The Bum’s Rush #32

Comics… For Kids?

“Children did not abandon comics; comics, in their drive to attain respect and artistic accomplishment, abandoned children.” - author Michael Chabon, from his Keynote Speech at the 2004 Eisner Awards

“Comics aren’t just for kids anymore!” How many times have you heard someone say that? Or seen it as a headline for a newspaper article about comics, written by some guy who hasn’t got clue one about comic books or the comic book industry? Truthfully, if you look at the history of comics, they were never just for kids. See, the comic book industry is an entertainment industry just like any other and just like movies or books or music or video games, comics run the gamut across all age groups, from little kids to retirees.

But in this day and age, with the audience being a fraction of what it was twenty years ago, comics have become increasingly targeted towards an aging audience. Most of the people who read comics are the people that grew up reading comics. As such a majority of comics being published today are aimed towards this more mature audience. Even superhero comics, primarily thought of by non-comic readers as kids stuff, deal with more mature themes and are presented in a more adult fashion than ever before. The people that write them grew up reading comics and understandably want to write more complex and daring stories with their childhood heroes.

Unfortunately that means that you can’t just walk into a comic book store and pick up a copy of Spiderman or Batman and expect it to be completely appropriate for your seven to twelve year old child. Even seeing the Comics Code Authority’s seal of approval on the cover of a comic (which has become increasingly rare these days) doesn’t necessarily mean it’s completely kid safe. The majority of superhero books, and comic books in general these days are, by and large, not meant for anyone under the age of thirteen. I know I’d have serious reservations about letting my nephew read most of the regular X-Menor
Justice League affiliated comics until he was a teen.

That’s not to say that ALL comics, superhero or otherwise, are not for children. But it can be difficult to tell, just by looking at a cover, what’s meant for kids and what isn’t. So what, then, is a parent to do when looking for a solid piece of sequential storytelling for their pre-teen? After all, comics are excellent tools to help children not only learn to read, but learn to enjoy reading. Well, after a bit of research and a great deal of assistance from the fine folks at Titan Comics, I’ve put together a list of some of the best comics for kids. Heck, a few of these books are great reads for adults too!

Archie Comics – Probably the most successful publisher of kids comics in the United States,
Archie Comics publishes such titles as Archie, Archie and Friends, Betty, Betty and Veronica, Jughead, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Bongo Comics – Publisher of comics based on Matt Groening’s famous cartoons, Bongo produces books like Simpsons Comics, Bart Simpson, Futurama Comics and Radioactive Man. Most of these books can be enjoyed by fans of all ages, though Futurama Comics seems to be aimed at a slightly older audience. Bongo also publishes yearly Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror books, which features some of the industry’s top talent. And they have a huge library of trade paperbacks.

Johnny DC – DC’s line of kids comics are some of the best currently being produced by a major publisher and are primarily based on their hugely successful superhero cartoons, as well as other cartoons owned by Warner Bros. Johnny DC titles include The Batman Strikes, Cartoon Network Block Party, Justice League Unlimited, Looney Tunes, The Powerpuff Girls, Scooby Doo and Teen Titans Go!

Marvel Adventures – Some of the Marvel Adventures titles, such as Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four and Marvel Adventures Spiderman, are a little too simple for my taste, coming off as watered down versions of the real thing rather than being intelligently written for a younger audience. There are, however, several great books from Marvel Adventures, such as Spiderman Loves Mary Jane and X-Men/Powerpack. They also feature a library of digest-sized collections of several kid-oriented books like Spidergirl, Sentinel and more.

Oni Press – Though primarily known for publishing comics aimed at 20 to 30 year-olds looking for an alternative to superhero comics, Oni Press also has an impressive line of books aimed at children, many of which are available in collected form. Some of their kids’ comics include Jason and the Argobots by
J. Torres and Mike Norton, Polly and the Pirates by Ted Naifeh, Alison Dare by J. Torres and J. Bone, and Frumpy the Clown by Judd Winick.

Amelia Rules – Jimmy Gownley’s Amelia Rules stars Amelia, a young girl who has just moved to a new town with her mother and aunt. She’s getting used to a new school and making new friends, who, along with Amelia, form G.A.S.P., the Gathering of Awesome Superpals. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, Gownley perfectly captures the unique experiences of a group of 4th graders as they travel through the ups and downs of youth.

