Post 5 - The Odyssey, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Annnotating and Interacting with Text
In all the overwhelming stuff in the world right now, I REALLY appreciate you reading my blog and hopefully sharing it with others who might benefit from my educational and nerdy rantings. This week, I will share a favorite comic cover from my collection, some more graphic adaptations, and a note-taking/annotation activity I do in my classroom. I am feeling completely overwhelmed by everything on my plate right now, personally and professionally, so I need to focus on one thing. This blog writing helps me to get my thoughts together and I am going to focus on completing my second book before the end of the summer. This second book collects my literacy across the curriculum ideas – specific and tested ways to teach analytical reading and writing across the curriculum (of course, with some pop culture lessons as well). I am also preparing to give a guest lecture at a university next week on the power of pop culture to teach about cultural humility, working on some teacher guides for some AMAZING graphic novels that will be published soon ,and trying to revamp some of my classroom materials as I prepare to take on a student teacher this year. I have also been asked to do some professional development for school districts and professional organizations. We have also adopted two more kittens (Daisy and Rudy), so there is just chaos everywhere, LOL. Anyway – let’s get into it.
First – today is the 6th anniversary of the passing of Congressman John Lewis, my favorite superhero. The March and Run graphic novels have been the most impactful teaching materials I have ever used. I am so glad that his powerful legacy continues to live on in our classrooms. Here is an article I wrote for PBS about him – https://www.pbs.org/education/blogs/voices-in-education/post/ . I wrote about ways I have used these books in my own book, Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels, as well.
Note-taking and annotations.
I have taught course work at the University of Pennsylvania through their graduate level Penn Literacy program to educators K-12 and across the curriculum. I firmly believe that we are all teachers of reading and writing – EVERY classroom, EVERY grade level, and pre-K THROUGH graduate school. We all know about the studies that showcase students not reading on grade level by third grade will likely never catch up as educational lessons begin to focus more on reading to learn than learning to read. It always has to be both. So many of my high school students struggle, in lower level classes, AP, gifted, etc. – with analytical reading and writing. There is often an assumption at higher levels of education that students know how to read. Students get assessment questions wrong because they don’t understand the vocabulary. They take notes from the textbook, but often don’t understand their notes. Many have never been taught HOW to read a textbook, HOW to study, HOW to interact with text (pictures, videos, comics, etc.). This also includes my adult college students. I will be writing A LOT about this in my second book, but here is a peek at what I do in my AP World History class. This is how I teach students to interact with their textbook the first week of school. There really is no way to use AI as a shortcut here. The students are thankful, and impressed (and sadly surprised) that I do the work that I expect them to do.
Over the summer, the students read a chapter of the textbook on their own and take hand-written notes (the brain research tells us this makes more meaningful and long-last connections – NOT typing). I then give a SHORT ANSWER open notes quiz – students often reflect (complain LOL) that they have to actually understand the material in my class to do well on assessments – not just memorize factoids. We then get together and discuss annotations, note-taking, etc. as they self-assess their notes and quizzes. I then share how I take my notes and my advice to them – (as I say to my students – please forgive any errors in my notes as this is largely flow of consciousness thinking and I would never expect their notes to be “perfect.”) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OmO3I_PhxXq1rMqWH7Z-CfY4QqXLRtgr/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106404336286912298554&rtpof=true&sd=true
I also share my own hand-written notes with them and how I annotate my copy of the textbook. We discuss that note-taking should be done three times – it’s not just about finishing the reading task. It’s going back into and understanding what we write, asking good questions, bringing connections to class, being an independent thinker, etc. We also do a visual comparison of annotations later – the idea that we all annotate differently and that’s ok as it has to work for the individual. Of course, this is for an advanced placement course, but I also specifically teach the “lower” level courses in much the same way – I’ll write more about that in my next blog.
OK – comics!
