CHAPTER 4 DISCUSSION

Summary

History

Sequential art as a means of telling a narrative has existed with mankind since before written language, but the current American art form of the comic book and its latest evolution, the graphic novel, have been developing over 70 years (McCloud, 1993.) Comics quickly became popular and commonplace, as well as a source of study with the promise of educational use (Yang, 2003). However, comics where produced without quality standards by inexperienced teenage artists and writers in a multitude of genres including ones that were not child nor parent friendly (Hajdu, 2008). The reputation of the format fell into serious jeopardy in the 1950s when comics were scapegoated as the reason for rising juvenile delinquency and fell victim to a national panic. The industry then took the worst step it possibly could and censored itself using the Comics Code, which would regulate comics into general banality for the next thirty years.

Comics once again became the source of academic study in the 1970s, but the format was no longer as universal as it had been before the enactment of the Comics Code in 1954 and its reputation had never recovered. Slowly the Comics Code lost relevance in the eighties while the graphic novel took center stage. Books like Watchman and Maus finally created a market for book length comics which were every bit as capable as their cousin, the traditional novel, in delivering a poignant narrative that reflected humanity. However, comics still suffer from their reputation as a sub-class of literature until this very day.

It is the history of moral panic and the unsubstantiated idea that comics are not reading that holds back the use of comics as an educational tool. We now have over 50 years of cultural dogma telling us that comics are “not reading” and not literature worthy of study, much less instruction. “Too often educators exclude graphic novels solely because of the format or the erroneous impression that all graphic novels focus on supernatural horror stories or are expressions of the male power fantasy. (Bucher & Manning, 2004).”

Wertham (1954) was probably justified in being alarmed at the content of horror comics and some of the crime comics he was studying. A parental advisory or rating system would have helpful and all major publishers use one today. However, he attacked the entire format and created what could only be called a witch-hunt based on fallacious arguments and poor science.

The slowly changing attitude is evident in the increasing number of graphic novels available in libraries and bookstores. However, public education practice has a history of holding onto archaic and dogmatic ideas long past their need or efficacy. We have updated our language arts curriculum from the days of obscure basal readers and class recitations. Should not this artifact of the fifties, that comics are harmful as literature, be abandoned as well?

Literature

At one point of time, most comics were quickly produced, ill-conceived, and A poor quality product that did not warrant any reputation better than “sometimes good.” After the Comics Code and greatly reduced sales, comic creators began to seriously work on their craft and the quality of comics rose sharply to compete for fewer and fewer dollars. Slowly, the industry recovered and became synonymous with the superhero genre, despite the plurality of genres it used to host. The Comics Code effect began to wane as companies increasingly ignored it.

Now, comics are a highly developed craft that is continuing to grow and progress. “. . . Publication of a large number of critically acclaimed, curriculum-related graphic novels during the last decade that address history, politics, literature, and social issues help validate this format and justify its inclusion in any school library collection. (Gorman, 2003, p. 20).” Graphic novels touch on a range of subjects and genres, the two most notable being autobiography and comic book journalism, with the caveat that many superhero stories are still being created or collected and reprinted. Graphic novels have become commonplace in libraries, have their own sections in bookstores, are reviewed by magazines and websites, receive awards, and are frequently source material for motion pictures and other media. Comics have entered into the mainstream and continue to gain both acceptance and importance. Even if the unlikely scenario of a student maturing to reading only comics as an adult happens, there is a growing number of excellent graphic novels for a student to read that have credible literary merit.

Reading Qualities

Comics have several important reading qualities. They are excellent source material for a number of possible lessons and a growing number of books like Adventures in Graphica with specific lesson plans are arriving. Comics are easily usable for mini-lessons, guided readings, reading conferences (Thompson, 2008), while any quality graphic novel can be used as a book for virtually any reading assignment. Comics lend themselves well to particular skills and concepts, from onomatopoeia and plot, to more difficult skills like summarizing or inferencing (McCloud, 2006; Smetana, Odelson, Burns & Grisham, 2009; Ranker, 2007; Thompson, 2008). “. . . Educators have found that graphic novels are able to teach readers about literary techniques such as plot, conflict, setting, character, and even foreshadowing and flashbacks (Foster, 2004, p. 32).”

