CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA
General
According to Public Square Books' marketing and sales manager, Spanish-language comic books are successful in the library market because they attract reluctant readers ... and Japanese manga and anime are very popular among Spanish-speakers in Spain, Mexico, and Latin America. (From Criticas Magazine: An English Speaker's Guide to the Latest Spanish-Language Titles, November 2005)
A comic book featuring Superman has been used in Central America to help teach children to spot and avoid land mines.(From an August '99 AP Story)
Mexico
The Mexican government is offering its citizens border-crossing tips in a 36-page comic-style book entitled Guide for the Mexican Migrant. Like other traditional Mexican comics, it is small enough to fit in a person's back pocket. The government, which has inserted about 1.5 million of the booklets into the popular adult cowboy comic Vaquero, says the guide is "an attempt to save lives." (From The Dallas Morning News, January 2005)
"The Foto Novela is much like a comic book but only smaller in size, about 4 x 7 inches. The size makes it easy to carry your pocket or purse. In Mexico, thousands are printed every week and it is estimated that three people read each one. The common theme of the secular Foto Novela is violence, romance, glamour, riches and sex. The themes espoused by the Soaps on TV. It is estimated that one third of the population of Mexico's 80,000,000 people read this type of literature. Since 1987, Harvest of Life has offered a Christian alternative the saving message of Jesus Christ packaged in this format. Millions of Foto Novelas of varying Christian themes and testimonies have been printed and hundreds of Latinos have come to know Jesus as Savior." (From the Harvest of Life web site, 2001)
"Kaliman is a legendary hero born in the Mexican radio broadcasting industry, where his extraordinary and most appealing adventures published in comic books have maintained in more than thirty consecutive years weekly issues for over one and a half million copies, just in the Latin American, Spanish speaking market, with a 75% figure appertaining to Mexico, for a grand total to date, of more than one billion copies, which is without a doubt a worldwide record for a comics hero in his own weekly magazine." (From the official Kaliman web site, 2001)
In the recent presidential election in Mexico, the ruling PRI party handed out comic books, chronicling the "rags-to-riches" story of their candidate, as part of their campaign. (From an article in CQ Magazine, Sept 2000)
"Historietas [Mexican comic books] are written by working-poor comic book artists who have one audience in mind: their working-poor neighbors. The comics come cheap at three pesos (30 cents) a copy and are pocket-sized to accommodate a reader's daily life spent traveling long distances to work. The biggest hits among many weekly series are El Libro Vaquero, featuring Wild West cowboys and Indians; La Familia Burron, not unlike The Simpsons; and Sensacional, sexual exploits staged in popular locales. From ubiquitous perches on newspaper stalls, the comics boast jaw-dropping covers ... in eye-catching magenta and yellow. All titles combined sell an estimated 5 million copies per week; sales in the U.S. and Central America easily double this figure. I have seen bus drivers swap copies at red lights; workers read over each other's shoulders during breaks; a girlfriend snag a Sensacional out of her boyfriend's hands." (From a Village Voice article, Feb '99)
"Mexican historietas [comic books] are not what (U.S. readers) may expect. Their audience is neither young nor male. Their stories are usually set in an entirely familiar world, rather than some alternate universe, and it is a world without superheroes. Historietas are not sold in specialty stores but, instead, share newsstand space (and readers, as well as a whole set of consumer expectations and criticisms) with similar periodicals ... Historietas are tremendously popular (even in 1990, after two decades of declining circulation, eight of the ten bestselling periodicals were comic books), and their popularity cuts across lines of region, age, gender, and even class. They can be purchased cheaply and quickly on the street corners of any good-sized town all over the country. There are a daunting number of comic books available at these corner newsstands ... Because of their small size and light weight, comic books are easily portable, making them an everyday sight in public places like bus stops and barber shops." (From A Political History of Comic Books in Mexico, 1998)
"More comic books are consumed per capita in Mexico than in any other Latin American country... El Heraldo de Mexico, the daily newspaper with the largest circulation, says it prints 200,000 copies of its paper each day, yet... two of the most popular comic books sell 1.3 million copies a week - each. In addition, about five million other comic books are sold here every week - with each copy passed around to many readers."(From an English language textbook used in Japan in the mid-1990s)
Brazil
