By Tracy (and Shelby & Sarah) Edmunds
August 17, 2004
COMICS ARE FOR KIDS
When I first started reading comics (fairly recently), I was attracted to adult titles, but, having kids, I had to hide them. I definitely wouldn’t want the girls thumbing through a copy of LUCIFER. Even worse, some of the adult books have art that appeals to kids – BLUE MONDAY, BARRY WEEN, and KINDERGOTH look like they could be all ages, but are not, I repeat, not appropriate for children. So what’s a parent to do? Hide the comics in a high cabinet and read them after lights out. What a shame.
I really wanted to turn the wee ones onto comics, and I knew there had to be something beyond MARVEL and DC, so I started digging. I’ve bugged the poor comic shop people to death. If they hear, “Is this okay for kids?” one more time I think they’ll ban us from the store. I’ve spent countless hours on the ‘net, Googling my brains out. I’ve read message boards, comic sites, and children’s literature reviews, and I’ve prowled the darkest corners of the Comic-con. It really stinks that a parent should have to work so hard to find comics for kids. Now you don’t have to.
Here are some of the best comics that I’ve found for little kids. They are not in any particular order, and this is not a complete list – there will be more in future columns. Don’t have or know any ankle-biters? Big people will love these, too! They don’t have any “bad stuff” in them, but they do have lots of good stuff.
THE MARVELOUS ADVENTURES OF GUS BEEZER: When you were little, you made up stories about superheroes, right? Either you met Spiderman or you got to see Spiderman in action or you were Spiderman. Well, that’s what Gus does. Each comic has two stories – the top two-thirds of each page tells the story of Gus interacting with a superguy, and the bottom third is Gus’s comic, in crayon. There are four comics so far – one each with the X-Men and Hulk, and two with Spidey (this is a MARVEL title, after all).
This just couldn’t be any cuter. There are plenty of superhero references for grownups, but it’s squarely aimed at young ‘uns. The writing is excellent and there isn’t anything remotely inappropriate for little kids. Whether Gus is acting out his superhero fantasies or meeting the real thing, it’s always fun.
Sarah says: GUS BEEZER is about a little boy who likes superheroes. It’s not a regular comic book – it has his drawings on it, too. In his comic, he calls hisself Marvel Kid. He has this dog that always goes around with him named Marvel Dog. They pretend to fight crime. I like all the characters ‘cause they like to play superheroes like me.
Shelby says: Gus Beezer has these adventures in his mind about these MARVEL characters that he wants to be with. Gus draws people’s fingers like lines, and I don’t. He thinks he has powers, like a mutant, and he talks all the time, like Sarah.
BONE: Jeff Smith’s BONE has been around for quite a while, but we recently discovered this wonderful story -- just in time for it end! CARTOON BOOKS has now published the entire tale in one volume – 1,318 pages in paperback – and Shelby hasn’t put it down since we bought it at Comic-Con.
I’ve heard it referred to as a cute version of LORD OF THE RINGS, but I haven’t read it (have to wait my turn), so I’ll let Shelby do this review.
Shelby says: It’s about Fone Bone, who is naked all the time, likes the book Moby Dick, and is very nice and smart. Phoney, the oldest Bone with the star on his shirt, is greedy and wants all the gold and he’s bossy. Smiley Bone always sticks his tongue out like a dog and he’s the tallest. He’s kinda dumb but he’s really funny. Thorn is a princess (but she doesn’t know it until later) and she lives with her Grandma Ben who races cows. There’s dragons, and the Lord of the Locusts, and rat creatures (they are bad, but they’re funny). Fone Bone finds a baby cub rat creature and he’s so cute and he grows up and they try to take him back to the mountains. There’s a couple wars they talk about. It’s like a new world and they have to travel a lot. It’s a little spooky, but not too much. You should read this book because it’s like reading a whole year in someone’s life.
ASTONISH COMICS makes all-ages comics. You heard right, they only make comics that are appropriate for all ages. Yes, I know, I wish them luck, too. But after reading these three titles, I think it just might work.
THE DREAMLAND CHRONICLES: A CG fantasy comic for kids. Only one issue has been released, but judging by Shelby’s reaction, they could have a hit on their hands. It’s the first comic she asks about when the new release list comes out each week, and I think she’s read the first issue twenty times.
