Access | issue 005 by Richland Library

Famously Hot South Carolina Pride Parade (2019)

Photo by Joey LeRoy

Installation of Leap by Ija Charles (2020)

Photo by Thomas Hammond

Who are you? A Letter from the Director I am a daughter, sister, wife, and mother. I am the Executive Director of Richland Library. I am American, white, privileged, able-bodied, cisgender woman, heterosexual, and Christian.

“We affirm and acknowledge our responsibility as an inclusive public organization by providing safe spaces where ALL PEOPLE can connect, thrive and belong.”

I walk through the world rarely feeling unseen, unwelcomed, or disrespected. I don’t worry about whether I can safely use a public restroom. I don’t fear for my teenaged son’s safety as he goes about his daily life. I always get a day off, without asking, on my religious holidays. And chances are good that if I closed my eyes and pulled a book off the shelf of any one of our libraries, the main character would be recognizable to me.

This belief that all members of our community deserve to be represented on our shelves and in the resources, programs, and services of Richland Library has become a surprisingly controversial position.

“This belief that all members of our community deserve to be represented... has become a surprisingly controversial position.”

Without request or effort, I feel included, welcomed, and visible. I imagine another perspective. I am an immigrant or Black or poor or deaf or gay or Muslim or non-binary.

I walk through the world feeling unnoticed, ignored, ostracized, or misunderstood. I worry that I will be hurt or accosted going about my daily life. I fear for my child’s safety. I am expected to work on my religious holidays. And it is difficult for me to find a book on the shelf of any of our libraries, where the main characters are recognizable to me.

We have had donors withdraw their support because they don’t like our “Let’s Talk Race” program and other racial equity work. Because we provide informational materials for our LGBTQIA+ community, we have been accused of indoctrinating young people. It seems that any time we provide support to those whose voices are often underrepresented or unheard, we raise the hackles of those who have traditionally held all the power. Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion also proclaims that we are “unwavering in our dedication to fostering a community where everyone feels welcomed, valued and represented.” We say this because people who are not like me or you live here. They use the library. Their values and lives are just as important as ours. Including them does not exclude you, nor does it infringe upon your right to use the library. When you use the library, we don’t want you to be anything other than yourself. That is valuable. And that is enough.

Without action or fault, I feel excluded, unwelcomed, and invisible. I am proud that our Library Board of Trustees recently adopted a Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion which states:

Melanie Huggins, Executive Director

contents

F E AT U R E

Reading Between the Lines 27

C R E AT I V E

7 The Three Lives of Will Eisner

COMMUNITY

Katherine Duncan

Off•Book: Marty McGuy

Thomas Malluck and Andrew J. Kunka

pg. 7

Dinner Table Talks

COMMUNITY

Identity

Corey "Roc Bottom" Davis

HOW-TO

pg. 11

The Fall from Grace Emily Barber

DIY Thaumatrope

Mix & Mingle pg. 13

R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S

BUSINESS

Plot Twist

Business Panels

Richland Library’s Access magazine reflects how we learn, create and share within our vibrant community. Forged on the idea of collaboration, Access connects you with important issues like early literacy and workforce development—all while boosting your literary prowess and introducing you to our thriving creative community.

Community Contributors

Andrew J. Kunka

Corey Davis

Marty McGuy

Professor / Author

Author / Artist

Drag King

Staff Contributors

Contributors Kristin Amsden

Ballentine

Leighan Cazier

Main, Experience Support

Mary Frances Cely

Ballentine

Emily Barber

Sandhills

Jessica Daly

Sandhills

Katherine Duncan

Cooper

Northeast

Taelor Johnson

Jake Duffie

Edgewood

Charlotte Dunn

Cooper

Thomas Maluck

Main, Teen Center

MyDrick Hall

Main, Studio Services

Heather McCue

Main, Children's Room

Diana Keane

Main, Planning and Projects

Jessica Mejia

Blythewood

Ashley Silvera

Main, Collection Development

Jocelyn Tran

North Main

Mahogany Skillings

Main, Research & Readers' Advisory

Laura Morris

Editor

Steven Olexa

Art Director

Shannon Livengood

Designer

Joey LeRoy

Multimedia Designer

CheyAnna Peterson

Designer

Writers

Over the last century, comics and graphic novels have entertained and educated countless millions. They have provided a versatile, accessible form of communication in print and digital media. We have come a long way in our understanding of the developmental impact of comics and graphic novels. If we want to fully understand the importance of this format beyond early literacy and entertainment, we first need to understand the story of Will Eisner. His story is that of a second-generation American who set out to create something different—to tell stories in an authentic and artful way that appealed to a totally different and growing audience of readers. It is the story of a creator who ended up creating space for others to be heroic.

by Thomas Maluck and Andrew J. Kunka

Part 1: The Artist How did a poor Jewish son of immigrants in Brooklyn become one of the most significant comics creators of the 20th century and beyond? The comics industry has come a long way over the past century, from newspapers to magazines, periodical issues, standalone books, and digital formats. If anyone embodies the best of the comics industry’s creative energy across all these phases, it’s Will Eisner (1917-2005). He rode through career-defining highs, devastating lows, and reinvented himself and comics along the way. That sort of endless ambition is how he received two lifetime achievement awards 27 years apart and had an industry award named after him. Eisner was a comics creator who continued to push artistic boundaries and to find innovative storytelling techniques throughout his nearly 70 years in comics. His innovations weren’t limited to comic art and storytelling. Eisner’s life as a cartoonist included three fairly distinct roles. Each one adds to a life that begins humbly and ends as an icon. 7