Whenever a popular movie, anime, TV show, etc. comes out and there are books to connect to… it’s a no-brainer! Liked the movie? Read the book. These graphic novel adaptations of the Odyssey will be displayed in my classroom on the first day of school as I know there are many students who will have seen the movie. It’s not “only” the interest, but adaptations are a wonderful and engaging way to how text to text to text to …. Connections between one another. Common Core focuses on this skill many times, as it should. Choose a favorite or vital part of the story – how was it portrayed differently in the prose, movie, comic, etc.? Which one told it the best? Why? How have the stories changed over time? What medium (movie, prose, comic, etc.) made the most impact Why? These skills are vital in the humanities classroom and in life – really showing critical thinking. And the best part? Text to text comparisons show that sources can mean different things to different people. This is such a great gift for our young people – that their interpretation matters. I always love when students have me look at a text, image, etc. in a way I hadn’t before. They often think this means that they are wrong because they didn’t agree with the teacher. But then I ask them to explain their thinking and, more times than not, they convince me. We can have different takes from the same source material BUT – and this is important – what is the evidence? How can you back up your interpretation? I LOVE these moments in the classroom. Then I can have students rewrite their own interpretation of a particular scene/part of the book. Or they can add in one that they think is missing. They can create an aside for a different character. They can do this in prose, poetry, or (my favorite) in a comic. This is what truly shows students understand the material – not just reciting back what they think the teacher wants to hear. I am NEVER afraid to say to students that I don’t know something, that I was proven wrong, etc. We are there to learn from one another, not just them from me.
As for the Odyssey – I haven’t seen the new film yet. I never go opening week – I really don’t like crowds. But – there are already fantastic adaptations that I will have in my mind when I do see the movie. My highest recommendation goes to the adaptation by Gareth Hinds (Hell, I recommend anything this super talented artist/author does!). Candlewick Press. ISBN 9781536254525. This new deluxe addition is visually stunning and true to the original prose. Hinds also created a stunning adaptation of the Iliad (ISBN 9780763696634 also from Candlewick Press). Put the Iliad next to the Odyssey – get the students interested in reading while the topic is hot. This can also be a powerful draw in the library as well.
Other adaptations - The Odyssey by Roy Thomas and Greg Tocchini, Marvel Comics, ISBN 9780785119081, The Odyssey by Agrimbau and Smilton, ISBN 9781496555830, The Odyssey by Russell Punter and Fabiano Fiorin ISBN 9781801310284
I am also LOVING the Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre Presents…. comics from IDW. Godzilla is implanted into so many of our canonical stories – Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet and so many more. Take a look at the different covers for the Odyssey comic – comparing them alone will be an awesome conversation in the classroom. (What characters are on the cover? Who is missing? How would YOU depict…..). Comic covers so very often are what bring the reader into the story – they just drag you in. (IF YOU LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG, I WILL MAIL A COPY OF MY BOOK AND ONE OF THESE COMICS TO A RANDOM COMMENTER – JUST HAVE TO BE IN THE US AND AN EDUCATOR/LIBRARIAN). Seriously – why not put Godzilla into the story? How would this giant monster change the story? How would he fit into the story? Have students predict before reading the comic and then see how close they were to the reimagined story. Then – have them create their own zany reimagining of a story you are reading in class. These comics do follow the original stories closely… with certain obvious differences. LOL. These comics can be found at your local comics shop or eBay….
Now – on to Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (the comic the movie is mostly based on). This is one of those comics everyone just has to read. Again – many of your students will have watched the movie this summer – displaying the comic will inspire them to read the book. Tom King is one of my all-time favorite writers and his wit and creativity come through in this book. King showcases that comics are indeed literature and deserve a place in every classroom and library. Once again, have students discuss the differences between the movie and the comic. This doesn’t have to be a class assignment – often, it’s that one student will borrow the book and stay after to talk to me about it. For too many students, comics are just not seen in the classroom and this gives them the perfect opportunity to discuss a medium they love with a trusted teacher. Funnily enough, parents are often brought into the conversation as well! The high-level vocabulary and meaningful prose will impress even the most anti-comic academic. Pair that with the stunning artwork by Bilquis Evely and Matheus Lopes and you have a mind-blowing story. This is one of my all-time favorite comics. (BTW - I LOVED the movie! Don’t listen to the naysayers - my kids and I thought it was awesome!)
