The Effects of Comics as a Learning Tool: A Literature Review

By: Eric Zimmerman

Instructor: Christine M. Stover

COM/SOC 371: Forms and Effects of Mass Communication

April 26, 2009

Oakland University

Introduction
 Despite the recent growth of interest in comic books and graphic novels, as seen by the

increased readership and explosion of movie adaptations, comics have been, and continue to be,

a highly controversial subject. Just two years ago for example, in March 2007, when Marvel

Comics announced the death of Captain America, there was a public outcry of mixed emotions.

“Some commentators argued that comic books were becoming too violent,” wrote the article

“Comic books and Graphic Novels” (2008) listed in the Issues & Controversies database, “while

others praised their increased realism and sophistication.” According to comic expert Scott

McCloud, “comics” can be defined as “juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate

sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the

viewer”(McCloud in Berkowitz, Packer, 2001). In 2002, Columbia University launched the

Comic Book Project, “a program designed to foster children’s reading and writing skills by

encouraging them to create their own comics”(Bitz, 2004). Likewise, in 2004, the Maryland

State Department of Education initiated a pilot program to teach reading with comic books

(Alvermann, 2005). In addition, according to Leila Christenbury (2006) in her book, Making the

Journey: Being and Becoming a Teacher of English Language Arts, “Scholastic, a well-

respected and long established publisher of young adult and other fiction, has launched Graphix,

a division devoted solely to graphic novels and has begun the publication of a classic series, Jeff

Smith’s funny and appealing Bone.” It’s fairly obvious that this field of research is, although

rather new, actually broadening quite rapidly.

The debates over the merit of comic books and graphic novels as tools for learning have

also broadened, and have in turn elicited valid arguments on both sides of the controversy. On

the one hand, a number of researchers argue that the best comics are both relevant and

substantial, and that they are just as deserving of educational recognition as are traditional
literatures. According to an article by Rocco Versaci (2001) written in The English Journal,

comics usually feature complex plots and prominent visual components that have attracted

readers both young and old. In fact, students who are typically bored by traditional literature

find themselves much more disposed to reading comics (Norton, 2003). Perhaps the most

prominent argument in support of comics however, is that they frequently incorporate topical

social commentary along with intellectually-stimulating concepts (Versaci, 2001). To prove

these values, researchers frequently reference Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel, Maus: a

Survivor’s Tale, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. Braced with this supplement in their

arsenal, many encourage the in-class use of “well-chosen” comics to initiate class discussions

about relevant topics, such as racism, social justice, war, and global conflict (Christensen, 2006).

As a last defense against the opposition, researchers note that advocates of comic books and

graphic novels typically cite critics as oftentimes misunderstanding comics, and that, when

viewed in context, seemingly violent and/or sexual images are more than justified (“Comic

Books and Graphic Novels,” 2008).

On the other hand, since the days of Frederic Wertham’s public condemnation of comic

books in the 1950s and the resulting Comic’s Code of Authority seal/stamp of approval, comics

have always been subject to much criticism. Some researchers contend that comic books and

graphic novels are immature, and often too violently and/or sexually explicit for either the

classroom, or as a learning tool in general (Grandinetti in “Comic Books and Graphic Novels,”

2008). They argue that comics are usually too crude and unsophisticated to truly provoke

students into becoming better readers (Gonzalez, 2006). In all actuality, the heart of the criticism

seems to circulate around claims of simplicity and explicit content, labeling comics more as

popular entertainment rather than educational devices (Lien-Cooper, 2007). As proof of these
claims, critics often cite an incident in 2007 in which a Connecticut high school English teacher

assigned his students to read a comic entitled Eight ball #22. When one of the student’s parents

noticed what their child was reading, they complained that it was “borderline pornography,” and

consequently forced the teacher to resign (Scarborough-King, 2007). Researchers further note

that, to committed opponents, comic books are not any bit deserving of serious consideration in

an educational environment, and they emphasize that educators should stick to more

conventional methods for all purposes of teaching (“Comic Books and Graphic Novels,” 2008).

Although research into the field of comics as a learning tool is fairly new, the

introduction of comics into the educational community seems to be expanding rapidly. The

question has since become whether or not comics can be considered a respectable art form of

effectually educational value, or if they are simply too violent and/or sexually inappropriate for

learning-intensive purposes, such as in classrooms or libraries, especially when considering the

potential availability to younger readers.

