General Comment Section

[Charlene]

Hi all!

We've created a specific area for comments, feedback, et cetera from anyone in LIS 9001. The only catch is you have to give your first name at the end of your post.

You can add your feedback to this thread, if you'd like, but feel free to create separate threads if you wish!

Thanks!

-- Nathalie and Charlene

[Jessie]

Your website looks amazing ladies!
Honestly, I am so impressed with the web design. As well, such a tonne of great information.
I really like your "find a comic" section. As someone who did not start to read graphic novels/comics until I was an adult, I know little about what it available and I have a hard time finding things that interest me (for instance, I don't like superheroes- I know, I'm terrible). I read one called Fables which is based on the premise that fairytale characters live in the contemporary world, but I haven't found much else that interests me (any recommendations??)
I also love the idea of using comics/graphic novels in a learning based environment. I think that it makes classic texts feel less daunting to students, while they're still learning the concepts and themes involved. As well, it promotes a different type of literacy and I feel that comics could be really useful for teaching in special needs classrooms where students are developing an awareness of facial clues/body language clues. In the case of comics, so much of the message is in the images and not the text, they could be a great resource for that setting.
-Jessie

[Peter]

I am really impressed with the site you have developed both in terms of design, and more importantly content. Ever since Natalie's paper presentation on "Graphic Novels in Academic Libraries: From Maus to Manga and Beyond," I've been particularly interested in the topic from an academic perspective. Also of interest was Anya's public library perspectives.

I read comics growing up but only really turned to graphic novels in the past 3 years or so. I have found it a bit of a challenge to not only find ones of interest to me, but also those which are considered seminal works in the genre. Again thanks to Natalie's presentation, and other's recommendations I have already tackled a few of these.

I think this is a great resource. You have made some very compelling statements about the academic use of graphic novels. I wonder if I can find a graphic novel that demystifies research methods.

Well done,

Peter

[Chris C]

Hey

Great job girls. As an individual who is very under-appreciative of graphic novels/comic books, I found your site to be very informative. I like how you provide the basic fundamentals of graphic novels and progress through their history (for someone who knows very little about this world it was quite helpful). I also really like how you broke up your "suggested readings" section by age group. Great interface as well. Job well done.

Chris Cooper

[Erica Wilson]

This is an excellent website, Charlene and Nathalie! The amount of work that you guys have put into it is amazing.

I have to admit that I have never read a graphic novel/comic book, but I have become more interested in this genre since joining the MLIS program. The enthusiasm for graphic narratives is contagious!

I really enjoyed your website. Being new to graphic narratives, I found the site really helpful. The basic information and history gave me more information about the genre while the suggested reading gave me an idea about what I should start reading.

Erica

[Allison]

Charlene and Nathalie,

Wow this is a really great site! Thanks so much for your handwork, it's clear that you both put a lot of effort into this website. I won't lie, I'm not really a huge fan of graphic novels, only because I've never really been introduced to them and I never really tried to get into the genre. I think this is a great place for someone like me to start, because it gives me all the background information I need to know that a) graphic novels are not just glorified comic books, and b) that there are many different genres that can satisfy many different kinds of readers.

I liked both the Suggested Readings page, as well as the History tabs. I was able to flip through lost the whole site and you guys kept me interested the whole time and I wanted to learn more about the different kinds of graphic novels.

Thanks for (almost) turning me into a graphic novel reader!

Great job, and thanks again!

-Allison

[Sarah Brown]

FANTASTIC job ladies. You can really tell that some seriously hard work was put into this web design alone, not to mention the abundance of information. After this term, I really want to get into graphic novels (I have absolutely no experience with them! I know for shame...) This month is my turn to choose a new book for the book club I have with my friends and I really want to do a graphic novel since the great majority of the members have never read one. So I especially enjoy the recommendations page of your site. Believe me, it will be hard to limit the book to just one. A lot of them sound good.
The educational benefits of these books are, in my opinion, undervalued. A friend of mine is a high school teacher and works specifically with troubled teens that are at serious risk of dropping out. These are teens that have absolutely zero interest in school and learning, not to mention extremely low literacy. She taught them Hamlet using a graphic novel as the text. She said the kids could not put it down. They were so into it and actually understood the play more than some of her previous students who were taught from the normal text and were "good" students. It's pretty amazing that this tool really engaged the students who are traditionally very resistant to education.
Also, any recommendations you want to highlight for me to narrow down my book club selection would be great ;D

[Shauna Dereniowski]

The amount of effort you two have put into this website is very apparent. Fantastic job!
I have never been an avid reader of comics or graphic and have very little knowledge about them. I found your suggested reading to be very helpful. Also, having a section focused on the basics and history is a great resource for people have very little knowledge (like me).
The images, links to social media, and overall layout is so impressive. You both should be very proud. This is a great resource for me to have, as children and adults both always ask for recommendations on comics and graphic novels at the branch I work at.

Shauna

[Laura Peacock]

Wow ladies, your site is awesome! As someone who's knowledge of comic books, especially comic book history, is very limited, I learned so much reading my way through your site. You've created something that is very accessible and informative for people who know nothing about comic books and for people who want to learn more. Like almost every comment before mine, I really love the sections you have created for finding comics for different age groups. A resource like this would be amazing to have access to in a library. I'm in awe of the amount of information you've compiled and your interface. I hope you guys keep going with the site after the class project is over. An amazing job!

[Ali Emery]

Amazing site guys! This really is a great resource. I'm only just beginning to get into graphic novel literature, so the suggested readings section is really useful to a novice like me who doesn't really know where to start and what's considered "good". I just had a quick question though - are you planning on adding a manga section, or anything similar? (Manga was my gateway into graphic novels) Again, really impressive site!

[Kevin Beswick]

Great site! I have only read two graphic novels before - The Watchmen, and the first volume of Transmetropolitan. I enjoyed both, but haven't really gotten into any other titles since. Your website is a great resource, and I hope to pick up some recommendations for future reads. Also, I think that its a great idea to promote local stores that sell graphic novels, because other than Chapters, I wouldn't have had any idea where to go to obtain them. Good job!