. . . that we have engaging comics and graphic novels for kids, teens, and adults? From comedic to historical fiction, realistic to manga, you can find comics and graphic novels in your favorite genres. Want to meet others who love comics and graphic novels as much as you do? Come to our very first comic convention MoComCon on January 21, 2017 from 12-4 PM (inclement weather date February 4, 2017) at the Silver Spring Library. There you can meet others who share your passion. Discover new and exciting comics and graphic novels that you’ll enjoy today!
When I think about comics my earliest thoughts are warm childhood memories of reading the Garfield comic strips. There was just something so laughable about that smart aleck cat, his put upon owner, Jon, and his always blissfully happy dog, Odie. And, of course, who didn't love the friendship and adventures of Calvin and Hobbes? And, of course, I grew up with the superhero comics, like Superman and Batman. It wasn't until I came to work at MCPL that I saw how comics, and now graphic novels, had expanded and and grown into an amazing array of genres for kids, teens, and adults. It was so exciting and opened up a whole new way to enjoy stories with words and pictures!
Since history is a subject I'm always intrigued by, I was curious about how comics and graphic novels got started. So I had a look in our History in Context - U.S. resource where I found this great article about this amazing melding of words and pictures. My guess was that comics started out in the newspapers and turns out I was correct. It was in the late nineteenth century when comic strips first started to appear in newspapers. Comic strips in the 1930s started to be put into comic books that focused on cartoon characters and, you guessed it, action, superheroes.
Eventually some comic books started to be marketed with the term graphic novels and the form grew from that. It was the publication in 1986 of the award winning Maus by Art Spiegelman, about his father's captivity and survival during the Holocaust, that really catapulted the genre of graphic novels into mainstream reading. It was the first most widely read graphic novel. Other graphic novels in the 1980s also became well known, like Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Watchman by Allan Moore and Dave Gibbons. As the interest in graphic novels grew, a specific type of Japanese comic art called manga was also included in the graphic novel category.
From there, graphic novels have grown in popularity and into a wide variety of genres such as horror, westerns, science fiction, mysteries, memoirs, and so many more! Some adult books are getting in on the action and now have both a novel format as well as a graphic novel version, This includes one of my favorite series, Game of Thrones! Comic books and graphic novels are gaining in critical buzz and have become an innovative way to tell engaging stories in the perfect blend of the visual and written word for kids, teens, and adults.
So now that you are super excited to start checking out comic books and graphic novels I have to share with you something that has been on my dream list for awhile and is about to become a reality! I have always wanted to attend a ComicCon and now I (and you!) have a chance to come to one at our Silver Spring branch! We are thrilled to be holding our very first comic convention, MoComCon! It'll be a fabulous way to meet others who share your passion and also for those who are new to comic books and graphic novels. The event will include a variety of panels, workshops, programs, displays, exhibits and cosplay — all free of charge. So save the date for January 21 from 12-4 PM (Inclement weather date February 4)!
Eager to find the engaging comic books and graphic novels you've been missing out on? Here are some ways to find the perfect comic book or graphic novel for you:
We invite you to discover new and exciting comics and graphic novels that you’ll enjoy today!
Susan
Labels: Did You Know, January 2017