Literature Review

Developing Visual Literacy Skills with Comics

Most researchers agree that comics, specifically those which integrate text in with

relative pictorial representations, can serve as a helpful tool for children working to develop

visual literacy skills. According to Claudia J. McVicker (2007) in The Reading Teacher, “Comic

strips are a text structure with a story to tell. Just as a story in print requires comprehension by

the reader, comics require the reader to blend the print and the graphics to comprehend the

intended communication.” Even when learning to first read, teachers--whether educational or

parental--typically equip children with picture books, “where text and picture cooperate within a
narrative synthesis”(Giorgis et al. in McVicker, 2007). In fact, “viewing” has become such an

inherent part of our language as humans, that to be considered literate, “students must be taught

to ‘read’ visual images in addition to connected text”(Semali in McVicker, 2007).

In one analysis for example, researcher Angela Yannicopoulou (2004) conducted a visual

literacy study on pre-textually-literate preschoolers in Rhodes, Greece, whereupon the children

were “tested on their abilities to recognize certain multimodal conventions common in comics,”

such as the relationship between voice volume vs. letter size, speech bubbles vs. thought bubbles,

different alphabets--such as hieroglyphics--equaling different languages, and finally visual

metaphors representing varying emotions. The results of the study indicated that the most

recognizable visual conventions proved to be “anger indicated by an angular and aggressive

speech bubble, the attribution of politeness to a flowery speech bubble, and the increase in

volume reflected in the bigger size of letters”(Yannicopoulou, 2004). Although the children

seemed to have a slightly more difficult time interpreting the significance of speech vs. thought

bubbles, they were even more noticeably confused by the visual translation of foreign alphabets

indicating the use of a foreign language. According to Yannicopoulou (2004), “Preschoolers

seemed to understand a great deal about visual language cues even before they know how to read

conventional texts, and were familiar with the visual conventions of the form of text in their

books and magazines.”

In another analysis, a community college English teacher introduced a selection of comic

books into his curriculum, and although the test subjects were perceived to have already

developed most of their visual literacy skills, many students were reportedly caught “off guard in

a positive way, …[leading] students to be more engaged by a given work”(Versaci, 2001).

According to Versaci, this engagement can mainly be attributed to the structure of the comics
themselves. He cites comic books as being able to put a “face” on a subject, allowing students to

not only read the characters’ words and thoughts but to actually see their behavioral actions and

reactions. Furthermore, he adds that, “a comic does not ‘happen’ in the words, or the pictures,

but somewhere in-between, in what is sometimes known as ‘the marriage of text and

image’”(Sabin in Versaci, 2001). Versaci therefore asserts that reading comics requires a more

active participation--acknowledging that it is usually of a subconscious nature--on the part of the

reader, which he calls “closure.” In this process of closure, the reader is forced to connect the

text and images together, not only in their respective panels however, but also from one panel to

the next, which purportedly “foster[s] an intimacy…between creator and audience”(McCloud in

Versaci, 2001). According to Versaci (2001), closure allows readers to “sympathize and

empathize with comic book characters in unique ways.”

Not all researchers agree, however, that “closure” is a necessarily beneficial process.

According to Steven Kirsh and Paul Olczak (2002) of the State University of New York,

Geneseo, violent scenes in comic books can have an even more adverse effect on readers than,

for instance, video games. They agree that a process similar to Versaci’s “closure” does occur

when reading a comic, however they argue its seemingly positive effect with a detailed example,

writing “if one frame depicts a muscular hero swinging an ax toward his crouching enemy, the

next frame would show the victim’s head severed from his body, spurting blood. Thus, it is up to

the reader to visualize that actual decapitation. This type of disconnected presentation of

information forces the reader to engage his or her imagination and become an active participant

in the violence-laden story line”(McCloud in Kirsh, Olczak, 2002).

In an analysis, conducted by Colombia University Professor Michael Bitz, deemed The

Comic Book Project--one of the field’s most prominent experiments--instructors were trained by
specialists from Teachers College to use comics as a different, unique kind of learning tool.

Instead of specifically reading comics, students within various after-school education programs

were first introduced to the medium, and then asked to create their own comic story arcs so as to

demonstrate their respective reading and writing capabilities (Bitz, 2004). Many factors and

outcomes were studied and recorded within this experiment, but one of the most notable results

was its effect on children with limited English proficiency. “Although the children struggled

through the manuscript stage, they were able to rely on the pictorial components of the project”

wrote Bitz (2004); in fact, “According to the instructors, these children’s manuscripts and comic

books represent more writing than they had produced in English class throughout the entire

school year.”

