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11.04.2005

The Small Presser, No. 18: "Hands-On Learning"



Fellow D.C. Conspiracy member and comics columnist Jason Rodriguez got all jazzed up with the announcement that Stephen King will write some comic books for Marvel. He thinks it’ll open comics to a whole new crowd.

Personally, I doubt it, though I’m interested to see how the Marvel/King machine promotes the project.

But it does beg the bigger question: How do you get folks to read comics?

I think we can all agree that the way to get new readers is to get them at an early age, whether that is K-12 or college-age kids. Just like with reading prose, that’s when you’re likely to grab their interest and have them develop an appreciation for it.

Frankly, I think there’s probably little more that we can do to inspire folks to read comics. I mean, there are superhero movies with amazing special effects, several wonderful TV cartoons, TV shows, video games and all sort of cross-promotion stuff. What else is left?

Well, there’s plenty of room, you just gotta know where to look. Aside from being avid comic readers, we should encourage kids to become avid comic-book creators. It’s the whole hands-on learning approach: Once they get into doing something, they’ll appreciate it much more.

I’ve already discussed my visit to art classes at a local elementary school, but there are other ways to reach kids, too. I’ll just brainstorm a little here: My wife teaches at a local high school, so perhaps the D.C. Conspiracy could arrange to have an after-school workshop. Local libraries are also usually up for hosting events and literary workshops, so that’s another option. There are also a number of summer art camps and such around the area so that’s yet another opportunity.

Whatever venue is picked, the important thing is to have the participants get involved in making comics, from writing to drawing to cutting and stitching. If you want more people to develop a lifelong affection for comics, let them see the joys of not only reading comics but in creating them as well.

OK, so now how do you get folks to read your comics? Guerrilla tactics, of course! Think of unconventional ways to promote your books.

I recently read an article that said in Japan you can buy comics in vending machines! And the other day, I bought a box of Cheerios and taped to the front were these mini kids books (see the duck illustration, above). I thought that was a brilliant idea by Simon & Schuster!

Now, I’m not saying that you try to get a junk-food vendor to cram your comics next to the chips and candy bars, or call General Mills or Kellogg’s and try to work out something similar with your books in cereal boxes (if you can, go for it!), but we should all use that promotional idea as a springboard for ways that we could creatively promote ourselves.

Here’s another brainstorming idea: The D.C. area hold an annual film project competition where all participating films are made in 48 hours. The movies are then show at a local theater over the course of three days or so. Now, you know these folks are the creative type to start with, so why not perhaps give away a few of your comics at the showings? Or inquire about renting a table in the lobby? Sounds a bit silly, but, hell, why not?

OK, now it’s your turn to chime in. As usual, I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Dembicki at 3:32 PM  |  link to this     

12 Comments

When I try and get my mini-collection into the local book stores, I see if the owner would be interested in having me come in for a signing or, ideally, a small class about making minicomics. Even if I can't do the class for logistical reasons, I'm always trying to find some way that I can put a lot of minicomics (I always print way too many of the things, so they end up being freebies at signings) into a lot of kids' hands, so that they'll have something to read on the way home and maybe they'll come back to another signing, or even better, visit the Website to sign up for the mailing list or pick up a copy of the latest mini-collection for themselves.

My roommate has also found out that the parents of 10-12 year old kids (what I would consider to be the minimum age for my stories) at his work are more than willing to buy a copy of my book for their kids. If one or two of those kids that like the book say, "Cool, are there any other comics like these out there?", I can easily have my roommate direct them to me so that I can recommend books like Bone, Amelia Rules!, and the like.

I'm also trying to work the Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings -> Bone angle with a few parents I know whose kids (and usually the parents, too) like those types of fantasy stories. Bone's a great gateway book for those folks, IMHO.

One recent "unconventional" venue: My apartment complex had a Halloween party where kids came over to the leasing office's movie theatre (well...more of a screening room) to watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I asked if I could sit outside of the theatre and give out candy and minicomics, and they said sure. I got rid of a bag of Tootsie Rolls, about ten minicomics, and I even made a sale out of it.

meow at 11/04/2005 7:07 PM   

I've heard of some small pressers giving away minicomics for Halloween, which I find risky--you might get your house egged if they don't like the books! But with a captive audience like a Halloween party, that sounds like a pretty cool idea.

When you say local book store, do you mean comic book store or a general book store?

Dembicki at 11/04/2005 8:03 PM   

By local book store I mean both general and comic. I find that, for my book, I get better response from general independent book stores that like to work with Maryland authors. The two independent book stores that carry A Moment of Clarity both cater to Maryland authors, whatever the subject they may be writing about, and they're also very willing to work with the authors to set up signings.

For the signing I'm doing at Greetings and Readings on November 12th, the coordinator of store events told me that there was a regular storytime for kids on Saturday mornings, and that I could schedule my signing to happen right after that storytime to catch any kids that were in the store. The general book stores I've dealt with seem to have more experience with author signings, and like to help me coordinate my signings with in-store events that involve kids.

meow at 11/04/2005 9:36 PM   

Good stuff, John. Thanks for sharing!

