Mommy, What's a Homicidal Maniac?

So, if you didn't figure out from yesterday's book review, I ran out of book again yesterday. This led me to the local library, where the old people, children and I gather to partake of a wide variety of textual treats, plus the occasional cd and dvd. Yesterday, I was needing something light, something not so intense as the proceeding readings (heh, it's all rhymey). So I wandered over to the comics/graphical novel section, in my town still found in "Youth", to grab something of a different flavor.

Unfortunately, I found just what I was looking for. This is unfortunate because I wasn't looking for a "Youth" type book. See, I'm not a big super hero fan. Don't get me wrong, I liked the first two X Men movies, and similarly found the Spiderman films to be okay (although let's face it, Bruce Campbell is carrying that series). When it comes to comics, thought, that's not my bag. I read comics for grown people. Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. MAUS. Y: The Last Man. These are comics, yes, but they deal with adult themes and adult issues. Sure, that probably means that there is a sex and violence aspect to them, but that hardly defines them as a genre.

As such, I was practically giddy when, next to MAUS II, I found Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut, a comic I've heard of but not actually seen. Then I realized that next to MAUS II, I just found Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: The Director's Cut in the "Youth" section. I tend to not be a prude or anything, but these are not youth books. I alerted the librarian, who showed great interest at the prospect of a holocaust book and the tale of a serial killer/mass murderer/social critic being being where the books for young people go, and said she'd bring it to the attention of the authority on where books go (which is apparently someone's job).

So again we face the question: why am I telling you all of this? Well, I'm trying to educate you. See, comics carry the same stigma that video games do: they are a medium traditionally associated with kids. Unfortunately, this stigma has stuck thoroughly, so books that are important will escape notice of people who would appreciate them because those people might not even consider looking at a comic or graphical novel. Don't get me wrong - I don't think The Incredible Hulk will change anyone's life (I've actually never read a Hulk comic, so I could be wrong), but something like MAUS or the Sandman series can be powerful literature.

More to the point in this case, however, is that because these are being misplaced in the library, there is a risk of some kid who doesn't know better picking up JTHM and taking it home. I'm not worried about it warping their fragile little mind necessarily - I think most kids are a lot smarter, aware and resilient than we give them credit for. Still, I'd rather this sort of thing be sought out intentionally, when they're ready for it, rather than being stumbled upon. More importantly, I don't want some conservative busybody finding it and demanding that it be removed from the library because their precious little snowflake might have read it.

So there you go. Go to your local library. Find out where these books are. Ask if you have to. Read a few. And if some of them should be reshelved in an effort to protect the kids sensibilities and our right to access the material, let someone know.

I should start doing geek public service announcements.