Tag Archives: comics

Kapow! Stan Lee Is Co-Teaching a Free Comic Book MOOC, and You Can Enroll for Free | Open Culture

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“Why did superheroes first arise in 1938 and experience what we refer to as their ‘Golden Age’ during World War II?” “How have comic books, published weekly since the mid-1930’s, mirrored a changing American society, reflecting our mores, slang, fads, biases and prejudices?” “Why was the comic book industry nearly shut down in the McCarthy Era of the 1950’s?” And “When and how did comic book artwork become accepted as a true American art form as indigenous to this country as jazz?”

All of these questions … and more … will be explored in an upcoming MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) co-taught by the legendary comic book artist, Stan Lee. He will be joined by experts from the Smithsonian, and Michael Uslan, the producer of the Batman movies who’s also considered the first instructor to have taught an accredited course on comic book folklore at any university.

The course called The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture will be offered through edX, starting on May 5th.

MORE: Kapow! Stan Lee Is Co-Teaching a Free Comic Book MOOC, and You Can Enroll for Free | Open Culture

Librarians Portrayed in Comics | CCGC in Libraries

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Graphic novel and comic book fans are book lovers, so it is no surprise that libraries and librarians are portrayed fairly frequently in all sorts of graphic works. Here are some comics that feature libraries and librarians and are perfect for some light reading or for a fun library display. READ MORE: Librarians Portrayed in Comics | CCGC in Libraries

Cosplay, Comics, and Geek Culture in Libraries [Blog] by Ellyssa Kroski

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Ellyssa Kroski of iLibrarian fame said farewell to the iLibrarian blog in late 2014. iLibrarian was one of my top resources for emerging technologies in libraries and information services. I will miss the iLibrarian posts but am excited about the new website she has launched called Cosplay, Comics, and Geek Culture in Libraries. I’ve participated in coding and medieval times events over the past few years and am surprised at how quickly these events are transitioning into the mainstream. With the increasing popularity and growth of these activities, CCGC in Libraries is sure to be a great resource for librarians and fans of cosplay, comics and geek culture.

Speaking of geek culture, I’ve been watching TNT’s The Librarians series and I guess I’m hooked. It’s silly and over the top but I enjoy the mix of science fiction, mystery and adventure. IMO each episode’s concept/theme is more interesting than the overarching storyline. Cassandra’s outfits are way too distracting though! The remaining 2 episodes of Season 1 air tonight, January 18, 2015, on the Space channel in Canada. 

Via the CCGC in Libraries website.

Welcome everyone to Cosplay, Comics, and Geek Culture in Libraries! This is an exciting time for geeks of all kinds to be involved with libraries as today’s savvy libraries have begun to embrace new ways to engage library patrons such as fandom events, comic book and graphic novel collections, comic cons, cosplay events.

The intersection of these interests with libraries is a perfect match as libraries are striving to develop entertaining and educational new programs and services that will appeal to not only children but young adults as well as “kids at heart” of all ages. And these new programs and resources fit well with the interests of cosplayers who can utilize the equipment in library makerspaces such as 3D printers and sewing machines to create many of their props and costume pieces, as well as comics fans who can come to the library to read comics and graphic novel collections, video and board game enthusiasts who attend library gaming events, and geeks of all types who are drawn to “nerd nights”, Dr. Who marathons, and Harry Potter socials, etc.

I decided to start this blog, not only because I am a self-proclaimed geek, cosplayer, and comics reader and collector myself, but because this is a cutting-edge area of growth in libraries with significant appeal to today’s patrons. I think that there is much that we can do to expand and develop this type of programming and collection development. And I’m not alone. I’ve been joined by a talented group of international writers, librarians, information professionals, and library patrons to provide articles and inspiration to libraries seeking to incorporate cosplay, comics, and geek culture in their libraries!

Comixology DRM-Free Comics | $1 for Access to 15,000 Marvel Comics | Gizmodo

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You Can Finally Download DRM-Free Comic Book Backups From Comixology | Gizmodo
The biggest digital comic book distributor in all of digital comics land, Comixology, just took a relatively unprecedented move for a platform its size. Customers will now be able to download DRM-free backups—meaning when you buy a book, you’ll finally get to own it, too.

