Jim attended New York Comic Con last week, where he presented on two panels: Comics, Graphic Novels and STEM, as well as Comics, Graphic Novels and the Reluctant Reader. Both were well attended, and recorded on his phone. Enjoy!
Author: Jim McClain
Welcome!
If you’re coming here from Comic-Con International San Diego, welcome! Solution Squad is an all-ages comic that teaches math. If you attended one of my panels, you already know this, so let’s get started! You’re already in the right place for free webcomics. We are currently finishing the second Solution Squad story, “The Trouble with […]
Teachers Pay Teachers!
Our newest venture is in the domain of lesson plans! Along with curriculum expert Tracy Edmunds, we have launched a Teachers Pay Teachers store! In it, we have the 113-slide digital comic, along with 25 pages of lesson plans and activities for grades 4-8! The first listing goes with Solution Squad #1: Solution Squad is a […]
A New Collaborator
As announced the other day, we are bringing a new collaborator on board to help with our Solution Squad YouTube Channel. I am pleased to welcome Nikki Tolerico to the Solution Squad team! I met Nikki at the 2014 New York Comic Con and she’s a fantastic cosplayer AND math teacher! She’s in the process […]
Happy New Year!
Hello, everyone! Jim McClain, here. Upon reflection, 2015 flew by. I began by dedicating the year to making progress on the hardcover Solution Squad book. I gave up spending hundreds of dollars in table fees to do comic book shows where I would find precious few from my target audience, and dedicated that money instead […]
Progress
Posting has been light here in the past year or so, but we promise you, it’s all going to be worth the wait. Here’s the lineup of talent behind Solution Squad: Primer. The whole book is written, and more than half of the artwork is now done. When the book is complete, we will […]
Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter
Formerly known as The Graphic Textbook, Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter is a 184-page anthology of educational comics from science, social studies, language arts, and math for grades 3-6. It features comic stories by Katie Cook, Mike and Janet Lee, Chris Giarusso, Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey, Trevor Mueller, Russell Lissau, […]
For Those Who Came in Late…
Hello! “For Those Who Came in Late…” sounds like an insult, but it’s actually a reference to the classic comic strip, The Phantom. It’s how the writer would recap What Has Gone Before. So if you’re here from Edutopia or Instructor magazine, welcome. You’re not late at all! Solution Squad is an all-ages educational comic aimed […]
News!
On February 21, we were informed that Jim had won a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship! What this means is that he will receive $10,000 in technology and time that will allow him to create a Solution Squad story that will be made available for free for digital viewing. The story will have enhanced web […]
AMP! Comics for Kids to publish Reading With Pictures: The Graphic Textbook, including Solution Squad!
We’re excited to announce that all 24 pages of the main story in Solution Squad #1 will be reprinted in Reading With Pictures: The Graphic Textbook! From the Reading With Pictures Kickstarter Page: “Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP) has entered an agreement to publish READING WITH PICTURES: THE GRAPHIC TEXTBOOK, an educational graphic anthology produced by […]
And Now it Can be Told!
So, where have I been? If we go as far back as August, Rose left Solution Squad and decided to pursue other avenues. That was sad, but not unexpected. I knew she’d quickly find work, and she did. She’s way too talented to be held to one project! I was lucky enough to hire her […]
Buy Solution Squad #1 Now!
If you’ve wondered what all the fuss is about, wonder no more! Solution Squad #1 is now available for purchase to be shipped directly to you! There are discounts available for multiple copies, and one flat rate for shipping, even if you buy 1,000 copies (and yes, that is an option)! If you buy 1-4 […]
Games: Lo-Hi
It’s been a whirlwind of activity for me in the past few weeks! I thought it would be easier to keep up with this blog than it has been, but at least I’m here now. One of the things I promised to have here is games. I’m not going to claim any genius in game […]
Integrating Comics into the Common Core
On Friday, April 26, I participated in a panel at C2E2 entitled, Integrating Comics into the Common Core. An audio recording of the panel can be found here. Josh Elder, president and founder of Reading with Pictures, asked me to expand on my PowerPoint, including slides that included the spoken narrative, and here it is in […]
C2E2
Rose and I exhibited at the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) last weekend, and what a rewarding experience it was! Almost as soon as we were set up, I was scheduled to participate in a panel. So, off I went, and as soon as the preceding panel broke up, I ran into Mark Waid, […]
Solution Squad #1: A User’s Guide, Part 1
So, you’ve purchased and read a copy of Solution Squad #1 (either physically or digitally) and you’re not sure how to use it. Fair enough. Let’s start with the most obvious use: Teaching kids about prime numbers! Prime numbers are the DNA of numbers, if you will. The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic tells us that […]