The greatest strength is clearly the appeal to reluctant readers (Krashen, 2004). Whether the attraction is the picture support, the subversive nature of reading a comic instead of a “real book”, or just the plain fun of it, comics are books that get read (Curriculum Review, 2004). Reluctant readers who become comic book readers will transition to more traditional texts, increase vocabulary, improve reading skills, and improve achievement in other areas. The same is true for students who read in volume, even if that reading consists of comics (Krashen, 2004). If, in the unlikely event, a student ends up reading only graphic novels, they still have an excellent selection to choose from that grows annually.

Multimodal Literacy

Comics may be the solution to the quandary of dealing with the changing scope of literacy. Students will not need to know how to read only pictureless fiction, although our education system seems to focus on that. Comics integrate pictures and words in a highly developed grammar that emulates a growing number of possible texts and electronic documents children have to read, both in the present and future (Teale, Kim & Boerman-Cornell, 2008). Further, comics are accessible and permanent, not requiring an internet connection, battery, or power outlet for use (Yang, 2003). There are a growing number of seminars by comics creators for computer programmers and web designers, indicating that there is a commonality.

Graphic novels are now appearing in popular magazines and in book stores with ever increasing sales. Instruction in comic reading may become less of an option, and more of a need if the current trend continues and graphic novels become common literature. “This revitalized genre has not only saved the day for recreational reading, it has also turned out to be a heavyweight in the teaching of advanced themes in literature and visual literacy (Seyfried, 2008).”

Social Relevance

Comics have, almost since the beginning, addressed social issues. The current trend toward comic-journalism makes comics a poignant way to address issues. "Today, comics is one of the very few forms of mass communication in which individual voices still have a chance to be heard(McCloud, 1993, p. 197)." Using student generated comics to address social issues seems equally powerful (Bitz, 2006).

Conclusions

Is it literature? There was a time in which the vast majority of comics could not be considered literature by any reasonable standard. That day is long gone and quality comics that are worthy reads by students have now been produced for decades. Comics have a unique grammar that allows them to not only have the same depth as pictureless text, but to accomplish complexity that pictureless text simply cannot.

"If reading is to lead to any meaningful knowledge or comprehension, readers must approach a text with an understanding of the relevant social, linguistic and cultural conventions. . . if you really consider how the pictures and words work together in consonance to tell a story, you can make the case that comics are just as complex as any other kind of literature (Tilley, 2008, para. 7 )."

Impact of the Comics Code

Before Wertham’s 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent comics where a constant source of study by the academic community with consideration to their applications in education (Yang, 2003). This included notable researchers such as Thorndike and two issues of the Journal for Educational Sociology were dedicated to the topic. Then Seduction of the Innocent, and the array of articles before and after created a moral panic in which the growing comic industry was scapegoated (Hajdu, 2008). Wertham’s work was a classic example of fearmongering and false assertion in action. After the book, magazine articles, book burnings, local and state banning, and a congressional hearing all based more on McCarthy-era paranoia than science (Hajdu, 2008), comics were not studied again until nearly thirty years later. Although this period, like the one in the 1940s, provided promise to the application of comics in the classroom there was no broad movement to include them in the classroom with the exception of lesson plans and comics produced by Archie comics for classroom use.

