The Long Goodbye: Cynthia Copeland on Good Riddance
What do you do when happily ever after ends? If you’re Cynthia Copeland and you’ve just caught your husband cheating, you pick up the pieces and move on…one step at a time. Copeland documented the years after her divorce in the funny and touching Good Riddance, out now, and here she discusses the book and the major life changes that inspired it.
Mike Carey and Peter Gross on Unwritten
With the release of Volume 7 of their bestselling series, Mike Carey and Peter Gross discuss the artistry behind the riveting text of Unwritten.
Audrey Niffenegger's New Fairy Tale: Raven Girl
One of the most versatile and innovative writers working today, Audrey Niffenegger enjoys challenging her readers with inventive books. We talked to her about her bold approach to storytelling and her latest book, Raven Girl.
Law of the Land: Joe Abercrombie Talks About The First Law's Journey to Comics
Bestselling author Joe Abercrombie has brought his bestselling prose series The First Law to the world of graphic novels, enlisting such talent as writer Chuck Dixon, artist Andie Tong, and colorist Peter Pantazi. We talked to Abercrombie about converting his work to a new format, and more.
Miriam Katin on Letting It Go
With her intensely personal memoir Letting It Go, Miriam Katin bares her soul and learns how to make peace with the past. As a survivor of the Holocaust, Katin has an avalance of emotions when she learns her son is going to settle in Berlin. Going to visit him there is one way of beginning the process of letting those emotions go. We talked to Katin about the experience of writing this book.
Energy Cycles: Nadja Spiegelman Explains the Creation of Zig and Wikki's Latest Book
Nadja Spiegelman's new Zig and Wikki book takes a look at some natural energy cycles, from cows to dung beetles. It turns out the energy cycle is not only a perfect circle, but it's also a funny way to reach kids.
Taming the Wildcat: How to Wrangle a Comic Book Convention in Two Short Years
This is the story of how a few informal conversations turned into a full-blown comic book convention in the unassuming town of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It took the hard work and imagination of dozens of teachers, librarians, college administrators, business people, and professionals in the comic book industry, as well as hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of meetings.
"It's for School! I Swear!"
High school senior Elizabeth Heyman explains her love for comics and shows what an educational resource they have been for her.
Graphic Journos: The State of the Graphic Journalism Art
Graphic journalism is a vast repository for some amazing nonfiction work. Some of the leaders in the field offer their insights into the hard-to-define genre.
Violently Young: Writing Skullkickers
Writer Jim Zubkavich explains the fine line he walks in creating Skullkickers, a series aimed at young adults. How do you craft a story that's just the right mix of "young" and "adult" to keep readers satisfied and parents happy? Here, he explains how he does it.
Eddie Deighton and Benjamin Shahrabani of Com.x
Eddie Deighton and Benjamin Shahrabani take us on a tour behind the operations of indie U.K. comics publisher Com.x, a little company responsible for some very big, and very good, graphic novels.
Alexander Finbow
Writer, actor, director, and producer, and now heading up Renegade Entertainment, Alexander Finbow has led a diverse and exciting career. Starting up a comic book company, along with a host of other talented creators, is his latest endeavor, and perhaps the most exciting. We talked to him about what it takes to get a new comic company off the ground these days.
Five Years of First Second
To mark its fifth anniversary, First Second’s editorial director Mark Siegel and editor Calista Brill discuss the past, present, and future of the comics company.
Andrew Dodd
Building on its publishing roots in India, comics publisher Campfire is growing a global comics base with both original works and comics adaptations of beloved classics. With an ambitious lineup of new releases planned for 2011, Campfire is making a renewed impact on the comics world. We talked with Campfire publisher Andrew Dodd to discuss the company’s roots, its publishing vision, and where it’s going in the months ahead.
Mike Pellerito
As the president of Archie Comics, Mike Pellerito oversees a line with decades of history, nostalgia, and all-American prominence. It’s also a line that has recently seen updates that bring it firmly into the 21st century, from the marriage of Archie to the introduction of a gay character. We caught up with Mike to discuss what he sees going on in the industry and how Archie Comics can be a part of it.
David Steinberger
David Steinberger, CEO of Comixology, talks about his lifelong love for comics and what he enjoys reading (and collecting) now.
Bonnie Barber
This summer, on July 14, the public library in Carrollton, Texas, will host an innovative 39 Clues-themed tween event. They’ll also incorporate the audience’s love for graphic novels and manga into the daylong event, which is being coordinated by youth services librarian Bonnie Barber. We talked to Bonnie about her love of comics.
