At the start of the spring semester, Levi Friesen, first-year public health and marketing major, founded Goshen College’s first-ever Comic Book Club. Driven by his love for comics and superheroes, Friesen hopes to spread the joy he’s found in the worlds of villains and vigilantes. 

Coming into GC, Friesen chose to proudly present his love for comics. The idea for a club dedicated to comic books originated during his preseason for cross-country, when a teammate mentioned that Jessica Baldanzi, chair of the English department, shared Friesen’s affection for comics.  

Inspired by his stint as the president of his middle school’s comic book club, Friesen decided to email Baldanzi near the end of the fall semester to gauge her interest in such an organization. Baldanzi’s intrigue and willingness to be the club’s faculty advisor solidified Friesen’s goals and helped him kickstart its emergence as spring semester began. 

Friesen recalled the early development of this club. “My favorite part of making it was the branding,” he said. As the semester came into full swing, campus became peppered with posters and mini booklets advertising an illusive Comic Book Club. 

Friesen excitedly translated the many meanings behind the club’s logo. “I decided to use the DC Indigo Lantern Tribe because they harness the power of compassion and their color is purple, and I thought that was too good to pass up,” he said. “My roommate also mentioned that, on Goshen College’s seal, there’s a lantern: Indigo Lanterns,” Friesen added. 

After Friesen had gone through the logistics of initiating and advertising a new club, his next steps were to plan initial meetings to gauge interest for the club’s content. 

As per the club’s mission statement, Friesen aims to “gather existing fans together and provide support to anyone new to the world of comics.” In order to appeal to both audiences, the club’s current target stories are those that “stand alone or will build up,” said Friesen. 

Peter Moser, first-year biology and secondary education major, was one of the first Comic Book Club members. Despite his previous lack of interest in comics, he described the club as “an opportunity to learn something new.”

Initially, Moser believed comic books to have substance based solely in superheroes and entertainment. “Levi’s made a very interesting case … there’s a lot more depth to these stories than I imagined,” Moser said. 

Beyond the surface value of extensive characters and lore, Moser feels that “sometimes they’re political, you know. It’s literature, just like everything else.”

Along with his mission to find like minded comic-lovers and spread the sense of escapism that readers may find, Friesen hopes to dive into the deeper themes that comic books tend to explore. “I like looking for political issues that are addressed in comic books, the ethical issues that are addressed in comic books. That’s what really draws me in,” he said. 

With the many directions discussions may take in a meeting, Comic Book Club has a bright future ahead, full of potential for opportunities. Moser encapsulated the excitement of this freedom as he talked about the club going forward. “That’s kind of the fun of it being a new club. It’s still getting shaped and formed and so I’m kind of excited to see where this ends up,” he said. 

Currently, Comic Book Club meets Mondays at 10 a.m. in the second-floor commons of Wyse Hall, however club scheduling is subject to change as the semester progresses. 

Friesen’s message to all the comic fans out there? “See you at new comic book day!”