The first of my three reviews will focus on the online comic, Namesake. Recommended to me by a Year 12 student, this comic tells the story of Emma Crewe, a non-reader who lands in a literary world after a fire in a library. She quickly discovers she is the next in a long line of “Dorothys” and must save Oz. Mixing multiple classic storylines and characters together as Emma travels through worlds and portals, Namesake will surely appeal to lovers of fantasy as well as traditional literature cl
assics. Written by Megan Lavey-Heaton and illustrated by Isabelle Melancon, the very fact this is a free and easily accessible text means it already has ‘pull’ for many students in the high school age group.
Reading the comic is straightforward – initial loading of the page takes the reader straight to the latest chapter, which is great for long-time fans (the most current issues are dated August 2021). For new readers, a banner at the top allows them to access archives of the series, right back to 2010, the first year of the comic’s inception. This immediately negates the need to assess the longevity of the text – clearly it has legs if it is still going strong 11 years later. Readers can also access handbooks and “interviews” with the characters, as well as enjoy specials such as Christmas editions and extra illustrations. Additionally, readers can also head to the store and purchase hard copies of some editions and merchandise. The comic clearly caters to its long-time fans as well as new readers, which is fantastic if a teacher were to introduce this text in the classroom, or a librarian were to recommend this to students who enjoy graphic novels of the fantasy persuasion. Updates are added every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, giving it that “serial” feel of old-school television series. It is easy to navigate and available through any device which provides internet access.
Teenagers will enjoy the obvious world-building that has gone into the series (especially 11 years worth!). It will also appeal to students of the LGBTQ+ community, as one of the main characters is bisexual and another is asexual. The creators have even produced a one-off page where they break down the sexual orientations of specific characters. Multiple studies show that “giving young adult and teenage readers access to stories that reflect their own identities is crucial” (Fuller, 2021). The content itself, however, is innocent enough for TLs to be able recommend the text to young readers without the worry of complaints from school admin and/or parents.
Initially, the text doesn’t appear to enhance the traditional reading experience. It is very much set up like a traditional book, with arrows to change the ‘page’; however, scrolling down was necessary as the whole page didn’t fit on the screen (upon reading it on my phone I found it easier to navigate, although I still had to zoom in for each new page). I found this distracting, along with the constant pop ads interrupting the reading process (of course, a by-product of free access); however, this may not bother today’s adolescents who were “born digital” (Hovious et al., 2020, p. 217) and are likely used to navigating around and through distracting pop-ups. What I did discover is the use of ‘hovertext’ over each page/image, where little titbits of information or hidden details were revealed. This was interesting as it added to the interactive element where previously I hadn’t thought there was any, as well as giving fans further insights into the world of Namesake.
Other than the hovertext feature, the text itself is not particularly interactive and is essentially an e-book without the need for an app or particular device; however, what does set it apart is the online community that can be built through interactions with other readers. Readers can engage with the author and illustrator through their respective social media pages, and the comments section below each chapter allows readers to engage with both each other and the author/illustrator. The comments section is a lively and engaged discussion around the merit of the chapter, what they liked/enjoyed, recommendations to other editions, backstories etc. This engagement with other readers shows that young readers are not simply happy to love a book; they want to “actively celebrate what they read” (Kennedy, as cited in Valenza and Stephens, 2012, p. 78). I noted before that this text is based in the fantasy genre, and “online novel communities are more frequently based on fantasy titles than on any other genre” – perhaps because these fans enjoy interacting the fantasy world beyond the end of the novel’s (or in this case, the comic’s) story long after reading (Skaines, 2010).
Overall, a great text to kickstart my own foray into the world of digital literature, and one I will be recommending to students who love both comics and the fantasy genre.
REFERENCE LIST:
Fuller, W. (2021, February 5). Pop Cultured: The Importance of LGBTQ+ Narratives in YA Literature. The Daily Utah Chronicle. https://dailyutahchronicle.com/2021/02/05/pop-cultured-the-importance-of-lgbtq-narratives-in-ya-literature/
Hovious, A., Shinas, V. H., & Harper, I. (2021). The compelling nature of transmedia storytelling: Empowering twenty first-century readers and writers through multimodality. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 26, 215-229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-020-09437-7
Lavey-Heaton, M. & Melancon, I. (2010 – present). Namesake. https://www.namesakecomic.com/
Skaines, R. L. (2010). The shifting author-reader dynamic: Online novel communities as a bridge from print to digital literature. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 16(1), 95–111. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856509347713
Valenza, J. K., & Stephens, W. (2012). Reading remixed. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 75-78. http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=73183267&site=ehost-live