McVicker (2007) further asserts that, “Using visual literacy with visual representations

helps to develop better spatial concepts so readers are not forced to imagine details or

descriptions in the text such as size, color or distance.” In effect, comic illustrations serve to

broaden and enrich their accompanying textual information (McVicker, 2007).

Why Comics Have an Effect

Since their inception, comics seem to have always attracted young children, most notably

boys. Over the years however, the comic business has expanded greatly, and is now a “major

presence in the lives of [both] children and adults”(Berkowitz, Packer, 2001). According to art

teacher Jay Berkowitz and researcher Todd packer (2001), “Many adults, including teachers,

grew up reading comic books, and they form a background for many cultural and visual

references.” In fact, as of 2002, the average reader of comics was 24 years old (Duin in Foster,

Gerde, 2008), and, “The estimated overall market for comic books in the U.S. for 2005 was
$400–$450 million dollars”(Miller, Steinberg in Foster, Gerde, 2008). Even more than that

however, comic books are further increasing in popularity due to the now countless movie

adaptations (Wax in Bitz, 2004) and the rising interest in Japanese animation (Toku in Bitz,

2004).

Lockwood Memorial Library’s Business and Management Subject Specialist Michael

Lavin (1998) quotes Jan Ballard and Christine Kirby for saying, “Why comic books? Because

the kids are reading them. Do we need any other justification?” In 2000, the International

Reading Association declared that in order to make a difference in educational environments, the

education itself must be different (McVicker, 2007). One factor researchers attribute the appeal

of comics to is their “definitive attraction for all literacy abilities”(McVicker, 2007). According

to C.W. Hatfield, comics are “definite text structures for the literate (those who can read, write,

and understand); the illiterate (those who cannot read or write but can view comics and possibly

comprehend through the visual representation); and the alliterate (those who can read, write, and

understand but chose not to, yet are drawn to comics as an enjoyable brief form of

reading)”(Hatfield in McVicker, 2007).

Comic books and graphic novels not only provide a new/unique medium through which

to learn, but, more importantly, they address the impact of visuals (Bucher, Manning, 2004).

According to Gretchen Schwarz (2002), comics and graphic novels “appeal to young people, are

useful across the curriculum, and offer diverse alternatives to traditional texts as well as other

mass media.” In fact, many researchers seem to agree, pointing out their multi-capable

functions. Bitz (2004) of The Comic Book Project gives one example, saying, “Infuse a comic

book story into a grammar exercise, and the children may work on the exercise…at least a few

seconds longer.” “I remember looking forward to reading the ‘real’ Crime and Punishment by
Dostoevsky after I read the Classic Comics version as a child” cites Schwarz (2002), continuing

with, “Illustrated classics still exist, such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1989) and the 2001

translation of Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past: Combray.” Berkowitz and Packer (2001)

offer art-related subjects as further examples. According to them, “children who like the Teenage

Mutant Ninja TurtlesTM will also be interested in learning about the artists after whom they were

named (Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo). Batman fans would be interested to

learn that his costume was originally based on a drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci.” They also

suggest introducing students to Roy Lichtenstein and Roger Shimomura, whose works were

heavily inspired by comics (Berkowitz, Packer, 2001).

Aside from multi-subject related capabilities, comics also have multiple effects based on

their varying genres. According to Weiner, such genres include, “The Superhero Story, The

Human Interest Story, Manga (i.e., translated into English), Nonfiction, Adaptations or Spin-offs

(e.g., the Star Trek series), and Satire”(Weiner in Schwarz, 2002). English teacher Lila

Christenbury (2006) delves deeper into this research, and even offers examples for how each of

these respective genres have been effective as learning tools in her classroom; such as using a

“superhero story” to compare its characters to classic epic heroes (i.e., Ulysses, Beowulf, King

Arthur), deterring students from immediately turning to summary-based tools such as Spark

Notes by offering them comic versions of classic literature (Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein), or even

contrasting comics with their film or TV counterparts (The Adventures of the League of

Extraordinary Gentleman). According to B. Wilson, “children discover meaningful dimensions

of their worlds when they can explore them through creative arts, including comic

books”(Wilson in Bitz, 2004).

Educational Effects of Comics

According to The Journal of Popular Culture and The Reading Teacher, comics have

been used in educational settings within the United States for over 75 years (Dorrell, et al, in

McVicker, 2007). Comic books and graphic novels have solid, well-built storylines and usually

demonstrate attributes of effectively-written supplemental classroom texts (Daniels, Zemelman,

in Christensen 2006). Christensen (2006) even provides a list of these attributes, which includes:

important/engaging content, characters we can relate to, a narrative or chronological structure,

places we can visualize, danger, conflict, risks or choices, values, moral/ethical or political

dimensions, and ideas that can be reasonably discussed.