Ok – so what’s the connection between Supergirl and Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed? In the Supergirl movie, the bad guys are child traffickers – not true in the comic. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman actually does have to fight back against child traffickers and so much more. In Laurie’s typical honest and hard-punching look at the world, we see real-life issues in the story. A true hero doesn’t just fight the big green aliens, they also have to deal with real life. Tom King and Laurie Halse Anderson do this so very well in their prose and comics – they make our heroes accessible, human, and that much more inspiring. Leila Del Duca is the artist for the Wonder Woman comic (ISBN 9781401286453) and her work will bring your emotions out and involve the reader in ways not possible with only prose. I will let my daugther’s review of Laurie’s book speak for me in the images below. (BTW - if you haven’t read the graphic novel adaptation of Laurie’s Speak, you have to! Here is the teacher guide my wife and I wrote - really showcases teh power of comics in education. https://static.macmillan.com/static/macmillan/2020-online-resources/downloads/speak-graphic-novel-common-core-guide.pdf)
I’ll have to do a deeper dive on both of these books in the near future – but this blog is already growing out of control! There’s just so many books to discuss!
Lastly – a favorite comic cover from my collection. This is Batman #44 and the cover is drawn by Mikel Janin. There is just so much going on here! I Think most people know that (spoiler alert) Batman is Bruce Wayne. Bruce has so many internal struggles – some the same as his alter-ego and some different. This cover shows so much of this – the mirror is an obvious way to see this struggle. But the artwork goes much deeper than this surface level meaning – look at Brice Wayne’s clenched fists – we don’t see Batman’s fists, so it’s impossible to tell if they are the same. Are they the same? Different? Why or why not? Then look at the posture – Bruce Wayne is looking down, not at Batman, However, Batman is staring right at Bruce and even seems to have a smirk on his face. What does this all mean? What is the psychology of it all? What will we be reading about? Wow – so much in “just” one image. This is the beauty of comics – my comic book readers are often my most skilled students at picking apart political cartoons, etc. – same skills.
Alright – that’s enough for one post. I’d love to get some comments on the blog. Let me know what you think, what you want me to write about. As of the posting of this, I have 30 subscribers and I thank you so very much! I have been posting less to social media – I’d rather have a smaller community here than the faceless expanse of social media in four images and short videos. Perhaps I Can go back to interviewing folx again – artists, authors, educators, librarians, and putting them in the blog as well. Tom King? Laurie? You game?
On the list for next blog – SDCC, Eisner Awards, Brue Springsteen, Music in the classroom, and Infinity Gauntlet and high-level vocabulary in comics…
If you want me at an event, to give a presentation, speech or professional development, my email is historycomicsguy@gmail.com. My website is teachingwithcomics.com
Loss… and Victory
It’s been an emotional roller-coaster the past two weeks – but then aren’t most, if not all, of our weeks like this? I lost a good friend and colleague, Lisa, who was just two years away from retiring. She passed in her sleep, and I still can’t process not seeing her after over 19 years. She was the kind of teacher I admire – she absolutely suffered no fools and told everyone – colleagues, admin, students, parents – exactly what was on her mind. She was a matriarch to so many of our students, even helping form our first Black Student Union. I pass by the spots where we would chat, and I just miss her so much. A good reminder to never take a day for granted to and say what is on our minds. The students have held such heartfelt events for her and her passing has let a huge hole in their world – a true testament to a dedicated teacher who led with her heart. He passing also makes me reflect upon my own 25 years in education and my legacy that I will leave behind. We came into work on Monday and saw each other for the first time after her passing on the weekend. As colleagues, we were there for each other as we hugged and cried… then we just went to our first session classes and did our best. Teaching can be so hard that way – we have all experienced emotional circumstances and just went into our classrooms and taught. It’s what we do. I was honest with my students and asked for their patience as I got through the day and they were there for me. It’s so important to be human in the classroom.
