Reading list:
-Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
-Bone vol. 1: Out of Boneville by Jeff Smith
-How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by Stan Lee
Materials:
-Pencil
-Eraser
-Drawing paper (11in x 14in or bigger)
-Ruler
-Pen or extra fine tip marker
Comics are an increasingly popular form of storytelling these days. I'm sure your kids have their favorite comic strip to read in the paper. Maybe, like me, they check out comics from the library (it's easy to read them when they're free!), or they request graphic novels for Christmas.
Some popular books even get the comic treatment, bringing the story to new audiences in a different form (for example, James Patterson's children series Maximum Ride is being serialized in graphic novels).
More and more movies are based on comics these days, from Spider-Man to 300 to Batman to Watchmen to the recent release Scott Pilgrim (not endorsing these by the way, just using them as well known examples). Some filmmakers even re-create frames from the original comic--they use it like a storyboard, to plot out scenes. I've heard that a movie is in the works for the Bone series by Jeff Smith.
So, comics. I know a lot of people tend to look down on them, putting "comics" in two categories: what you read in the Sunday paper--something silly and light-hearted, told in three or four frames. And the actual comic books, those serialized stories that come out every month, are considered a waste of time, not worth reading, inappropriate or just plain stupid. Like any art form, comics are not inherently good or bad. It's the artists who use that medium that create either good or bad stories. Yes, there is a lot of dreck out there. I'm in charge of the comics section at my bookstore. and I see the mass amount of garbage and downright disgusting stuff that's out there. But comics can also be used to tell moving, insightful stories, like Maus by Art Spiegelman, which tells his father's story of enduring the horrors of the Holocaust, or Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, which shows what life was like as a child growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. These are award winning tales told in the form of comics (and not stories I would suggest for children). Sometimes the old adage is true--pictures can say so much more than words.
Reading Scott McCloud's classic book is a must for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of comics. It's a graphic novel, and he uses the medium simply yet powerfully to walk the reader through the world of comics. McCloud discusses art history, the meanings of symbols and language, the types of visual representation, different kinds of comics, and more. It's a great introduction and can be a springboard into other subjects, such as modern art, art history, creative writing and storytelling.
(As always, parents, please peruse anything I mention for yourself first before assigning it to your child--I know that different kids have varying levels of maturity. I don't want to get angry e-mails that something I suggested was inappropriate for your children--please review it first.)
After reading Understanding Comics and Bone: Out of Boneville (if your kids like the first volume, there's eight more in the series), take a look at How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. This is a classic book by Stan Lee, the creator of some of the most beloved comic characters, including the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Spider-Man and the Avengers (Iron Man, Hulk, Thor,etc). It will take you step by step through the comic making process. The book gives you a list of more materials you can use; what I've listed cover the basics.
Here's a video that walks you through a simple comic (I suggest sketching out your comic in pencil first then going over it in ink):
This is just a brief introduction to the vast world of comics. I hope that your kids will enjoy learning about this art form, and maybe discover a new passion in the process.
