February 17, 2013

A Hero’s Revival

from graphic novel guest blogger, Francisca Goldsmith:
Ben McCool and Mario Guevara have respected creative reputations in the superhero comics world. Turning now to a legendary hero—remembered for his humanity as an essential aspect of his heroism—this newly teamed pair also brings their experiences with film to a complex project:

Retain an historically [...]

Discussion: The Sidescrollers controversy

onibk_136

Last week, a Connecticut mother objected to the inclusion of Matt Loux’s Sidescrollers on a summer reading list for incoming high school freshmen. Loux responded in an interview with the local Fox affiliate.

The book, which was published in 2006, revolves around the hijinks of three recent high school graduates who team up to thwart a [...]

Review of the Day: Little White Duck by Na Liu

Little White Duck: A Childhood in China
By Na Liu
Illustrated by Andres Vera Martinez
ISBN: 9780761365877
Graphic Universe (an imprint of Lerner)
$29.27
Ages 9-12
On shelves now.
It’s funny to think about, but the fact of the matter is that we’re still in the early days of the graphic novel memoir for children. Adult graphic novel memoirs are capable of winning [...]

Review: Graphic Spin: Rudyard Kipling Stories

Book Covers

I admit, I never read Kipling’s Just So Stories, but as soon as I read the first page of How the Leopard Got His Spots, I put down the comic and went Online to find a full text version. (Thank you Project Gutenberg.) And my instincts were correct… making me like these adaptations even more.

A Taste of Essentials

from graphic novel guest blogger, Francisca Goldsmith:
Philosophy and comics are much more common bedfellows than might be expected; take, for instance, that philosophy was Art Spiegelman’s academic choice although his parents had promoted dentistry as a good choice. Margreet de Heer studied the life of the mind for years within academia, but presents the path [...]

Preview: Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics

CCV2 HC - 4x6 PRESS ONLY COVER

Next week, Oni Press will publish Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics, which is vol. 2 of their remastered color edition of Ted Naifeh’s comic. If you’re new to Courtney (or even if you’re not), I strongly recommend GC4K blogger Michael May’s take on the character at Robot 6 for a quick overview. And [...]

Cartoons of the Writer as a Young Woman

from our weekly graphic novel guest blogger, Francisca Goldsmith:
Flannery O’Connor’s perceptive but incising fiction has captured many young intellectuals. Here is a storyteller who writes fluidly but with the sharpness of whitewater rather than a gentle stream. In bringing O’Connor’s earlier cartoon work to contemporary readers, Fantagraphics advances the case for image and text being [...]

Gaming Around: Ratchet & Clank

Gaming Around: Ratchet & Clank

I love playing video games in the limited free time I have in between being a librarian and a parent of young children. Time is fleeting, but if I can play a game by myself for 30 minutes here and there or with my seven-year-old son, it’s great to have the opportunity to play. Video [...]

Shark Week Special Preview: Ninjago: Tomb of the Fangpyre

Shark Week Special Preview: Ninjago: Tomb of the Fangpyre

As Shark Week staggers to a close, we have a special treat for GC4K readers: A preview of the latest Ninjago graphic novel from Papercutz, Ninjago: Tomb of the Fangpyre, in which Lego ninjas fight giant sharks. What could be better than that??

Review: Tall

Review: Tall

We all grew up on stories of Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed.  This anthology brings together four fabulous comic renderings of some well-known stories, told by some better known artists and authors and some who are up and coming.

Review: Graphical Mythical Creatures

Review: Graphical Mythical Creatures

With werewolves, vampires, and dragons so steeped in YA literature these days, it’s no wonder that publishers aimed at the School & Library market are jumping on the bandwagon. This series, aimed at young elementary school readers, gives you a good introduction to the topic.

The Boy is Father to the Man

from graphic novel guest blogger, Francisca Goldsmith:
Becoming a parent, as many teens know or will know too soon, can send one on an unexpected journey to one’s own childhood expectations of and disappointments in his own parent. Jeff Lemire, who has been lauded for his ability to expose the real humanity that underlies characters and [...]

Watch and Read—Spotlight on Media Tie-ins: TV’s Voltron Force and Avatar: Graphic Novel Grabbers

VoltronForce-Avatar1

The ultimate blend of high-tech machinery and good old-fashioned teamwork, Voltron—a flying robot formed by the linking together of five lion-styled vehicles and their pilots—is a formidable force for good. Sound familiar?

Review: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Review: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

This retelling of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is one of the 4 titles in the Graphic Revolve: Arabian Nights series put out by Stone Arch (an imprint of Capstone), aimed at young readers, reluctant readers, and ESL students.

Review: The Secret of the Stone Frog

Those readers familiar with Toon Bok’s comics for emergent readers will be pleasantly surprised by their latest release. Geared to a slightly older and literary audience, this latest release is a masterpiece.

SPECIAL PREVIEW: Geronimo Stilton rescues the Olympics

SPECIAL PREVIEW: Geronimo Stilton rescues the Olympics

The latest Geronimo Stilton graphic novel, Geronimo Stilton #10: Geronimo Saves the Olympics, jumps right on the Olympics bandwagon with a wacky tale set mostly in the first modern Olympics, which were held in 1896. Geronimo Stilton stories always involve a gang of low-life cats who go back in time and try to change history [...]

Nurse Nurse

from graphic novel guest blogger, Francisca Goldsmith:
As July rolls to its close, there is nothing more inviting in the way of books than one that can be read with no strings attached. Nurse Nurse fills that bill perfectly. It fits into even the smallest bag–or even a big pocket–so it can travel anywhere. Its inky [...]

SLJ’s SummerTeen Speaker: Sean Michael Wilson

sean-michael-wilson

Scottish comic book writer Sean Michael Wilson has more than a dozen western-style graphic novels and manga-style books released by U.S., U.K. and Japanese publishers (his manga have even been published in the mobile-phone format in Japan). Wilson says he tries to create comic books that are different from the “normal superhero/fantasy brands” and collaborates with a variety of non-comic book organizations, such as charities and museums. His main influences include British and American creators, such as Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Eddie Campbell.

Preview: Power Rangers Super Samurai #1

Preview: Power Rangers Super Samurai #1

Last week, at San Diego Comic-Con, the Power Rangers joined the Papercutz lineup, taking their rightful place alongside NInjago, Nancy Drew, Geronimo Stilton, the Three Stooges, and other childhood favorites. Vol. 1 of Power Rangers Super Samurai, the first Power Rangers graphic novel—ever!—was written by Stefan Petrucha and illustrated by Paolo Henrique, both Papercutz veterans. [...]

Review: The Clockwork Girl

Review: The Clockwork Girl

The Clockwork Girl, a fantasy-adventure for middle school readers, originally ran as a six-issue comic. Arcana Studios collected those issues into a single volume in 2008, which is now being reprinted through HarperCollins. As its publishing history suggests, The Clockwork Girl continues to find new audiences among readers looking for a fanciful yet heartwarming tale.
The [...]