dimsumthinkingdimsumthinking@mastodon.social
Oct 12, 2026, 7:04 PMResearch question- does a graphic novel about a topic - say math - need characters in it. Often there’s a person teaching the material illustrated in it
Replies
Jeff Watkinsjeffwatkins@mastodon.socialOct 12, 2026, 7:31 PM@dimsumthinking Just numbers with googly eyes.
ArchimageSergKoren@writing.exchangeOct 12, 2026, 8:04 PM@dimsumthinking well if there are no “characters”, then it’s just a textbook with pictures. ;) Also, it needs to have a story. just my 2 cents.
Oct 12, 2026, 8:43 PM@dimsumthinking fond memories of high school maths — which had some cartoon animals popping up and showing you helpful advice https://www.pearson.com/en-au/schools/primary/mathematics/australian-signpost-maths-f-6/
(Link is to primary school version but they go all the way up to year 10)
- dimsumthinkingdimsumthinking@mastodon.socialOct 12, 2026, 10:16 PM
@huwr thank you
- dimsumthinkingdimsumthinking@mastodon.socialOct 12, 2026, 10:19 PM
@huwr I had a series of Japanese math books that I lent to someone and never got back. They were fantastic
- dimsumthinkingdimsumthinking@mastodon.socialOct 12, 2026, 10:43 PM
@huwr hmm got to find the older grade ones in the us - these look fun. There was an Australian math magazine for teachers that I used to read that was outstanding
- Oct 12, 2026, 10:44 PM
@dimsumthinking My mum was a maths teacher (high school - 16–18 year-olds). We had lots of books about it laying about the house when I was a kid
- Oct 12, 2026, 10:52 PM
@dimsumthinking A lot of stuff from AAMT https://aamt.edu.au
Tony Arnoldtonyarnold@mastodon.socialOct 13, 2026, 3:38 AM@huwr @dimsumthinking I used to help build the AAMT website back in the 90’s! It’s a small world ❤️
- dimsumthinkingdimsumthinking@mastodon.socialOct 13, 2026, 4:02 AM
@tonyarnold @huwr cool
- Tony Arnoldtonyarnold@mastodon.socialOct 13, 2026, 4:14 AM
@dimsumthinking @huwr yeah, my mum says that I am
Basbas@iosdev.spaceOct 13, 2026, 7:12 AM@tonyarnold @dimsumthinking @huwr you are.
- dimsumthinkingdimsumthinking@mastodon.socialOct 13, 2026, 1:45 AM
@huwr me too - one of my favorite jobs
What’s That Function SwiftUIwtfSwiftUI@iosdev.spaceOct 12, 2026, 9:03 PM@dimsumthinking Without characters of some sort, how can there be a story? Without a story (no matter how abstract, nonlinear, or surreal), it’s not a novel (graphic, or otherwise).
hyperjeffhyperjeff@mastodon.socialOct 12, 2026, 9:17 PM@dimsumthinking it doesn’t need them. perhaps a narrator, but still not necessary.
Steve Humestevehume@mastodon.socialOct 12, 2026, 9:39 PM@dimsumthinking I thought of Neil Postman when you mentioned graphic novel. Claude’s answer to “ What would neil postman think about using a graphic novel to teach math. What would the characters do”, was encouraging and did confirm the uses and roles of characters and how he would judge success of the novel.
CaitlinmonsterJargoonco@mastodon.onlineOct 14, 2026, 6:19 AM@dimsumthinking From a narrative development perspective, it is easier to develop a story with characters vs not. Plus, they can be fun to work with!
Andy Leecocoadog@mastodon.socialOct 15, 2026, 7:18 AM@dimsumthinking I'm not clear what you mean by "graphic novel", and in what sense it would be different from a Keynote slide show. It sounds like you mean what Scott McCloud would call (IIRC) "sequential art". And it sounds like you're pondering a decision between at least two different ways of presenting the material: with and without characters. I guess I'm not sure what you mean by "characters" either. Like in Flatland? Like in Gödel Escher Bach? Like in Schoolhouse Rock?
- dimsumthinkingdimsumthinking@mastodon.socialOct 15, 2026, 2:05 PM
@cocoadog yeah I’m torn between a Mc cloud approach and yoga for stiff birds
- Andy Leecocoadog@mastodon.socialOct 15, 2026, 6:48 PM
@dimsumthinking I ordered that yoga book. No idea if I will do yoga but it looks like a nice book to own.
- Andy Leecocoadog@mastodon.socialOct 15, 2026, 6:52 PM
@dimsumthinking Just noticed there's also "How to be a Fit Bird". Ordered that too, for completeness.
Will decide later about her other books, in particular the ones about doing art.
- dimsumthinkingdimsumthinking@mastodon.socialOct 15, 2026, 8:05 PM
@cocoadog oh cool - I should order it