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Do you have a graphic novel/comic collection in your Library, or would you like to introduce graphic novels to your library?

Are you looking for new ways to promote your graphic novel collection?

Dr Matt Finch and Kings Comics presented "Comics in the Library" offering some great suggestions of activities, events and why graphic novels/comics are valid, fun and indeed, an integral part of your Library collection.

Matt Finch, described in his own words, is an community outreach consultant with expertise in finding and shaping narratives for staff, stakeholders and the wider public. He is also a storyteller and leader of workshops to inspire readers and writers across the ages from four years old to forty. He teaches comic workshops to teens who would like to make their own manga.

His presentation covered a wide range of information pertaining to comics and graphic novels. He actively encouraged Libraries that don’t already keep a collection of graphic novels, to consider this format for inclusion. Here's why:

• Graphic novels, or comics, are a valid form of reading, attracting a different demographic of reader.
• It is a format that can encourage reluctant readers to read something.
• The medium of comics range from the very simple cartoons to sophisticated adult comics, covering a wide range of subjects and themes.
• Comics are often associated with the teenage boy market, but comics are for girls as well. Try Queen and Country by Greg Rucka with various illustrators.
• Comics are different from conventional literacy using both words and images. They have drawings and speech bubbles. You think differently when presented with this format.

The diversity and influence of comics and graphic novels was illustrated by these examples:

Snoopy.

Everyone knows this icon character from the peanuts cartoon. He never speaks, yet manages to convey a wealth of information to readers- the point being that a character doesn’t need words to be literate.

Preparedness 101 Zombie pandemic.

Don’t panic, its not imminent! This was a promotion dreamed up by the US Centre for Disease Control, assist Americans to prepare for real life endemics. It certainly got their attention, with the CDC issuing a statement refuting the existence of zombies.

Comixology.

• Digital comics online. Comics are still easier to read in comic book from , rather that online.
• Little Golden Books have Marvel Little Golden book Favourites, featuring The Mighty Avengers/The invincible Iron man/The Amazing Spiderman.
• Movies inspired by comics, including Judge Dredd, Batman and Tamara Drewe.
• Unusual comics: Bedroom Farce by Alison Bechdel.
• Nick Sousanis is currently undertaking his PhD. written in comic book form.
• Ubby’s Underdogs Australia's first Indigenous graphic novel, by Brenton E McKenna.
• Commando comics
• Guy Delise’s Pyongang, A journey in North Korea is described in this review as an “anticommunist manifesto”. Check out the book trailer.
• Blankets an autobiographical graphic novel / Coming of age memoir by Craig Thompson.
• Pop culture: Angry birds, which uses a comical style of stylized wingless birds, is an immensely popular and addictive game.
• Colleges are using Comics to assist in learning.
• Fresh Comics from Alfriston College
• Comic book month at Auckland Library Service
• Gotham Comics started by Gary Bishop (an ex-librarian), runs workshops, and publish comics.

Matt Finch presented some interesting and effective ideas he has used that could be implemented in the Library at low cost.

Teens are familiar with and enjoy online games. Adapting these to activities in the library may be appealing. This may also offer the participants the opportunity to try activities and new things that they may have a particular talent for, and may not discover any other way, including writing, cartooning, drawing and acting.

• Try adapting Fruit Ninja, by adapting this to be a physical activity.
• Adapt Angry Birds challenge to be a physical version of the game- get participants to act it out. Other games that can be adapted include Farmville, Plague inc, Dragon game- on facebook.
• Try drawing fantasy creatures and showing books on this topic from your Library collection.
• Tangled tales: A game called “cut the rope” can be found on Youtube, (just google it) that you may like to copy.
• A fun activity that was undertaken by particpants in the presentation was Playing Panel Lottery.

Playing Panel Lottery

Three characters, a penguin, a tall person in a stripey shirt, and a short person with a “x “on their chest were presented as cartoon images on the screen. Each person is to draw one cartoon panel (consisting of three panels) from a greater story they have thought up, using the three characters. Groups of 5-6 people then grouped together, and created a story using everyone's cartoon panels. The groups then take turns to present their cartoon stories. A variation on this is blue tacking the images to the wall, and just reading these in any order you like to create your own story. Maybe encouraging people to share their interpretations. This activity is cost effective, as all you need is paper, pencils and your imagination. Aimed at teens, this allows young people who are interested in this medium a way of expressing themselves by creating and interacting. They may discover a talent they didn’t know they had.