You Can Access 15,000 Marvel Comics Right Now For a Buck | Gizmodo
As we all prepare our brains and Twitter feeds for the unstoppable flood of comics and entertainment news that will pour out of San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel announced some news in the quiet before the storm. Now, for 99 cents, readers can gain access to Marvel Unlimited, the publisher’s treasure trove of 15,000 issues from current series (well, at least six months old) and classic golden- and silver-age titles. You can also store up to 12 issues offline so you can read without a reliable Wi-Fi connection. As long as you have a Mac, PC, iOS, or Android device, you’re in business.

 

Artists Etch Comic Strip Into a Single Strand of Hair | Mashable

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The eye-strain implications alone are staggering. To promote the upcoming Exceptional Hardware Software Meeting (EHSM) in Hamburg, Germany, a team of DIY artists and scientists has etched the world’s smallest comic strip on a single human hair.

READ MORE: Artists Etch Comic Strip Into a Single Strand of Hair | Mashable

Equinox, First Nation Superhero, Joins Justice League Canada | HuffPost

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A 16-year-old First Nations teen from Moose Factory, Ont. is set to join an elite cadre of superheroes that includes Batman and Superman.

DC Comics unveiled Equinox as its newest character to CBC News on Friday. She’s the latest superhero to join Justice League United, a five-issue series penned by Toronto artist Jeff Lemire that will see its first issue released on April 23.

Read More: Equinox, First Nation Superhero, Joins Justice League Canada | HuffPost

News: Books & Publishing, Music & Film

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Books & Publishing

‘City on Fire,’ a Debut Novel, Fetches Nearly $2 Million | TNYT
Donna Tartt’s novel “The Goldfinch” has 771 pages. “The Luminaries” by Eleanor Catton, winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize, is 834 pages long. And then there is “City on Fire,” the 900-page debut novel that took the publishing industry by storm last week. It was even more evidence that the long novel is experiencing a resurgence, as a dozen publishers competed for the rights to release the book, set in New York City in the 1970s.

Music & Film

Hey MPAA, Why Are PG-13 Movies More Violent Than R-Rated Ones? | Flavorwire
A new study from the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds something more disturbing: though initial PG-13 films contained about as much gun violence as G or PG-rated pictures, “since 2009, PG-13-rated films have contained as much or more violence as R-rated films” (emphasis mine). And hey, funny story, that rise matches gun violence off-screen too.

Marvel Muslim Girl Superhero Kamala Khan Destroys Bad Guys As Well As Stereotypes | HuffPost

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Kamala Khan isn’t your average teenage Muslim girl. Though she lives in New Jersey and juggles the identity crisis that’s often part-and-parcel of growing up Muslim-American, her shape-shifting is of a literal sort. That’s because Kamala Khan is a superhero, code-named Ms. Marvel.

In February, Marvel Comics will launch a series featuring the shape-shifting Khan, who fights family expectations as well as supervillains, reports The New York Times.

Read more: Marvel Muslim Girl Superhero Kamala Khan Destroys Bad Guys As Well As Stereotypes | HuffPost.

Ms. Marvel

 

Digital Comic Books Offer Students New Ways of Learning | Mashable

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Comic book lovers and educators got on stage for two different panels at New York Comic Con yesterday to talk both about how comic books can ignite classroom discussion and how librarians can digitally bring those beloved books into schools.

Common Core, a new set of national curriculum standards that teachers nationwide are advised to follow, accepts graphic novels as a medium that instructors can use to teach students. But Nathan Tubbs, a sixth grade science teacher in Brooklyn, is excited by how comic books can turn kids who would otherwise never pick up a book into avid readers, even if that reading isn’t directly associated with class.

Read the full story: Digital Comic Books Offer Students New Ways of Learning | Mashable.

Mega Summer Reading List of 23,000 Post-Apocalyptic, Plague, and Pandemic Books | Ellyssa Kroski – OEDB.org

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I love post-apocalyptic fiction in the form of novels, films, comics, and video games. I have gathered reviews and recommendations for hundreds of titles for my own summer reading list that I thought others might enjoy as well.  This post will highlight some of my favorite post-apocalyptic novels, but then also provide resources and lists where you can find over 23,000 more!!

via Mega Summer Reading List of 23,000 Post-Apocalyptic, Plague, and Pandemic Books | Ellyssa Kroski – OEDB.org