The story revolves around Alex, who used to have very vivid dreams about hanging out in a fantasyland with his friends – a fairy, a rock creature, and an elf. He stopped dreaming altogether when he was twelve, just after the dream where he discovered a dragon and an evil sword. Fast forward to Alex, twenty, sharing a college dorm room with his brother. When Mom sends a special care package, Alex starts dreaming again.
Great fantasy stuff, and the CG art is really eye-catching. The “real” world is dull and washed-out, while Dreamland is incredibly vivid and exciting. I know the art will appeal to everyone, but I think the story may be heading toward older kids because there’s a romance brewing and the “grown up” girls lean a little toward fanboy fodder. It’s a big book at 48 pages, which is a plus, but may not come out very often, which is a minus – little ones aren’t good at waiting. Still, it’s an exciting comic that kids and grownups can get into.
Shelby says: It’s a good story because it just is. The art is computer but it looks like claymation. There’s a giant cyclops and he’s smooshing the teddy bears’ town and he’s talking in rhymes – it’s funny! I like all the characters – Alex, the boy; Nastajia, the elf girl; Kiwi, the fairy; and Paddington Rumblebottom the Third, a rock boy. Kids should read this because it’s kid-like and it’s different from all other comic books – it’s got 3D stuff in it.
Sarah says: It’s about a boy who has these dreams about he’s flying with imaginary friends. I like the animation ‘cause it’s computer. I like Paddington ‘cause he’s funny and he looks like the Thing and he’s funny like him. He doesn’t say “It’s clobberin’ time!” though. I like Kiwi the fairy. She hardly does anything, but she’s really cute when I see her.
HEROBEAR AND THE KID: We can’t do a full review this one, because we’ve only read the excerpt in ASTONISH FACTORY’s Free Comic Book Day handout. The story looks very sweet and cuddly, and I thought the girls would eat it up with a spoon, but they didn’t warm up to the two-color art. I’d still say that this is probably a good title for really little kids.
Sarah says: I don’t like HEROBEAR’S drawings ‘cause they don’t have too many colors.
Shelby says: It’s kind of cool because it helps kids draw better. It shows the guidelines or whatever those lines are called. The story is cute.
AWESOME MAN: Little Joey is obsessed with the superhero Awesome Man, which annoys his big brother. At the end of the first issue, Joey wakes up and…he is Awesome Man!
This should be called “Adorable Man” – it’s cute enough to make jaded and cynical adults physically ill. I love the dynamic between Joey and his older brother; it feels very real. My only complaint is that Joey is supposed to be seven, but he acts like he’s four. The art is as cute and heartwarming as the story, with warm colors and a loose yet easy-to-read style. This one’s a winner, especially for the youngest readers.
Sarah says: I love AWESOME MAN because it has some really cool little kid who likes Awesome Man and he stares at the TV like me. I like the end because he turned into Awesome Man. I think his mom will faint!
Shelby says: It was cute but the little boy’s big brother wasn’t very nice – he was bossy. I think they acted like kids usually do. If I’m yelling at my sister, and she gets hurt, I can help her and I won’t yell at her anymore, just like the boys in the book.
ABADAZAD: I’ve saved the best, and worst, for last. I just finished reading MICHAEL CHABON’s keynote speech from the Eisner Awards, in which he laments the lack of great comics for children. Though many of his words struck deeply, I have to disagree on one thing – there is at least one great comic being written for kids. ABADAZAD is, hands down, the best all ages comic I’ve ever read. It’s “a truly thrilling, honestly observed and remembered, richly imagined, involved and yet narratively straightforward comic book for children, about children,” just as MICHAEL CHABON envisioned. But I’m not even going to tell you about it, because it’s published by CROSS GEN, who just went bankrupt, and three issues is probably all we’re ever going to get. If you want to see what comics can be, read it. If only it could continue….
NEXT TIME: The world of spooky-cute goth comics for kids: PATRICK THE WOLFBOY, the GHOULY BOYS, COURTNEY CRUMRIN, GRUMPY OLD MONSTERS, LITTLE GLOOMY, and SCARY GODMOTHER.
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