EDUCATIONAL COMICS

Beginning in World War II, the U.S. Army utilized the talents of Will Eisner and other comics professionals to create training manuals in comic book form. The Armed Forces continue to use the comic medium for training purposes today.

A variety of nonprofit organizations use comic books to convey messages to the general public in a pleasant, easy-to-read manner. Examples include government agencies, museums, and travel/tourism boards.

Consider the following examples for a glimpse of the diversity of educational and training uses of comics.

Army Equipment Record Procedures
U.S. Army Technical Manual 38-750, January 1964.

M561/M792 GAMA Goat: Operation and Preventive Maintenance
U.S. Army Pamphlet 750-31, November 1970.

What? Me? A Racist?
Office of Official Publications of the European Communities, 1998.

Legend of the Allegheny Traveler
Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission, 1995. Copyright the Rosenbaum Group, all rights reserved.

Niagara Falls Mystery
Niagara Parks Commission, 1992. Copyright Trent Publications, Inc.

For examples of literary, historical, and other nonfiction comics which were not designed for promotional, pedagogical, or training purposes, visit the section on Other Comic Book Genres.

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compiled and maintained by: Michael R. Lavin, Lockwood Memorial Library
send comments to: Michael R. Lavin, mrlavin@acsu.buffalo.edu
design by: Catherine Collins, Educational Technology Center
last updated on: December 20, 1999