Eisner’s mother was born on a ship bound from Romania to America in 1891. His father, a painter, moved to New York from AustriaHungary to escape getting drafted into World War I. With these two Jewish immigrant families meeting in New York, the stage was set for Will Erwin Eisner to arrive. He had his father’s love of art, and encouragement in the form of art supplies. Between poverty and antisemitism from neighborhood bullies, life was not easy for young Eisner. No matter what life threw at him, he knew he loved drawing and stuck with it. Eisner’s early career involved stepping stones throughout high school, including the literary magazine, school newspaper, and stage design. He moved on to illustrating for pulp magazines and novels at the age of sixteen. Three years later, he got some advice from his friend Bob Kane, co-creator of Batman, to look into making comics for Wow, What A Magazine!, which lasted Eisner four issues. This opportunity led to starting a studio with Jerry Iger to create comics on demand for different publishers. This studio

the three lives of will eisner

developed an assembly line system for comics production, where the creative process was broken down into plotting, scripting, penciling, inking, and coloring all handled by separate creators. The studio would then produce a complete comic book package to then sell to publishers like Quality and Fox Comics. The creators who worked for Eisner/Iger would generally go uncredited, but some of the major comics artists of the era came through the studio, like Lou Fine, Reed Crandall, Bob Powell, Mort Meskin, Klaus Nordling, and for a short time, Jack Kirby. Eisner-Iger Studio ended and Eisner’s The Spirit began in 1940, marking the beginning of a career-defining character. Eisner put everything he had into the handful of pages comprising each chapter of The Spirit, from his close study of body language to love of cityscapes and adventure stories. The titular crimefighting hero, Denny Colt, operates from a hideout beneath his own tombstone. His domino mask was added to his design to appeal to superhero fans, but the stories are drenched in noir and urban crime drama. As he put it, “As a youngster, my main source of literary nutrition was Robert Louis Stevenson and Rafael Sabatini. These, mixed with James Fenimore Cooper, and later, the gritty pulp magazines, along with the short story genre extant at the time, formed the basis of my sense of what adventure was all about.” The opening page of each story would include “THE SPIRIT” artistically spelled out as a series of buildings or objects, another sign of Eisner’s endless visual inventiveness. Perhaps just as unique as Eisner’s artistic style was the contract with his publisher. He negotiated terms that gave him ownership of The Spirit’s copyright, a level of ownership rarely seen in comics at the time or with today’s workfor-hire publishers. World War II had an outsized effect on Eisner’s comics, starting as allusions to German machines and European war in The Spirit and becoming patriotic symbology in his 1941 Uncle Sam comic. Looking back on Uncle Sam in 1998, he said, “We were living in a time when it was necessary to have heroes who were capable of superheroic capacity, because the enemy was superheroic. I was 22, 23 years old, and Hitler seemed invincible. We needed an invincible hero to fight an invincible enemy.” Eisner was later drafted in 1941 and worked on the newspaper at Aberdeen Proving Ground. He was soon moved to instructional manuals, which took advantage of his visual storytelling skills.

Eisner was an innovator in the application of the comics form for educational purposes, and much of his work in this area began during his time with the U.S. Army during World War II, where he created safety and maintenance instructional comics in the Army Motors publication. These comics significantly decreased the number of accidents that the military experienced. His service was not unlike that of Stan Lee, whose official “Playwright” role within the military included films, posters, and instruction manuals. Eisner invented a character named Joe Dope who acted as an example of what not to do. Army officials thought the association was embarrassing and ordered him to discontinue the character. Some of the artists like Fine and Crandall assisted on the Spirit sections, especially when Eisner was drafted during WWII. Later, work on The Spirit was handled almost entirely by assistants like Jerry Grandinetti, Andre LeBlanc, Wally Wood, and Jules Feiffer. Other artists who worked for Eisner include Murphy Anderson, Joe Kubert, and Mike Ploog. Eisner employed many assistants in his career, and these assistants would go on to become some of the major creators and influences in 20th century comics.

Part 2: The Educator Eisner returned to the driver’s seat of The Spirit upon returning from the war, and with that return came change. Eisner’s style and storytelling became more experimental and unconventional. However, while Eisner became more innovative as an artist, one part of the series remained troublingly problematic. Since 1940, the character Ebony White acted as The Spirit’s sidekick. Eisner sourced some of Ebony’s language and appearance from stereotypes used in movies and vaudeville, including blackface performance. He made some changes to the character over time, but in the end, the visual and verbal caricature remained consistent. Despite Eisner’s innovations in so many other areas, he still perpetuated these stereotypes, and that’s a problem with his work that shouldn’t be ignored or glossed over. The relationship between Eisner, his characters, and their relationship with the audience would continue to evolve well past the expiration of the comic itself. In 1948, Eisner founded his own company, American Visuals Corporation, for educational cartooning. It was contracted by the Army during the Korean War to produce comics 8

similar to the ones Eisner had done during WWII. This led to Eisner’s work on PS: Preventative Maintenance Monthly, which he continued producing into the early 1970s. The emphasis on comics as an educational format would see The Spirit end in 1952, and the series was suffering from flagging readership. Eisner put his energy into Preventative Maintenance Monthly, a periodical for the U.S. Army. His manuals were the result of close study and fact-finding missions abroad. For example, he visited Korea in 1954 and Vietnam in autumn of 1967. He returned to America and completed his manual for the M-16A1 rifle. Many of his experiences would later appear in his graphic novel, Last Day In Vietnam, published in 2000. Eisner’s focus on instructional and educational cartooning would continue through the early 1990s. When asked in interviews about some of the tenets of cartooning, he would emphasize body language and nonverbal communication. He believed the reader should be able to learn everything they need to know about a character by their posture, facial expression, and setting. Fans and critics alike pick up on his dynamically posed figures and melodramatic backgrounds. One of the most famous examples of Eisner setting the mood with visuals is the rainfall in A Contract with God that fills the page and beats down the mourning main character. A Contract with God is also steeped in Jewish religion and culture and draws its influences from the Yiddish theater and Jewish literature of the mid-twentieth century, like Isaac Bashevis Singer, Philip Roth, and Saul Bellow. His teaching style is recounted by students as cheerful and without ego. Artist Dennis Detwiller recalls advice from Eisner back when Dennis was nervous about his art: “Stop imagining you're important. I'm not important. You're not important. If you mess up, it's fine. How else are you going to learn?” His 19-year career of teaching at the School of Visual Arts in New York led to his lectures and lessons getting collected into three published books, Comics and Sequential Art in 1985, Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative in 1996, and Expressive Anatomy for Comics and Narrative in 2008. His lessons and saved wisdom are referenced by generations of artists. His instruction at SVA wasn’t limited to teaching style and storytelling, however. He also brought his extensive understanding of the business side of the comic book industry, thus giving students practical, professional instruction. 9

There are very practical visual and storytelling lessons that contemporary artists can take from Eisner, either by studying his comics or reading his educational works like Comics and Sequential Art. There are also lessons creators can take from Eisner about the business of comics. For example, Eisner retained ownership of the Spirit from the character’s creation in 1940, at a time when such moves were rare and creators were regularly exploited by comics publishers. But in looking at Eisner’s career in total, there are lessons about maintaining creative energy over the span of decades, of restlessly looking for new ways to tell stories and expand and evolve the comics medium.