While on the topic of loss – social media is where we tend to share our successes and we all know the dangers of making comparisons to others. Often, we don’t see the struggles and failures on social media and I can be guilty of that as well. It sounds a bit ridiculous after losing a friend, but I also lost in other ways this week. I spent a lot of time putting together multiple panel proposals for NCTE (National Council for the Teachers of English) Conference in Philadelphia this November. I worked with several publishers, artists, and artists to put these panels together – using graphic novels to teach about overcoming struggles, using graphic biographies to tell your own story, a panel of teacher authors as we would speak to the process of becoming an author and combining ELA and social studies in a humanities approach…. And more. I was so excited for these panels to come to fruition, especially as Philly is my town! (Go Flyers!). Putting panel proposals is a time intensive process… and then we wait months to see if they are approved or not. I was very disappointed to find that they were all denied and I will never know why. It’s so hard to guess what the reviewers are looking for. BUT – one of my proposals did get accepted – it is a panel with my wife and I! It’s titled – The Super Power of Comics and Pop Culture to Create Empathetic Analytical Readers and Writers Across the Curriculum. I am so stoked to present with my amazing wife – she usually stays behind the scenes. This is based on much of the work we do – including a graduate course we taught together at the University of Pennsylvania! So – I’ll keep plugging away at conference proposals as sometimes they get accepted and sometimes they don’t – but it’s important that we keep trying to share our voice! (Fingers crossed that my proposal for this summer’s Phila Fan Expo convention gets approved….) If you will be at NCTE – let me know!
Another loss this week – I was nominated for two alumni awards from Arcadia University this weekend. One was for the Distinguished Achievement Award and the other was the Civic and Global Impact Award. I lost both – I’m not bitter as the winners are amazing alumni making huge contributions to the world. But it still stings. Spending months waiting for the awards ceremony. Getting a caregiver to come over as my father-in-law lives with us and needs assistance, getting dressed up, and headed to the ceremony with my wife. Then sitting there through two awards and not getting either. BUT – I did get to see an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. My wife and I had a date. I ran into a former student, and we got to catch up. But then I had to come home and see my kids. We all decided to go out and have a “great job for trying” toast over pizza as I always encourage my own kids to share their voices. To steer their own journey. I do the same for my students. This was the same thing we did after we lost the Eisner Award at San Diego Comic Con as I was nominated. Again – my family was there to comfort me and to remind me of the importance of trying. I allow myself to wallow for a day or two and then get back at it. Often, throwing myself into a new project helps get me back in the game – this blog post is doing that for me tonight.
I also want to mention, as Mr. Rogers did, about the importance of looking for the helpers. At Arcadia, Margo is the Associate Director of Young Alumni and Student Engagement. She and I met each other through Instagram as I interacted with one of her posts. Let me tell you – she is an absolute force of nature! I soon found myself signing up to be a student mentor, I gave a guest lecture to students, she came out to visit my classroom, and so much more. I had not been involved with my alma mater since I left – but she welcomed me back with open arms. At the alumni awards ceremony, she gave me a beautifully wrapped box and had me open it in front of her. In it, was the most awesome classroom decoration I now have – a Hulk hand with the words “You got this.” – this simple phrase sums up so much up what I do and who Margo is a person. I could think of no better award for the night and I can’t wait to put it on my classroom door tomorrow for all of my kids to fist bump! I will see this hand each day and will be reminded of the positive awesomeness that is in the world. (as a side note – I also HIGHLY suggest have a good news binder – print out those kind emails, hold onto student notes, memories, etc. – these binders are the true source of my superpowers. Whenever I have a bad day (and I had a DOOZY with a student on Friday, I turn to this book to force myself to remember the good I do in the world. I’ll do a whole post about this another time.
Also, an article I wrote for the NEA, on SEL and comics in the classroom seemed appropriate for this post - https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/truth-about-sel-it-works
On the topic of helpers – don’t forget that April 28th is National Superhero Day! I have my students reflect on someone in their lives who have a positive impact. We then spent time writing a letter, email, even a poem to send to that person as we practice gratitude. I also put out art supplies so they can draw the person as a hero. I have them explain why they chose that person to be a hero. These are 10th grade students.
Saturday, May 2nd is Free Comic Book Day!!!!!! This happens on the first Saturday in May EVERY YEAR! Now – not everything in the comic bookstore is free – but they will have out titles for each age level – all for free! Often, they also have people in costumes, raffles, and more. It is such a great day for literacy, and I have been taking my kids for their entire lives. It’s also a great way to get some free comics for your classroom.
