Papercutz editor-in-chief Jim Salicrup has spent almost an entire lifetime immersed in comics, from an internship at Marvel Comics that led to him editing works such as “The Amazing Spider-Man” to his tenure as editor-in-chief of Topps Comics. With Papercutz, the only graphic novel company that exclusively targets kids, and which Salicrup founded in 2005 with Terry Nantier, Salicrup has taken a different yet equally noteworthy turn. Perhaps best known as the company that introduced kids to the “Geronimo Stilton” books, Papercutz offers lots of other great new content, from updates of classic characters such as Nancy Drew to modern ones such as Youtube’s Annoying Orange. Offerings vary from light to dark and from entertaining to educational. Ten years into Papercutz, Salicrup sat down with SLJ to discuss the attraction of comics, the role of libraries in bringing kids and graphic novels together, and what’s on the horizon for the company. Why do you think comics appeal so readily to kids? What is it about the language of sequential art that pulls in readers? As someone who first started reading with Dr. Seuss (who was a comics artist) and Little Golden Books, I simply loved losing myself in the worlds created by both words and pictures. When I was growing up, after a certain age, books no longer had pictures, and while I loved reading them, I missed books with pictures. Comics seemed like the only other option available if I still wanted [illustrations with my] stories. Ultimately, comics are like every other storytelling medium and are only as good as the specific stories being told. Some children may be intimidated by books without pictures, seeing them as a difficult task, something they associate with school. A comic with exciting illustrations is more inviting. Kids will read—and buy—comics only because they’re interested in the stories. Comics have always been incredibly popular, but they’ve faced obstacles, especially when it comes to kids—even today, there are those who worry about kids only reading graphic novels. Is this an attitude you’ve come up against? And over the 10 years that Papercutz has operated, have you noticed a shift in attitude as this format gains more critical acclaim? Yes, it seems that comics and graphic novels are better accepted today than ever before! But let’s be realistic. If a child is reading graphic novels, isn’t that better than a child not reading anything? If a nonreader is attracted to the graphics of movies and video games, maybe a comic is what will finally get them to start reading. Many librarians have taken to comics easily, defending them even when others write them off. Do you think that’s why libraries are such a crucial part of Papercutz’s market? We love librarians! Librarians want kids to read, and they know that Papercutz publishes comics that are easy to understand (without ever writing down to kids), contain complete stories, and feature characters they love. Believe it or not, Papercutz even published a biography of Pope John Paul II. Similarly, Congressman John Lewis had no problem telling his story, and the story of the civil rights movement, in graphic novel form in March (Top Shelf, 2013). So, let those poor misguided souls write off comics. Librarians know that comics are getting kids to read, and they know that’s a good thing. Thank you, librarians! Though Papercutz is known as the #1 graphic novel publishing company for kids, its titles do run the gamut. How do you decide which series/titles are right for you? We simply try to publish the best stories that we possibly can. While many of our titles feature characters that are already household names—from Tinker Bell to Garfield—we are also introducing characters such as Ariol, the Lunch Witch, the Only Living Boy, the Zodiac Legacy, Toto Trouble, Anne of Green Bagels, Fuzzy Baseball, and others. Papercutz was founded by Terry Nantier and me 10 years ago on the premise that there weren’t enough comics being produced for kids, especially girls. While things have gotten better, comics are still dominated by superheroes who appeal mainly to males, teen and older. So, there are still plenty of types of stories that will appeal to kids that have yet to be made into comics. Where do you see Papercutz going in the future? Are there new audiences you want to tap, other genres? To infinity and beyond! Actually, one of the big things we’re doing right now is publishing Nickelodeon magazine, which showcases the new graphic novel series that we’ll be publishing including “Sanjay and Craig,” “Breadwinners,” “Harvey Beaks,” and “Pig Goat Banana Cricket.” We’ve also added more Disney titles—such as “Mickey X,” which features Mickey Mouse exploring the supernatural. Papercutz also launched the imprint Super Genius, which publishes material aimed at the traditional comics fans, including “Tales from the Crypt” and “WWE Superstars” and Neil Gaiman’s “Lady Justice,” “Teknophage,” “Mr. Hero.” So, yes, we want to continue to find and build new audiences for comics and for Papercutz!