Two of comics greatest creators well noted for their excellent collaborations, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, began their own company in 1954 while the debate for comics ensued. They made four titles, each one aimed at adult readers and each in a different popular comics genre of the day: Romance, western, war, and crime (Beerbahm, 1998). Despite two of the greatest comic talents who were best known for their work together at a time when both were entering their prime, Mainline comics failed within a year due to the impact of the Comic Code (Simon, 2003). It is a simple example of how a new American art form was stunted in its prime by the Comics Code; without it Mainline and many others would have likely been a success and progressed the field of comics further than the narrow definition it suffered from for the next thirty years. It is a clear and obvious casualty of the Code and an example of the sort of progress that it stopped (Hajdu, 2008; Simon, 2003).

There is a definite disparity in the treatment for comics and other forms of literature and media, an iron-clad restraint that stood firm for almost thirty years and is still in use today with little change. Furthermore, the presence and success of the underground comix movement after the enactment of the code shows that the medium was still vigorous, and not an artifact of the war years. Without restraints, the comix movement produced a body of literature that was popular, well-read, and though provoking, giving creators such as Harvey Pekar a voice.

Recommendations

Older Studies

Comparisons of numbers of words per page and rare words rates between comics and other books date back to Thorndike’s 1941 study and continue with Gary Wright’s study in 1979. The Wright study has been elaborated on by various researchers, notably Krashen, but there have not been any who have attempted a new list of rare words in over 40 years. This word study is worth a new look, given the changes of both comic books and other book forms since the late 1970s.

Given a possible link between Marzano’s recommendations of increasing wide reading experiences for students and combining visual imagery for direct vocabulary instruction, a fascinating area of study would be the use of comics as vocabulary tools. The dual properties of being appealing reading for even reluctant readers and the use of imagery directly married to the text promises rich results.

Furthermore, many studies for comics happened long ago. The 1940s and 1970s were periods in which there have been numerous comic studies. Many of these tests held great promise, and bear repeating. Comic books as a format have advanced significantly since that time, but much of that advancement has been away from children as an audience. The work of Thorndike (1941) in vocabulary, Sones (1944) and Hutchinson (1949) in comprehension, Gruenberg (1944) and Haugaard (1973) in social and cultural issues, and Wright (1979) work all has relevance to today, but requires a modern look for true validity.
Although there is indication that comics turn reluctant readers into full fledged readers (Krashen, 2004), there has been no study that has followed this progression. We know reluctant readers like to read comics (Curriculum Review, 2004), and we know that comics should create better readers (Krashen, 2003). However, we are lacking data that shows that problem readers benefit directly from using comics as a reading medium. A study of improvements reluctant readers may experience from the introduction of comics as reading material is warranted. Since Sones’ study in 1944 indicating comics led to improved reading comprehension, no one has attempted to see if modern comics has the same effect.

Although an American art form, comics have found a home in foreign countries. France, Belgium, and Japan all have a sizeable comics industry. None of these nations went through a period of censorship, as America did, and have a high rate of adult readership (Leckbee, 2005). No articles by Japanese researchers were found in this study. If there is none, there is a tremendous opportunity because comics are a large part of modern Japanese culture already.

Reading Level

There is an indication that younger readers, in first through third grade, enjoy comic book reading even though these books are usually written on a higher level (Scholastic, 2008). It is well-known pedagogy that texts that readers find challenging but not overwhelming are important to improving a student’s reading level (Dorn, 2005). It is possible to see how students would fare reading higher level texts in a comic format. For decades children read Classics Illustrated, when reading the texts they portrayed could be impossible at their reading level.

Creator Contentions

Art Speigelman, Alan Moore, and Greg Yang are all comic creators who have beliefs about comics that bear further study. Speigelman believes comics are self-teaching (Smith, 2008), that readers learn how to read and comprehend a comic simply by doing it. Alan Moore has made the fascinating contention that comics cause information to be processed by both sides of the brain simultaneously (Sanderson, 2004). Would brain scans prove this contention, having a subject reading traditional texts and comic texts and comparing the two? Yang (2003) contends that, unlike other media in which words and pictures are integrated, comics have permanence. Whereas a film, television show, or electric documents must be accessed via a device, a comic is unique in that the page is static and does not change, giving the reader a better ability to figure out the content. This assertion is sound logic, but could be better researched.

