Blog Post #1--What's your familiarity with graphic novels? Why/how might graphic novels be useful for the secondary English language arts classroom?
Personally, I've only read one series of graphic novels. The Bone series by Jeff Smith was a popular children's series at the time, and I read them when I was about 12 years old. I know many artistically inclined people have attempted creating on this medium before, but I have not. I'm more of a stick figure enthusiast when it comes to my own drawing. People are fascinated by pictures, and the visual experience lends a lot to a piece of work. There's a reason watching television is more widespread than reading screenplays. If memory of my own childhood serves- children in particular are drawn toward the visual arts with far greater tenacity than the written word. Understanding this, graphics can be an incredibly useful tool when exposing younger audiences to classic written works. This isn't a new concept by any means. I remember seeing a comic book version of the Bible in the church's library as a kid. It's also the medium for the original super hero stories, which obviously have become even more popular in movie form (more advanced graphics may have played a role). Of course the visual elements aren't just for kids. A good piece of cinematography such as the artwork for the game Halo: Reach is universally loved. Honestly, there's no hope for people who can't see the beauty in artwork inspired by space and celestial bodies. Jokes aside- humans are fundamentally visual creatures. Simply reading forces one to imagine a scene with their mind's eye, but such images are typically warped and lacking in detail. When the scene is prepared and set before the observer in a tangible way the immersion into the work is increased- thus raising the capacity for enjoyment. I assume this is why plays were invented, as it allows the audience to be far more immersed in the story. Otherwise, a simple narrator could tell the story, but an enactment feels more real to the viewer. Of course, the first step to creating a immersive universe is the writing. The graphics simply add more to the universe, and allow fans to better visualize characters and events. By including visuals a creator is inevitably making their work more appealing to a wider range of audience.
Personally, I've only read one series of graphic novels. The Bone series by Jeff Smith was a popular children's series at the time, and I read them when I was about 12 years old. I know many artistically inclined people have attempted creating on this medium before, but I have not. I'm more of a stick figure enthusiast when it comes to my own drawing. People are fascinated by pictures, and the visual experience lends a lot to a piece of work. There's a reason watching television is more widespread than reading screenplays. If memory of my own childhood serves- children in particular are drawn toward the visual arts with far greater tenacity than the written word. Understanding this, graphics can be an incredibly useful tool when exposing younger audiences to classic written works. This isn't a new concept by any means. I remember seeing a comic book version of the Bible in the church's library as a kid. It's also the medium for the original super hero stories, which obviously have become even more popular in movie form (more advanced graphics may have played a role). Of course the visual elements aren't just for kids. A good piece of cinematography such as the artwork for the game Halo: Reach is universally loved. Honestly, there's no hope for people who can't see the beauty in artwork inspired by space and celestial bodies. Jokes aside- humans are fundamentally visual creatures. Simply reading forces one to imagine a scene with their mind's eye, but such images are typically warped and lacking in detail. When the scene is prepared and set before the observer in a tangible way the immersion into the work is increased- thus raising the capacity for enjoyment. I assume this is why plays were invented, as it allows the audience to be far more immersed in the story. Otherwise, a simple narrator could tell the story, but an enactment feels more real to the viewer. Of course, the first step to creating a immersive universe is the writing. The graphics simply add more to the universe, and allow fans to better visualize characters and events. By including visuals a creator is inevitably making their work more appealing to a wider range of audience.
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