Comments on: Round Robin: Oprah recommends Robot Dreams http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190 Comics for kids and kids at heart Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:46:17 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Article “Robot Dreams” Wins Editor’s Choice Award « The Sky’s the Limit http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190&cpage=1#comment-924 Article “Robot Dreams” Wins Editor’s Choice Award « The Sky’s the Limit Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:48:43 +0000 http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190#comment-924 [...] good folks at Good Comics for Kids also discuss Robot Dreams in a round [...] [...] good folks at Good Comics for Kids also discuss Robot Dreams in a round [...]

]]> By: Jesse Post http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190&cpage=1#comment-237 Jesse Post Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:06:09 +0000 http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190#comment-237 Wow, everybody here is dead-on correct! I think we've spent so much time convincing the world that comics are also for kids that now we're not sure what to do with all the vaguely "kid-appropriate" material that's out there. Defining age group targets is essential and I wish it happened more in the comics industry. Many comics that appear kid-appropriate are actually more suited to teens or adults, either because of inappropriate themes or just because they involve things kids don't really care about or understand. The cognitive leaps that kids make every year or two have to be considered by writers, artists, and publishers when deciding whom their comics should target. One question this raises in my mind relates to the dreaded "all-ages" distinction. I don't dispute that some comics are truly meant for all ages. But why is it that material targeted to younger readers is always the first to carry the all-ages label (or be criticized if it doesn't)? Why isn't Batman considered all-ages (or criticized for not being all-ages)? Why are adult comics allowed to just be for adults but kids comics have to be for everyone? Wow, everybody here is dead-on correct! I think we’ve spent so much time convincing the world that comics are also for kids that now we’re not sure what to do with all the vaguely “kid-appropriate” material that’s out there. Defining age group targets is essential and I wish it happened more in the comics industry. Many comics that appear kid-appropriate are actually more suited to teens or adults, either because of inappropriate themes or just because they involve things kids don’t really care about or understand. The cognitive leaps that kids make every year or two have to be considered by writers, artists, and publishers when deciding whom their comics should target.

One question this raises in my mind relates to the dreaded “all-ages” distinction. I don’t dispute that some comics are truly meant for all ages. But why is it that material targeted to younger readers is always the first to carry the all-ages label (or be criticized if it doesn’t)? Why isn’t Batman considered all-ages (or criticized for not being all-ages)? Why are adult comics allowed to just be for adults but kids comics have to be for everyone?

]]> By: James A Woods http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190&cpage=1#comment-236 James A Woods Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:21:51 +0000 http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190#comment-236 I picked up Robot Dreams in the children's section of my local library, and the next day I found out about its selection by Oprah. Bearing a strong dislike for almost everything she touches, I almost didn't read it. But I decided to give it a try. My son (7 yrs) and I read it together. We both liked it. I think I appreciated it more because of life experience, but my son got a lot out of it. We talked about the book afterwards. I don't think he's accustomed to reading anything quite as morally complex as this book, but he still showed a good understanding of the material. I picked up Robot Dreams in the children’s section of my local library, and the next day I found out about its selection by Oprah. Bearing a strong dislike for almost everything she touches, I almost didn’t read it. But I decided to give it a try.
My son (7 yrs) and I read it together. We both liked it. I think I appreciated it more because of life experience, but my son got a lot out of it. We talked about the book afterwards. I don’t think he’s accustomed to reading anything quite as morally complex as this book, but he still showed a good understanding of the material.

]]> By: Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » The Lightning Round http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190&cpage=1#comment-227 Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » The Lightning Round Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:05:50 +0000 http://www.goodcomicsforkids.com/?p=190#comment-227 [...] Brigid Alverson and her fellow contributors at Good Comics for Kids discuss Robot Dreams making Oprah’s Reading List for [...] [...] Brigid Alverson and her fellow contributors at Good Comics for Kids discuss Robot Dreams making Oprah’s Reading List for [...]

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