All too often comics have been labeled as low-brow reading. However, comics have a profound impact on society and culture through their artistic and free-flowing expression. Comics 4 Culture strives to educate elementary and middle schoolers about the impact of comics and the creation of comics, as well as provide educators with the best materials and curriculum so they can share the power of comics with their students. Finally, Comics 4 Culture seeks to act as a platform to diversify the perspectives we see in comics through the sharing of students' creations and the sharing of existing comics with our audience.
As visual art becomes more and more prevalent throughout our daily lives and the media we consume, from the advertisements we see to the TV shows we watch, Comics 4 Culture seeks to educate those on how to interpret literature and art through the medium of comics. Furthermore, Comics 4 Culture strives to popularize comics even more as we believe they are an extremely underappreciated fusion of art and literature that should also just be enjoyed for the beauty and entertainment that they bring.
Hi Friends,
Welcome to Comics 4 Culture! My name is Eric Bao and I'm a current Junior at the Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts. Ever since I was young, I have loved comic books and graphic novels, reading through the entire graphic novels section in my local library a year or two before middle school. When I entered middle school, however, I felt that my parents' and teachers' attitudes toward comics and graphic novels had changed. My parents, who were indifferent to my graphic novel obsession when I was in elementary school were now urging me away from them, asking me to read "real" books. Through my experiences, I am not the only one who has gone through this.
In my freshman year of high school, I was shocked to see that the first book we would be reading for English class was a graphic novel. More specifically, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. This was my first academic experience with a graphic novel. It opened my eyes to the potential that comics had to share stories, teach lessons, and express societal or personal issues. Not to mention, its depiction of the Chinese American experience resonated strongly with me.
With my fire for comics rekindled, I was inspired to share the potent potential that I believed comics had as a tool for education and storytelling. Comics 4 Culture is the brainchild of these positive personal experiences with comics and my mission to share comics with educators and students. I hope you enjoy it.
- Eric Bao
