Yeah I'm going to be taking some of what he rights about into my next school visits
07.03.2026 01:10
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Yeah I'm going to be taking some of what he rights about into my next school visits
It's such a good book!
Book cover: The Grammar of Fantasy by Gianni Rodari, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe, translated from Italian by Jack Zipes. Cover illustration is a colorful, textural depiction of a child in white cloak walking past a giant’s foot; snakes, fish, a rabbit, and dragons lurk nearby. Eerie but friendly at the same time.
Chapter header from The Grammar of Fantasy: 38. The Child Who Reads Comics Illustration of a child hidden behind a large comic book with simplified shapes, eyes, and a mouth for panels.
Excerpt from The Grammar of Fantasy: books, new inventions are often added to the basic sounds, and these, too, must be deciphered. The entire course of the story must be reconstructed in the imagination, combining the signals provided by the captions, dialogue, and onomatopoeia with those given by the drawings and color, so that the many loose threads of the plot can be mentally tied together into a single, continuous thread. And it is the reader who makes sense of everything: the personality of the characters, who are not described, but shown in action; the relationships between them, which result from the plot and its developments; even the action itself, which is revealed to the reader only through jumps and fragments. For a child of six or seven years, comic books seem to me sufficiently demanding work, rich with logical and imaginative operations, regardless of the value and content of the comic book, which is not at issue here. When reading a comic, the imagination of the child does not passively assist; rather, it is urged to take a position, to analyze and synthesize, to classify and decide. There is no room here for absentminded daydreams, not while the mind is engaged in such complex attention and the imagination is called upon to fulfill its most noble functions. To venture to say that up to a certain point, the child's principal interest in comic books is not determined by their content, but is tied directly to the form and substance of the comics themselves, as a means of expression. The child wants to master the technique of the comic strip. That's it. She reads comic books in 238
Continued excerpt from The Grammar of Fantasy. order to learn how to read comic books, to understand their rules and conventions. She enjoys the efforts of her own imagination, more than the adventures of the characters. She plays with her own mind, not with the story. It may well be high-handed to separate things so clearly in this way. But the effort of distinguishing between them is worth it if the distinction helps us not to underestimate the child, and the underlying seriousness and moral engagement that she brings to everything she does. Everything else about comics has already been said, for better or for worse, and I won't bother you by repeating it.
did not expect this chapter! I especially love:
“When reading a comic, the imagination of the child does not passively assist; rather, it is urged to take a position, to analyze and synthesize, to classify and decide.”
(and also the eternal nature of “comics ? for kids ????” discourse lmao)
Panels from my webcomic. Teddy runs from a darkened room, but is blocked by a skeletal wraith with ink flowing from its bones
Nowhere to run. There are new pages of Sable: A Ghost Story, up now for Patrons!
To be clear, queer stories will be told regardless of what bad-faith politicians do. We always find a way. But kids need to know they're part of a community too, and laws like these are intended to cut them off.
Politicians crying that they're just "protecting the children" while doing the exact opposite is nothing new, but if this becomes law it could effectively end the careers of some of you favorite queer creators (including mine!)
Why comics creators must fight the proposed censorship of H.R. 7661
He's a fanboy at heart
Teddy, an anthropomorphic stoat, lost and sinking in a sea of ink
Try not to drown. There are new pages of Sable: A Ghost Story up now for Patrons. Patreon.com/ethanaldridge
Thank you!!!
Thank you! They're really fun to draw
Anyway, if you'd like to see how I do drawings like this, check out my recent process video! youtu.be/95ge4k4eNHY?...
A grumpy little rodent!
He's just a small creature trying his best in a scary world!
Another drawing of Teddy, his eyes wide and sparkling with wonder.
An inked, in-progress panel from Sable: A Ghost Story, showing Teddy with his typical surly expression
Lovely to see SABLE mentioned in this webcomic roundup video!
Ooo amazing! This is so nice to see, thank you for the heads up!
This is the exact same edition I'm reading!
Thank you!!!
protect this sweet baby boy at all cost
Someone has to, he's certainly not going to do it himself
See the new pages and lots of behind the scenes work here: patreon.com/ethanaldridge
You can start reading the story for free here: sablecomic.com
Thats the only way to deal with a pesky ghost
Panels from my webcomic. Teddy runs from a darkened room, but is blocked by a skeletal wraith with ink flowing from its bones
Nowhere to run. There are new pages of Sable: A Ghost Story, up now for Patrons!
Come to think of it, we're long overdue for some updated Schoolhouse Rock episodes, I know there are a lot of animators that would love to work on a short (and need the work)
Is there any hard data on how many adults use Schoolhouse Rock tunes to get through daily life?
I'm a professional writer and I still need to hum "Unpack Your Adjectives" a few times a week.
I'm only in the middle of reading the first book for the first time! I believe there's only 3 1/2 books?
A drawing inspired by the novel "Titus Groan" by Mervyn Peake. Titus at his christianing, laying in the open book of ritual and staring up at the viewer with purple eyes
Titus Groan, Heir of Gormenghast
I'm in the middle of my first read right now, I'm having a great time!
