Genres & Diversity of Audience in Comics 

-or- A Comic for Everyone:

I find myself delivering the same message at 80% of the panels I speak on at conventions. I figured it bears repeating here: Comics are a means of telling a story as valid as film, television, prose, poetry, and theater. Any type of story is fair game in comics and can be told with sequential imagery...any genre, any topic, which also means, any audience can be addressed. Comics are not simply superheroes. While the industry could benefit from having a more diverse offering of material, as it stands right now, there is a comic for any and every person willing to try comics. Male, female, very old, very young, any race, creed, or interest, there is a book on the market today for them.

Sequential stories can cover Comedy, Horror, Westerns, Sci-Fi, Adaptations, Talking Animals, Popular Characters, Autobiographical, Historic Fiction, Non-fiction, Fantasy, Romance...basically there is a comic to cover all the any genres or shelves in a bookstore or video store (though that reference is going to go the way of the dodo in a matter of years). I cobbled together this post from slides I've used at a few library/school/educator talks I've done. I limited myself to only three titles per-subject and tried to make sure I had at least read if not also own the material.

It is by no means a complete list of book types or good material within that category...It's more of a 'best of' from my bookshelves. Also note that the categories are broad...'romance' doesn't need to mean 'trashy romance'...just a story about relationships...'horror' can also be 'suspense'..etc. But instead of belaboring the explanations...here are the titles:

Fantasy:

Mouse Guard, Bone, Cursed Pirate Girl

Comedy:

Muppet Show, Dork Tower, Jeremy

Horror:

Nocturnals, Hellboy, Locke & Key

Historical Fiction:

300, Usagi Yojimbo, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Kids:

Owly, Tiny Titans, Korgi

Adventure:

The Crogan Series, Little Nemo, Rex Steele

Pulp:

The Rocketeer, Sin City, Blacksad

Romance:

Miki Falls, Blankets, Strangers in Paradise

Non-Fiction:

Treasury of Victorian Murder series, Maus, Bone Sharps, Cowboys, & Thunder Lizards

Sci-Fi:

Runners, Space Girl, Robotika

Adaptations:

Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser, The Oz Books, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Webcomics*

Lackadaisy, Abominable Charles Christopher, Gronk

*I used examples of webcomics where the material is still free to view online, but the creators have published quality collections of the comics which makes it easier to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon or loan to a friend.

I encourage you to look through these suggestions and links and try something new you have never tried before. And if you see something you already know and enjoy, suggest it (or lend it) to a friend or relative who isn't a comic reader, but may be interested in the subject matter or genre of the book. Everyone loves stories, so everyone should love comics.

Watercolor Wednesday: 
Last week I posted three watercolors for sale. I enjoy drawing dragons and thought they'd make for good Watercolor Wednesday material. Here are three metallic dragons: Gold, Silver, & Bronze..

Tomorrow I'll post more paintings in my online store.

2013 Appearances: 
C2E2: April 26-28
Spectrum Live: May 17-19
Heroes Con: June 7-9
Albuquerque Comic Expo June 21-23
San Diego Comic Con: July 17-21
*more 2013 dates coming*