Michael Gianfrancesco
The New England Comic Arts in the Classroom conference is coming up on Saturday, March 26. This day of education for K-12 teachers and preservice teachers will feature keynote speakers, and several smaller workshops that will enable teachers to better incorporate comics, graphic novels, and manga into their educational programs. High-school teacher Michael Gianfrancesco, one of the codirectors of the conference, took some time to answer our questions.
Peter Tatara
Peter Tartara works for New York Comic-Con overseeing all the various panels, screenings, special events, and other goings-on at the big show. He does similar work for the New York Anime Festival, C2E2, and the Star Wars Celebration. In preparation for this week’s New York Comic-Con, we asked him our Behind the Scenese questions to get to know him a little better.
Jackie Estrada
Jackie Estrada has been a staple in the comics industry for decades now. If you’ve attended the annual Eisner Awards ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con, you’ve witnessed her running the show as its administrator (she’s also done more behind-the-scenes work for the show, such as creating the Artists’ Alley). She’s worked as an editor of several comics and books about comics, and she’s a cofounder (along with her husband, author Batton Lash) of Exhibit A Press. With such an impressive résumé, Estrada was someone we wanted to find out a little more about. So we did.
Cinema turns to graphic novels for great inspiration! See what's headed to a movie theater near you, and find out what's coming on DVD.
Find out which works have gained the respect and admiration of the industry. These award-winners are the best of the best.
Best-of Lists
Every year, multiple venues (including GNR!) compile their lists of the best books of the previous year. Find them here!
Librarian Carrie Rogers Whitehead Uses Comics as a Resource for Teens in Need
Carrie Rogers-Whitehead contacted us recently using the Teachers/Librarians Contact Form, and this is what she had to say: "I order the majority of graphic novels for my library system and use them all the time in teen programs. Recently I have found other uses for them, giving them to refugee teens. I have started doing outreach to a refugee center in our community and have found that the teens really respond to them. These teens do not speak English as their native language and graphic novels help them understand the story better. I have also used them with autistic kids, teens in detention, and others who may not read on their grade level. It's a wonderful way to encourage a love of reading in those who find it hard to read." We were so intrigued by her work that we had to learn more.
Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong
Charles and Nate are high school best friends, even though they couldn’t be more different. Charles is a basketball star, and Nate is a science nerd who likes to build robots. But they’ve been friends for years, and nothing’s going to tear them apart…except possibly the head cheerleader, Holly, who wants to kill them both.
Strange Attractors
“When New York breaks, I fix it.” So says the strange and enigmatic Dr. Spencer Brownfield. He’s designated himself the organizer of New York’s seemingly infinite chaos. He sees things that others don’t even notice. And then he molds those things like clay.
Vote in the KCR! Comics Awards!
Comics creator Dave Roman (Teen Boat) moonlights as cohost of the comics podcast Kids’ Comic Revolution, which recently announced their brand-new KCR! Comics Awards. Voting for the awards is open until June 23 at http://www.kidscomicsrevolution.com, and the best part is that it’s being voted on entirely by kids!
Capstone and DC Announce a Winner
Capstone and DC recently announced the winner of a grade-school contest winner that I think a lot of our readers will appreciate. See below for the press release.
Capstone and DC Comics Fan Family Announce Writing Contest Winner
Student Wins Trip to Warner Bros. Animation Studios, Hero Wins Donation to Charity
Readings Grow in Brooklyn
This weekend, June 8 and 9, our friends at the Brooklyn Public Library are staging a major event to protest the slashing of library budgets in New York City. Libraries across all five boroughs are dealing with $106 million in budget cuts that threaten to shutter some 60 libraries over the city. The cuts would also affect library hours and staffing and cut libraries' ability to add books to their collections. The 24-Hour Read-In being staged at the Brooklyn Public Library (at the Grand Army Plaza) will help draw attention to the plight of libraries throughout the city.
Babble
Reading like an updated rendition of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Babble is a fast-moving, frightening thriller.
The Stand, Vol. 6: The Night Has Come
The Night Has Come collects the final six issues of Marvel’s adaptation of The Stand and the result is, as with its predecessors, a darkly beautiful rendition that is faithful to the original yet is capable and worthy of standing on its own.
Dear Beloved Stranger
A lonely artist struggles to find his muse and his love in Dino Pai's charming debut, Dear Beloved Stranger.
