12 Years of a Comics Newspaper: "Kids Never Get Tired of It"

They emerge like mushrooms after the rain, dozens of new comic books every year. Nevertheless, the young reading public eagerly awaits each new book. This is why, about 12 years ago, seeing the high demand, Eliyahu Shalom decided to launch a newspaper entirely dedicated to comic stories. He gathered thrilling adventures, stories of righteous people, and even those filled with jokes and humor, compiling them all into one newspaper, where they are published in series. The newspaper added additional sections - general knowledge, puzzles, creativity, recipes, and even a section where children talk about their parents' interesting jobs. "Initially, it was published once a month, but the children wanted more, so we moved to twice a month," he says.

What attracts children specifically to a comics newspaper?

"Many of them love the suspense and truly enjoy waiting for the next chapter. Additionally, the stories published in the newspaper are ones that haven't been released yet, and the kids enjoy reading them while they're still fresh from the oven. Beyond that, the different sections are a significant part of the content, offering very rich content overall - kids love suspense, love to laugh, and they get all of it in abundance."

The writers in the newspaper are diverse. "Bat Sheva Heblin, Dana Schwartzman, Tzvi Aryeh Adler, M. Hershkowitz, and this is just part of the list," says Eliyahu. "We strive to select from the wide range high-quality books with meaningful content and accurate historical background, ones that provide added value to the children. The newspaper is, of course, overseen by a spiritual committee, but in practice, it rarely happens that something needs to be changed because we work according to the rules from the outset."

"Flight 079," "Chilik and Shmilik," "Hershel the Austro-Hungarian," "Three Brothers," "Don Carlos," and many more books have already graced the pages of "Comics." "A book that was published with us is later released, but the real joy is for those who waited weekly for a new chapter. Sometimes people think that one day it will get old, but it doesn't seem to have an end. The kids enjoy every new comic that comes out and don't stop reading."

This trend of reading comic books instead of regular books isn't what we initially envisioned

"True, a comic book has less text to read, more drawings, and the child requires less effort. On the other hand, there's a significant advantage in that it's a good alternative to the excitement found in movies and on the internet. Nowadays, almost everyone is exposed in one way or another to the harm of media, and kids seek that excitement. This is where the comic comes in, acting like a cartoon and providing them with an alternative. The story brings the suspense and excitement they were looking for, but unlike the media on the screens, it's written by God-fearing authors and carries positive messages. In addition, a child who loves to read - reads everything, both comic books and regular books, so there's no need to worry. On the other hand, for kids who struggle to sit down and read an entire book, comics, with their lesser text, are the perfect fit."

In conclusion, Eliyahu says, "The subscribers to 'Comics' come from a variety of sectors - national religious, ultra-Orthodox, and even the most closed Hasidic groups. From what I've heard, it's not always just the kids reading it, and if there's one complaint that keeps coming up about the newspaper, it's 'why doesn't it come out every week?'"