Part 3: The Graphic Novelist A chance encounter in 1971 revolutionized Eisner’s career once more. He went to Creation Con in New York City, where he was inducted into the Comic Book Arts Hall of Fame. While there, he met Art Spiegelman and Denis Kitchen, two important figures in the underground comics scene. Rather than publish through a large company under strict editorial control, underground comics were an indie scene that upended traditional publishing and distribution models. A spark was rekindled in Eisner, and he began work on a new form of comic heretofore without a proper name. He stopped working on illustrated army manuals that same year. A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories, first published in 1978, was partly inspired by the death of his daughter, Alice. It is a tale of the residents of the fictional Dropsie Avenue, with thematically linked short stories combining to form a tragic yet pragmatic view of a corner of New York City. He took the book to publishers who primarily understood comics as simple stories for children. If A Contract with God wasn’t quite a comic and not quite a novel, then what was it? He used the term “graphic novel” to distinguish long-form comic storytelling from shorter periodicals. It is important to note that graphic novel-length stories and the term “graphic novel” existed before A Contract with God. Though A Contract with God is not the first “graphic novel,” many creators cite it as the work that inspired them to make longform comics stories—in a sense, it gave them permission to break free of the constraints of the periodical comic book format. Considering Eisner had been publicly advocating for serious treatment of comics as a literary and artistic

the three lives of will eisner

form since 1941, this portion of his legacy was decades in the making. Because he was publishing his graphic novels outside of the traditional comic book industry, he was not limited by the Comics Code or other editorial restrictions on the content, so his work could explore darker and more sophisticated themes. From there, Eisner turned into a graphic novel machine, publishing inspired works at a rate of nearly one graphic novel per year starting in 1986. He added sequel stories to A Contract with God and adapted literature and folklore into comics. Some of his inspirations included Oliver Twist, The Princess and The Frog, The Last Knight, and Sundiata. His art style, more formal and defined in the early decades, became impressionistic in his graphic novel work. However, his playful methods of leading the reader’s eye from panel to panel continued to sharpen and mature. Eisner stated in interviews that his work on The Spirit sought to capture a cinematic feel, while his graphic novels were more inspired by live theater, including Yiddish theater. His use of color shifted to monochrome, though his work became more expressive than ever. In the middle of this creative renaissance, the Eisner Awards were created in 1988 to recognize excellence in comics and replace the discontinued Kirby Awards. The award includes nomination by a select jury, voting from professionals across the comics industry, and a ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con. Eisner insisted that one juror each year be a librarian, as he worked hard to forge relationships with libraries to raise the profile of graphic novels. All the way through the early 2000s, whenever someone won an Eisner, he would be there at the end of the stage to hand over a statue and congratulate the recipient. Weaving his own narrative into his work, he also published semi-autobiographical stories. In 1991, he published To The Heart of the Storm, an autobiographical work about an American soldier in 1942 reflecting on his life, including family strife, changing friendships, and antisemitism. In 1986’s The Dreamer, he recounted the hustle and grind of his early career in the 1930s, including several cameos based on real people from the comics industry. Today’s young artists might let out a sigh of relief to know comics legends also sweated over portfolio reviews and last-minute deadlines.

Eisner’s last two published works were direct responses to antisemitism. In 2003’s Fagin The Jew, an adaptation of Oliver Twist from Fagin’s perspective, Eisner has the character confront Charles Dickens over how he is referred to as “the Jew” throughout the original book. Eisner did some research and found that Dickens considered his unintentional contribution to stereotypes of Jewish people a massive error and tried to correct it. Eisner was asked in interviews if his treatment of Ebony White had a similar legacy, which he would defend. Eisner’s final work was aimed at refuting a stubborn, long-debunked conspiracy theory about Jewish people. The Plot: The Secret Story of The Protocols of The Elders of Zion details the history of this damaging hoax and the historical figures who taught it as fact. It was published in 2005, mere months after Eisner passed away.

Epilogue: The Legacy What does a meaningful legacy look like? Is it a public tribute, a gathering of loved ones? Is it a series of memories and stories shared after one’s death? In the case of Will Eisner’s life’s work, his legacy includes but does not need any of these. Comics are more widely accepted and read than ever. More publishers and debut stars arrive on the scene every day in print and digital formats. Graphic novels for kids, teens, and adults have been winning literary prizes, topping sales charts, and flying off library shelves. You can immerse yourself in comics without any idea of Eisner’s work and influence, and that’s okay. He would be more interested in seeing what the next generation is drawing. His story is the story of comics, and it continues to this day.

Thomas Maluck is a Teen Center Professional at Richland Library and reviews graphic novels for School Library Journal. He is the 2019 recipient of the F. William Summers Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science. Andrew J. Kunka is Professor of English and Division Chair at the University of South Carolina Sumter. He is the author of Autobiographical Comics from the Bloomsbury Comics Studies Series and The Life and Comics of Howard Cruse from Rutgers University Press. He has also published on Will Eisner, Kyle Baker, Jack Katz, and Dell comics, among other topics.

IDENTITY by Corey "Roc Bottom" Davis

I was 11 years old. Tim Burton’s Batman had set the Summer on fire! Comic book nerds were in a frenzy, and some kids, like myself, who were new to comics were caught up in Bat-fever. Like most kids, I was overloaded with a hunger for more. Not just in the sense of “more comics,” but more of what I couldn’t express fully at the time. I was hungry for diversity. I was hungry for representation. I was hungry for heroes who looked like me. Venturing out of the realm of Batman comics, I came across a group of comics that had an interesting narrative. It went as such… “A group of marginalized heroes fights for peace and equality in a world that fears and hates them.” I said to myself…“This sounds a bit familiar!” I was sold, and I started my journey into the world of the X-Men with Uncanny X-Men #246.

