Whodunit Wednesday - Comic books

When we think of literature, most people do not think of comic books. And yet, even when I was an English teacher, I could see the great benefit of this type of literature. I was an avid reader as a young man, but I also loved comic books. Later, it was comic books that helped me learn German and Dutch. I still would pick up a Donald Duck as first reading material in any language I would want to learn. 

Many kids and adults have enjoyed the stories around the Smurfs and Tintin. These are Belgian creations, along with Suske en Wiske and Lucky Luke. These comics covered all sorts of stories and got many a young boy and girl reading. It was not as the Dutch minister of Education said in 1948 that they should be banned, having no real value. 

If you visit Belgium, take the time to walk through Brussels and discover the comic book characters around various corners, painted bigger than life on the walls. We would love to join you. Can’t make it this far? Enjoy a story of Tintin or the Smurfs. You might even read one in Dutch and see how much you can learn.