Great for Halloween, can be adapted for different themes. Start with a darkened room, with tunnels made from tables, or tubes of some sort, allowing the participants to crawl through tunnels to emerge at different spots in the room where props have been set up. The props can be related to a theme. They may be pictures or objects. At each prop, participants are encouraged to tell stories inspired by the props. At the end, after all props have been discussed, the group are set the task of writing a story.

A Basic Comic Workshop (Based on a Zombie Siege theme, can use other themes).

Setting:

A darkened room with Zombie themed books scattered around. Two librarians dressed up as Zombies. Take the participants into the darkened room, and ‘barricade’ them in. The two librarians pretend to be Zombies trying to get into the room, as there has been a Zombie apocalypse. After this, a writing workshop could be held, with the theme “How to escape a zombie apocalypse”.

Stephen, the Library Liason from Kings comics, came along to the meeting to offer some assistance with the management and promotion of Library graphic novel collections.

Comics, and popular culture are crossing over concepts, with comics being adapted to gaming, movies, and television. A lot of comics are aimed at the male reader, with a 60% male, 40% female audience. The audience age is primarily between 18-40 years. The rise in Sci-Fi, fantasy and horror have affected this, with the creation of comics such as “The walking dead” ( A post apolyptic zombie series, also a television series). this is because more females watch horror movies.

Genres

There are a wide range of genres of comics/graphic novels. Consider which genres would be best for your borrowers. Genres include:

• Superhero
• Horror
• Fantasy/Supernatural
• Historical
• Game related
• Crime
• Sci Fi
• War
• Media related tie ins
• Young Adult
• Post apocalyptic
• Alternate realities
• Cartoon and strips
• Comedy
• Adaptations
• Social Issues
• Autobiographical
• Manga
• Independant

Suggested Comics for younger readers

• The Simpsons
• Sonic
• Young Justice
• Batman Strikes
• Xelda-a video game
• Star Wars
• Digests: smaller books, less pages, a popular example being Archie.

In selecting graphic novels and comics to keep in your collection, look for particular well-known/popular writers and artists.

Examples:

• Alan Moore: The fortyniners, Neonomicon, Promethea. a league of extraordinary gentlemen.
• Robert Kirkman: The walking dead, Super dinosaur, Marvel Zombies, Marvel with Ultimate X-men, Thief of thieves.
• J. Michael Straczynski: Babylon 5, Amazing Spiderman, Rising stars, Dr Manhattan.

Graphic Novels and crossover into other formats.

Reading of graphic novel versions of books can encourage crossover to the original text only version of these books. Stephen King’s Graphic Novel series, include The stand and Dark tower stories. Orson Scott Card ‘s Enders game has also been adapted into graphic novels. other formats that encourage crossover include movies, video games and gaming.

Movies:

Often movies have been made of comic books. Examples include: Comic: Batman, Knightfall- the movie: The dark Knight rises. Watching the movie may encourage the customer to want to read the graphic novel/comic, which may lead to other reading experiences.

Video games/Gaming:

Both graphic novels and games are primarily based on visual storytelling. Both have introduced colourful characters into mainstream. Both have also been accused of being pointless entertainment and harmful influences. They are both successful fixtures in pop culture, and a major influence to both film and television. A customer may be familiar with a video game, which may spark an interest in reading the graphic novel version.

Gaming graphic novels(tie- ins) add to the gaming content and are integral to building the game universe for players. They can be considered a storyboard for the game, an example being Halo.

Held each year on the first Saturday in May. Kings Comics participates in this, giving away free comic books to customers. The major publishers tie in their comic book releases to tie in with movie releases. Kings Comics are happy to work with Libraries, assisting them with the promotion of comic books in the Library, holding workshops or events, and/ or advising them of suitable items to include in a Library collection. An example is a children's cartooning workshop. At the end of the workshop, a competition was run to select the best cartoon. Add to this with children dressing up as favourite cartoon characters and trying to attract media coverage.

A Graphic Novel expo could be held, where Library customers are invited to look at a selection of Graphic novels (brought along by King’s comics), and placing post it notes in the books they would like added to the collection. This showcases graphic novels and lets the customers who want to borrow them, have a say in their selection. This should result in more borrowings of the collection.

• Diamond Comics Great place to find previews, and there is a section designed for Libraries to assist in the set up of a Graphic Novel collection.
• Australian Cartoonists association keep up to date with the latest news.
• Kings comics Contact Kings comics for help in setting up a graphic novel collection in your Library. Check out the latest news in the comic book world, and find new material for your collection.