Top Brazilian comics writer Ziraldo is now developing cartoons and interactive games for the internet based on his most famous character: O Menino Maluquinho. With 1.8 million copies sold, O Menino Maluquinho is Ziraldo's bestselling book. It has been transformed into a movie, a play, a school allegory, and an animated cartoon. This year alone, Ziraldo has launched three additional new books of Menino Maluquinho. (From a PRNewswire story, June 2000)
The Brazilian health ministry prepared 1.4 million comics pamphlets to promote the government's views on AIDS and sex education. (From a Jan.'97 AP story)
"In the late 1950s, Mauricio de Sousa worked the crime beat for the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo... often illustrating his own stories. After five years... he persuaded the Folha to run a weekly cartoon. The protagonist was inspired by and named for his own daughter, Monica, a pint-sized, buck-toothed girl with a closely chopped coiffure, a bad temper and a stuffed rabbit she dragged around by the ears. She caught on. By the 1980s, Mr Souza had become Brazil's leading children's artist, with 11 comic books which together sell more than 3.5 million copies a month. Monica's Gang has been exported in nine languages and 17 countries. Today, Mr. Sousa presides over Mauricio de Sousa Producoes, a publishing empire worth $350 million a year. (From The Economist Newspaper, May '95)
Colombia
Punto-Com, the first and only company providing news, analysis and research tailored to the needs of the Latin American Internet business community, is using well-known Colombian cartoonist Vladimir Florez as their web site designer. Florez is the acclaimed creator of the Colombian weekly comic strip Aleida.(From a PRNewswire story, May 2000)
NORTH AMERICA
USA
A small study at Yale University in New Haven, CT, published in the journal Pediatrics, confirmed that food marketed with cartoons tastes better to children. Forty children were asked to do a taste test of gummy fruit snacks, graham crackers and baby carrots. One bite came from food in a plain package with a simple label, and one bite came from a similar package that also had a Dora the Explorer, Shrek or a Scooby Doo sticker on the front. Both packages had the same brand of snack, but the children consistently said that the food from packages with cartoons tasted better. Children in the study were aged 4-6, and most of them could name the cartoon characters used in the study. 90% of the children recognized Dora the Explorer, 77% recognized Scooby Doo and 60% recognized Shrek. Further studies will be done to determine whether "spokescharacters" such as Tony the Tiger of Frosted Flakes or Toucan Sam of Fruit Loops hold more sway over the culinary tastes of children than cartoon characters from actual cartoon series. The food industry spends US$1.6 billion on youth-targeted marketing and, of that, 13% is dedicated to character licensing and cross-promoting. (From ABC News, June '10)
Comics and caroons are among Andrews McMeel Publishing's major areas of focus. Cartoon franchises have been "the cornerstone of the business." The Complete Far Side by Gary Larson, a $150, two-volume book has sold more than 200,000 copies since 2003. The Complete Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson, a $150, three-volume set has sold nearly 300,000 copies since 2005. Andrews McMeel has just released Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years, a $75 collection that marks the official 60th anniversary of the beginning of the iconic strip. (Andrews McMeel Publishing's Shelf Awareness e-newsletter for the book trade, Nov '09)
Famous Austrian/German/American filmmaker and screenwriter Fritz Lang (1890-1976) said he learned English and American culture by reading US comic strips. (From 'Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood' on PBS, January '09)
"The United Nations recently announced that it is teaming up with Marvel Comics. The unlikely partnership will publish a comic featuring the usual Marvel superheros working mask-in-glove with U.N. peacekeeping forces and agencies such as UNICEF. Their mission: to bring peace to war torn nations and rid the world of disease. No doubt the Marvel heroes — if they really existed — would pursue these objectives with single-minded dedication. But it’s doubtful they would achieve them with the U.N. as a sidekick ... The very notion that today’s U.N. is eager to embark on heroic struggles against evildoers defies reality. But reality is no check on propaganda, which explains why the organization is so keen to team up with Marvel. The U.N.-themed comic will be distributed free to one million U.S. school children in hundreds of schools. The U.N. also plans to translate it into other languages and distribute them around the world ... A U.N. communications officer explains that the comic will make the U.N. 'more accessible' to young people who will 'get excited if they know their heroes like Spider-Man will work with the United Nations to address these issues, peace and security.'" (National Review Online, Jan. '08)
"As you may have noticed, Japanese comics have gripped the global imagination. Manga sales in the US have tripled in the past four years. Titles like Fruits Basket, Naruto, and Death Note have become fixtures on American best-seller lists. Walk into your local bookstore this afternoon and chances are the manga section is bigger than the science fiction collection." (From Wired Magazine, October '07)
