Comics are not just for children and many are inappropriate for them. Manga and American comics are often geared towards teenagers or adults. However, there are still great children’s comics, such as Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, Owly, and classic superheroes. Classics Illustrated also created comic book representations of classic literature and fairy tales. Parents should be cautious when choosing comics for children.
Comics come in many forms and many are completely inappropriate for children. Manga, the Japanese form of drawing and creating comics, may have some comics that are suitable for children, but the vast majority of these works are geared towards teenagers, or even strictly adults. This is certainly true of American comics as well. Just because something has artwork doesn’t mean that the content is rated G, PG, or PG-13. The standard of thinking of comics as innocent children’s diversions begins with them originally being marketed to children. This standard has changed and needs to be taken into consideration when choosing comics for children or even letting comics be read in the newspaper.
Given this caution, there are still many great children’s comics, some of them new, and many of them collections of classic cartoons. If you really want to keep the content clean, consider buying collections of Peanuts strips by Charles Schulz. These continue to be relevant, entertaining and it’s hard to resist loving characters like Snoopy and Woodstock, or feel caught up in the conflicts of the world’s unluckiest boy, Charlie Brown.
Another comic that is no longer airing is Bill Watterson’s wonderful Calvin and Hobbes. Kids and their parents may especially enjoy this strip, which involves the adventures of the boy’s boy, Calvin, and his stuffed tiger (though for Calvin, alive). Additionally, Watterson’s work is excellent for beginning and intermediate readers, as he introduces a lot of difficult vocabulary and, like the Peanuts series, launches children into some fairly literate references to the worlds of science, literature, and philosophy.
Boys and girls alike may adore Garfield, also available in book form in collections of strips, and still featured in the comic sections of many newspapers. The fat cat with his love of food and general laziness is usually not lacking in delight and is very friendly to children. A more recent series to consider are the Eisner Award-winning graphic novels based on the charming owl named Owly. Parents and critics alike praise Andy Runton’s work largely because it is so child-friendly.
As kids progress into their pre-teens, they may really enjoy comics featuring classic superheroes. Spider-Man, Justice League and Superman contain mild violence but still remain popular and relatively innocent in content. Don’t forget the Classics Illustrated children’s series, popular in the 1950s, which created comic book representations of classic literature and fairy tales. These may be a little harder to find, although on a small scale, some companies are starting to republish the Classics Illustrated line, and if you search sites like EBay or in used bookstores you may be able to find some for children who are devoted to comics.
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