Kids love comics. Kids want comics. Kids read comics.

Comics have held a huge appeal for kids and teens since the first Sunday funnies were introduced over a hundred years ago, and they still do today. From kid adventurers to superheroes to cartoon animals, and from humor to westerns to fantasy and more, comics have presented a wide range of stories to capture the imagination.

But changing times (and lots of social, economic and technological factors I won’t go into here) have led to a smaller American comic book industry that tends to focus on an older audience. Comics have grown up, which is great! But that doesn’t have to mean that young readers get left behind. Kids still love comics and want to read them. The key is to get the right comics in their hands.

That was the thinking that prompted me, along with a librarian, a cartoonist, and a comic shop owner, to put together the Midwest’s first comic book convention for kids and teens, and to found KidsReadComics.org. We want to bring comics back to the kids who love them. And we believe that most kids will love them once they get hold of the kind of comics that were once a staple of every kid’s life. Updated for the twenty-first century, of course!

There are huge, untapped possibilities for comics, and we want to help make those possibilities real. Our first step is the Kids Read Comics Convention, a totally free event with the goal of spreading the joy and excitement of comics (and manga and anime and cartoons) through:

• hands-on workshops
• panels and presentations for kids, families, and educators
• a chance for kids to meet and chat with comics and animation professionals
• the opportunity for kids to have their own art portfolios reviewed

Click on the link below to find out more!