Publisher Mike Nappa reports that "Graphic-intensive print products are now dominating the lives of American children and teens." Quoting stats from Marvel Comics' media kit, he says, "Marvel Comics distributes 4.1 million comic books every month -- a circulation higher than Time magazine, Woman’s Day, TV Guide, or Sports Illustrated."(From the Nappaland.com web site and CBA/Aspiring Retail Industry Brief, May '07)
"[In 2006] Sales of graphic novels rose by twelve per cent in the USA. It is above all the growing number of women readers that has brought in the money ... This means that since 2001, the American market for graphic novels has quadrupled ...Those who know the industry expect further sales growth in 2007, seeing potential for growth in comics for young readers." (From the Frankfurt Book Fair newsletter, citing PW Comics Week, March '07)
"The seemingly inexorable spread of manga is having a positive effect on domestic comic markets around the world, according to a panel of manga and comic publishers ... According to Chuck Rozanski of Mile High Books (US), 'anything that’s not superheroes in America is a hard sell,' [but says] manga's non-threatening image was allowing it to infiltrate into the US educational and library markets, opening up those markets for comics as well." (From Frankfurt Book Fair "Newsletter Daily", October '06)
"In recent years, the American comic book industry has been revived by more elaborate-style comic books that bear little resemblance to the old-time, roll-into-your-back-pocket paper comics. Slick-papered, book-length graphic novels accounted for some $245 million in retail sales last year, a steadily increasing chunk of the $570 million comic book market, according to Diamond Comic Distributors, the largest English-language comics distributor. In recent years, mainstream bookstores like Border's on West End Avenue have set aside special sections for the books. Their core readers are males 18-34, according to Diamond. A sub-genre of the books that has attracted many girls and young women readers is 'manga,' a Japanese-style graphic novel wildly popular in Asia and Europe that generally avoids the superhero plot lines that characterize many graphic novels, focusing more on stories that explore everyday life and relationships." (From The Tennessean, September '06)
"While Marvel wings its superheroes across the globe, the Japanese-style graphic novel called manga is rapidly gaining popularity with U.S. girls and teens. At least 40 syndicated newspapers have added manga to the funny pages; magazines like CosmoGirl showcase manga by young creators ... A $180 million market in 2005, U.S. manga is quickly getting comfortable tucked under the arms of young readers, and major publishing houses are rushing into the category. 'Books are not a growth business,' says Milton Griepp, CEO of ICv2.com a pop-culture news site. 'But the manga category has tripled in the last three years. That gets their attention.' So does the readership: 60% are female, a group that also dominates book sales. 'That demographic hasn't existed in American comics,' says Kurt Hassler, a graphic-novel buyer for Borders Group who was on to the trend early. While comics feature 50-year-old superheroes who appeal to boys, manga in the U.S. is often created by women for women of all ages. 'Every major publishing house has either got their whole foot or their big toe in this pool right now,' says Calvin Reid, a co-editor of the trade magazine PW Comics Week. It makes sense, considering the $5 billion global manga market." (From Time Magazine Bonus Section: Inside Business, August '06)
"[Manga are] black-and-white comics, translated from Japanese bestsellers and meant to be read back to front and right to left, [and] are a huge hit with American teens and tweens. They can find manga (pronounced "mahn-ga") in the popular teen magazine Cosmo Girl, or they wait impatiently for the next book in a series to be translated and brought to the shelves of a Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks ... Unlike readers of American graphic novels and comic books, manga fans are more likely to be girls than boys. About 60 percent are female, estimates ICv2, the online trade publication that tracks pop culture products. The target demographic for Tokyopop's shojo is 13- to 17-year-old girls, says [the] director of shojo manga for the publisher, an American company. People think that fans must be Goth or fringe types, but that's not true, says [the] publisher of Girl's Life magazine. 'Girls across the board love manga.' ... Beyond the visual appeal, almost anything Japanese has become cool to many in this generation. They grew up with Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Hello Kitty, and eat sushi as casually as pizza. Reading right to left is cool. Manga is cool, and it's something their parents don't know about or don't quite get - always a plus." (From the Baltimore Sun, March 2006)