The Graphic Canon, Vol. 3
There are so many unexpected surprises throughout the third volume of Graphic Canon that it’s hard to name them all. But the latest installment proudly keeps up the high standards of excellence set by the first two.
Good Riddance: An Illustrated Memoir of Divorce
Infidelity is never easy for an unsuspecting spouse, especially one who is blindsided by her husband’s indiscretions and learns about them accidentally. That’s what happened to Cynthia (Cindy) Copeland when she stumbles upon a series of emails her husband left open on the family computer. Suddenly, the happy marriage she thought she had is crumbling, and life as she knows it will never be the same again.
Letting It Go
Miriam Katin revisits Berlin (and her past) in this vibrant, funny, and incredibly honest memoir.
The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist
What Daniel Clowes does, seemingly with utmost simplicity, is capture tiny essences of human existence and lay them bare, exposing raw emotion so powerfully that it can devastate you with just one little panel. The artist is given proper due and tribute in this monograph.
Killing Geronimo: The Hunt for Osama bin Laden
What went on in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, when Osama bin Laden met his end, comes to life in an original graphic novel.
Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb
The impressive graphic novel debut by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb, takes readers deep into the events and emotions surrounding the first detonation of an atomic bomb with beautiful black-and-white illustrations.
Avengers vs. X-Men
Team-ups are a time-honored comics tradition. Get the superheroes together, have them slug it out, and then have them unite against a common enemy. It’s simple enough, and it’s been fueling comics “events” for decades. Avengers vs. X-Men is one of the latest.
Jinx, Vol. 2: Little Miss Steps
Jinx is back for another charming adventure. The feisty tomboy (updated last year by Archie creators J. Torres, Rick Burchett, and Terry Austin) remains mostly true to her 1940s roots while being fearlessly updated for the 21st century.
Maximum Ride: The Manga, Vol. 5
As the countdown to humanity’s judgment begins, Max is presented with her greatest challenge by far, and a very desperate situation it is, too. If she can’t save herself and her family, how can she save the world?
Negima! Magister Negi Magi, Vol. 5
Negi’s not the new kid on the block anymore, and the new faces in Kyoto are out to destroy him and take his student from him. How will he make it out of this one?
Annoying Orange: Orange You Glad You're Not Me?
Annoying Orange, internet and TV star, is also a comics champion, as this “fresh squeezed” collection of shorts shows.
Benny Breakiron: The Red Taxis
Benny Breakiron is a smart, nice, normal little boy….with one exception: He's incredibly strong. So strong that he regularly breaks things. This is a bit troublesome for him, but he makes do the best he can.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, Vol. 1
Dueling charges into the future with a new segment in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe. New monsters, action, and danger are sure to follow!
Amulet, Vol. 5: Prince of the Elves
There’s so much to love about Kazu Kibuish’s epic, thrilling Amulet series. It pulls inspiration from so many wonderful places (Star Wars, obviously, and Tolkien’s works, but other fantasy epics as well), but it also remains an original and thoroughly enjoyable series that stands truly on its own.
Chickenhare
Chickenhare is not only hilarious, but it’s great fun, as well. Writer/artist Chris Grine is adept at telling a kids’ story with the requisite thrills and adventures, and it's a blast seeing this formerly black-and-white comic reborn in full color.
Girls Just Want to Have Comics
Does the graphic format, and those who publish it, do enough to attract new young female readers? And do those girls stay interested in comics when they grow up? We talked to several women to get multiple points of view.
Comics and Color
Two top comics creators—longtime illustrator and writer Trevor von Eeden and Jeremy Love, creator of Bayou—discuss how black issues, characters, and creators are treated in comics.
How the Great Graphic Novels for Teens List Comes About
The librarians behind the GGNFT list explain how it all comes together.
Comics in the Age of Digital Piracy
We hear about it all the time: digital piracy. The scourge of the entertainment industry, digital piracy has been taken on by music companies, movie studios, and major publishers. But what of comic piracy? Does it affect the industry as a whole? We talked to three people in graphic publishing to see what the state of matters is and how they are combating illegal downloading.
How Graphic Novels Thrive in High-School Libraries: A Discussion
Our tour through the library programs of schools (in relation to graphic novels) finishes here, with a discussion involving some high-school librarians talking about the problems they face, the solutions they’ve uncovered, and the issues they’ve successfully dealt with.
