"March" co-author returns with comics about U.S. Constitution amendments

Driving the news: Aydin will speak at Dragon Con panels today and tomorrow about comics in schools and the comic book industry.

• He will also sell copies of "Register!" and "Recognized" at the convention's Artist Alley.

Flashback: Aydin, who splits his time between Georgia and western North Carolina, served as a close Lewis staffer until the civil rights activist's death from cancer in 2020.

Zoom in: Told through the adventures of a group of time-traveling friends, "Register!" chronicles the events and decisions leading up to the passage of landmark amendments.

• For example, the 15th Amendment, the last Reconstruction-era amendment, gave Black people the right to vote.
• However, Southern states soon created hurdles like poll taxes to make casting ballots more difficult.

Fun fact: The series sprang from comics Aydin and co-writer Valentine De Landro created for New York City Public Schools students.

Yes, and: "Recognized" features a rotating cast of comic talents. Early issues tell the human stories of LGBTQ activists, like Alain Locke, Sylvia Rivera, Bayard Rustin, and Larry Kramer.

The big picture: The third title in the acclaimed "March" series by Aydin, Lewis and Nate Powell topped the New York Times bestseller list and won the National Book Award.

• Universities and K-12 school systems around the country, including Atlanta's, added the graphic novels to their civil rights curriculum. Aydin would love to see the new series play a similar role in civics education, the writer told Axios.