"... Manga [are] those small, thick digest comics that originally hail from Japan and these days dominate the graphic-novel bestseller list. Much of manga's focus on relationships and the lives of young people — rather than men in tights — have brought girls to comics in a way that Superman and the X-Men never did ... Manga experts say Japanese comics first started seeping into American culture in a big way in the mid-'90s, thanks in large part to the popularity of Japanese cartoons — anime — like 'Sailor Moon' and 'Pokémon.' Publishers jumped on board, initially targeting boys with stories of robots and ninjas. But the recent explosion in popularity is due in large part to publishers waking up to what girls want ... [US manga publisher] Viz's mighty Shonen Jump manga anthology, whose monthly circulation of 200,000 is 30 percent female." (From the MTV.com web site, March '06)
"Three Viz Manga [Japanese-style comics] placed in USA Today's best selling book list for the week ending February 26. Most notable, was Naruto volume 9, which ranked 29th, the highest ever rank achieved by a manga. The volume was ranked in position 147 the previous week. The other manga in Booklist this week were Rurouni Kenshin volume 24 in 116 position and Death Note volume 4 in 118 position. Previously, the highest ever ranking manga was Fruits Basket, which achieved 69th position with volume 10 and had several volumes break the top 100. The next highest ranking title is Fullmetal Alchemist, which reached 88 with volume 2. Volume 1 of Fullmetal Alchemist and Volume 11 of Fruits Basket stayed on the top 150 longer than any other manga, 4 weeks." (From the Anime News Network.com website, March '06)
"After years of lagging growth, [US] book publishers are in a mood to try just about anything ... Graphic novels generally, and manga [Japanese-style comics] specifically, are among the few rapidly growing areas of the publishing business, so securing the right to distribute [them is] a hotly contested prize ... 'Publishers are fighting over distribution clients the way they used to fight over authors,' [one publisher] said ... After being sold mainly in comic-book shops, manga now has shelf space dedicated to it in most large bookstores, including all the national chains. The genre has become so popular that last month, a syndicated manga strip began running in the Sunday funny pages of about 30 American newspapers." (From the New York Times, February '06)
"Public Square Books (PSB) plans to distribute manga books in Spanish. Manga, the Japanese word for comics, is a genre already popular around the world and especially in the States, where it constantly dominates Bookscan's chart of best-selling graphic novels in English ... U.S. [manga] sales almost tripled last year in comparison to 2000 ... PSB's effort will make manga available in Spanish in the United States for the first time ... PSB is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Spanish-language comics published by Spain's Norma Editorial." (From Criticas Magazine: An English Speaker's Guide to the Latest Spanish-Language Titles, November '05)
"'Manga is one of the fastest-growing segments of the [American] publishing industry,' said Milton Griepp, founder of ICv2, a research organization that deals with the animation industry. According to ICv2, manga sales in the United States jumped from $55 million in 2002 to a monstrous $125 million last year ... In the United States, manga took root in the 1970s, when VIZ Media started translating and releasing popular Japanese comic books. Today, VIZ is still the leading publisher of manga for English-speakers, serving an estimated audience of nearly 15 million fans. Manga has become so dominant in the comic-book world that DC Comics recently started an entire division dedicated to it." (From the Fox Features web site, August '05)
"A recent online poll of more than 7,000 kids ages 6 to 17 by KidzEyes, C&R Research's online kids panel, shows that the top 10 genres that kids read most often include magazines, joke books, short stories, non-fiction, sports, and comic books. 'Personal reading of any kind is extremely important to our children,' said the president of Reading is Fundamental (RIF). 'Families should remember that everything a child reads -- not just novels and literature -- can help develop and sustain strong literacy skills and create a lifelong appreciation of learning.' To show support for reading of all types and to put a strong emphasis on fun, RIF has partnered with the National Cartoonists Society, where more than 30 syndicated and regional artists will promote reading in their strips during Reading Is Fun Week." (From a PR news wire story, May '05)
"When The Dallas Morning News pruned its stock tables, sports results and television listings this year ... few readers felt aggrieved enough to complain. But when the paper later staged a 'Survivor'-style contest to cut a dozen of its 53 comic-strip offerings ... more than 40,000 readers voted their passions ... [in] a fusillade of e-mail messages, phone calls and faxes." (From an article in the New York Times, August '04)
