Comic Book Resources

Aww, man. That's the cutest thing ever.

And it's great to see kids digging such a great book, too.

Very cool, Joe.

Thanks.

Who says kids don't like comics???!!!

Richard-
That was my exact thought when I saw these photos. Joe's singlehandedly bringing the kids back in.

Please tell me I'm not the only one to get a huge goofy smile on my face after seeing this??

I'll have one of those goofy smiles. Well done sir!

OK, I hate to be an ass, but isn't it illegal to post these photos?

No, it isn't. If I offerred personal info or anything, yeah, but these are as germaine as study photos or whatever. Besides, the parents are fine.

Thanks, everyone!

Now if we can keep those kinds from ever finding out about the existence of Trials of Shazam everything should be great.

I cannot imagine a way they'd find out about it, Lev. No need for concern.

I was just having a conversation with one of my teachers at SVA about reaching certain demographics, particularly kids. Nice to see some positive argument. We kinda both figured the industry to be out of touch, and therefore incapable of reaching, kids and even young adults.

I'll make sure to let him know that we were both wrong, happily.

Except it took Joe working as an intermediary to get it in their hands.

Can't thank you enough Joe for passing the baton. If the industry doesn't wake up and start doing more uplifting, good natured all ages things it's gonna shrivel up back to the size of just people making comics out of their homes. The Big 2 could learn a lesson from the success of The Marvel Family and your success here.

BTW, love the shirts! Many blessings to you and your class.

Col

Weebo-
But now they've got it. For a while now, there haven't even been intermediaries! My hope would be that, like music or novels or anything else, now that these kids have been exposed to this amazing artform they'll stick with it and pass it on.

I said it on the boards, and I'll say it again here. You have got to send that first picture to DC, Jeff Smith, or both.

"Now if we can keep those kinds from ever finding out about the existence of Trials of Shazam everything should be great."

Why is there Trials Of Shazam?

Did anybody want it?

Well, it is as Michael Chabon said..."Children haven't abandoned comics. Comics have abandoned children." This is a great, great story, here.

That is extremely cute. Thanks for sharing, Joe.

Those are my babies. I heart them even more than Captain Marvel, and I heart him a lot.

Have you shared the Marvel Adventures comics with them? Seeing as they're basically the only Marvel comics worth reading these days anyway.

I always love when I see kids reading comics. It pushes out the jaded bitterness for a few seconds.

Fantastic work! This is exactly what I love to see happen with this book and young readers. You done good, Joe.

This makes comics worth it. It's why I love the medium. It's why I love Captain Marvel.

Ah, that's good. I work with kids too and they make a lot of noise about anything any kind of identifying information. Even photos have to be shredded, or at least that's what is supposed to happen. In reality it doesn't work that way, but I'm always paranoid about getting fired so I follow HIPPA as best as I possibly can.

Okay, I hate to bring this down to the basest level (okay, okay, I actually don't) but DAYAM! Mom's a cutie!

Good lookin' out, Tim. But I'm covered, no worries.

You think this is cute, you should hear them recite T.S. Eliot or Shakespeare!

I haven't shared the Marvel Adventures stuff with them lately, but last year the table with the most behavior points at the end of the week would get comics. There were often Marvel Adventure books to pick from along with DC animated and Archies.

How did you tell them Capt. Marvel stories?

Did you hold the comic up and read out the captions?
Or did you just tell the stories verbally?
If the later I'm seeing a new Podcast series - Joe Rice reads... The Marvel Family.

And have either you or Greg Hatcher written to the (ironically titled) 'big two' and pointed out how big the potential market they are missing is?

Yeah, I'd just verbally tell stories. You read superhero comics for almost thirty years and you can make simple ones up improv style. Have some action, some humor, some forshadowing, end on a cliffhanger and BOOM you got everyone's attention.

I haven't written, no. I can't imagine they don't realize it . . .it's just a question of how to access it. It's all well and good for me to say, "Get these kids these comics" but I can't pretend to have the business know-how to make it happen.

"I haven’t written, no. I can’t imagine they don’t realize it . . .it’s just a question of how to access it. It’s all well and good for me to say, “Get these kids these comics” but I can’t pretend to have the business know-how to make it happen."

But if they do know that kids do like comics/superheroes but aren't acting on it - and I don't call releasing a mini series that the head editor tried to can acting on it - then not only are they being foolish, but not acting in the shareholders best intrests (or anybody else's for that matter).
If you listened to Joe Q, it's impossible to get kids, or girls, to read comics, and yet both you and Greg Hatcher have students of both sex's going crazy for them.