I always want to share a lesson of some sort in my blogs as well – but this post has been so long! I’ll share this link - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-3VPKwq6CIWUZXgf1rHYJB3Ax_cuPuku/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106404336286912298554&rtpof=true&sd=true - it is the way I open my Cold War unit. Students listen to several songs that I listened to in the 80s (when I was their age!) and they analyze the songs for how they reflected the fears/concerns of the Cold War. We do this after blasting Crazy Train (I often have teachers come in and ask me to turn it down LOL). They then share a song with me – something they listen to today that reflects concerns of their generation. It is such a powerful lesson as music is so important. We then create a class playlist from the songs. I also share pictures of me from the time period – sorry, I won’t embarrass myself by posting them here LOL). BUT – it reminds the students that we are all human and have a lot of things in common across the decades.
If you’ve read this far, give me a comment in the comment section and I’ll pick someone to receive a signed copy of my book and a favorite of mine – Even Superheroes Have Bad Days – I share this message with students all the time. Seems very fitting for this post! I’ll share some images of this book and others I read this week in the collection below. Thanks!
Please get in touch if I can help - historycomicsguy@gmail.com
Blog Post #2 - Genocide and Comics
See comments section at the bottom of this blog for a free book give-away. All you have to do is comment for a chance to win.
Hi there and welcome to my second blog post. I am a high school social studies teacher of over 25 years and know the power of teaching through a humanities lens of analytical reading and writing. I share a lot of my lessons in my Eisner nominated book, Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels – available through online booksellers and Routledge’s website -https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-with-Comics-and-Graphic-Novels-Fun-and-Engaging-Strategies-to-Improve-Close-Reading-and-Critical-Thinking-in-Every-Classroom/Smyth/p/book/9780367520373
You can reach me by email - historycomicsguy@gmail.com or on social media - @historycomics. I am also on Facebook - my page is Teaching with Comics. Please share my website and this blog with friends and colleagues. I am available for consulting work, inservices, presentations etc.
I am still trying out this blogging part of my site, so thank you for being here! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. I am also going to be doing book give-aways in the near future as well.
This week, I am sharing my lesson on genocides where students individually research a genocide and then share with one another. Our ELA teachers do a phenomenal job teaching Elie Wiesel’s Night in classes the year prior to me having these students in my 10th grade World History course. In our WWII unit, we revisit the Holocaust and reconnect to what students previously learned. Following the Holocaust lessons, we then use this base to explore genocides throughout history and today. The intent is for students to learn about patterns, similarities, differences, etc. and decide what can and must be done in our time. I wrote about these lessons in my Eisner nominated book, Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels, but will share much of our classroom resources and activities here as well. I do not take this content lightly and I see this as perhaps the most important project of the year and hope that students walk away with enduring understandings that will shape them as involved global citizens. I take care to have conversations with students, to answer questions, and to have built a communal and respectful classroom community over the course of the year leading up to this fourth marking period project. I have created a Google Slides presentation with my resources and lessons here - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bQy19f11V6FHRQY07SOa_x3bv3DvIPGL/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106404336286912298554&rtpof=true&sd=true – you can download my directions, worksheets, and resources.
The first year I did this project, I had students from small groups and research a genocide together. They then presented to the class and students took notes during the presentations. This year, I decided to have students individually research a genocide and then, instead of presenting to the entire class, they will have a conversation with another student and learn from one another. I found that the whole class presentations were too formal and did not foster conversation. When students teach to one other person, it is much more personal and allows me to go around the room and really interact with each small group. It also prevents students from being overwhelmed, having to learn about many genocides over the course of several days. By the end of the project, students will have an in-depth knowledge of four genocides – enough that we can being to see an overall picture and to make some decisions as a group.
I am very proud of my students and have been impressed with their empathy and historical analysis skills. At the end of the project, students will then hand-write a formal essay, with citations, evaluating their genocide. They will also submit a formal typed MLA-style annotated works cited page. We spent time this year learning about how to evaluate sources for credibility – a vital skill.
