Gene Luen Yang: How comic books can help you learn

How comic books can help you learn

In the 1940s, comic books became a mass medium, with millions of copies selling every month. Teachers even began experimenting by bringing comics into their classrooms. So, can comic books and graphic novels really help you learn? Gene Luen Yang explores the history of comics in American education, and reveals some unexpected insights about their potential for helping kids learn. [Directed by Vicente Numpaque, Hernando Bahamon, Globizco Studios, music by Bravo Studio].

Comic books, once dismissed as distractions, hold powerful potential for education. In the 1940s, nearly every child in America read comics, but a fear-driven backlash pushed them out of classrooms for decades. Today, educators are rediscovering how comics boost engagement and help students learn visually, with one school library seeing usage rise by 80% after adding graphic novels. Comics give students the freedom to control the pace of their learning, making complex ideas accessible and memorable.

Comic Books Belong at the Heart of Every Classroom

Comic books, once dismissed as distractions, offer unique educational benefits. When comic lectures replaced boring videos, students became more engaged and eager to learn. In the 1940s, nearly every American child read comics, but a moral panic damaged their reputation for decades. Today, graphic novels are making a comeback in classrooms, where their visual storytelling helps students process information at their own pace and boosts library usage by 80 percent.