In "Reason to Get Excited," I spotlight things from modern comics that I think are worth getting excited about. I mean stuff more specific than "this comic is good," ya know? More like a specific bit from a writer or artist that impressed me.
Today, we begin a special FRED VAN LENTE DAY TAKEOVER of CSBG, with various features all having to do with Fred Van Lente on this, the most important holiday of the year!
This Monday was an important day in New York City, as it was part of the Civics For All campaign, which involved working in comic books into civics education as part of an event that involved Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey introducing a new comic book that will be provided to New York City students very soon.
Here is the comic, called Action Activists...
It helped greet guests outside the New York Historical Society...
Here is the Civics For All Twitter account.
Joe Schmidt detailed the event on his own Twitter account...
The New York City Department of Education Chancellor, Richard Carranza, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio were both on hand to hear Representative John Lewis, a real life icon of the Civil Rights movement, discuss his brilliant graphic novel series, March, that he created with Andrew Aydin and the amazing comic book artist, Nate Powell.
I have often written about the power of comics upon civics and it is so wonderful to see a program that puts that idea into action. I once did a Comic Book Legends Revealed about how the classic 1957 Martin Luther King Jr. comic book almost directly inspired the historic Greensboro Four Walgreens lunch counter sit-ins.
In January of 1960, Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story found its way to Greensboro, N.C., and into the hands of 18-year-old North Carolina A&T State University student Ezell Blair. After reading it, Blair decided to show it to his roommate, Joseph McNeil. Blair and McNeil had been in contact with local civil rights activists but, as the story goes, it was when McNeil finished reading the comic book that he made a decision of historic importance, declaring, "Let's have a boycott!"
Comic books are powerful and they can communicate ideas often much stronger than other media, especially to children, and so it is a really big reason for us ALL to be excited about this great program that is allowing Fred and Ryan to deliver such an inspiring comic book that will be available to so many students. Activism and comics go hand in hand really well.
More Fred Van Lente Day CSBG takeover stuff to come!
Okay, this feature is a bit less of a reader-interactive one, as I'm just spotlight stuff in modern comics that specifically impressed ME, but heck, if you'd like to send in some suggestions anyways, maybe you and I have the same taste! It's certainly not improbably that something you found cool would be something that I found cool, too, so feel free to send ideas to me at brianc@cbr.com!