What the Kids Are Reading: The Booming Business of Children's Graphic Novels and Comics

Kids’ publishing folks, comic book enthusiasts, and members of the Children’s Book Council gathered at the CBC’s Manhattan headquarters on November 4, for a panel discussion on the changing market for children’s comics and graphic novels. The speakers were Gina Gagliano, publicist, First Second Books; Terence Irvins, assistant manager, comics and graphic novels buyer, Kinokuniya Bookstores of America Co.; Charles Kochman, editorial director, Abrams; and Tony Shenton, freelance sales professional. Calvin Reid, senior news editor at PW, moderated the conversation.

Reid first reflected on the ways that the comic book and graphic novel realm has grown and evolved far beyond just superheroes, particularly over the last 10 years: “It’s an amazing category now. It’s no longer a one-genre market,” he said. Reid credits kids’ graphic novels with playing a significant role in “expanding the vision” of the comics market in terms of what it sees as being commercial. He asked the panelists to discuss their own professional roles and to weigh in on what the market looked like when they entered the business compared to how it is today.