She draws the things that happen in her everyday life... She draws her happiness. She draws her fears. I was shocked to not only see that the group was mostly white, but they killed off the ONLY person of color on the team at that time two issues later. I said to myself, “Damn, I just got here! They killed off Storm!” This was the late 80’s. An era that had characters like Black Panther, Luke Cage, Monica Rambeau, the ORIGINAL female version of Captain Marvel. These were all characters of

identity

Jet Boy: The Complete Experience

color, but almost nonexistent in mainstream comics. It wasn’t until the Milestone imprint of DC comics came along in the early 90’s that Black Superheroes took the main stage. Static, Hardware, Blood Syndicate. It was a glorious time in comics. I knew with Uncanny X-Men #248 and [after] I saw the artwork of Jim Lee that I wanted to create comics. So, with this new-found inspiration, I was creating EVEN MORE! A little over a decade later, I would create Jet Boy—the story of a young Black male who works for a top-secret government agency who polices alien technology. The comic is in stores now. We are hard at work on the animated series, and it all began with me as a young black comic fan, desperately looking for and needing a hero that looked like me. I created a hero for those kids. One who looks like them. Today, my kids are artists like their father. When my son was in his mid-teens, doing what knuckle head kids his age did, I sat him down. I noticed he would draw and write from time to time. I asked him, which did he prefer? He said writing. From that point, I had him come home, do his homework, and give me an hour of solid writing. He wrote so much, he would exceed the hour-long session. I never stopped him. I would read what he wrote, and help him with structure. Today, he writes music and has his own radio show. My daughter is six years old. She expresses herself through art. She draws the things that happen in her everyday life. She draws her feelings.

created by Corey "Roc Bottom" Davis

She draws her happiness. She draws her fears. With the pandemic, she is homeschooling and has adapted a fantastic scholastic program that teaches kids everything from history to math through art. All questions and tests are answered by drawing the answers. She’s drawing more from her imagination now. She is so thrilled; she and I are drawing a book together based on her favorite animated characters. The common thread in these stories, is the encouragement from me, their father, to create. As children of color. To create images that look like them, for others like them. It is important because their contributions will help those kids looking for that material for inspiration. To find themselves through art. As I did… To help them identify as “heroes.”

Corey "Roc Bottom" Davis is a published local comic book artist. An ink and pencils maestro, Roc Bottom has garnered praise from hundreds for his stylistic and innovative approach to his craft. His creative works have been featured in The Underwire Online magazine with his creator-owned comic, Lion's Den Revolution. He's currently working on his creator-owned properties, Shadowclub Karma and Jet Boy: Dawn of K.R.O.N.O.S. Both are comics and upcoming animated shows under his production company, Rocbottom Studios. From fashion design, graphic design, comic art, and now animation direction, Roc Bottom has stamped his name in art and pop culture for the past two decades.

Mix & Mingle

Connect with these budding comics, innovative illustrators and literary legends who are mixing things up in the Midlands.

Chad Bowers

Chuck Brown

Steve Epting

Chad Bowers is a local comic book writer best known for his vocal work on Detective Conan, an anime series. He is the co-founder of the Action Age Comics initiative and has written for comic book giant Marvel Comics (X-Men '92), Oni Press (Down Set Fight!), and MonkeyBrain Comics (Subatomic Party Girls). Other credits include the popular comic series Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy, Darkhawk and Youngblood. When he's not at his regular day job, the comic writer co-hosts “The Hour Cosmic” podcast and writes for his Monster Plus and Awesome Hospital webcomics. He has been to every Soda City Comic Con in Columbia since its inception.

Chuck Brown is an Eisner and Ringo award-winning writer best known for creating Image comics' On the Stump and co-creating Bitter Root. Brown has written for mainline publishers Marvel, DC Comics and has self-published his material for more than 18 years. He has written for Wolverine, Black Panther, Superman, Black Manta and Aquaman. In addition, he has written for 12 GAUGE COMICS, Dark Horse Comics, Zenescope Entertainment, IDW Publishing, and LINE WEBTOON. Bitter Root will soon be a live-action film.

Stephen "Steve" Epting is a prominent comics artist best known for his work on The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Captain America for Marvel Comics. After receiving a BFA in graphic design from the University of South Carolina, Epting began drawing for independent comic book publisher First Comics after winning a contest. At Marvel, he was a full-time penciler for The Avengers series, drawing fifty issues, and contributed art for X-Factor, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, and The Invaders. In the 1990s, he was the main illustrator for DC Comics' Superman and Aquaman. In addition, the Eisner-nominated artist—for the female pirate saga El Cazador— would co-create the Winter Soldier in the movie “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

@chadbowers

@chuck.brown.902 @Cbrown803

@steveepting @SteveEpting

5 mix & mingle

7 Roy Thomas

5 Asiah Fulmore @asiahfulmore @asiahfulmore

Asiah Fulmore is a freelance illustrator who currently lives in Columbia, South Carolina. At press time, she was celebrating the release of her first comic, Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld, with DC Comics, Shannon Hale and Dean Hale! She holds a BFA in Visual Communication, from Winthrop University, and interned under comic book illustrator, Sanford Greene. She spends her free time reading and loves to travel. If she got the chance to visit Gemworld, she'd hang with House Ruby, because they have the best food, obviously!

