Jackson Creek Middle School
Comic Book Appeal
What Makes a Comic Book Appealing?
Also answers the question of why to READ them.
They appeal to more than just kids. In fact, in a 1943 survey, comic book readers
were usually boys under the age of eighteen (Zorbaugh 1944:197). Today, individuals
who read comic books are under and over eighteen. In fact today, comic book readers
are women over thirty, men over fifty, teenagers, young adults, and kids- almost everybody.
Comic books offer readers action, entertainment,
mythological references and recognizable characters, and important themes (Lavin).
Comic books are produced for entertainment. But really, comic books looks at
society, looks at you and me and the world around us and through narration makes us see
our world through the eyes of the characters, the artist, and the writer. Comic books
mirror our world (Faust 1971:195).
Choosing a particular comic book reflects an
individuals interest in a certain type of book. Just as an individual would choose a
particular type of book to read so does the comic book reader choose a particular comic
book based on interest in a particular genre. For instance, if a book reader chooses a
MYSTERY to read, a comic book reader would probably choose a DETECTIVE story or a
SUPER-HERO comic book.
Super- Hero- This genre could also be a sub-genre of action/ adventure comics.
Some of the sub-genres include: Traditional Super Heroes and Heroines,Super Hero
Teams,Teen Heroes, Vigilantes/ Anti Heroes, and others (Nostalgia, Alternative/
Postmodern, Super-Hero Parodies)
Fantasy- Some of the sub-genres include: Sword and Sorcery, Magic and
Mysticism, Fantastic Worlds, Modern Mythology, Anthropomorphic (Talking Animals)
Horror/ Supernatural
Science Fiction
Action/Adventure- Action comics are more likely to be non-super power heroes
Humor- Some of the sub-genres include: Teen Humor, Kid's Cartoon, Satire, Sick
Humor, Other
Manga- Manga is the Japanese word for comic book. The term roughly translates
as picture book, motionless picture entertainment, or random pictures. In the U.S., Manga
refers to Japanese comics that have been translated into English. Amerimanga are comic
books written and drawn by non Japanese in the Japanese style.
Miscellaneous Genres- include: Crime Comics, Real-Life Comics, Historical
Fiction, Literature, Myths, and Legends, Non-Fiction or Educational (Comic books designed
to read a specific audience for educational, training, or publicity purposes).
Let's see how well you can identify the genres of particular comic
books.
Kris McGlaun, Library Media Specialist
Jackson Creek Middle School
Updated: 08-08-03
