Hello and thank you for stopping by! As you may have noticed from our social media and ongoing updates to the website, we’re in the midst of exciting changes to our organization, our mission, and our board. With all of these changes, we aspire to a truly global approach to literacy through the comics medium, as well as related media such as gaming, makerspace, and animation.
Reading With Pictures was founded in 2009 by Josh Elder, whose vision was to bring comics into the classroom as a tool that teachers can use to engage students of all abilities. Since those days, the conversation about the comics medium, visual arts, visual literacy, and reader engagement has led to a much larger opportunity.
With this new global conversation in mind, Reading With Pictures is undertaking wholesale changes with our organization. We are rebuilding our board of directors with brilliant minds who represent communities and cultures in ways that have been long overdue.
There is an ever-expanding acceptance of the comics medium in libraries; elementary, middle, and high school classrooms; and academia. Every day, more teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, and academics join the chorus. And here at Reading With Pictures, we are developing programs and ideas that can help shape and give direction to this global conversation.
We are looking forward to the many new relationships that will come together over the weeks, months, and years to come. Please check back in with us from time to time. Sign up for the newsletter. And if you feel like you want to be part of this wonderful organization, we would be thrilled to hear from you! You can be a novice or industry veteran, librarian, educator, academic — or a fan! We always have room at the table.
Welcome to the new Reading With Pictures!
John Shableski
President, Reading With Pictures Board of Directors