"The first two issues of a Christian comic book have achieved X-Men-level sales. The issues are part of the graphic-novel adaptation of the megahit Christian book series Left Behind, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. It's one of the big comics surprises of the year. Each book translates to five graphic novels, meaning that a monthly publishing schedule will stretch out the series for five years. The first two graphic novels of Left Behind were released in late November with little fanfare because the company was unsure how they would be received... Tyndale House didn't even realize that selling more than 300,000 copies of the first two issues was all that impressive. At a time when few [U.S.] mainstream comic books break the magic 100,000 figure, the Left Behind numbers are staggering." (From a Newhouse News Service story, December '01)
A new study by the Sunday newspaper supplement PARADE has found that "the most popular sections of the Sunday newspaper [in the USA] continue to be local news, national news, comics and coupons." (From a July '01 PRNewswire story)
CyberSober, the comprehensive continuing care system for members of Twelve Step programs, and NMS, one of the [USA]'s leading drug testing companies, have partnered to address the prevention and education of children, teenagers and parents about the harmful effects of alcohol and drugs using educational comics and short stories. In addition to drug and alcohol related issues, the books will also address issues like peer pressure, trust, communication and self-confidence. (From a Business Wire story, July '01)
A U.S. entertainment company which creates, develops and publishes collectible comic books for professional sports teams says that their "Comic Book Night" promotions have contributed to a significant increase in attendance at Major League Baseball games where they have been used. One particular "Comic Book Night" game drew over 36,690 paying fans, more than 50% higher than the team's average attendance of just under 23,000 fans per night. It was that team's largest crowd since Opening Day. By comparison, the team drew just 15,372 fans the prior evening against the defending division champions. The following game, a Saturday night also against the defending champs, drew 24,575 fans, or about 50% fewer than on "Comic Book Night." (From a Business Wire story, May '01)
"Mighty Mouse... the classic superhero is the latest 'toon to attract attention as animated characters experience a creative renaissance. The rebirth of the superhero is the most recent example of the 'celebritoon trend' that's taking Hollywood and Madison Avenue by storm. Other celebritoons currently featured in advertising campaigns include classic icons Spider-Man, Bugs Bunny, Pink Panther and Fred Flintstone, as well as new favorites SpongeBob and the Powerpuff Girls. Ironically, cartoons are no longer just for kids. As the industry gains mainstream acceptance and recognition as an art form, more comic characters are appearing in advertising and movies targeting people of all ages." (From a PRNewswire story, April '01)
The B.C. comic strip runs in 1,300 newspapers with an estimated 100 million readers worldwide. Artist Johnny Hart's strip often includes Christian themes and has been honored as the best humor strip in the USA. (From an April '01 AP story)
"The Florida Department of Health awarded grants up to $24,999 to community groups statewide to create programs and materials that will raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use among minority youth. Individuals, grassroots groups and community-based organizations, including churches, art groups and Native American tribal organizations were awarded a total of more than $860,000 in grants to conduct anti-tobacco, educational events and develop culturally specific products for African American, Hispanic, Asian American and Native Americans ... To appeal to rural Hispanic youth, the Rural Women's Health Project will produce a 'fotonovela' (brochure that tells a [comic book-style] story through photographs) on the dangers of tobacco use ... In addition, comic books ... with anti-tobacco messages, will be produced by other grant recipients." (From a Business Wire story, April '01)
Two Major League Baseball teams are using comic books as part of their promotion during the 2001 season. During the previous season, when 15,000 comic books were given out to children fourteen years and younger on "Amazin' Mets Comic Book Day," the event received extensive press coverage from national and regional media. Comics have also been developed, or are in development, featuring National Football League and National Hockey League players. (From a Business Wire release, Feb '01)
According to a study of 580 youngsters published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, warnings featuring cartoon characters were rated as "more believable" than those showing only printed messages. Youngsters [in Chicago, USA] were shown warnings using either plain, printed messages or ones featuring cartoon animals. All of the cartoon messages received higher ratings than the plain ones. The findings suggest that the cartoon warnings would increase children's awareness about the dangers of smoking, said one researcher. A representative of the American Cancer Society, praised the idea of using "image-based campaigns" to reach young people but said the study results are not conclusive enough to warrant starting an anti-smoking campaign using cartoon characters. (From an AP story, December 2000)