In a study--more like observed occurrence--by Rocco Versaci (2001), he assigned his

college-level English students to analyze an excerpt from Debbie Drecshler’s Daddy’s Girl, “a

fictional work that follows a girl named Lily through adolescence.” According to Versaci (2001),

students were forced to “look at a relatively confined space with such intensity,” that they were

able to make “interpretive conclusions about Lily’s life based on Drecshler’s visual style and the

interplay between word and picture.” Versaci provides numerous examples of such interpretive

conclusions, but in the end interprets his own conclusions, citing his students as having become

“more critical viewers.” He uses this term to indicate the effect of it almost becoming second-

nature to engage one’s “critical faculties” while interacting with various media, such as movies,

TV, video games, and the internet. According to Versaci (2001), “Many of my students tell me--

sometimes angrily--that after one of our class activities they can no longer watch movies or look

at magazine advertisements as they did before, and this comment lets me know that I have been

doing my job.”

This is not the only educational effect that Versaci (2001) recalls however, indicating that,
“By using comic books in the classroom, we open up a vital avenue of questions concerning

what ‘literature’ is, and in so doing we begin to ‘organize and effect’ important changes in

several ways.” The first such change, he explains, is an expansion upon the students’

understanding of the forms and voices of literature. According to Versaci (2001), “That is,

because comic books are not typically perceived as ‘literary,’ they encourage us to step back and

ask larger, important questions about canon formation that sharpen critical thinking skills: What

is considered ‘literature’? What is not? Who decides this? What are their interests?” The second

change that he asserts is an increased, meaningful participation in classroom discussions, saying,

“If asked to critically evaluate a comic book, students might be much more forthcoming with

their ideas and opinions than in a discussion of a more ‘traditional’ literary work--Dickens's A

Tale of Two Cities or Alice Walker's The Color Purple, for instance. Too often, students perceive

such works as occupying a space above their level of thought”(Versaci, 2001). The final

educational effect of comics that Versaci (2001) discusses is teaching students about the dangers

of literary presumption, demonstrating to students that, “they must never dismiss a type of work

without fully understanding or searching for its possibilities and merits.”

Jay Berkowitz, also a school teacher, conducted another informal study with comics and

their effect on his students, this time in the subject of art education (Berkowitz in Berkowitz,

Packer, 2001). In his study, Berkowitz used works by two different groups of students and had

them evaluated by three art judges. According to Berkowitz (2001), “While both groups of

students received art training using materials from fine art master reproductions, anatomical

studies, and photographs, in the experimental group comic books were emphasized as the source

material for training.” The students’ works were evaluated on whether or not they expressed a

“good grasp” on the following art principles: figure drawing, drawing the face, movement/action,
color, and humor. Although Berkowitz (2001) admits that the study sample may have been too

small for “extensive analysis,” he also states that, “the evaluators tended to pick drawings from

the experimental group as ones they liked best, and photos of drawings from the control groups

as ones they liked least, based on art principles.”

Not all research is indicative of an increase in educational value with respect to interest

and humor in comics however. In fact, most reader responses are often based on the content of

the comic itself (Kirsh, Olczak, 2002). In a study piloted by Kirsh and Olczak (2002), reader

reactions were measured through a controlled-environmental rating system in order to compare

nonviolent and extremely violent comic book content--citing examples such as Homicide,

Spawn, and Evil Ernie. On a 7-point Likert-type scale, zero being not at all and seven being as

much as possible, the highest ratings of interest resulted with females who had read the

nonviolent comic books and males who had read the extremely violent comic books, with

average ratings of 4.2 and 4.1 respectively (Kirsch, Olczak, 2002). Interestingly enough, almost

every reader of either comic book was still able to accurately rate the amount of

violence/aggression they were subjected to, with an average rating of 2.15 for the nonviolent

comic books and 6.55 for the extremely violent variety (Kirsh, Olczak, 2002). Another measured

quality was humor, a characteristic which Berkowitz (2001) used as an educational value in his

classroom study. According to the results, the two extreme ratings were left to the females, with

a 1.7 for the extremely violent comic book readers and a 3.6--barely exceeding the halfway

mark--for the nonviolent readers (Kirsh, Olczak, 2002). In their study, Kirsh and Olczak (2002)