Adaptations and Specialized Texts

Comics have been excellent at showing biography and especially autobiography, such as the work of Harvey Pekar and David Small. Adaptations of literatures can also be effectively done with comics (Petrucha, 2008). Comics have Classics Illustrated adapted classic literature, nearly all fiction, into the comic format with tremendous success. There have also been recent attempts at adapting some texts to a graphic novel format, mostly children’s fiction such as the Artemis Fowl, Goosebumps, The Babysitter’s Club, and Nancy Drew series of books. The classic Johnny Tremain, a Caldecott award-winning book about the Revolutionary War, could include actual images of the historic people and places involved with researched footnotes that are not in the original text. Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew could contain a visual description of the famous marriage scene as it is described, the original text does not actually put the scene on the stage.

It seems that adapting biographies and autobiographies into a comic format is a natural step to take. Virtually any biography could be adapted and give the reader a strong visual sense of the person’s life along with each and every word of the original text. These adaptations would have the benefit of being able to show the reader the artist’s interpretation of what the world looked like at the time, providing for immediate footnotes within the panel, and can provide a level of subtext that the original texts could not. “Unlike more ‘traditional’ literature, comic books are able to quite literally ‘put a human face’ on a given subject. That is, comic books blend words and pictures so that, in addition to reading text, readers ‘see’ the characters through the illustrations (Versaci, 2001, p. 62).”

Needless to say, such texts would be very helpful to education and are likely to appeal to the already existing library market. It is even possible to make new inferences in the manner of the adaptation. The work of Robert Sikoryak and Alan Moore show that a confluence of adaptation and artwork can produce new meanings and further investigate older ideas and characters. (Versaci, 2007).

“Librarians’ recent discovery of the graphic novel has expanded the form’s marketplace and . . .has sparked the creation of new imprints devoted to the genre by established publishers of books for young readers (Cart, 2006, p. 44).” Many of these are already adaptable to the classroom environment. There are numerous treatments of mythology available, and Beowulf has received two notable treatments since 2004. Comic books that teach scientific lessons are also appearing “Some graphic nonfiction sets out to teach lessons directly, although in a far wittier, more entertaining way than the standard textbook (Sanderson, 2004, p. 15).” There are now a great number of biographies both on historic and current public figures, and multiple series of books on mythology being created with classrooms in mind. It would be wise of the comic book industry to make efforts to educate teachers during conferences, via professional development, and through articles about the value of comics in order to open up a market of books developed for classroom use. The greatest fear here, however, is quality. The moment comics seem like basal readers they will lose that particular, almost subversive, edge they currently enjoy. It is vital that any such adaptations retain a strong sense of creator voice and remain art as well as usable text.

Reading Comprehension

Numerous authors point to the text support that is provided by pictures, paneling, lettering, and the grammar of comics itself (Harvey, 2000; Keene, 1997; Miller, 2002). These arguments are all well reasoned and logical, but none of them actually quantify it. It would be fascinating to actually take a text and adapt it to the comic book format and then study how both versions perform for comprehension. Sones’ 1944 study that compared students reading a traditional text on Clara Barton and students reading a comic book version that showed improvement in reading comprehension with the comic book readers opens a line of research that has not been followed.

Reluctant Readers Become Volume Readers

“Many writers agree that graphic novels could be that special something that provides interest and that a teenager connects with (Snowball, 2005, p. 43).” Comics are an ideal medium for volume reading. Students have a text that they are highly motivated to read, that is often an accessible reading level with the most picture cue support available; they contain more rare words than even adult books, and frequently have passages at very high reading levels. This gives students an excellent reading “workout” in which they have an excellent chance to understand what they are reading, to read a high rate of new vocabulary words in context, and to have challenging text occur in small passages. “Educationally speaking, graphic novels give the brain more of a workout per sentence than any other type of media, including conventional books(Lyga, 2006, p. 58)” Volume reading, including volume reading of comics, leads not only to improved reading scores, but improvements in all other academic disciplinary areas as well. (Krashen, 2004) “I believe graphic novels represent an excellent opportunity to get students hooked on the written word, which can only be a good thing in the end (Ching, 2005, p. 19).”

