Something Magical

[From the drawing board of Alexis Frederick-Frost]

[UP NEXT WEEK: FABRICE PARME]

Comments

[Ming]

I hear you.

by which i mean, i'm glad i can understand the language of comics and appreciate every precious brush stroke

[Marek Bennett]

This is good 'n' thought-provoking, Mr. Frederick-Frost. We need more comics that explain comics! This can help the industry move from a defensive position ("Comics don't shrivel your brain!") to a more positive promotional approach ("Ah, the many neurological and academic benefits of comics!")

I like to look at comics from a Multiple Intelligences perspective (a la Howard Gardner). I'd say they activate our Linguistic, Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, and even Logical or Musical intelligences...

[mark siegel]

Far from shriveling any parts of the brain the best comics probably work on a number of circuits together. Some prose readers complain that they can't read comics, that it doesn't work for them. Like learning Chinese or one of the other tonal languages, when you only speak a Western language: no circuitry there to handle a tongue that's working on both hemispheres, like a language PLUS a musical instrument at the same time. A key for some people discovering comics is sometimes the suggestion to 'tell yourself what you're seeing in the picture' . . . that sometimes leads to their 'Aha!' moment when they can suddenly start to read graphic novels. That suggests it's an active, creative mental process to read a comic. I wonder if there's a storytelling lobe?

[Marco Milone]

Worthy reading!

[Richard McCarthy]

Send me a copy of your next book! Stop by the library some time! Maybe on your next book signing tour! RPM