Bone – Written and drawn by Jeff Smith, Bone is the story of three cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone who, after being run out of their hometown of Boneville, wind up in The Valley, a forested area full of wonder … and danger. Bone is the perfect book for anyone, kids and adults alike. It’s smart, funny, exciting and terrifying, with art comparable to the best animated films of all time. Jeff Smith recently finished this epic tale, which is available in a number of trade paperback collections or as a whole in the Bone: One Volume Edition.

Patrick the Wolf Boy – Written by Franco Aureliani and illustrated by Art Baltazar, Patrick the Wolf Boy tells the story of… Patrick… the, uh, Wolf-Boy. Patrick is just like all the other kids at school, with one exception. He’s a werewolf. But his parents love him all the same and do their best to keep up with him when his wild side takes over. There are a few collections of Patrick the Wolf Boy tales available from
Devil’s Due Publishing.

PS238 – Three miles below the seemingly ordinary Excelsior Public School there is a facility where superhuman children are taught, not only basics like English, Math and History, but how to properly harness their budding powers. Welcome to Aaron Williams unique, hilarious and well-crafted PS238, the school for Metaprodigy children.

Owly – In this charming and whimsical black-and-white series by Andy Runton, Owly and Wormy are the unlikeliest of friends, sharing almost completely wordless adventures that are emotional, heart-warming, funny and amazingly well drawn by Runton. It doesn’t really matter how old you are, almost anyone can pick up a copy of Owly, published by Top Shelf Productions, and be entertained time and again.

So there you go, a selection of some of the best comics for kids. If this industry is to survive and thrive it’s going to need a whole new generation of readers and these books are a perfect starting point for the comic fans of the future. I hope this has been helpful for some of you guys. If anybody knows of a great comic for kids that I may have left off this list, please email me, or post up on the
Stumblebum Studios Forums and let me know!

Quick Bits

1. Pascal Ferry was supposed to draw the Mister Miracle series, written by Grant Morrison, but he was replaced after one issue by Billy Dallas Patton. Patton is now being replaced after one issue by Freddie E. Williams III. Also, Lee Bermejo was supposed to draw the new Hellboy series, written by Mike Mignola, but Duncan Fegredo has replaced him. Fegredo was supposed to draw Faker, written by Mike Carey, until he was replaced by Losers artist, Jock. Phew. It’s like musical chairs… but with… comics. Rich Johnston talked about this over in his latest Lying In The Gutters column, but I swear I was going to talk about this before I read that column! Honest.
2. When Hawkman becomes Hawkgirl, following the events of Infinite Crisis, the new creative team will be Walt Simonson and Howard Chaykin. Not a couple of creators I ever expected to see working together on a regular monthly comic. DC certainly seems to be trying hard to shake things up.
3. Kyle Rayner, formerly the last Green Lantern, is getting his own ongoing series, entitled Ion. Seems like Kyle will be ditching the ol’ GL threads and returning as Ion, an identity he first assumed for a few issues way back in the last Green Lantern series. The one before the current one with Hal Jordan. Ow… comics make head hurt.
4. There’s going to be a new Blue Beetle series! Sadly, it won’t have Ted Kord, since he is dead, dead, dead. But Cully Hamner is drawing it!
5. Pete Woods will be working with Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek on Superman and Action Comics. Not sure if this will be just temporary or if Johns, Busiek and Woods are the new permanent (as permanent as anything gets in comics these days) creative teams for the Superbooks.
6. Greg Rucka will replace Jeph Loeb on Supergirl. Ten bucks says she’s a lesbian after the first six issues of Rucka’s run. Oh, and there will be a Supergirl and The Legion of Superheroes book after Infinite Crisis. Not sure if it will be a brand new book, or if it will be a name change for either Supergirl or possibly Legion of Superheroes.
7. Also after Infinite Crisis, Aquaman will become Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis. Followed shortly thereafter by Aquaman: Cancelled. Zing!
8. Apparently, according to Joe Quesada, there will indeed be a NON-censored collection of Frank Cho’s Shanna the She-Devil mini-series. Mmmmm, boobies.
9. Fans get to determine Chris Claremont’s next X-project by voting in a poll on Marvel’s website. I looked and there’s no option for “RETIRE ALREADY YOU FRIGGIN’ HACK”. Oh, well.

NEXT WEEK:  Starting a multipart column - The Best of 2005!


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