I really enjoyed this webinar about teaching through nonfiction comics. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved comics as a medium for explanation — it’s right up there with documentaries for me.
I heart about the webinar through Scott McCloud’s Twitter feed. His book Understanding Comics was a huge influence on me as a young explainer, and it was interesting to hear about his process and philosophy on comics that teach. I wasn’t familiar with the other panelists, and it was a treat to see how they’ve tackled a wide range of subjects through comics.
Malaka Gharib has created some great comic explainers for NPR, the Nib, and others, such as this guide to coronavirus. She also wrote a graphic memoir of her experiences growing up as a child of immigrants in the United Stats.
Whit Taylor is a contributing editor at the Nib and has created nonfiction comics on public health, social science and other topics. I’m looking forward to her upcoming book, Harriet Tubman: Toward Freedom
Kriota Willberg has an extensive, varied background as an artist, educator, and massage therapist. Her book Draw Stronger is a guide to self care for cartoonists and other visual artists.
Veteran cartoonist R. Sikoryak — who’s primarily known for literary adaptations and satire comics — hosted the evening.
Even after decades of amazing work, explanatory comics feels like an excited frontier. There’s so much untapped potential.