Roy Thomas is a comic book industry veteran with numerous writing credits in the Marvel universe. He succeeded Stan Lee as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. In the 15 years he spent at Marvel, Thomas helped launch the great comic book heroes Wolverine, Vision, Carol Danvers, The Silver Swan, Ultron, Doc Samson, and wrote for these popular series: Fantastic Four, Avengers, Thor, and X-Men. His first comic, Conan the Barbarian, helped spearhead a sword and sorcery trend in American comics. In addition, he was instrumental in renewing the legacies of many heroes, including DC's Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Justice Society of America, and Legion of Super-Heroes. In addition to his work at Marvel and DC, he wrote comic issues for the TV series Xena: Warrior Princess, The X-Files, and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and in 2014, wrote 75 Years of Marvel: From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen, a 700-page hardcover history of Marvel Comics. In 2011, Thomas was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

Sanford Greene

Qiana Whitted, Ph.D

Noah van Sciver

Sanford Greene is an artist and comic book illustrator with over 15 years of experience. He got his first big break working for George Lucas on "Star War Tales." Since then, the South Carolina native's professional art has been featured in DC, Marvel, Image Comics, Dark Horse, and other prominent publishing houses. Past work includes art covers for Black Panther and Luke Cage and Marvel's Power Man and Iron Fist. His newest series, Bitter Root, is a dark fantasy series that follows a family of monster hunters set during the Harlem Renaissance. Bitter Root became an Eisner Award winner for "Best Ongoing Series" in 2020. It will soon be adapted to the big screen by the director of the film "Black Panther." When the Benedict College alumnus isn't working on new illustrations, he creates his online comic series 1000.

Qiana Whitted, Ph.D., is a Professor of English and African-American Studies at the University of South Carolina. The Yale University Graduate holds International Comic Arts Forum chair and is an Eisner award winner. Her teaching and research examine many subjects such as race in the 1940s and 1950s, and social and cultural identity in comics and graphic novels. Throughout her career, Whitted has written numerous distinguished articles and essays and has been a moderator ("Women in Comics," Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonist Society) and panelist ("Race in Comics: Making Representation Matter," HeroesCon) at conventions. Her book EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest, presents comics from EC during the 1950s that highlighted civil rights struggles and prejudice.

Noah Van Sciver is a prolific cartoonist and comic strip artist. His diverse work spans various subjects and genres, including childhood trauma, comedy, and historical fiction. Sciver's work has been featured in nominal publications and graphic anthologies such as MAD magazine, The Best American Comics, and Kramer's Ergot. He first captured audiences' attention through his 4 Questions strip in Westword, Denver's weekly newspaper, and creating the alternative comic book series Blammo. Since then, the Eisner-nominated artist has written and illustrated many bestselling graphic novels: One Dirty Tree, Saint Cole, The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln, and Fante Bukowski: Struggling Writer series. The Hypo, his first full-length graphic novel, was ranked one of Best Graphic Novels of 2012 by the Library Journal. Currently, Sciver is finishing a visual biography of the LDS prophet Joseph Smith.

@sanfordgreene

@QianaWhitted

@noahvscomics

Marty McGuy (2021)

Photo by Joey LeRoy | Special thanks to Hotel Trundle, Columbia SC

OFF BOOK •

8 Things You Don’t Know About Marty McGuy Interview by Katherine Duncan, Richland Library Cooper

Who is your biggest influence/mentor?

Favorite thing to do in Columbia?

This might sound cheesy, but it is all the people who volunteer here at Harriet Hancock without gain, just because they think it’s a nice thing to do. Also, my mom, who will make puppets for me at the drop of a hat; and my husband, who does silly noises when I need him to and is so supportive.

I love anything with our amazing local art scene. I was raised on the Columbia City Ballet. Also, the wonderful Trustus Theater and the Columbia Marionette Theater. Recently I have also been into axe throwing.

Last TV show/movie you watched?

It’s not that bad here in South Carolina. We will occasionally get comments like “did you invent this?” because not many people know about drag kings. But sometimes there is sexism. There is also a pay gap. Some bars will pay a drag king half of what a queen gets paid. But I just try to approach people with knowledge and be patient.

The Twilight saga movies. They are almost always on. That and Golden Girls. My go-tos when I’m sick, sad, etc. Favorite book read for D.R.A.G. Storytime?

Biggest challenge of being a drag king?

Definitely The Soup Opera by Jim Gill. It’s very interactive because the characters in the book have this refrain—“why can’t you eat the soup!?” and kids get to yell it which is really fun. Really any book that allows kids to participate in the story and be silly. Also, That Is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems and The Hug Machine by Scott Campbell.

What is your motivation to get out of bed in the morning?

Most meaningful lesson you’ve learned in life so far?

Find community! Find other people who are like you because when you’re only around people who don’t accept you then they can become the voice in your head. Centers like Harriet Hancock are so important because that’s where people find each other and find community. Friends are the family you choose.

Quit taking it personally! QTIP! Adults can be very egocentric, but it is helpful to assume that everyone is doing their best and means well. It helps you feel more comfortable with yourself; if you’re worried about what other people think or say, it can hold you back. So, QTIP.

For a workday, it is really that I love what I do. I work to make childcare better for SC. Best advice you would give to someone struggling with their identity?

Read the full article at RichlandLibrary.com/blog.

Marty McGuy is a Columbia, South Carolina drag king who is committed to helping the families of the LGBT+ community in his area feel accepted and loved. Marty created D.R.A.G Activity Time to show people that everyone has a story or gift to share and we can learn from each other. It's truly a space for everyone. Connect Freely:

TikTok |

Instagram @martymcguydragking

by Emily Barber, Richland Library Sandhills

Challenging books is nothing new. Many books are challenged because they upset the status quo, and often library staff or educators fight against censorship to preserve readers’ access to whatever books they choose. The American Library Association takes it a step further and recognizes Banned Books Week each year, an event celebrating the ability to read freely. But what about challenging authors? Our concern about an author’s biases can depend on whether they are active and how their beliefs show up in their work. When an author has died, it’s easier to discuss their collected works with assurance that there aren’t any lurking surprises. We can appreciate the best parts of their legacy while recognizing their flaws. 17

Authors who are still active—publishing, speaking, tweeting—have tremendous influence, especially the lucky few with a bestseller. As with any public figure, an author who shares personal information voluntarily is cracking the window to their audience’s response. Social media has created an unprecedented conversation between creator and audience. Today’s readers can judge not only plots and characters, but also political stances, brand associations, and lifestyle habits of the authors themselves. And when a writer has a large audience, members of that audience may hold them accountable for harmful mistakes. If we want to be conscientious readers— enriched as well as entertained—then we must be aware of how literature affects life. “Stories are actually a form of technology. They are tools that were designed by our ancestors to alleviate depression, reduce anxiety, kindle creativity, spark courage and meet a variety of other psychological challenges of being human,” says Angus Fletcher, an English professor with degrees in both literature and neuroscience. If literature is powerful enough to satisfy some emotional needs, then naturally the stories we consume will inform our intellectual and moral selves as well. Books affect how we move through the world, even if we aren't fully aware of how they and their authors have influenced us.

