The Bean 440
The Bean 440
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Amazed by how some educators, teachers and people in general treat comics and comic creators. Like we are all lazy, non-talented story tellers, who produce work of nothing but pictures that has no value for kids and that our careers are basically a joke…. you are really misguided.

Comics are not just about zombies and superheros

If you knew how much math, english, science, history and theology

we use in our work on a daily basis, it would shock you. If you knew how many kids we influence to just start to read, to enjoy books and to find a path to literature, you would embrace us. If you realized that pictures and words molded together can tell incredibly powerful, moving and extremely deep tales that help teach lessons and that were created for all ages, you would seek them out.

As a comicbook creator I write, I draw, I study anatomy, I research history, psychology, and theology to make my work real. I look at architecture, perception, depth of field, color, layout and other works. I use math on a daily basis and also deal with incredible and complex story structures and character analysis. We take everything life offers and mold it into the same incredible tales that writers do, we just add pictures to it.

Because, you see, we understood a long time ago that a lot of people are visual learners as well. I also understand that we are a do that gets people to even just pick up a book. If you knew how many times people came up to me and told me that they had never really read much until they started picking up graphic novels, you would be floored. It’s because of the graphic novels that many kids start to read.

I’m not telling you to add graphic novels into the classrooms. You do what you want… but the next time you look at a kid that doesn’t want to read, maybe put a good graphic novel in his hands and let it start to open his mind to the joys of literature.

Now what I am telling you though… is there is a lot more that goes into comics than you realize. We work harder than most people. We are always studying and learning. We love literature and art and how it works together. We tell deep stories that will move you and stir emotion in you. WE inspire kids to dream and follow those dreams…

So the next time you roll your eyes when someone mentions comics, I am pretty sure it is because you have never read one… Or found the really good ones. I would suggest you pick one up and give it a chance. It might just change your whole outlook on helping kids, who don’t want to read, to pick up a book and find that print and literature are not dead, but in reality thriving.

keep creating
trav

14 Comments

MadBadger » 3 Feb 2013 » Reply

Trav, just a reply to your top comment. People with blinders on, critics and fools, will always belittle what they don't understand or don't have the talent for themselves.

Keep this in mind, as I am sure you already do:

People are shaped by the stories they take to heart. Your own tale of watching The Hobbit at age 6 shows this. One of the core problems with western societies today is that the stories shaping our people are about Kim Kardashian, Sex in the City, Spongebob Squarepants and comic-book heroes becoming all 'dark' and 'edgy'.

As you state, putting the right kinds of stories into the right hands at the right times to inspire a sense of wonder and possibilities and eagerness… well if educators can't see the use of that, they're not educators.

Dagor » 9 Dec 2012 » Reply

Yeah, trust your mind and soul to the cursed evil sword. No, better! kill the guy who is welding the other twin sword and take that too. What posibly can go wrong?
How exactly Mr. Lizard is going to deal with Darth Bean when he finally lose his sanity and decide to take over the world?

    trav » 17 Dec 2012 » Reply

    i don't know- yet i don't know if thaddeus even wants to deal with the after effects. Dragon minds are hard to read. Yet I think or would hope that bean is made up of a little more common sense… 🙂

CMC » 7 Dec 2012 » Reply

It is a funny misconception, isn’t it? Kids and teens who read graphic novels tend to have high IQ’s, rather than low ones, and get huge doses of the same core content their teachers want them to have in school. I think its the flaw of academia to believe that entertainment value somehow decreases the value of a creative work! There’s a reason Tolkien is so popular, and Hemingway isn’t. They both use big words and epic concepts, but Tolkien is fun. People don’t learn to read to gain intelligence. They learn to read because they want the story.

My educational background is mental health, and I’m always amazed at how many psychological concepts are presented in graphic novels- Jungian concepts seem especially popular. I’m also amazed at how often mythology, literary references, and of course, scientific concepts provide the background to the entire plot. If early education is all about exposure, then graphic novels provide that in spades.

Anyway, I’ve enjoyed The Bean quite a bit, its a wonderful story and I read it faithfully. Thanks for sharing your hard work with us.

    trav » 17 Dec 2012 » Reply

    thank you for such an incredible comment- i sure appreciate that, it gives me hope that the world of academia will realize the incredible value of gn's

Lee » 7 Dec 2012 » Reply

Thanks for that comment Trav, it was very inspiring.
I hope that someone out there who thinks that way is just open minded enough to be swayed by what you said.

    trav » 17 Dec 2012 » Reply

    i hope so too lee- i hope so too.

Sarissofoi » 6 Dec 2012 » Reply

Sensible young hero.
Great.

    trav » 17 Dec 2012 » Reply

    thanks – hopefully bean will have learned a little

susan » 6 Dec 2012 » Reply

Ah, but only if he gets there in time!

lehcyfer » 6 Dec 2012 » Reply

He washed his brain thoroughfully. Luckilly someone grounded and trustable approaches the castle as they speak.

    trav » 17 Dec 2012 » Reply

    he even used soap and a scrubby:)

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