I was reading a column by Jimski on iFanboy and it broke my heart when he said that his daughter saw Spidey as a bad guy. He’s not wrong, there’s not a lot of places to see Spidey being an all-around nice dude if you’re four. So I decided to help out:
The column also brought something else up that I always roll my eyes at. That (seemingly) eternal debate about how kids aren’t reading comics. People pound that pulpit as a harbinger of doom for the entire industry. Like comics are now a “no-admittance zone” for kids under 24. There’s lamentations that now that there’s a gap, we’ll just never get that audience back EVER.
Breath, people.
You know what my day job is? I order comics for kids.
Yup, they’re out there. And children devour them. One of the biggest jobs is making sure there are always books on display, because they move that quickly. And where is this mythic place with comic books AND children reading them?
Your local library.
And there’s no limit to who checks out what, what gender wants which hero, they just GO. Kids love that they can read them in a sitting, and parents are usually just relived that there kids actually want to be reading.
However, it is a fair observation that most kids aren’t reading Marvel and DC comics. Is it because every 10-year-old now has a loathing for Superman? Nah. It’s because DC and Marvel aren’t amazing at putting out comics for kids. The Marvel Adventure line is pretty strong, but mostly relies on Peter Parker. For DC? Man, I have a hard time tracking down comics from them. There’s always that next gem from Art Balthazar, but not much more.
So from my perspective, there has never been a question of whether or not kids will read comics. I see it happening every day. But they’re discovering the Walker Beans, Mouse Guard, Fashion Kitty, and so much more. They’re really experiencing comics as a varied medium, and not the battle between the Big 2. Which, honestly, I kind of love. Don’t get me wrong, it would be great to see a tidal wave of DC and Marvel books for kids, but it doesn’t exist right now. But trust me, if they did there is a elementary army waiting to read those books.
The real problem isn’t kids interest, it’s the items availability to children.
I love brick-and-mortar stores, but that is not where these kids hang out. Comics should be everywhere tacky James Patterson novels are found: grocery stores, waiting rooms, gas stops and yes, libraries. It’s a two-fold attack if you want to see kids grow-up and try to figure out what the deal is with that Dark Knight returning. The books (1) Need to exist, and (2) Need to be present in many places.
It’s not as simple as just a two-step path to success, but by golly you are not doing yourselves any favors by NOT writing for an audience that you’re hoping to gain.
Postscript that is completely off-topic:
So, another great franchise idea I had, what if it wasn’t Care Bears, but Care Wombats? I know, I just made your day. Here’s the first installation:
Welcome Wombat! He’s sleeping because he’s a wombat, and that’s what they do, yo. And no, I didn’t base this wombat completely around a pineapple because I was thinking of Psych. I didn’t. (I did).
There you have it folks. My two cents and a wombat, for what they’re worth.
[Wombats retail: $5,272.32]
Thanks for stopping!
Great artwork. I had been searching for Wolverine comics for kids not even knowing anything about him except my 7yo nephew said he is his favorite super hero. Of course I had already invested in Spiderman months ago because that has been his fav for years. So, now I am thinking forget Marvel all together & try something new designed for kids. Or I may design my own as you did – he may like a hero developed just for him. Thanks!
There are a few Wolverine options. Not too many comics for necessarily a 7 year-old, but there are a few storybooks.There’s Wolverine: An Origin Story. When he’s slightly older (he might be enthusiacstic to try pretty young) there are a couple digests that might not be too above his head.