BUT WHAT ABOUT AI? I get this question a lot when I give presentations and inservices. We do have ClassPolicy – an app on teacher computers that allow us to see what students are doing on their computers during class time. Each day, students have to submit a summary of what they did during class and I am continually talking to them throughout the class period. Everything is done in class. When they present, they absolutely have to know what they are talking about and fully understand their content and process. When they handwrite their essay, I already have their notes and they also know that I will check their cited sources.
Questions or comments? Feel free to post them here. I didn’t want to write too much, but I hope I did a decent job of explaining what we are doing in class.
Graphic Novels and comics I read this week and recommend. Pictures of the books and sample pages can been seen in the gallery below.
Rex Rocket by John Gallagher – author of the Max Meow series. This is a middle grade series. The first will come out in summer 2026. Zany and hysterical fun. Visual story-telling taking full advantage of the comics medium. Great lessons about team work and has a lot of astronomy/space science sprinkled throughout. Each chapter ends with a cliff-hanger and encourages young readers to predict and think ahead. As we are in the midst of the exciting Artemis program, this series will be perfect to engage students about current events.
Inbetweens by Faith Erin Hicks. This story hit me directly in the feels! A beautiful message of taking it easy in yourself and finding your way. A story about twins attending a summer arts/animation program and struggling to find their way. “You’ll find where your art belongs.” – this is the perfect quote that sums up so much of the story. One of my own kids has been on a self-taught journey of art and animation and so this resonated deeply with me.
Mrs. Orwell by Andrea Chalupa and Brahm Revel– high school level – I learned so much when reading this book! Tells the fascinating story of Eileen Blair (George Orwell’s wife and partner). I did not know about their involvement in the Spanish Civil War and the impact of Stalin… really makes sense when reading his books. It is so powerful when ELA and social studies teachers can teach together in a true humanities fashion and this book would be an excellent way to do so.
Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian – 8th grade and up (some cursing, violence). This is the author’s true story of finding out about the experiences of her family in the Armenian Genocide. Powerful and emotionally involves the reader. This makes an inhuman history very human and was put into my classroom library for the genocide project.
My Journey to Japan: Escape to Yokia Mountain by Matthew Loux. This is a middle grade reading level – but I can see it being used in elementary through university classes. When I was reading it on my lunch in the school library, the Japanese teacher excitedly interrupted me to talk about how her students are learning about these same topics and will be visiting some of the same places this summer. The story is fun and engaging, with so much insight into Japanese culture, geography, technology, etc. I even put together a quick teacher guide for it.
My Journey to Japan: Escape to Yokai Mountain by Matthew Loux
Excellent resource for many levels –
Elementary through University social studies/History and ELA classes – an introduction to Japanese culture, religion, geography, technology, etc. A way to discuss the importance of folklore as students can then research/explore folklore/mythology from other cultures. They could also describe folklore from their own culture.
Japanese language class – comics add built-in scaffolding to help support readers, especially when learning new words. Students could also be assigned a page/panel to reword in Japanese – the teacher can photocopy a page after having taken the English words out of the dialogue balloons. (This can also be done on the computer in PowerPoint, etc.)
Draw your own map of Japan or an area of Japan (or use pictures) and describe it using Japanese.
Copy a map of Japan and have students track where the characters are going through the story. Students could use pins or markers on a paper map, or circle/draw arrows on a digital map.–
Create a comic about an imagined trip to Japan. What places would students most want to visit?
Create a comic for a Japanese student coming to visit your country, local area, or even school. Label all the things you’d think they need know in Japanese and English.
Research Kappa – Japanese water imps. Create a comic about them. You can also research more about Japanese Yōkai and create a presentation/comic to explain to the class. What are some magical creatures that are a part of your culture?
Conduct research on castles in Japan – compare to castle building in other countries. (An awesome source on European castles is Castle by David Macaulay and there is a video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGbPShUpjpg). Compare European knights to Japanese samurai, chivalry to bushido.
Draw an illustration of American teen culture to a visiting student from Japan.
Draw an illustration of traditional American culture for a curious Japanese student.