also explain and reference other research as to the effects of the exposure to violence, indicating

their agreement with the common perception that exposure to extreme violence elicits hostile

behavior.
 Nevertheless, going back to Versaci (2001) for a second, he claimed that, “A common

goal, regardless of the level we teach, is to help students read beyond the page in order to ask and

answer deeper questions that the given work suggests about art, life, and the intersection of the

two.” One outcome of The Comic Book Project, according to Bitz (2004), was the surprising

accomplishment of such a goal. “While professional comic books have traditionally been

focused on superheroes, science fiction, and fantasized stories,” wrote Bitz (2004), “many of the

children’s [self-made] comic books were based on the hard reality of living in an inner-city

environment.” In fact, many of the children’s stories were very adult-oriented, writing about

themes such as drug abuse, gang violence and harsh family situations, and sometimes even

creating “very sad, yet very real conclusions”(Bitz, 2004). At the end of The Comic Book

Project, each student and instructor was asked to complete a one-page survey focusing on its

perceived impact. According to Bitz, when asked if the students were getting better at writing as

a result of The Comic Book Project, 86% of the students responded “agree” or “strongly agree”

to the statement, and 90% of the instructors responded in kind.

Another goal, and consequently effect, of The Comic Book Project was to meet the New

York State Learning Standards for English Language Arts, which includes reading, writing, and

speaking for: information and understanding, literary response and expression, critical analysis

and evaluation, and social interaction (Bitz, 2004). Bitz continues this portion of the results with

a very detailed analysis of how this experiment successfully managed to meet each of these

standards, stating for example, “The reading and writing components for all four standards were

achieved through their introductory activities, comic book manuscripts, and final comic book

productions. The listening and speaking components were achieved through class discussions

and group work”(Bitz, 2004).

 Similar to Bitz, George W. Chilcoat (1993) also conducted research on the effects of

student-generated comic books, but Chilcoat specifically focused on its use for teaching about

the Civil Rights movement. According to Chilcoat (1993), “As an inquiry technique to teach

history, the comic book allows students to take verbal-linear-analytical information from various

primary and secondary resources and, through a visual-aesthetic-creative means, construct this

information into personal interpretations and conclusions.” Through his research, Chilcoat

analyzes and presents what is, to him, an effective method for introducing and using student-

generated comics within the classroom. He also cites two specific educational effects that this

project creates: a promising teaching technique, and a creative outlet, which, according to

Chilcoat (1993), “can stimulate students’ curiosity about the past, … [And] help students to put

historical facts into perspective and to understand the relationship of these facts to other

historical events.”

Comics as a Motivational and Cultural Text Structure

Many researchers seem to agree that comic books and graphic novels have, over the

years, been a successfully motivational learning tool, towards one behavioral change or another--

most often reporting an increase in recreational readership. According to McVicker (2007),

“Comics help motivate disengaged readers offering an ingenious hook to reading that can

ultimately bridge their literary interests to more conventional text structures.” McVicker (2007)

asserts that struggling readers often associate literary mediums with negativity, and that through

comic books--which are, “humorous, visual, and limited in text”--such struggling readers have

often been able to build confidence in their reading capabilities because of the resulting

positive/successful reading experience. In fact, in her classroom, McVicker (2007) observed that
“[when] able to work humor into our day, the learning load was lightened and the students were

motivated to learn.” McVicker (2007) further asserts that, in educational environments, comics

are typically used for the purpose of “motivating young readers to become recreational readers,

enabling them to expand their vocabulary knowledge, to engage their imaginations, and to

inspire a love of reading.” Referencing S. Krashen, McVicker (2007) continues, adding that,

“free voluntary reading is the most effective tool available for increasing a child’s ability to read,

write, spell, and comprehend.” One perhaps well known example of this lies with Garfield

cartoonist Jim Davis, who for 25 years reported that parents had informed him of their child’s

learning to read thanks to his comic strip (McVicker, 2007).

Elementary school teacher Bonny Norton (2003) conducted a study in British Colombia,

Canada, to determine the “motivating power of comic books,” specifically concerning Archie

comics among children. For her research, Norton (2003) perfected her survey/interview

technique regarding the topic, and proceeded to directly question Archie comics’ readers between

the ages of approximately 9-12 to determine their appeal and effect. After interacting with the

declared subjects, Norton (2003) came to a few conclusions, stating, “My study suggests that the

pleasure children derive from comics in general, and Archie comics in particular, is associated

with a sense of ownership of text.” Norton (2003) continues by comparing this ownership of text

with the lack thereof in regards to “proper books,” discussing how the unequal hierarchy of the

teacher-student, and even parent-student relationship has zapped the pleasure from “authorized

literacy practices” by forcing a focus on appropriate analysis, criticism, high grades, and public

praise. Norton (2003) also adds that, “we need a better understanding of why it is that educators

are frequently dismissive of comics in general and Archie comics more specifically,” further

calling for more research.

