Why do comic books and graphic novels work well as literary tools?
My daughter, Samantha, learned to read by reading Archie stories. Not everybody reads with words. There’s a whole population of kids who see pictures, and they can read by just looking at the pictures. If you really know what you’re doing with layout, you can draw an entire story without one word and you should be able to know what the story is about. A two- to three-year-old can look at a comic book and then start getting the words. It’s a big aha! because it’s a different way of teaching. Plus it’s fun. Kids love comics. How did you get started in this field? I started with Ms. Liz greeting cards, which were aimed at the liberated woman. This was in the ’80s. They said things like, “I know I’m not easy to live with, but you’re no bargain either.” I sold a few million. It was a time for women to come out and speak their mind. The animated Ms. Liz was on the Today Show about 20 times. Do you have a favorite character you’ve worked with? I love doing Archie stories, the Betty and Veroni
