CrossGen Promotes Teen Read Week

By: Rob Allstetter
Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2002

CrossGen Comics is teaming with libraries around the U. S. to promote Teen Read Week, Oct. 13-19. The theme of this year's Teen Read Week is "Get Graphic at Your Library" and focuses on the use of graphic literature as a tool to promote reading.

As an official Friend of Teen Read Week, CrossGen has already distributed 60,000 Teen Read Week bookmarks featuring CrossGen characters at Comic-Con International: San Diego last month, and will be distributing another 230,000 through comic book shops across the country. CrossGen has also dedicated the back cover of every comic it publishes from the week of Sept. 18 through Teen Read Week to an advertisement promoting the event.

CrossGen is sending comics and other giveaways to dozens of libraries around the country. "It's great that the Young Adult Librarian Association chose graphic novels as the theme for this year's Teen Read Week, and we're proud to support it," said CrossGen VP of Sales and Marketing Chris Oarr. "It demonstrates that librarians are ahead of most of America in discovering what fans have known all along: comics encourage a life-long love of reading. "

CrossGen artists are also getting involved by conducting workshops at libraries throughout the state of Florida to educate teens on the production of a comic book and the virtues of reading.

"Just about every creative person at CrossGen learned to read from comic books," said Bart Sears, CrossGen's art director. "When the opportunity arose for some of us to give something back, there was no way we'd ever refuse. Teen Read Week is a very positive event and the fact that graphic novels were chosen as the focus emphasizes America's beginning acceptance of this medium. "