By David Alexander Robertson
I get this question a lot: “Why graphic novels?”
Here’s a bit of background for you. I write graphic novels for education. The stories I write have concentrated on educating youth about First Nations culture, history, and the impacts of history on contemporary society. That’s undoubtedly some serious stuff. So why do it in the way I’ve done it? Indeed: why graphic novels? Aren’t they cartoony? Aren’t we talking about rudimentary literature here?
The attitudes and beliefs about graphic novels and comic books are changing, but at times it’s still an uphill battle. Historically, the sequential and narrative art format has ebbed and flowed from acceptance to resistance in the field of education. In the 1940s, people were getting pretty stoked about their use. Then, over the 50s and 60s… not so much. The resistance relates, in large part, to the stigma around the form. So, let’s try to dispel some of that right here and now.
Art by Scott Henderson, illustrator of David Alexander Robertson’s 7 Generations series
So, you want to write about an important historical figure like Helen Betty Osborne in graphic novel format. How could that improve educational outcomes, increase retention, increase engagement, etcetera? Studies have shown (bear with me here, I know studies can be boring) that graphic novels are, in fact, an indispensable educational tool in various capacities. Now, I’m not going to go over all these studies with you in the space we have. As Arnold would say: trust me.
But I will summarize for you. In essence, the reason graphic novels work so well lies in their visual nature. Because of the visuals, along with complex narrative structures (in the good ones!), you have an educational tool that is effective and versatile. Why? Well, the images give visual references to pull meaning from the words more effectively.
Case study: The Life of Helen Betty Osborne is my first graphic novel that I’ve seen being used in an elementary school and a university. How does that work? The visuals help less sophisticated readers (and struggling readers) understand the text more effectively, while the complex narrative structures and rich plots engage more sophisticated readers. The less sophisticated readers, in the process of reading graphic novels, grow reading skills and become better readers. It’s amazing stuff.
That’s not all the graphic novel does, of course, and we could talk about how you could help learn evolutionary biology better with a graphic novel, but let’s get down to brass tacks. Let’s look back at my example: Helen Betty Osborne’s story in a graphic novel. Why do that? Graphic novels, because of their visual nature, help readers engage with the subject more effectively. They provide breadth and depth to the words, and context to the important historical items. In using the graphic novel, readers become more immersed in the world. It becomes more real to them. They can smell, touch, taste, hear, and, of course, see it. Readers take those still images and animate them, bring them to life, get them excited.
And it doesn’t matter if those readers are eight or twenty-eight. You can’t do that with any other form of literature. So “why graphic novels?” you ask. I have a question for you: why not?
Why Not Graphic Novels?
Articles
By David Alexander Robertson
I get this question a lot: “Why graphic novels?”
Here’s a bit of background for you. I write graphic novels for education. The stories I write have concentrated on educating youth about First Nations culture, history, and the impacts of history on contemporary society. That’s undoubtedly some serious stuff. So why do it in the way I’ve done it? Indeed: why graphic novels? Aren’t they cartoony? Aren’t we talking about rudimentary literature here?
The attitudes and beliefs about graphic novels and comic books are changing, but at times it’s still an uphill battle. Historically, the sequential and narrative art format has ebbed and flowed from acceptance to resistance in the field of education. In the 1940s, people were getting pretty stoked about their use. Then, over the 50s and 60s… not so much. The resistance relates, in large part, to the stigma around the form. So, let’s try to dispel some of that right here and now.
Art by Scott Henderson, illustrator of David Alexander Robertson’s 7 Generations series
So, you want to write about an important historical figure like Helen Betty Osborne in graphic novel format. How could that improve educational outcomes, increase retention, increase engagement, etcetera? Studies have shown (bear with me here, I know studies can be boring) that graphic novels are, in fact, an indispensable educational tool in various capacities. Now, I’m not going to go over all these studies with you in the space we have. As Arnold would say: trust me.
But I will summarize for you. In essence, the reason graphic novels work so well lies in their visual nature. Because of the visuals, along with complex narrative structures (in the good ones!), you have an educational tool that is effective and versatile. Why? Well, the images give visual references to pull meaning from the words more effectively.
Case study: The Life of Helen Betty Osborne is my first graphic novel that I’ve seen being used in an elementary school and a university. How does that work? The visuals help less sophisticated readers (and struggling readers) understand the text more effectively, while the complex narrative structures and rich plots engage more sophisticated readers. The less sophisticated readers, in the process of reading graphic novels, grow reading skills and become better readers. It’s amazing stuff.
That’s not all the graphic novel does, of course, and we could talk about how you could help learn evolutionary biology better with a graphic novel, but let’s get down to brass tacks. Let’s look back at my example: Helen Betty Osborne’s story in a graphic novel. Why do that? Graphic novels, because of their visual nature, help readers engage with the subject more effectively. They provide breadth and depth to the words, and context to the important historical items. In using the graphic novel, readers become more immersed in the world. It becomes more real to them. They can smell, touch, taste, hear, and, of course, see it. Readers take those still images and animate them, bring them to life, get them excited.
And it doesn’t matter if those readers are eight or twenty-eight. You can’t do that with any other form of literature. So “why graphic novels?” you ask. I have a question for you: why not?