On May 6, also known as National Comic Day or Free Comic Book Day, the Mililani Public Library, in collaboration with Mililani High School’s library, will be holding an event based around comics, where anyone who visits the library will have the opportunity to to expand their reading into the realm of comics by receiving a free comic book. Alongside the comic giveaway day, the public library will also be displaying the top three winners of the comic book art competition, which is currently open to all Mililani High School students. 

All students may submit up to two entries in the art contest, as long as they adhere to a set list of requirements. Whether hand drawn or computer generated, each design must be original, 2-D, and include an interesting backstory of sorts, which may not exceed 300 words. Entries must be submitted to Librarians Mrs. Betty Arai or Mrs. Rieko Goo at the Mililani High School Library no later than Friday, Apr. 14, 3:00 p.m. 

Shortly after, on Apr. 28, the winners will be announced.  This happens after careful consideration of all artwork by a panel composed of MHS teachers, librarians and public librarians. Students’ work will be judged on its overall creativity in addition to the artistic merit of their pieces and its quality. Once winners are selected, all pieces will be displayed at the MHS library and at the public library on May 6. The top 3 are guaranteed to be on display. Along with the honor and pride of having their artwork shown to the public, 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $50, $25, and $10 gift cards, respectively. 

“The Public library will have a huge audience because on free comic book day, they will give out free comics to anyone who comes in and so they usually have hundreds if not thousands of people so there’s gonna be pretty big publicity around especially the winners,” said MHS librarian Betty Arai.  

This dual-event is, in its entirety, a promotional effort for literature, which will come to include a day of recognition for comics and only comics. Comics first emerged as a public sensation in the late 19th century due to their inclusion in newspapers. Sensationalist journalism, while not always accurate, was popular at this time as it excited readers and garnered greater viewers as headlines and stories became increasingly absurd. The inclusion of comic strips in papers were another editorial tactic to entertain and interest the individual in hopes of gaining massive readership. Although the canonical features of comics were established in the newspaper, the first independent comic book, which was comprised of reprints on earlier material in the papers, came about in the 1930s. With the creation of original characters and stories and, most notably, the introduction of Superman in 1938, the Golden Age of comics began. The works of comics developed into new genres, and became very popular especially during WWII where kids would dream of becoming the superheroes they read about. Comics became a reflection of society and history, and are now an integral part of American culture.  

For more information on Mililanis own comic contest, visit https://www.mililanihs.org/.