I mean how much money did Marvel and DC spend coming up with this past years worth of crossovers?
I don't know how their sales went (100,000 readers isn't that impressive if you look at any other form of print media), but I didn't see/hear of anyone as excited about them as those kids are with their Shazam comics*.

*Let alone the message board/blog excitement from all the big kids about it.

This is completely awesome, Joe. Thanks for sharing.

I'm a firm believer that comics should be for everyone - there's room for comics for adults as well as comics for kids, but it's a creative medium like any other and it should be enjoyed by all. It's been a long time since I've personally seen kids enjoying comic books, so this was a really cool post.

(Also, you've reminded me to make a note to pick up the collected version of this book! So yeah!)

It's great to see how into the comics they are, especially that one girl in thae last classroom pic who looks like she's studying every detail. Brings back memories.
Awesome job dude and awesome kids if only for giving puke a thumbs up

Their generation is going to view comics a lot differently than our generation(I'm 31)and even more than the one before. I know that sounds obvious and it is of course, but they're getting comic characters and ideas in a much wider variety of formats than we did. It's also a lot more "respectable"

Alonso you're in SVA? Great school.

Joe, thanks for sharing the wonderful story and photos!

*Sniff* I think I have somthing in my eye.

This is just really, REALLY cool.

Sooooooo great!!!! I love it!

On a completely unrelated note- is it that warm in Brooklyn right now?

Joe is not the only one bringing the kids back in. I teach 6th grade in Queens, and my kids looooooovvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeee comics. The boys will even compete for the "girly" manga. They are reading comics every chance they get. It is definitely improving their academics and their self esteeem (comics are good rewards!). Although I don't have enough money for t-shirts, my kids do remember my lessons, and come to visit me after they've finshed 6th grade to try and "score" some more comics.

I think kids are more open to comics because they have been explosed to anime etc. This is just a non-video game way for them to feel adventure that parents do love. The problem I am having is that parents don't seem to want to buy many of my students comics besides what they get in school. They don't even know where the local comic shop is, or where to look in the book store.

Someone's got to say it. Thanks for sharing, and...

SHAZAM!

AWESOME! My wife teaches high school and we discovered that Watchmen is part of the LAUSD approved list so we are working up a module for that book. I can't believe that you are in the same city as DC and they haven't picked up on this. Their lack of incentive to grow their business is ridiculous. Good looking out from Rocketship for the hook-up.

Those shirts are fantastic! Continued success to you and yours.

From Jeff Smith's blog at Boneville.com:

Joe, your pics of your classroom holding up comics is priceless! Thanks for sharing.

Comment by Jeff Smith — February 14, 2007 @ 11:32 am

I have to go buy truckloads of copies for local schools. You inspire, sir. Great work!

Quite simply, that's awesome. I absolutely love that first picture with the children holding up their copies. Almost brings a tear to the eye.

What a fantastic blog and it's so great to hear of comics being brought into classrooms!

It's great to hear that you're havin fun with your class and aint it just the best feeling when that happens! Keep up the good work mate!

Holy moley! It's great to see kids being kids, especially when they are enjoying the adventures of "The Big Red Cheese" and family.

Never lose that inner child as long as you live.

Shazam!
Jackson Bostwick
Captain Marvel 1974-80
CBS - Saturday morning

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!!!

THE ABSOLUTE BEST YEARS OF MY CAREER WERE PLAYING BILLY BATSON ON THE CBS SERIES "SHAZAM" IT TRULY WARMS MY HEART TO SEE PEOPLE RESPONDING SO POSITIVELY TO THE CAPTAIN AND
CREW. I, AND I AM SURE JACKSON LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOVIE WHEN IT COMES OUT AND A WHOLE NEW "SHAZAM" CROWD. HOLY MOLEY FOREVER.

WOW! DO I EVER REMEMBER ''SHAZAM'' I STILL LOVE IT TO THIS DAY TOO I WISH I COULD FIND A T-SHIRT WITH JACKSON BOSTWICK ON IT I SEEM TO HAVE NO LUCK IN THAT DEPARTMENT SO IF ANYONE OUTTHERE CAN HELP ME THANKS IT WOULD MEAN ALOT TO ME, AS FOR THE NEW MOVIE BEING DONE OF ''SHAZAM'' WELL TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH THERE IS ONLY ONE GUY WHO IS THE ORIGINAL ''CAPTAIN MARVEL'' AND THAT'S JACKSON BOSTWICK AND BILLY BATSON THAT'S MICHAEL GRAY SO NO OTHER ACTORS CAN EVER DO A MOVIE AND PLAY THEM TWO GUYS I LOVE THE ORIGINAL GUYS AND THE SHOW TOO I GOTTA BE HONEST ABOUT THAT SO MICHAEL GRAY IF YOU AND JACKSON BOSTWICK ARE READING THIS PLEASE KNOW THAT I DO STILL CARE AND REMEMBER YOU BOTH ALSO IN LOVING MEMORY LES TREMAYNE WHO WAS A FANASTIC MENTOR! TAKE CARE. ALWAYS,DEBRA.