Draw an illustration of a popular festival celebrated in your country after learning about the Gion Matsuri.
Create a comic about an average day in your American life for a curious person in Japan.
Food – students can make the Japanese food mentioned throughout the book.
What elements of Japanese culture do you recognize in your own life? Manga, anime, J-Pop, video games, etc.
I am currently reading Hip-Hop and Comics, edited by Sheena C. Howard, Justing D. Burton, and Brea M. Heidelberg. These two worlds have always belonged together and I am so glad to see more and more being written on this connection. This collection of essays has proven insightful and could be an entire college course! I put a picture of some other Hip-Hip resources in the picture collage.
First Blog Post! Romeo and Juliet in comics...
Hello and welcome!
I really loved my time on Twitter and met so many amazing people in the comics, pop culture, and education space. Now, we have to post to so many other social media apps and it just seems like we don’t have the same connectivity. I am on Bluesky, Facebook, Threads, Instagram, (you can find me @historycomics or Teaching with Comics on Facebook) and more…. I thought I’d give blogging a try. I’ll post weekly here - comics and graphic novel reviews/suggestions, successful lessons from my classroom - I just don’t want to go down the Teachers Pay Teachers nightmare. That being said, I will set up a SMALL payment structure at some point in the future… comics are EXPENSIVE! LOL. My email is historycomicsguy@gmail.com if you ever want to get into touch, bring me out for an inservice, guest lecture, Keynote, etc. I have presented at many comic conventions, libraries, school districts, museums, education and tech conferences, guest lectured at universities… it’s been an amazing journey.
My first book, Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels, published by Routledge, is Eisner nominated and available in all the usual places. I’d be honored if you’d purchase a copy and maybe even leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon. This book is a life-long work that shares many ideas I have successfully implemented in my own classroom - focusing on using comics and pop culture to create empathetic analytical readers and writers across the curriculum.
Now - for my first post - I went to the comic book store today and wanted to share two books that really stood out to me. I often talk to teachers about the power of comics and graphic novel adaptations of prose that add much meaning and depth, help with built-in scaffolding, language learners, and so much more. Comics allow us to reimagine traditional stories - and open student minds that personal interpretation is valued - that their opinion, based on evidence, is a welcome addition to the classroom. Shakespeare has always been a great example of stories being adaptable across time and circumstance - take Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla for example! This comic, published by IDW Comics - written by Adam Tierney, art by Sean Peacock, lettered by Brian Kolek, and edited by Jake Williams - is something that would have highly engaged me as a student - as it did today as an adult and educator. Imagine, after reading Rome and Juliet, you encourage students to reimagine the story in a unique way. Have students read this comic - you can even share a few inspiring panels on the Smartboard. The original text with, well, Godzilla mixed in! It’s just awesomeness. Then you can have students create their own comics around their own interpretation - it could be an alternative ending or scene, an additon to the story, set on another planet, time period, etc. By being open to this zaniness, you can create authors in your classroom and help engage creativity. You can have a look at some sample panels below.
This also reminds me of an amzing adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by THE Stan Lee, Terry Dougas, Max Work, and Skan Srisuwan - published by 1821 Comics - ISBN 9780983935018, titled Romeo & Juliet: The War. The Montagues and Capulets fight against one another in a futuristic world - their families unable to get along because one is genetically modified with artifical DNA, the other is modified with cybernetic additions.
Imagine asking students to throw in a Godzilla like monster into their own adaptations. To ask why these two families would not be able to get along in today’s world…. or on a completely different world.
The other comic title I bought today is Moonstar form Marvel Comics - by Ashley Allen, Edoardo Audino, Arthur Hesli, Clayton Cowles. This current ongoing series tells the story of the Native American character, Moonstar, who is part of the Cheyenne Nation. The artwok is just stunning. I share this because I decorate my classroom with much purpose - I want all of my students to see themselves in my artwork, literature, posters, videos, music, etc. We all deserve to see ourselves in our heroes. I will be hanging these two comics in my classroom right away. I’ll post more about the power of representation in comics in a future post.
If this is the sort of blog you’d be interested in reading and sharing, please comment below. Let me know what you’d like me to blog about next time….
