By Matthew Tracy
Most people hear the word comic and picture caped crusaders jumping from buildings and using superpowers to defeat villains. But comics are much more than that for Fairfax’s Matt Dembicki, the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated cartoonist.
Many of Dembicki’s comics are nature-oriented and are used to teach children and young adults around the country about the environment. His recent works such as “Trickster: Native American Tales,” a collection of creature folktales as told by Native storytellers, and the Ignatz Award-nominated “Xoc,” the tale of a great white shark, are perfect examples.
“I’ve always had this kind of thing with nature,” Dembicki says. “I can see different stories when I go for a walk in the woods. I see a certain type of animal, a squirrel or a bird, and can imagine perhaps what that animal might go through or what it’s thinking.”
Many of Dembicki’s nature-based comics have found their way into classrooms and libraries where they’re used as teaching tools. “You want kids to learn something. Whether you use a textbook or a video or an iPad or comics, it doesn’t matter,” Dembicki says. “Whatever it is that they get a connection with to understand what you’re teaching is great—you’ve succeeded.”
In 2014 Dembicki founded the Smudge! Comics Arts Expo to promote the educational value of comics. Entering its second year this Saturday, the free convention showcases local comic creators and features an array of comic workshops and panels for children and adults. A special theme this year is the use of comics in schools.
“We have one panel comprised of local teachers that use comics in their classroom,” Dembicki says. “(They’ll) educate other teachers on how they’re integrating comics into the classroom, into their curriculum and into their lesson plans.”
The educational value of comics means a lot to Dembicki. He moved to the U.S. at a young age and had trouble understanding English in school. Then one day his mom read about schools that used comics to teach kids to read. After she bought him some from a local convenience store, everything changed.
“I just got hooked, I wasn’t intimidated anymore. I could look for visual clues in the drawings to help me understand what was being said,” he says. “It also was a springboard to actually love to read, to help me appreciate art in a broader sense.”
Among the other features of this year’s expo is a panel focusing on diversity in comics. This will feature a local publisher who publishes stories based on race and gender diversity. “Comics aren’t just for white guys in shorts,” Dembicki says.
Smudge! Comics Arts Expo
March 14, noon to 6 p.m.
Artisphere
1101 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, 22209
Tickets: Free