 Returning to McVicker (2007) for a second, she points out that, “Due to the ease and

access of information gathering on the internet, children must have visual literacy skills to

comprehend. The World Wide Web is the library of the future, and we must prepare students to

understand it, just as we taught them to read books for information in the past.” Likewise,

Norton (2003) seems to agree, stating, “The written word, while still important, is only one of the

many semiotic modes that children encounter in the different domains of their lives. Hypertext,

CD-ROM, and the internet are becoming increasingly important.” In short, both McVicker

(2007) and Norton (2003) argue that comics are capable of acting as a text structure for both

motivating and helping students learn to read in a multi-media dominated world.

However, both Michael Bitz, Colombia University professor, and Carol Jago, Los

Angeles English teacher, understand and value the motivational appeal of comics, but they do

not recommend ever letting them serve as replacements to “hard texts” (Jago in Alvermann,

2005). According to Jago, “I worry tremendously that if we bring stuff like this into the schools

for low-level students, but everybody else reads regular texts, aren’t we creating a two-level

system? If we’re giving students a comic book version of their English class [book], something’s

wrong. . . . And that is a danger. Nobody is going to bring comic books into an Advanced

Placement class” (Jago in Alvermann, 2005).

Nevertheless, other researchers disagree, such as PhD student R. Spencer Foster and

assistant professor Virginia W. Gerde (2008), who acknowledges that although the primary

source of comic book motivation is spent on “junior readers,” this is not always the case. In fact,

Foster and Gerde (2008) cite University of Minnesota professor Kakalios for reporting that, “his

college physics students prefer comic book problems to the oversimplified, out-of-context

textbook problems. For example, it is more intriguing to determine the power and lift required
for Superman to fly than calculations for the effect of friction on a moving block.” The main

focus of Foster and Gerde’s article however, is the teaching of ethics with the popular Marvel

series X-Men, specifically in relation to the business world. Foster and Gerde (2008) explain

that, “Students explore what scope the characters consider in their decision-making: themselves,

the team or immediate group, or society. In the New X-Men: e is for extinction, characters have

to deal with their own ambitions and wants, the mission of the team, and the survival of a

species.” They also note that, although it is easy to point out and compare superheroes to value

ethics, more subtle themes often exist, such as “consequentialism and deontology.” According to

Foster and Gerde (2008), “As a mature literary form, comic books communicate ideas and

concerns about universal topics – ethical behavior, the role of organizations, and the institutions

of business and government. We can use these modern narratives to discuss ethical decision-

making and the social issues impacting management today.” They end their research by staking

out comics’ ability to “capture students’ attention, exercise the moral imagination, and improve

our understanding of the roles and impacts of business”(Foster and Gerde, 2008).

Conclusion

Surprisingly enough or not, the effect of comic books and graphic novels as educational

learning tools is still a fairly new field of research. Much of what does exist in the field is

primarily qualitative, and seemingly persuasion-oriented. In researching this topic I expected to

find almost all unbiased studies, and yet almost every scholarly article available appeared to be

trying to convince its reader of either comics’ rightful appraisal or necessary condemnation.

Nevertheless, this could also likely be attributed to each researcher’s actual conclusive findings.

In the end however, most researchers seemed to agree that appropriate comics, used in the
correct educational manner, can act as a highly successful learning tool. From visual literacy and

engaging structures to motivational and cultural developments, comics are, without a doubt, an

up-and-coming educational medium.

Just as comic books and graphic novels are rising to the top of the learning toolbox, so

too is the research surrounding it. Personally, I predict that a major increase in studies, which

has very-well already started, will soon explode out of the gates and eventually rival its sister

studies in comic book violence. Although I hope that these researchers may someday come to a

relatively wide-spread conclusion, I also understand that the current media holds most of the

“changing” power over our culture--including the educational aspects. Therefore, with such

great power, it should come as the media’s great responsibility to publicly encourage the results

of past, present and future researchers; although I’m sure that’s as likely as surviving a

radioactive spider-bite, right?

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