Dembicki at 11/04/2005 11:38 PM   

I would try to get mainstream comics into Walmart. It wouldn't really hurt the local shops, because Walmart is unlikely to achieve that level of specialization. And based on my experiences during my childhood, it was the ACCESS to comics that made me a reader not the QUALITY.

Parents can't buy comics for there kids if the kids don't have the opportunity to beg for them.

ARGOTT at 11/05/2005 3:44 AM   

I've seen age-friendly Marvel comics at Target (Spider-man comics specifically written for younger kids). But I do miss the days when I was a kid and walked into Bradlee's and got a load of Charleton Comics for $1, including Doomsday+1 and E-man.

Would retailers howl if Walmarts started selling comics or even graphic novels? Good question. They probably would. But Border's and Barnes & Noble sell graphic novels so I wonder if there would really be anything for shops to worry about. Then again, it is Walmart....

Dembicki at 11/05/2005 6:40 AM   

I'm really surprised more (any?) American publishers aren't trying the Shonen Jump/Shojo Beat-type magazine, with the serialized B&W stories by different American authors, appearing on the newsstand every month, and printed as inexpensively as possible to keep the costs down. Then if one of the stories is popular, assembling those stories into TPB form for further sales. Testing the waters, if you will. (If any publishers are doing this, please let me know!)

meow at 11/05/2005 9:54 PM   

Excelent post Matt!! As an elementary art teacher, our mission is to turn kids onto art while they're young. Those positive memories and experiences will stay with them for life, creating a lifelong involvement and/or appreciation for art.

The same goes with comics, which in my opinion is just as much an artform as anything else. It's strange because for me, things are working sort of backwards where my teaching comic-making lessons to kids has increased my own interest immensely. I can't wait to show some of the middle and highschool age kids some of the stuff I've aquired at SPX. What I love about the independent stuff is that it covers so many styles and a huge variety of subject matter. There's something for everyone. Unfortunately it won't be until next summer. The good news is, last week I asked my supervisor if it was possible to have a different guest artist/comic creator come in once a week (the summer program lasts three weeks). Today I got an e-mail saying that they had plenty of funds necessary and that it wouldn't be a problem. I don't even have to write grants (which really isn't all that hard to do).The kids are going to be psyched when they see a "real" guest comic creator come in to enlighten them. Of course, you do have to be responsible as far as content as a guest artist.

Anyhow, those are some great ideas posted earlier. Freebies can't hurt either, just so you choose your targets wisely. Try a variety of places or scenes. It's tough, competing with all the latest in video games and technological gagetry. Still, I think there's something about being able to hold that book in your hand and leaf through it and carry it around that will always be important to adults and kids alike.

steve at 11/07/2005 12:13 PM   

The guy who runs my local comic shop donates comics to a local school. He's even set up an after school reading program which is geared to help kids who have problems with reading. The fact that kids are RUNNING to a class is a sign of something good.

Spencer Carnage at 11/08/2005 9:59 PM   

Man, that's an excellent idea. I've read an article where recently some Baltimore city schools actually adopted a comic-book based curriculum to boost students' interrest in reading more. It caused some controversy of course, but there are some great, age-appropriate comics and graphic novels out there that can really grab the attention of kids. One of my students brought in "Bone" last year and after I asked him to take a look at it I couldn't put the book down! Hopefully we'll see more of these kinds of things happening with our schools and young people.

steve at 11/09/2005 10:33 AM   

We've got some events on the horizon here in the Sante Fe area (yeah, for those who don't know, we're out in the Southwest but still posting here) that get the local group out into the community.

First off, the local comic group's going to do a workshop for a college prep writing course that's starting off with comics. The group leader runs the neighborhood shop, and so was kind of tipped off when the teacher was buying twenty-some-odd copies of Understanding Comics. Her classroom situation is pretty unique, so it seems that she's working with comics to help level the playing field. We're out there for the next two Mondays, and though I haven't seen the work the students have been doing, my understanding is that we're going to have to work hard to come up with something to teach them. I'm excited to see the stuff they've been doing.

The next weekend, we're out at a teen center. They look to the (local, it's the next town north — out here, that's a half-hour drive) community for some programming. A couple of the local creators ran a program last year that was a rousing success and yielded a mini-comic, so this is kind of the advanced class. I've seen their creativity, and it's an honor to be involved in helping direct it.

Santa Fe's a different scene, but I'm guessing that there's a demand for channeling kids' creativity in every community. With talented and dedicated creators involved, who knows what can happen?

Bram at 11/10/2005 12:36 AM   

that's awesome, bram. perhaps you could write an article for 'the small presser' about your experiences at the teen center, what works, what doesn't, etc.

Dembicki at 11/10/2005 12:01 PM   

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