Last Thursday, I loaded the kidling into the car and we went to San Jose's Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, where I was going to read the children's submissions to the San Jose public library's Graphic Novel Contest. I spent a pleasant afternoon reading thirty-three stories by children from the ages of eight to twelve in the lovely children's section of the library, and I learned a few things in the process:

  • The concept of the "graphic novel" may not be entirely understood. Quite a few of the stories were illustrated prose stories. I debated suggesting these be disqualified, but it turns out I'm not entirely heartless.
  • Gender takes hold early. With a few exceptions, the stories by boys featured people being shot, punched, sliced with swords, or blown up. Many of the girls stories featured shopping, fairies, or make-overs—and quite a few were obviously influenced by shoujo manga. The boys' comics versus girls' comics dichotomy starts early.
  • Parents can understimate their children. One of the submissions came with a note from a parent, explaining that the child who had made it was autistic, so the art might not be as good as other children his age and the story "probably won't make any sense." What I read was a story about a man who steals a car, breaks down in front of the police station, and is put in jail. "It has a sense of irony," I said, "and the thief suffers the consequences of his actions. What is there that doesn't make sense?"
  • The best work often subverts expectations. I came across my favorite comic late in the afternoon. Mateo was starting to fuss and I was getting a horror of a headache. When I started reading a comic about a man who becomes a werewolf, I sighed, sure it was another boy's comic that would become a bloodbath. But then! The man learns to control becoming a wolf, lives with a pack of wolves to study them, and then writes a bestselling book about his experience. I was charmed.
  • Comics are a lot of fun. This is something I knew already, of course, but sometimes I need a little nudge. Reading the kids' stories reminded me of the uncomplicated pleasure of words and pictures.

The winners of the contest, which also included categories for teenagers and adults, will be announced on May 8. I'll be there to meet a few of what I hope will be the next generation of comics creators and readers.