I WANTA SAY THAT I LOVE THE ORIGINAL SHAZAM! IT SHOULD STAY LIKE THAT AND AS FOR THE MOVIE I STILL WISH THEY WOULD LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE I MEAN THE ORIGINAL IS THE BEST I CAN'T PICK A FAVORITE OF THE ORIGINAL SHOW OF SHAZAM! WHEN IT COMES TO CAPTAIN MARVEL I LOVE BOTH JACKSON BOSTWICK AND JOHN DAVEY THEY ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE BEST CAPTAIN MARVELS EVER!I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS ARE READING THIS I AM TALKING ABOUT YOU JACKSON AND JOHN DAVEY AND MICHAEL GRAY YOU THREE ARE SHAZAM! IN MY HEART NOONE ELSE CAN EVER PLAY THE PARTS YOU PLAYED ON THAT SHOW AND I MEAN THIS FROM MY HEART. PLEASE ALWAYS KNOW I DO CARE AND ALWAYS WILL TOO SO GUYS REMEMBER THIS FROM ME I STILL LOVE YOU THREE GUYS AND I HAVE FOR 38 YEARS YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS IN MY HEART WHY? CAUSE I CARE! I AM NOT TALKING THE TALK I AM TELLING THE TRUTH! ALWAYS,DEBRA.

I HAVE NOT POSTED ANYTHING IN AWHILE SO THIS IS MY FIRST POST IN QUITE SOMETIME, I STLL SAY LEAVE THE ORIGINAL ''SHAZAM'' ALONE AND AS FOR THE MOVIE BEING DONE I WISH THEY WOULD LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE NOTHING CAN EVER TAKE THE PLACE OF THE TRUE ORIGINAL ''SHAZAM'', I KNOW EVERYONE HAS THEIR OPINIONS OF THINGS AND OF COURSE I RESPECT THAT BUT AS I SAID I LOVE THE ORIGINAL ''SHAZAM'' AND ALWAYS WILL IN MY HEART.ALWAYS DEBRA. PS SHAZAM!

ONCE AGAIN I AM POSTING ANOTHER COMMENT ABOUT SHAZAM I HAVE GONE TO DIFFERENT WEBSITES WHERE I'VE READ WHO IS THE BETTER CAPTAIN MARVEL WELL IT JUST BURNS ME UP WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS GOES ON I MEAN LOOK I HAVE ENOUGH LOVE IN MY HEART FOR THE TWO GUYS WHO PLAYED CAPTAIN MARVEL JACKSON BOSTWICK AND JOHN DAVEY THEY WERE THE BEST ONES IN MY OPINION TO PLAY THE PART OF CAPTAIN MARVEL THEY ARE IN MY HEART CAPTAIN MARVEL IN THEIR OWN RIGHT AND I AM NOT ASHAME TO SAY GUYS I DO CARE ABOUT YOU AND HAVE FOR 39 YEARS AND LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT RIGHT NOW IF I DID'NT CARE I WOULD NOT SAY IT SO GUYS IF YOUR READING THIS I WANT YOU TO KNOW I AM TELLING THE TRUTH WITH ALL MY HEART AND THAT IS BEING VERY SINCERE AND TRUE.ALWAYS,DEBRA

SHAZAM STILL LIVES ON TO THOSE OF US WHO LOVE THE ORIGINAL SHAZAM INWHICH I ALWAYS WILL TOO SO JACKSON BOSTWICK AND JOHN DAVEY YOUR THE BEST CAPTAIN MARVELS EVER GUYS AND I LOVE YOU AS YOU ARE FOR BEING YOURSELF.DEBRA

if anyone ever has grew up watching shazam you are like me you still love it even today with the original as always being the best! jackson bostwick and john davey, and michael gray and les tremayne were and still are the best! in loving memory les tremayne will always be mentor your the best les!. debra

let me know of any new shazam news okay.debra

lol

i have not posted anything in awhile so i am now doing this i love shazam! the original as it is always the very best i know i sound like a broken record but at least i am being honest! kids should have a hero to look up to like captain marvel also their parents too! thanks for having this website it is cool!