My top 5 digital comics for kids

And some thoughts about their screen use

First things first, here is the second episode of Mumpworld for your viewing pleasure:

On to today’s main topic

I know, I know. How can I recommend digital comics while also telling my clients every day to reduce their kids screen use to improve mental health? Seems really contradictory or hypocritical doesn’t it?

On the surface, yes it does. Like most things in life though, it is more complicated than that. I have to say up front, that I am a strong proponent of both “harm reduction” approaches in addictions and mental health (my day job), and adhere to my grandmother’s words of wisdom for life - “all things in moderation”.

What I am proposing today, is that there are both benefits, and drawbacks to screen use, and that one of the benefits is to encourage reading and learning. One of the drawbacks (and it’s a big one) is that screen use is detrimental to healthy sleep and reduces physical activity, which then negatively affects mental and physical health.

As far back as 2015, a systematic literature review of 67 studies came to the conclusion that “there is a significant association between screen time and reduced sleep duration and increased sleep problems, across a range of screen types and sleep outcomes in 90% of the studies” that’s pretty strong evidence and it has only strengthened from there. Honest personal disclosure: I spend too much time looking at screens myself, but I am an adult and I take responsibility for my actions. If it begins to interfere with my life I will reduce it. Promise!

Reader: Dude! I thought we were gonna talk about comics! What the hell??

Yes, I am getting to that.

Another recent study found that adolescents who stopped using social media for one week saw a significant improvement in their mood and reduction in anxiety. That’s just with one week of disconnection. Imagine what could happen if they completely stopped using it? A parent can dream can’t they?

So what the heck is a caregiver supposed to do?

Here’s the thing. The genie is out of the bottle at this point. You are not likely to be able to completely stop your kids from using iPhones, tablets, laptops or computers any more, but you can monitor what they are doing, put reasonable restrictions on their use. Access to devices and media is a privilege and parents can choose what kids access on those devices.

On to the comic recommendations (we can discuss some of the benefits of digital comics afterward - I know you can’t wait!). Subscribe below if you like my substack and want more of this content.

My top 5 digital comics for kids

Lets start with an older character, but one that you can still get some digital material for, Darkwing Duck. This is perfect for young readers.

As of this story being posted, you can get a 200 page digital comic of Disney Afternoon Adventures from Amazon.ca or Comixology for under $16 CAD (likely about $12.50 US or less click here for the US link). It includes a story about Darkwing Duck, and other stories centered on various Disney characters. I really wish that Disney would release all of the classic Darkwing Duck comics from the 90’s and 2000’s digitally, but that is unlikely to happen. You might be able to find paper copies at your local comic shop if you really look (and ask the staff for help). If you have a Disney plus account, currently there are two seasons of the Darkwing Duck cartoon available to watch as well.

Hilda and the Troll. Another book series that is great for young readers.

The whole Hilda series, starting with “Hilda and the Troll”, is a wonderful departure from the fast paced distraction focused media that most kids are constantly exposed to these days. The Hilda books are heartwarming and generally have a positive message to convey. At the very least, the Hilda books are visually engaging, and teach some basic social and moral lessons. There is also a television adaptation that seems to be mostly approved by parents, but read the reviews. Apparently in Season 2 Episode 4 there is some violent scenes that may be too much for a really young audience.

The Wormworld Saga. This one is available for free from the creators website, but you can purchase pdf versions if you want to support the artist.

This is a great adventure story with amazing artwork that is both beautiful to look at and inspiring for those kids who may be aspiring artists themselves. Definitely worth the read.

Vattu - This webcomic is also freely available from the creators website, so you don’t have any concerns with your child easily straying into some adult content (like the next recommendation), but it does contain some mildly violent scenes.

Vattu currently has over 1200 pages available, and is set to be completed as a story in September of 2022, so there may be an opportunity to purchase a printed version soon. The creator has a reputation for remarkable artwork, and worldbuilding. The first 12 pages are entirely without dialogue, so even kids who struggle with reading can likely engage with the story and hopefully enjoy it enough to be motivated to read what dialogue is present later. Check out this 2015 review for more information, and as always screen the content yourself before you hand the tablet to your kiddo.

Spaceboy (Webcomic) - Great for teen/preteen readers. The story can be quite humorous even though it deals with some emotionally heavy topics.

While you can still find printed copies of this on amazon, the original webcomic is available for free on Webtoons. Webtoons, for those of you who don’t know, is a Korean site and app for accessing many comics freely online. A word of warning, if your child is particularly technologically skilled, the webtoons site can be a minefield of adult content. Be careful.

As long as you, the adult in the house, have some control and supervision in place, there are a number of great comics on there for kids. I would suggest putting a permanent link to the specific comic you want to give your kids access to, right on the desktop of the tablet or computer that you are using to let them read it. You should probably be certain that you check on them regularly to make sure they haven’t strayed into more adult comics in your absence.

Some honorable mentions: Interstella Space Angel (a really sweet and innocent short story for all ages), Stand Still Stay Silent (could be kind of scary for a young reader but is an amazing series that is completely finished). You could also check out this list of webcomics from the School Library Journal and of course take a look at the first chapter of my graphic novel (Tate Earthlander) which is available for free on my website.

So, why am I recommending digital comics anyway? Why not just promote printed books for kids? What possible benefit could there be to encourage kids to be on their “devices” even more than they are now?

As I said before, the Genie is out of the bottle. You will likely not be able to completely stop your kids from using digital devices. You can place some restrictions on that use, and offer digital comics as one option for the device use. As with traditional printed material, it is always preferable that a parent participate in the experience by being present and reading with their child. Even if your child is using an app that is just a silly game, having a parent present and engaged with the child turns the activity from a distraction, to a learning and bonding opportunity.

Another good resource is the “Get Epic” website at getepic.com. The site offers 1 free book per day, and if you choose to subscribe monthly ($4.99 per month) you can get access to 40,000 books.

The really nice benefit, with Get Epic, and with the Kindle chapter books, is that you can access dictionary definitions for most words while you read. That feature is not available on the comics I have looked at, but the hope is your kiddo will progress to chapter books as well as comics.

Let me know in the comments if you have any “go to” sites that you find helpful for promoting reading and learning with your kids. If you have friends with kids who might like to find resources to encourage reading, share this post with them. Keep reading with your kids, and I’ll see you next time.

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