"According to Simmons' Kids Study, an in-depth survey of 5,000 [U.S.] children aged 6-11 nationwide... comics [are] still [a] favorite reading material. The vast majority (88 percent) of kids read books outside of school, and 16 percent of them belong to book clubs. Just like in the ole days, comic books still top the reading lists of 41 percent of youngsters. And at the newsstand, their favorite magazine picks are Nickelodeon (14 percent) and Disney Adventures (9 percent)." (From the Simmons' Kids Study, Aug 2000)
"Today, Archie Comics' main demographic is 7 to 14-year olds, a little more than half being female, [publisher Michael] Silberkleit says. At its sales height, during WWII, Archie sold 6 million copies a month, many of them to soldiers who liked reading comics from home. Now the entire Archie line of comics - 32 titles - sells just fewer than 1 million copies a month." (From a Scripps Howard News Service story in the Denver CO Rocky Mountain News, August 2000)
"The Pokemon series is now the best-selling comic in America. Totaling ongoing sales from comic stores, newsstands, and other retailers, each issue sells more copies than any other U.S. comic published per month. This marks the first time that a black & white manga (Japanese comic) has been #1 in America. The first Pokemon issue in November '98 sold out immediately, followed by 9 more printings in as many months, selling a total of over 300,000 copies, with no end in sight. The next 10 issues have continued this trend, with a total of over 2 million comics in circulation." (From an August '99 PR Newswire Story)
"If you were to name the most widely read Christian of our time, who would it be? C. S. Lewis? Frank Peretti? Billy Graham? Well, the real answer is someone who has more readers than all of these men combined. But don't look for his books at your local Christian bookstore. He's in the newspaper, on, of all things, the comic page. I'm talking about Johnny Hart, [one of] the most widely syndicated cartoonist[s] in the world. He draws two well-known comic strips, B.C. and Wizard of Id, which reach some 100 million readers worldwide every day. About 20 years ago, Hart underwent a conversion experience and became personally persuaded that Christianity is true. [Since then] Hart has begun to weave Christian themes into his strip." (From an July '99 "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson"column)
More American teenagers read the newspaper comic sections (43 percent) than look at the front page (40 percent). (From a Feb.'99 media study report by the Newspaper Association of America)
"Marvel Comic's Spider-Man [is] one of the world's most recognizable and celebrated Super Heroes. Fifteen million Spider-Man comics are sold each year in 75 countries and in 22 languages, and a comic strip... is syndicated... in 500 newspapers worldwide." (From a Dec.'98 PRNewswire story)
"Japan's comics, or manga... are increasingly popular in the United States and Europe... Proponents predict the country's comic books and animation styles will form the backbone of 21st century world pop culture... [and]...will challenge Western pop culture." (From a July '97 AP story)
Greenland
Among the imports it now regards as "necessities" since the arrival of Polar explorers and missionaries, the inughuit of Qaanaaq (Polar Eskimos of northern Greenland) list flour and sugar, coffee and clothing, paper and twine, wood and cement, tools and rifles... as well as comic books, telephones, TV sets. (From die Neue Zürcher Zeitung, July '97)
Canada
"I went with some missionaries to a street ministry in Saskatoon. They have a school bus stripped of seats, carpeted, with a couple of tables with coffee, snacks, literature, etc. They talk to people, sing some and have a Bible message. It's all Native people except for two missionaries and a couple of local church volunteers. Song leaders, guitar players, all Native. I mostly observed. They had one issue of the Dan Red Eagle comic among lots of literature on the table. One after another, adults read the comic, nothing else. One woman read it twice, and asked if there were any more. Finally someone left and took it with her. I also noticed that the Christian worker who seemed the most in touch with the people constantly had the 4 Steps to Power comic tract in her brown hand. She used it automatically. Golly, that stuff is effective. We really need to get more of it into the world." (From a missionary with North America Indian Ministries in Canada)
"Several years ago I had taken boxes of Dan Red Eagle comic books with me for a short term ministry in Canada. I had given them all away when a suicidal Native woman came by where I was teaching vacation Bible school, hoping to talk to someone. I prayed before going to the woman's house and was surprised to find I had an extra copy of the Dan Red Eagle comic on suicide. The Native lady identified with the suicidal girl in the book and accepted Christ. Now she is a growing believer and good mother to her two children."(From a short term missionary working in a Saskatchewan Native community)
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