the fall from grace

The writers I will discuss have perpetuated messages that uphold ongoing, well-documented harm to targeted communities, such as transgender people, people with disabilities, and people of color. For those of us who admire these writers or hold their books dear to our hearts, grappling with their imperfections can be difficult. As a long-time reader of several writers who have fallen from grace, I understand the grief and defensiveness that many of us feel for our favorite stories. But I also believe compassionate critique is an important way to show love for a book and its creator. Perhaps the most ubiquitous children’s writer is Dr. Seuss. Born Theodor Seuss Geisel in 1904, he began his career as a cartoonist in the late 1920s and published his first children’s book— And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street—in 1937. His picture books have become staples of early reading, library storytimes, and award-winning screen adaptations. What many programs and classroom units on Dr. Seuss have historically omitted is the author’s consistent racism that is evident in his work. In 2019, Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens of The Conscious Kid published "The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss’s Children’s Books” in Research on Diversity in Youth Literature. Here are some of the more startling findings: • Only 2% of human characters are people of color (45 out of 2,240). • Characters of color “are only presented in subservient, exotified, or dehumanized roles” in relation to the white characters. • There are no girls or women of color present among the human characters. Ishizuka and Stephens also noted that the first cartoon published under Dr. Seuss’s iconic name was an anti-Japanese cartoon (one of many featuring racist caricatures) in 1928. Images conveying racial stereotypes, often patronizing and dehumanizing, appear in Seuss’s children’s books as well. Some of these images prompted Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the company that controls Seuss’s intellectual property, to cease publication of six titles that “portray

people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” including his debut picture book and 1950’s If I Ran the Zoo. The company issued the announcement in March 2021. Including and beyond these out-of-print titles, the problems with Seuss’s work don’t end at stereotyping; seeing only 2% characters of color and similarly dismal rates of gender diversity is also troubling. Lack of representation renders many children invisible in stories heralded as classics and must-reads. A similarly lauded yet loaded children’s author is Roald Dahl, who wrote beloved tales including Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He was most prolific later in life, publishing many of his chapter books in the decade before his death in 1990. Just months before he died, he said in an interview that he had “become anti-Semitic,” and many of his statements throughout the 1980s reflect this bias. Although readers and scholars haven’t noted anti-Semitism in Dahl’s books, his family felt moved to issue an apology via the author’s official website in late 2020. Some individual books have raised concern: 1983’s The Witches has been flagged for negative portrayal of women, and the first-edition illustrations of Willy Wonka’s Oompa-Loompas were highly racist. For both Dahl and Seuss, some revisions have removed the most abhorrent harmful imagery, but most instances of racism have remained, and editors, rather than the writers, are credited for initiating any changes posthumously. The tension between readers and deceased authors can be limited by the persistence of their work; at some point, we can choose to confine them to history. But when an author is active, we might have to face a disappointing reality. In recent years, J.K. Rowling and the massive Harry Potter fandom have had a more contentious relationship than any other I’ve seen between author and audience. There is plenty to be critiqued in the series itself; I say this as someone who has a Harry Potter tattoo and leads a chapter-by-chapter Harry Potter book club. Rampant anti-fat descriptions, anti-Semitic characterizations, and a cringe-worthy slavery metaphor are common 18

points of friction for many readers. Rowling’s implication of a single gay character, all of which she revealed years after publication, has yielded accusations of queerbaiting—the practice of hinting at LGBTQ+ representation without actually following through. In line with literature as a whole, Harry Potter is also sorely lacking in racial diversity and disability representation. Overall, readers have found the mistakes of the books to be forgivable; annual series rereads and museum-worthy displays of merchandise are common among fans. In recent years, however, Rowling has demonstrated a firm anti-transgender stance that has alienated and angered many of her readers. The issue garnered widespread attention after Rowling issued a mocking tweet about the phrase “people who menstruate,” and fans objected in droves. Rowling doubled down on her beliefs in a long essay on her website, in which she upholds demonstrably harmful messages about transgender people, women in particular. Citing a single friendship with an older transgender person, she claims to carry no anti-trans bias. She merges all trans activists into a monolith of extremism and equates them to violent misogynists. She weaponizes the specter of predatory men as a reason to further target a subset of people who are already 4 times as likely to suffer a violent crime. Rowling checked nearly every anti-trans bubble, and yet her writing skills enabled her to seem sympathetic, wise and reasonable. As Rowling’s fall unfolded, seemingly slowly and then all at once, I felt outrage and sorrow curdling my love for the series. My tattoo is subtle, but what would it signal to those who did recognize it? For nearly five years, I’ve listened to a podcast called Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, which aims to cultivate love and empathy by treating the secular text as sacred. In 2019, I founded a local group to embark on that same journey, starting with the first chapter of the first book. Could we continue to find lessons about compassion from a series written by someone with such deeply-rooted contempt? 19

Literary critics have grappled with the relationships between authors and their books for centuries. We don’t have to be rigorous academics to make use of literary theories; a basic understanding of a few perspectives can be illuminating without bogging down a relaxing pastime. In cases of authors who fall from grace, two particularly relevant theories are “death of the author” and critical literacy. In 1967, French theorist Roland Barthes published “The Death of the Author,” an essay arguing that readers should not prioritize authorial intent or historical context when analyzing literature, but instead focus on the reader. The text speaks for itself and can hold multiple meanings; as Barthes writes, “there is one place where this multiplicity is focused and that place is the reader.” Another approach is critical literacy, which originates from Brazilian educator Paulo Freire in the late 1960s. Critical literacy is the ability to discern underlying messages from a text and its

the fall from grace

context, with the goal of developing perception as a habit. Core principles include the understanding that texts are socially constructed and therefore never neutral, according to the 2019 article “Critical Literacy as a Way of Being and Doing.” Another tenet is that critical literacy is wholistic—a way of moving through the world, not just a way of examining a single book. Those who practice critical literacy will be adept at making informed decisions and acting ethically. This may sound like overkill for responding to a disappointing author, but we know books to be major cultural touchstones. Reading with some self-awareness and curiosity is worth the effort. “Death of the author” and critical literacy each have their strengths, and I think their advantages depend on why you read. Disregarding authorial intent, as “death of the author” advocates, may fit your needs when you need a book that serves an important personal purpose. If you're reading for fun, you might not care about an author’s religion or politics as long as the book is thrilling or feel-good or whatever you’re looking for. If you have a kid who will only sit still for Green Eggs and Ham, you can decide that reading skills are more important than avoiding Dr. Seuss on principle. Critical literacy is useful when you’re aiming for enrichment

