No, no, it will never end!
Actually, Graphic Novels and Academic Acceptance was one of the panels that I didn’t catch and desperately wanted to. It was at the same time as another panel I needed to catch, and so when Dean Haspiel passed along this link to the Wednesday’s Child blog and this excellent recap of the panel, I was thrilled to read it.
This passage in particular caught my eye, but I urge you to read the whole thing.
One person commented that when he teaches comics he uses them as a pedagogical tool. For example, he makes his students read Watchmen, which in turn prepares them to read Plato; it teaches them the way they SHOULD read. Comics can teach you how to see the world in different ways, yet its really easily accessible to a lot of people. This was an interesting point to me, because first it implies that the way one reads comics is the “correct” way to read. If this statement is true its a pretty big step in the right direction for comics as far as academic acceptance, though I suspect its a bit of a stretch. Secondly, it presupposes that comics are so accessible, yet I’m not completely sure that’s the case either. Just the idea of it as niche culture, as it is in our society today, creates a sort of inaccessibility that the average person may find frightening.
As a somewhat overeducated comics fan myself, and a huge supporter of teaching comics, I find all of this fascinating, and I really wish I’d been able to catch the panel. Still, this blog captured so well the feeling of being there–so thanks, Paul!
February 14th, 2009 at 8:09 am
It was a fantastic panel. My only complaints were that we were limited in time (with a topic that broad we could have kept going for hours), and that Hickman was probably the most quiet guy on the dais. I would have liked to have heard him speak up a bit more.
I’m really looking forward to more programming like this at future NYCCs.
February 14th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I think comics are a great educational tool and also an excellent “on-ramp to reading” for many young people. I’ve hooked lots of kids (children of friends and acquaintances) on to comics over the years and they often go on to enjoy literature of all sorts.
As for the accessibility of modern comics (always a hot topic), I usually judge that by handing my wife random issues that I think are especially good. The fact that she can pick one up in that manner and enjoy it, without necessarily getting all of the in-jokes or references, tells me that they’re still accessible to anyone who’s willing to employ their brain while reading. I know that there are exceptions (Final Crisis # 7, I’m staring you right in the eye, buster!) but I don’t think the problem, in general, is with the books themselves. I believe too many people have gotten used to stories – often seen on TV or in movies – that are so incredibly simple and dumbed down that anything that requires you to even put 2 and 2 together in order to come up with 4 is judged impenetrable by some.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:53 am
And only five months later I find out I’ve been linked at Newsarama. Thanks for the shout-out Sarah!