Adults Just Wantto Have Fun (Too!)

Graphic Novels & Gamingfor a Mature Audience

Don Boozer

dboozer@cpl.org

Anastasia Diamond-Ortiz

adiamond@cpl.org

What are COMICS ?• Comics are a MEDIUM...NOT a

genre• The average age of comics buyers

is 23 (TIME, 6/30/08)• “Adult” graphic novels vs. graphic

novels “for adults”

• Think comics are something new?...

A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING

Visual storytelling started over 30,000 years ago. Skeptical?

A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING

Moving onto 1275 BC, it was eventually picked up by the Egyptians…

A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING

Next, we come to Trajan’s Column in AD 113…

A Very Brief History ofVISUAL STORYTELLING

Finally, we come to 1066 AD and the most famous piece of medieval VISUAL NONFICTION…

What is a GRAPHIC NOVEL ?

• Single issue comics• Trade paperbacks• Graphic novels

– “sequential art”– “comic-strip novel”– “picture novella”– “graphic literature”– plain old “comics”

Practical Concerns

• Purchasing

• Cataloging

• Shelving

Award-winning Graphic Novels

Pulitzer Prize, 1992

TIME Magazine #1 Book of the Year

Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, 2007

Hugo Award, 1988

– plus only graphic novel on TIME Magazine’s All-time 100 Best Novels, 2005

Films, Games, TV...

The BIG Guys!

Who Belongs to Whom?

Looks Can Be Deceiving…The Big Guys…Looking Independent

Independents & Self-Publishers

Independents & Self-Publishers

Dark Horse ComicsDrawn & QuarterlyFantagraphics BooksIDW PublishingImage ComicsTop Cow Productions, Inc.Top Shelf Productions

Manga! Manga!

International/European

Dealing With Challenges

A little history…Do you know this intrepid plumber?

What about this go-getter hedgehog?

This guy has a score to settle with some aliens..

A few dates….

• 1972—Pong • 1977—Atari 2600• 1986—Sega and NES• 1989—Sim City, Game Boy• 1991—Civilization • 1992—Mortal Kombat• 1993—Doom and Myst• 2000—PlayStation 2• 2001—Xbox• 2002—G4 TV Network• 2004—Nintendo DS• 2005—Xbox 360• 2006—PlayStation3 and Wii

Console GamingConsole gaming refers to

gaming done on a home system—

Pong, Atari, PlayStation, Xbox, Wii

Remember?

There are also several handheld consoles—PlayStation Portable (PSP), Nintendo DS Lite

Some facts about console gaming to blow your mind

• Halo 3, the most recent installment of the Halo series, recorded $300 million in sales in the first week.

• Grand Theft Auto IV, the fourth version of the controversial game, recorded over $300 million sales on the first day.

PC Gaming• PC games have traditionally included more strategy games

(Civilization) and fewer sports games. • Includes casual gaming like Yahoo! games and online Scrabble and

Tetris• Games rated for adults only are made for the PC and not for consoles

Civilization (1991)

Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB)

Games on the big screen

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games

What people learn from gaming?• Flexibility in problem

solving• Social networking• How to succeed and fail

in a “safe” environment

How can libraries interact with gamers?

• Set up a console and a projector and host a game night.

• Subscribe to the print publications that gamers read.

• Consider discussing games and the stories in them as you would a film.

• Consider hosting a LAN party after hours.

What libraries are doing

• Console gaming—Wii Libraries

• PC gaming—Waterloo Public Library

• Role Play gaming—Barberton Public Library

• Board Games—Chess Tournaments

• Game Design—PLCMC

• Check out libsuccess.org

How Cleveland Public Library is gaming

• CPL Gaming Initiative—Cleveland Public Library has game consoles in several branches and is purchasing more for patron use.

• Scratch (Scratch.mit.edu)

– Zombie Librarians of Doom!!!

If you haven’t played video games since Pong…

• Try the Wii!

• Pick up Guitar Hero

• Sign up for a free account in Second Life and cruise around

• Whatever you do, have fun and enjoy it.

…and this is just the beginning!For additional suggestions and resources, check out

the handouts and our PowerPoint at www.slideshare.net/cpl.presentations

THANK YOU...