Take action 01. Diversify your shelf No author is going to get everything right. Just like the rest of us, their duty is to do what good they can without hurting others and to be accountable for their missteps. Cultivating a great reading life isn’t about finding perfect writers, but rather about diversifying your assets. Put Jason Reynolds, Ellen Oh, and Roshani Chokshi alongside your J.K. Rowling; find books featuring main characters from experiences that don’t reflect your own background.

and growth. Understanding the context of a genre or subject can influence which books you choose, and knowing an author’s background can highlight layers of a story— positive or negative—that you might otherwise have missed. We often hear about how books bring people together, but I would argue that people are the magic in that equation. Young adult author John Green has said of his own books: “They belong to their readers now, which is a great thing— because the books are more powerful in the hands of my readers than they could ever be in my hands.” In my own quest to be a contentious reader, I find this to be true of the Harry Potter series and wherever people gather around a good story. But that still leaves a big, basic question: Do you have to stop reading books you love? Do you need to cease Harry Potter movie marathons and replace Dr. Seuss picture books and research every new and old author to make sure they’re not problematic? While there’s no single solution, there are some simple places to start. Try diversifying your shelf; talking it out; and reassessing your financial support.

03. 02. Talk it out You always have the option of setting aside a certain author, for a little while or indefinitely. Their work becomes sort of like an old friend. You don’t know when or if you’ll speak again, but you can appreciate what they brought to your life during a certain chapter. If you end up talking to someone about that writer, you can explain what they mean to you but also why you’re not in closer contact. Libraries stand for free access to information—even to books that have been challenged. We shouldn’t remove flawed literature from the shelves; instead, we should work to have conversations about why and how a book is complicated or harmful.

Reassess financial support Money is a common concern for readers who object to an author’s actions; we can reread a book without affecting the rest of the world, but do we continue building their fame and fortune? Seek out fan-made goods, which tend to highlight and celebrate whatever diversity does show up in the stories. Use libraries and used-book stores to get your hands on books without supporting authors directly. Offsetting any spending with a donation to a relevant organization is a common practice; for example, if I spend $40 on one of the illustrated Harry Potter books, then I donate $40 to an organization that supports transgender people, such as The Trevor Project or the Midlands’ Harriet Hancock LGBT Center.

Broaden your bookshelf with these staff picks featuring protagonists who are actually a villain or anti-hero.

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Watchmen (1987) Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Viet Thanh Nguyen

“This Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by alltoo-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin.” - DC Comics Recommended by: Mahogany Skillings, Main

The Sympathizer (2016) “The title character of Nguyen’s comparatively hot and sprawling story is a hyper-self-conscious intellectual defined by the divisions he has straddled from birth: the illegitimate son of a French Catholic priest and a teenage Vietnamese villager, he grows up at odds with the world around him. He emerges with a sense of this double identity as a source of both pain and power.” - The Guardian Recommended by: Charlotte Dunn, Cooper



The Suicide Squad (2021)

Directed by James Gunn

“There’s a lot of carnage and pop tunes in Gunn’s Suicide Squad, along with an impossible (possible!) mission, bad and good guys, the stench of Nazi villainy and the comedy of a rampaging Godzilla-size monster.” - Manohla Dargis, The New York Times Recommended by: MyDrick Hall, Main

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Batman – The Court of Owls (2021)

Circe (2018)

You (2014) Caroline Kepnes

“In his 1726 translation of The Odyssey, Alexander Pope claimed that Circe possessed an ‘adamantine heart,’ but Miller finds the goddess’s affections wounded, complicated, and capable of extraordinary sympathy. And to anyone who thinks that women can be shamed into silence, this witch has just one thing to say: ‘That’ll do, pig.’” - Washington Post

“Kepnes has mastered the likable villain with Joe, crafting an affable character with rock-solid reasoning behind all of his horrific actions— at least in his own mind.” - Rolling Stone

Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo & Johnathan Glapion

“A+. The hero's got personality (and is unafraid to release a quip as sharp as a Batarang), a horde of supervillains, gumption to spare and a whole host of high-tech gadgetry to suitably impress longtime fans and those new to the Dark Knight.” - USA Today Recommended by: Ashley Silvera, Main

Madeline Miller

Recommended by: Leighan Cazier, Main

Recommended by: Diana Keane, Main

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The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966) Directed by Sergio Leone

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Reckless (2020) Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips ^ Jacob Phillips “Reckless transcends the creators' influences in this complex portrait of the heartbroken melancholy of a disillusioned idealist who can't quite give up on his fellow man.” - Library Journal Recommended by: Jake Duffie, Northeast



Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (1990)

Neil Gaiman ^ Terry Pratchett “"Hilariously naughty, and just what you'd expect from a collaboration between comics-veteran Gaiman and fantasist Pratchett." - Kirkus Reviews

“Leone cares not at all about the practical or the plausible, and builds his great film on the rubbish of Western movie cliches, using style to elevate dreck into art.” - Roger Ebert Recommended by: Mary Frances Cely, Ballentine

Recommended by: Kristin Amsden, Ballentine

Illustration from Once Upon An Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices

Dinner TableTalks

by Taelor Johnson, Heather McCue and Jocelyn Tran, Richland Library

Dinner Table Talks create the opportunity for families to have important conversations centered around books. These discussions will build our capacity for talking about race and define our roles in fighting against both everyday and systemic racism.

Guidelines for Discussion

Be open and honest—even when it's hard.

Understand your own prejudice and bias.

Embrace other cultures or races by reading books, watching movies and going to community events.

Celebrate yourself and your own cultural identity.

