Mang-huh?
Comics in your
library
A presentation by
Cathy Kyle
Youth Services Librarian
Parma Public Library
Supporting a Mutant-based Curriculum
From the comic Unshelved: http://www.overduemedia.com/
COMIC BOOK/COMIC
• term used to refer to any sort of literature
that combines story and art.
• Examples: Charlie Brown & Calvin & Hobbs
GRAPHIC NOVEL
• comic book longer in format than the
usual “pamphlet,” and typically contains
a complete story unto itself.
• Examples are: Bone or Fashion Kitty
Japanese Comics
• ANIME is the Japanese contraction and
pronunciation of the English word
animation. Many times people mistakenly
think that the comics are anime, however
comics are..
• MANGA - the closest translation is Graphic
novel though they are not at all like novels
in the Western sense, nor are they
comparable to Western comic books.
Manga cover a wide range of topics, from
fantasy & adventure, to sports & cooking.
SHOUJO
• the Japanese word for girl. This also
defines the titles that are specifically
created for young girls. These works often
have very complex stories and character
interaction.
• Examples: Yotsuba and Fruits Basket
SHOUNEN
• the Japanese word for boy. This defines
titles that are created with young boys in
mind and are filled with lots of action,
adventure, and giant robots.
• Examples: Naruto and Dragon Ball
Naruto
• Demon leaves trail of destruction
throughout a Hidden Leaf Village
• Leader of the Hidden Leaf Village
sacrifices himself and seals the demon in
a baby (Naruto)
• Naruto grows up, an orphan, an outcast
and a very obnoxious child
• Naruto goes to Ninja Academy and saves
his sensei from being killed
Naruto “Hidden Villages”
Or, what are those things their wearing?
In the Naruto anime series, they are several Hidden Villages. Each
Hidden Village is apart of a country, where each leader or Head ninja
stands matched against ruling landlords of each country.
• Hidden Leaf Village
Head Ninja: Hokage
• Hidden Mist Village
Head Ninja: Mizukage
• Hidden Rock Village
Head Ninja: Tsuchikage
• Hidden Cloud Village
Head Ninja: Raikage
• Hidden Sand Village
Head Ninja: Kazekage
Typical Age Ratings for Manga
• ALL
Generally acceptable for children. No Nudity. Possible mild
violence.
• 12+, 13+
May contain violence, brief nudity, and/or mild language. May
suggest sexual situations, but no situations are shown. Parental
discretion advised.
• 15+,16+,17+
Strong violence and strong language. Prevalent Nudity may be
contained within the picture. Mild sexual situations may be
shown.
• 18+
Extreme violence, Explicit Nudity, and/or Extreme Language may
be contained in the picture. May contain sexually explicit
material. Absolutely not for anyone under 18 years of age.
Some differences between
“American” & “Japanese” comics
• Manga is written “backwards” to
what we are accustomed to. That
means that you start from the
back of the book and work your
way to the front. You also need to
read from the right to the left
• once you have taken the time to
read a few of them with your
aspirin in hand, you’ll begin to get
more comfortable with the format.
•
By encouraging them to read
differently than they are
accustomed to, they are gaining
more than just reading skills. They
are also learning to think in a new
way.
Imagine you’re watching a movie
According to Amy Kim Ganter, author of Sorcerers and
Secretaries
Reading Manga is like watching a movie. When there is
lots of action and confusion or something , the picture
is big and zoomed out so that you can see everything.
When something minor or an emotion is being
expressed, the picture is small and zoomed in.
Whenever the love interest is shown, the picture is big
and airy so that you can see his whole face and you
know that this guy is important to the main character.
from Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki
http://eprentice.sdsu.edu/F034/rvasquez/teacher_wip.html
Maybe we’re not so different
after all?
But what about the biggest
difference…
And the BIGGEST difference is...
Content!
The Japanese view of
the world can
sometimes be very
different from the
American view
The biggies: NUDITY
and VIOLENCE
Sushi anyone?
We can use this as a
wonderful opportunity
for educating our
students by exploring
Japanese culture such
as learning more about
their language and
customs
Children’s Publishing
Publishers are beginning to realize that
comics aren’t just for teens and adults
anymore
Comics are being adapted for children
and some companies are making comics
just for kids
Bambi’s a what?
Movies and novels are
now being made into
comic books
specifically aimed at
children
They can even be educational!
Kids can learn
phonics, about
history or about
famous people and
have fun doing it
Can’t forget those Classics!
Spiderman,
Superman and
Batman are as
popular as ever!
Now publishers are
making comic books
just for kids,
especially targeting
new readers with
easy to read comics
Easy Ways to keep informed
• Check out public libraries, bookstores &
comic book stores and talk to the staff or
librarians
• Talk to your students!
• keep an eye on the age ratings printed on
the backs of the books, and use your
judgement
More time consuming ways
• Make a connection with the local public
librarian and share ideas
• Check out websites. You can start here:
http://gnforlibrarians.wordpress.com/
http://www.spurl.net/discover/user/gnforlibrarians/
• Finally, we need to take an active role and
(gasp!) read as many of these as we can
And remember, if we make kids
think comics are bad...
They’ll want to read them even
more!