Developing Interests in History Through Graphic Novels

How I became a history buff through reading comics and graphic novels.

As most of my friends and colleagues know, I am a history buff.

But I wasn’t born a history buff. That part was very much nurtured.

When I was growing up in Hong Kong, I loved reading comics and graphic novels. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was a highly visual learner (still am!). Images drew me in. I was lucky that my parents were never opposed to me reading comics. They were both teachers, and they understood that different kids learned in different ways. (Okay, it probably helped too that they both majored in art.) They saw it as a good thing for me to pick up the habit of reading. So, they took me to the local library every weekend. There, I checked out tons of comics and graphic novels on biography, history, and mythology.

Biography series above include: Siddhartha Gautama, Julius Caesar, Michelangelo, Galileo, George Washington, Hans Christian Andersen, and Florence Nightingale.

Sample interior pages of the series I loved as a child.

There was a series that focused on world history, and another series specifically on Chinese history.

I soaked them up like a dry sponge in the ocean.

I had the most fun reading them. Sometimes, I created my own history comics. The creative process deepened my interest in the subject matter.

A comic I did in middle school. The story revolved around a war during the Song Dynasty in China (around 950CE).

It was learning without realizing I was learning.

Because I had a good foundation in history, I was really into history classes in middle school and high school. The more interest I had, the more I spent time reading and studying in history classes. That, in and of itself, became an infinite cycle of curiosity and interest.

Graphic novels are great for visual learners. There are many great history and biographical graphic novels nowadays. They are EXCELLENT not only for children, but also for adults who either want to refresh their memory on a particular person or time period, or for those who want to build a general foundation in history.

Some of my favorites include:

And for older audiences:

I really would like to thank my parents for being very open-minded. Back in the days, a lot of people saw comics and graphic novels as something to frown upon. Harmful, even. True, there were titles that were violent, sexual, and inappropriate for kids. But that could be true in anything, including plays, movies, TV shows, video games, the internet… My parents knew comics in and of itself was just a storytelling format. The content of the story mattered much more.

Do you have a favorite comic or graphic novel on history or biography? Please share in the comments below!

Until next time!