Literature has become a fully-fledged discipline that encompasses a wide range of genres such as novels, poems, fiction, non-fiction, short stories, and fables, just to mention a few. Comics and Graphic Novels, as its name suggests, is a type of novel that involves the use of images. A comic, on the other hand, is a literary material that entertains. A graphic novel, by nature, is comical because it entertains. Using funny cartoons or visual pictures makes it amusing and elicits laughter. However, this does not mean that it is not useful because, just like any other literary genre, it captures certain thematic concerns that are of interest to the readers. Despite this, the use of graphic novels and comics has been receiving a cold treatment.
Comics did not become popular for a long time because writers and readers concentrated on other genres like short stories, fables, and non-fiction. The truth is that some have become more popular than others. In this paper, I will analyze the changing trends in academic professionals’ perceptions of the use of comic and graphic novels in literature courses.
Today, the use of Comics and Graphic Novels has reached a maturity stage since it is appreciated by everyone including writers, academicians, and students. The academicians, for instance, have started appreciating the genre and consider it as one of the most important tools to use in the teaching of learners in different levels of learning. Because of this change in attitude, Comics and Graphic Novels have become one of the widely-used teaching aids in elementary, high school and colleges. The reason why this happens is that the stories have images which entertain the learners, engages their imagination, and increases their vocabularies (Clark 39). At the same time, graphic novels and comics are interesting and can be enjoyed even by the learners who are not very much interested in literature. Apart from supporting the use of comics in the teaching and learning process, the academicians also argue in favor of the intensification of the teaching of comics and graphic novel as a distinct course in various universities across the globe. That is why they conduct research organize and attend annual Comics and Graphic Novels and comic festivals and conferences.
Works Cited
Clark, J. Spencer. ““Your Credibility Could Be Shot”: Preservice Teachers’ Thinking about
Nonfiction Graphic Novels, Curriculum Decision Making, and Professional Acceptance.”
The Social Studies 104.1 (2013): 38-45.
