"Of all the houses producing graphic novels, First Second Books is the darling of librarians." That's how I was introduced at a recent ALA panel! A little blushing aside, that was a dream beginning to come true. And I hope we've only begun wooing you. All of you. Not just the amazing Teen Librarians, many of whom are the most effective champions of graphic novels, but Children's and Adult Librarians, too. Because the graphic novel medium reaches everywhere and everyone; and it's just a matter of America at large catching up to that fact.
THE TIDE OF LIBRARIANS, BOOKSELLERS, PUBLISHERS — and READERS
There are a number of large and small publishers with strong graphic novel programs, and more joining every year.
Libraries and bookstores that have sincerely invested in their graphic novel collections report they generate their own community within the local community.
In bookstore chains nationwide, the graphic novel section is often the most trafficked aisle, by far.
Above these, readers of graphic novels multiply, and their tastes continually evolve.
All this says we're not looking at a fad so much as a lasting transformation—one that isn't done revealing itself.
BUT LET'S NOT FORGET:
CREATORS! Authors and artists delivering daring new work are legion. And among them are prodigious talents shooting for the stars. Whereas in the mid-eighties, there was no one to step in the footprints of Art Spiegelman, now there are droves of authors who have honed their skills, and who take aim at "the great American Graphic Novel" — and among them, some are hitting a bull's-eye. There are too many to list here, but to make a start, their names include Sara Varon, Allison Bechdel, Jen Wang, Chris Ware, Paul Pope, Gene Yang, David Mazucchelli, Mike Mignola, Derek Kirk Kim, James Sturm, Emmanuel Guibert, Joann Sfar, The Brothers Hernandez, Jessica Abel, Vera Brosgol, Nick Bertozzi, Scott McCloud, Ben Hatke, George O'Connor, Faith Erin Hicks — and many, many more.
Publishing trends aside, there is a graphic novel renaissance well under way. We are in its Golden Age. Not just in America, but worldwide. But especially in America.
COMMUNITY
A library's Graphic Novel section is a community-building tool. Many libraries host flourishing after-school book clubs and teen programs centered around graphic novels. With more and more colleges now offering majors in comics (a future for some of your teens, which wasn't a viable career choice some years back) many a high school student is hungry for manuals, and writer/artist groups, and for quality graphic novels of course. First Second's own Adventures in Cartooning caters to the the elementary and middle-grade aspiring cartoonist, while Drawing Words and Writing Pictures offers a thorough, College-level course for the classroom or self-study. First Second offers lesson plans, activity kits, and reading group guides — all of which can serve to build your own flourishing library-centered community.
SHELVING, AGE CATEGORIES, and other VEXING ISSUES
Because Graphic Novels sometimes blur age categories, placement solutions at libraries have evolved through trial and error. It seems from speaking to many of you around the country, that the happiest system is a central Graphic Novel section for Teen and Adult titles, and a separate Children's Comics (or "Graphic Novels for Young Readers" or "Young Comics and Manga") section for the growing body of excellent work being published for children.
First Second Books offers a resource you might enjoy if you're getting set up: a PDF file we update yearly called "Starting or Improving a Great Graphic Novel Section" with our picks of the must-have titles in four different age categories.
Many children and Young Adults are already immersed in a visual world, which encompasses different kinds of literacy. The term visual literacy is already helping shape this conversation. A striking example of great wordless storytelling, for instance, is Sara Varon's Robot Dreams. Its complexity and emotional depth are belied by the cute dog and robot characters and Varon's disarming illustrative style. This book has been reviewed, sold, and shelved alternately under Children, Teen, AND Adult! While one librarian told me it was an ideal early reader, another told me it can't be understood unless you've been through a messy divorce!
Some educators make use of comics in helping reluctant readers—but a word of caution: graphic novels can be challenging reads, and aren't always an easy "transition to real books." Increasingly it's becoming obvious that readers who love to read graphic novels simply love to read.
George O'Connor's Olympians series, a twelve-book saga beginning with ZEUS and ATHENA, for instance, is great comics fun, but also bona fide Greek Mythology to satisfy the most demanding scholar (as well as Percy Jackson fans who want the source inspiration!)
In the adult category, graphic novels continue to expand their reach, and now speak to non-comics readers.
Building on the legacy of Maus and Persepolis, such books as The Photographer about Afghanistan, or Deogratias about Rwanda, are examples of graphic novels joining the shelf of major works on a given subject, right alongside their prose counterparts. Although these appear in bookstores on Current Affairs tables and such, librarians consistently report that keeping them in the Graphic Novel section is best for circulation. Some are beginning to separate fiction from non-fiction, which I think will increasingly make sense.
On the adult-side, speaking of non-fiction, keep an eye out for our upcoming Feynman, about the star of Nobel winning physicists, Richard Feynman.
I've heard from so many of you that Graphic Novel circulation consistently goes through the roof. Some do complain, however, that these books get stolen too. To which I answer: there are worse problems to have!
BLOSSOMING ON
As for trends on the publishing side, and what's coming to bookshelves in the near future, it's a heartening picture. Greater editorial care, and a focus on quality in all aspects of a book's making mean deeper, more substantive works keep being released.
The range of themes, styles, and genres is breathtaking already, and keeps expanding. From non-fiction like ballet-, culinary-, memoir- or journalistic-themed comics to every kind of fiction, the comics format has exploded out of the superhero mold.
Want to see the future? Walk through Artists' Alley at one of the Comic Cons: well over half the young creators are women. The readership—thanks in great part to Manga—is more and more female. Gone are the days when comics were the sole province of white men in tights and capes!
Playwrights, novelists, scientists are now joining in earnest the ranks of graphic novel scriptwriters. And looking at literary awards is also very telling. Smile was a Boston Globe Horn Book Honor. American Born Chinese was the first comic ever nominated for a National Book Award, and the first to win the coveted Printz Award… The Geisel Committee recently selecting a Toon book was another milestone passed (In fact, there has not been a year without at least one comics selection from them.) As comics are increasingly in the hands of exceptional authors, look forward to well-deserved medals going to graphic novels.
And as we go, First Second continues to pursue such grand dreams of raising the bar for the medium. For that, we need friends, and we need your continuing help.
And for you, our dear Librarian friends, we'll even change our name to Clementine.
MORE SOURCES from FIRST SECOND BOOKS, and links to the books mentioned above: http://us.macmillan.com/Content.aspx?publisher=firstsecond&id=2167
Mark Siegel is the Editorial Director of First Second Books, Macmillan's imprint dedicated to graphic novels for all ages. When he isn't wearing an editorial hat, Mark is also an author and illustrator of award-winning picture books, including SEADOGS and TO DANCE, and the upcoming MOVING HOUSE (coming from Roaring Brook Press this Fall.) His adult graphic novel "Sailor Twain or the Mermaid in the Hudson" is serializing online at http://www.sailortwain.com.