Don't shy away from conversations about race. Talking is how you build capacity for anti-racism.

Acknowledge your mistakes and learn from them.

It's okay not to know the answer. Look for it together.

Adapted from the Embrace Race and Moms Risings' 10 Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race and Richland Library's Let's Talk Race team. 24

dinner table talks

F E AT U R E D B O O K

Once Upon an Eid:

Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices

To celebrate the holiday of Eid (Eid al-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha), fifteen Muslim authors wrote a collection of fifteen stories about children and families experiencing life on these special days. From the relatable moments in the book involving difficult family members to stories about gift-giving and loving reunions, Once Upon an Eid perfectly captures the experiences that take place on Eid and many other holidays like Milad un Nabi. There are also voices that share the all-too-sharp pain of trying to celebrate a holiday while also dealing with the loss of a loved one, and there are moments that capture the refugee experience. For readers that might be unfamiliar with this holiday, there are also ample educational moments that will give them insight into the meaning of Eid, along with the many foods, traditions, and warmth that are also involved.

Start a Conversation

Use the dinner table talk discussion guidelines (pg. 24) and the questions below to get the conversation started.

Older Children (3rd Grade & Older)

What was your favorite story or character?

In the story "Perfect," Hawa and Fanta make assumptions about one another that turn out not to be true. Have you ever made assumptions about someone and why they acted a certain way? Did they prove you wrong?

Yusuf makes a mistake when baking brownies for Eid. His family helps fix his mistake. Can you think of a time when you made a mistake? Did anyone help you? In "Kareem Means 'Generous,'" Kareem's Teta writes "Anytime you share something you love, it comes right back to you." Is there a time when you shared something you loved? What did you share? Did that love return to you?

It's a tradition in Nadia's family to get donuts from Mr. Laidlaw's Bakery for Eid. Nadia describes each family member with their favorite donut. If you could describe each family member in donuts, what would they be?

In "Gifts," Idrees begins by being more focused on the gifts rather than the meaning behind Ramadan and Eid. What changes for Idrees? And what do you think he means when he says, "It's not the gift. It's the love behind it."

Leila is anxious about wearing a hijab to school in "Just Like Chest Armor." She knows that it will make her stand out from her classmates and other students might tease or bully her for wearing it. What words would you use to describe Leila and her choice? Would you choose to stand out by being true to your faith or your culture even if it meant being teased or bullied?

dinner table talks

Humza and his siblings are staying with heir grandparents when his parents make their Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The experience is hard because his grandparents always expect Humza and his brother and sister to do a lot of chores. It's also their first Eid without their mom and dad. Eid-ul-Adha celebrates a sacrifice. What sacrifice does Humza make? How about his grandparents?

As refugees from Syria living in Greece, Bassem and his family face hardship. Even Eid doesn't offer much to look forward to. As Bassem and his community pull together to make it a holiday to remember, he sees the sky "a shimmering azure streaked with cobalt and hints of navy blue and ultramarine." Blue is more than a color. What do you think it comes to mean to Bassem?

In "Creative Fixes," Mikayla is struggling to fit in and feel at home with her new faith, Islam. Have you ever been new to a group? Did it feel difficult to fit in?

After an accident, Alia seems to lose her sense of taste but she is still determined to make her family's traditional Eid dish, lontong. She mentions how the accident: "darkened my tongue until it was numb and loosened Aiman's until he could scream his fear and softened Abah's until he could speak his love." What do you think she means?

One version of "Eid Pictures" excites and delights the narrator. The other version calms, settles and soothes her. Why do you think images of her family history provide such comfort?

Aya thinks she's glad to be the only Muslim in her school until she meets Hana. Have you ever been an "only" (ex. only girl, only 4th grader, etc.)? How did it make you feel?

Maya Madinah is grieving how her life and her family are changing. Her Nusaybah reminds her that we each have a biological family and a chosen family. Who is part of your biological family and who is part of your chosen family? How do each of these families make your life more joyful?

In the last story, Deyana takes a road trip with her family. She focuses on what annoys her about each family member for most of the ride. An unexpected gift changes her mind. Can you think of a memorable trip or experience that you shared as a family? What made it so special?

Learn more about Eid, and find more Dinner Table Talks at RichlandLibrary.com.

Continue the Conversation Check out some of our favorite children's books featuring Muslim characters:

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Yusuf Azeem is Not a Her0

The Red Pencil



Shooting Kabul N.H. Senzai

Other Words for Home

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The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family

Bilal Cooks Daal

Saadia Faruqi

Andrea Davis Pinkney

Jasmine Warga

Aisha Saeed

Ibtihaj Muhammad 26

diy thaumatrope

DI Y

Thaumatrope Patented in 1826 by British doctor John Ayrton Paris, a thaumatrope (from the Greek thauma [wonder] and tropos [turn], or spinning wonder) is an optical toy that demonstrates persistence of vision. Persistence of vision is a phenomenon that happens with our eyes.

Materials: • Thin cardboard • Paper • Pencil

When we see an image, the image is held on the retina (the very back part of the eye that contains the cells that respond to light) for a fraction of a second. If we see another image right away, the two pictures appear to make up a single image. Ready to create your own visual story? Let’s get started.

INSTRUCTIONS Step 1: Grab a sheet of blank paper and draw two 3-inch circles.

• Scissors • Glue or gluestick • Hole punch • String • Crayons, markers, pens or pencils

Step 2: Draw one picture in each circle—or cut out and use our designs below. Step 3: Cut out both discs and glue to a 3-inch cardboard circle.

Step 4: Make sure the pictures are back to back and the tops of each picture are at opposite ends. Step 5: Punch two holes evenly on the sides and tie string in them. Step 6: Twist string back and forth between thumb and forefinger to spin the disc. See two pictures become one story!

Find more creative activities at RichlandLibrary.com. 28

A Timeless Answer

Back to Work COVID numbers are finally starting to fall again and Andrea can see a glimpse of normality on the horizon as she heads into her first interview with INC. Can she navigate difficult questions and keep her cool while making her interest and talent clear?

Find more interview tips, or make an appointment with a career coach at RichlandLibrary.com/jobs.

Curveball Thrown

Eyes on the Prize!

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