Our MISSION.
the name of the game
AT 1ST STOP COMICS, we aim to promote literacy and ignite a life-long passion for reading, creativity and community through industry-supported resources & programs.
reading
reading rocks. you know it, we know it… the kids need to know it, too. In a society where our screens are never out of reach, we want to encourage kids to slow down and re-engage with physical media.
CREATIVITY
There are few things more rewarding than making something yourself. In a society where human creativity is becoming less incentivized, we want to encourage kids to hold onto their creative spark.
community
Everybody needs somebody. In a society where its becoming all too easy to disengage with the outside world, we want to encourage kids to interact with and care for the people around them.
Our idea.
so… why comics?
First of all, it’s because comics are awesome.
But if you really need another reason… it’s because studies have shown that children often respond better to comic books and graphic novels when learning to read!
Combining visual images with narrative texts allows kids to better connect complex language and narrative themes. It’s shown to be an amazing tool for children in ESL courses, as attaching a visual to new vocabulary allows the brain to better absorb the material.
With literacy rates having sharply fallen among K-12 groups compared to pre-pandemic levels, we firmly believe an excellent step in bridging the gap would be to invest in comic and graphic-novel-based literacy programs.
Furthermore, these rates have caused an even larger literacy gap amongst children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, a gap that only widens as they get older. But, with the introduction of comic books and graphic novels, not only does literary access become easier for these children, they get the chance to visualize themselves in the characters and stories they're reading about.
In the realm of educational development, we see the comic book medium as lightning that needs to be bottled. But it’s not just us, we promise! Check out these studies and testimonies from people far, far smarter than us.
engagement levels with traditional novels vs. graphic novels (as told by 5th graders)
I mean hey, they are our demographic.
But you should check out the study this data came from,
which was conducted and written by actual adults!
still feeling studious? fear not, more studies!
Gene Luen Yang is an award-winning comic book creator who’s best know for his work on superman, avatar: the last Airbender, and his solo graphic novel, “American Born Chinese”, which was adapted into a tv show. for us at 1st stop comics, he’s also a major inspiration.
Gene embodies the mission of 1st stop comics not just through his phenomenal art, but through his actions. As the Library of Congress’ fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, he advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely.
In this presentation, Gene dives into the power of visual storytelling, as well as the implications that comic books can have in the educational space.
This guy gets it.
Our Model.
where the real fun starts
The entirety of our model can be seen from our mission statement:
“we aim to promote literacy and ignite a life-long passion for reading, creativity and community through Industry-supported resources and programs.”
So what does that look like? C’mon, we’ll show ya.
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We partner with educators, creators and comic industry professionals to create fun, comic-centered content, designed to engage the comic community and provide an easy on-ramp for new readers. We also create educational content, designed to foster literary & creative skills using the comic book medium.
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We share the comic-centered content on our charity auction streams as a way of driving engagement. We also post it to our YouTube channel, where we’ll receive funding from monetization. Patreon donors will get early access to our comic content, as well as exclusive access to our educational content, which will only be shown at our in-person comic camp programs. So however people choose to engage, they’re contributing directly to our mission.
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We host free literacy programs and creative classes called “comic camps”, where we guide the students through our educational content. Educators will also be given free access to our entire library of educational videos, with the goal of providing another tool for their educational tool belt.
Online Resources
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We accept used & new comic book donations from local comic shops, collectors and fans alike who want to support our mission and contribute to the health of the comic community.
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We host pop-up shops, with the goal of bringing in new readers by providing easy jumping-on points like issue #1s, collected arcs/sets, and one-shots. We also host charity auction streams geared toward existing comic fans, where we sell high-ticket books, bulk back-issues, and hang out together to talk all things comics.
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We use the proceeds to fund our "comic camps", our free literacy & creative programs where kids get to make comics, play games, strengthen their reading skills and learn to be a hero in their community. At the end of the class, they get to take home a brand new comic book!
community programs
Our Team.
The nerds at the helm
Matt Salley
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Hello! I'm Matt. I spent 7 years working as a full-time videographer & graphic designer for another nonprofit, with a major focus on fundraising. After spending a year's worth of nights and weekends fleshing out the dream for 1st Stop Comics, I left my job in April of 2026 to make it a reality! In my free time, I enjoy reading comics, playing music, and going on book store crawls with my wife.
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My favorite comic of all time is Murder Falcon by Daniel Warren Johnson. I think this book (like the rest of DWJ's work) is a masterful blend of bombastic action, lived-in characters, and important lessons that every single person can relate to and learn from. My favorite book on my current pull list is The Patron by Christian Ward and John Pearson. I'm a sucker for horror/thriller comics (especially since I'm too much of a scaredy cat to watch horror movies), and The Patron does a wonderful job of delivering a suspenseful mystery in a medium that I can enjoy.
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I believe child literacy is one of the most critical issues that needs to be addressed today. When kids aren't encouraged to strengthen their reading skills, they not only miss out on all the practical opportunities that come with reading proficiency, they miss out on some awesome stories with important lessons!
My dream for 1st Stop Comics is to give children the best possible chance to develop their social skills, a passion for their community, and a lifelong love for reading.
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Email: matt@1ststopcomics.org
Phone: (512) 630-2889
Executive Director
Steven Barrientos
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Hi, my name is Steven! I'm currently about to graduate with my degree in forensic science, and I make a living by selling comic books online. I like to spend my free time reading comics, watching horror movies, and playing with my pitbulls, Ivy and Cinnamon
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My favorite comic of all time would have to be Department of Truth, as I love conspiracy theories and really enjoy how the series uses horror to explore cryptids and all things conspiratorial!
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In my personal life, I'm a big advocate for child literacy. I’ve worked with elementary-aged children for years, and have seen with my own eyes how kids are not only struggling to learn how to read, but struggling with wanting to read in the first place.
As someone who grew up reading tons of comic books, my biggest hope is that with 1st stop comics, we’re able to spark curiosity in children, whether that's in the books they're reading or in the world around them.
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Email: steven@1ststopcomics.org
Phone: (512) 730-1319
Programming Director
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My name’s Jo! My day job is delivering plants for a local organic farm. I play piano and sing for the band Shoddy Posture. Some of my favorite things to do are play video games, play Dungeons & Dragons, and watch movies with my wife and our dog, Daisy.
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My favorite comic of all time is Scud by Rob Schrab. I love the mix of sci-fi and Schrab’s unique sense of humor. My favorite book on my pull list right now is D’ORC by Brett Bean, which I find just as charming as it is violent.
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I care about child literacy because I care about the future. My generation is the first in a century to see reading levels on the decline, and the trend is continuing in Gen-Alpha. The whole country recognizes this as a huge problem and constantly speculates at what exactly is to blame, but at some point we have to start investigating solutions - and our educators can’t do it alone.
My hope is that, at 1st Stop Comics, kids find a safe place to explore their creativity and enjoy engaging with physical media from time to time.
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Email: jo@1ststopcomics.org
Phone: (512) 630-0483
Development Director
Jo Chadwick
*presently, all three us are serving on the board of directors
while we work on inviting educators, child development
specialists and comic industry leaders to populate the board.
We will not receive any compensation until we have a new board to vote on it.
Not that we’re in it for the money, of course. But… we are still pretty excited to populate the board.
our partners.
the people who actually make it happen
