’s text. By the end of the month, you will be ready to introduce your first graphic novel into your classroom. It’s that simple. Looking to teach middle school kids? Turn to that chapter. High school? There’s a chapter for that. Fiction, nonfiction, English Language Learners, media literacy –– it’s all there with explanations, graphic organizers and suggested titles.
If I were to recommend a single comic how-to textbook for secondary teachers to begin with, TEACHING GRAPHIC NOVELS would be it, hands down.
If you’ve ever hung out with young boys very long, you’ve discovered that dinosaurs are a source of unending fascination for so many of them. The ferocity, the blood-drenched teeth, and the constant death battles (for food, territory and mates) make little boys go nuts. How could these prehistoric creatures not stimulate inquisitive minds?
DINOSAURS AND PREHISTORIC PREDATORS is an exciting journey back 65 to 200 million years ago (Cretaceous and Jurassic periods). Not only is there a wealth of interesting scientific information, but also the artwork is stunningly realistic. Just like Silver Dragon’s SHARK comic for Discovery Channel, this comic reads like a Discovery Channel show, thanks to the illustrations and panel layouts.
The information is broken down by dinosaur (Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Pteranodon, Sarcosuchus, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops and Velociraptor), so the book does not need to be read in order. Chapters also make it easy for struggling readers to find a convenient stopping place, catch their breath, and synthesize what they’ve learned.
This is the T-Rex intro page.
I cannot imagine an elementary or intermediate classroom or school library being complete without this comic.
The only reason this would be limited to ages 9 and older (publisher's rating) is because of the scientific language. Kids younger than 8 may really struggle to understand the science of the comic. However, I certainly argue that kids, regardless of age, should have access to the comic if they want it. When students have a desire to read and understand, then they will learn to read and understand. Don’t limit the book to any age. Some kids may only read the pictures. Others may find a reading buddy to help them. Teachers may read aloud. Parents may read with kids. Get this comic in their hands and kids will have the time of their lives.
Dinosaurs kill to survive. That means blood.
DINOSAURS AND PREHISTORIC PREDATORS is from Discovery Channel. So expect science and information about evolution. The writers have given a lot of information about adaptations in species, theories, hypotheses, and unsettled debates. Broken down into specific dinosaur chapters, the comic is full of information that teachers could use for science and communication arts. Writing prompts, vocabulary, big ideas and so much inference is included that a teacher could have a blast designing lessons specific to his or her class’s needs. DINOSAURS just screams for integrated units (science and com arts combined). Please keep in mind, there is one informational and three minor grammar mistakes. Engaged students will find them and I suggest bonus points to those kids. It will get others to read more closely and make it fun. The publisher is aware and corrections will be made to second printings.
Based on the mistakes, the book only deserves a Recommended, but when I factor in the fact that boys are fighting over the book in my room and the fact that the mistakes are small and will be fixed in second printings, I decided to give it a Highly Recommended.