Read Comics in Public Day: Show Your Comics Pride on August 28th
Comics are awesome. I know this, and if you read this site with any regularity, I'm guessing you know it too. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of ignorance about the medium in the broader public; like most comics fans, you've probably encountered negative or outdated attitudes about comics at some point from people who know little to nothing about them. It's annoying and occasionally insulting, but hey, what can you do?
Well, Brian Heater and The Daily Cross Hatch are working to combat the perceived stigma by launching Read Comics in Public Day on August 28th (which also happens to be the birthday of legendary artist Jack Kirby). If you want to participate, it's simple: Just read a comic in a public place, have a friend take a picture, and then send in the photo. There's a certain amount of pride or camaraderie I feel every time I see a stranger reading comics, because it reminds me (and everybody else) that comics are everywhere, and that absolutely anyone could be a fan who suddenly pulls an issue out of their bag. That's why I'll be taking part, and I hope others will do the same. Check out the rest of the info -- and an original comic explaining more -- after the jump.
You love comics, the images, the words-the limitless artistic and storytelling potential. Why, then, is it so hard to express that affection sometimes? We've all likely been there at some point-maybe on a bus or in an academic setting or on a first date. We've all had a moment when, for something has held us back, not allowing us to tell the world.
Why is that, exactly? Comics have made their way into libraries and institutions of higher learning everywhere. Comics are regularly highlighted in publications like The New Yorker and The New York Times. A comic book has even won a Pulitzer. But yet, for some reason, when we find ourselves cracking one open in a public setting, we invariably anticipate the sideways glances and snickers of curious on-lookers wondering what a grownup is doing reading a funny book.It's time to smash that stigma, friends. In other words, as a great man once put it, "it's clobberin' time."
This August 28th, The Daily Cross Hatch invites you to celebrate the first annual International Read Comics in Public Day. Let's take to the libraries, the parks, the trains, and the buses, comic books in hand. Let's show the world that we're proud supporters of the vibrant art form that is comics-the greatest medium on earth.
We're asking you, dear readers, to take an hour out of your Saturday to show the world what you think of sequential art. You can find more information about the event (included a full-sized, printable version of the above poster, designed by Eschew artist, Robert Sergel) over at the official Read Comics in Public site. And while you're at it, send a photo of you reading comics that day to readcomicsinpublic@gmail.com.
Thanks, and we'll see you on the 28th!
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