New Literacy

“[The] graphic novel continues to grow, both economically and artistically (Cart, 2006, p. 44)” The long list of graphic novels that portray humanity in a touching, intelligent, and academic way continues to grow. Many graphic novels are well researched, contain bibliographies, and stand up to academic rigor. Comic journalism has become a fast growing genre within the format. Biographies and autobiographies continue to show both human and historical issues with surprising clarity. There is something about the format of comics that makes these stories even more poignant that other mediums often seem capable of. “Thematic structure, the use of metaphor, simile, exaggeration, and other literary tools, are not abandoned within a graphic novel, but rather enhanced by the ethical underpinning and multicultural perspective the artist brings to the table (Leckbee, 2005, p. 30).”

Social Issues

Although individual comics have been tackling social issues for decades (Crawford, 2007) this has little effect on the classroom. It simply suggest that comics are capable of such. Of greater interest to education are the increasing number of graphic novels that address social issues, historical events, and modern journalism (Gravett, 2005; Weiner, 2006). These are already seeing some use in a very small number of classrooms (Chun, 2009). “Graphic nonfiction is a unique medium for presenting history and biography in a vivid, immediate way (Sanderson, 2004, p. 14).” The question is if they will find more widespread use, are teachers familiar with them, and are teachers and parents open to their use? A study of teacher knowledge and attitude toward comics and graphic novels would be helpful to see if this is an obstacle that must be surmounted. The industry itself could take this opportunity to sponsor teacher education, such as lecturers at reading conferences, and sell graphic novels to a new market in that fashion.

Using comics as a format for students to address social issues comes strongly recommended. The Comic Book Project has shown repeatedly that inner-city students can produce impressive work that directly addresses today’s social issues. (Bitz, 2003). “My experiences confirm that comics are a powerful way for students to envision the future, understand historical events, explore their own narratives, develop empathy, and learn about images, text, technology, and design (Williams, 2008, p. 18).”

As Tools for the Classroom

Comics may be used in the classroom. Despite the traditional view of their worthlessness, gain should be possible in student achievement by their inclusion in the school library, the classroom shelf, and in the curriculum. Comics are appealing reading to all ages, and will be used by students. Especially if that student is part of demographic that may struggle with reading, including teenagers, boys, or lower-income students. Reading comics will lead to students reading more for pleasure, and reading other, more traditional, texts (Krashen, 2004).

In addition, students who read more because they are reading comics will gain more vocabulary, and increase in vocabulary will lead to increased achievement in every other academic discipline (Marzano, 2001, 2003). Comics can take reluctant readers and turn them into volume readers (Krashen, 2004). There are a large number of graphic novels available now that are usable as texts in the classroom (Christensen, 2006), and the number of new texts that are appropriate is growing each year. It is possible for a student who reads a comic every day to read millions of words by the time they graduate school.

The student will gain a better understanding of the inter-relationship of words and pictures, making the variety of possible texts more accessible. The student will be better prepared for the demands of tomorrow in our increasingly information driven society. They may have improved critical thinking skills such as the ability to inference, have a greater portfolio of texts and perhaps world understandings to make connections to when trying to comprehend while reading, as well as other literary skills.

There is no indication that the student will fail to learn to read traditional texts, or come to some poverty of reading skills (Krashen, 2004). Even in the mass hysteria of the fifties, no one could actually quantify any possible harm comics could cause to reading skills. Although all the benefits are not known or comprehensively measured, there is excellent reason to believe that comics are a viable, useful, and powerful tool for classroom instruction.