In this lengthy interview with Jimmy Gownley at PublishersWeekly.com, the author looks back at the history of his series Amelia Rules! From being self-published to being picked up by Simon & Schuster in 2008, his series has been running for over 10 years. It’s a wonderful overview of what used to be possible in the comic market, how much things have changed over the years, and how Gownley has adapted to the changing industry. The most recent Amelia Rules!, The Meaning of Life… and Other Stuff, was one of my Best Graphic Novels of 2011.

However, in the article, he also reveals that “The eighth book, Her Permanent Record, is the last Amelia book that Gownley plans for a while.” He’s instead thinking of putting out a how-to book that focuses more on “why to” create art.

Exciting news! Dark Horse will be releasing another volume of Blacksad on July 11. A Silent Hell, by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, is set in 1950s New Orleans. The feline detective John Blacksad is “hired to discover the fate of a celebrated pianist [and] finds his most dangerous mystery yet in the midst of drugs, voodoo, the rollicking atmosphere of Mardi Gras, and the dark underbelly that it hides!”

The previous volume won the Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material, and Dark Horse has sold 20,000 copies in four printings. Blacksad: A Silent Hell will also have “an extensive making-of section, with tons of prelim sketches and watercolor studies, written by artist Juanjo Guarnido [and] two never-before-collected Blacksad short stories!”

If you’re not familiar with Blacksad, I’ve posted some preview pages from the previous book, showing off the gorgeous work. It’s astoundingly realistic anthromorphism with social commentary.

I’m so happy to hear that Walter Simonson’s The Judas Coin graphic novel is done and has finally been scheduled for September release from DC Comics. As somebody who’s known about the project for years, it’s been hard not being able to talk about it. Especially since circumstances had me in the the right place at the wrong time, so that I’ve already had the opportunity to read over half of the 96-page graphic novel. Don’t worry — I’m not going to give anything important away…

A couple of years back, I was visiting the New York area, mostly to see old friends; to visit the “Art of Archie Comics” show at MOCCA; and to see my siblings-in-law’s new house in the area. As always, Walt & Weezie offered me a bed for a day or two at the Hotel Simonson, and I gratefully accepted. I set off to Mt. Simonson. (Yes, they live on a mountain. A small mountain, but a mountain, nonetheless. Occasionally, Walter goes out and throws thunderbolts at his unsuspecting neighbors. And on any given morning, there are probably deer foraging in the Simonson back yard. Now, that’s a place to create comic books!)

Unfortunately, I was trapped by icy conditions. (I got up the winding, tree-lined driveway but couldn’t get back down, since I didn’t have a 4-wheel drive vehicle.) Since I was going to be stuck there for a couple of days, Walter said, “So… do you want to read it?” I knew exactly what he was talking about. I think my answer was “Duh!” Next thing I knew, three chapters of The Judas Coin were sitting on the sofa next to me.

I never read anything so slowly in my life. It was so gorgeous. I think I read each page three or four times before proceeding to the next. I even found a couple of lettering typos (sorry, John Workman!), so I got to feel like I was editing again for a second or two. Mostly, I was just overwhelmed by what Walter was accomplishing.

I won’t go into details here, because I think the book will be more powerful as a surprise. What’s already known is that The Judas Coin consists of six chapters, each set in a different place in the DC timeline, starring a diverse selection of DC historical characters, some of whom haven’t been seen in decades. One chapter even provides some closure to an unfinished DC series from the 1970s. I won’t mention who all the characters are, but you can obviously figure out some of them from the recently released cover, shown here.

What hasn’t been announced (and maybe DC’s marketing folks aren’t even aware of this — or don’t think it’s important) is that Walter is using a different style of artwork for each different chapter/character. In some instances, he’s drawing in the style of the artist who originally drew the character, while for others, he applied a style of drawing that he admired and wanted to attempt. If nothing else, this makes The Judas Coin a fascinating artistic tour de force for Simonson and his legion of fans. The story is great, also. I still don’t know all the details, but I have been present a couple of times when Walter was discussing plot points with friends and other creators — all of whom reacted with some version of “That’s brilliant!” — including me.

I can’t wait for the post-mortem interviews with Walter, where all of the secrets of The Judas Coin can be revealed. September is a long way away.

By the way, I was stuck on Mt. Simonson for two days (a very pleasant place to get “stuck”), and when I wasn’t drooling on the original art for The Judas Coin, I was watching the weather reports showing that a blizzard was working its way up from the south — exactly the direction I had to drive to get home. Finally, the ice melted enough to give me a chance to get down the Simonsons’ driveway (provided I only went about 2 mph), giving me just a six-hour window to get home (so I missed seeing the new house and the MOCCA show). Of course, I got stuck in traffic in Washington D.C., so I had to drive the last hour or so in the blizzard. But the Simonsons (and NYC) had it worse. This was the storm that dumped about 20 inches of snow on the NYC area, effectively shutting it down for days. The Simonsons lost power several hours after I left and didn’t get it back for several days — making it very difficult to work at a drawing board without light.

Trust me, The Judas Coin will be worth the wait.

The three-week residency, supported by a grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, is designed to provide a graphic artist/writer with an opportunity to develop a work-in-progress. The recipient will receive a stipend and housing in the two-bedroom apartment located in the boyhood home of author and New Yorker cartoonist, James Thurber. … In addition to researching and producing new work, he will take part in public events during his stay in Columbus.

It’s neat to see a writer’s organization partner with an art museum to cover both aspects of graphic novel creation. Programs will include an Adult Writing Workshop on the Graphic Novel on March 26 (Thurber House); a Young Writers’ Studio on March 28 (Thurber House); a Big Picture Lecture on March 31 (CMA) in which “Otterbein Professor of Philosophy Andrew Mills will speak about Hornschemeier’s work in a philosophical context. Hornschemeier majored in philosophy at The Ohio State University and often addresses philosophical issues in his books, most notably in his 2007 work The Three Paradoxes.” Also at CMA on April 5 is an Artist’s Talk and Interview conducted by Jared Gardner, a professor of English and Film Studies at OSU.

The image shows Paul Hornschemeier teaching a graphic novel course at the University of Chicago.

On the video side, another gem from the Warner Archive, available on DVD for the first time. Tall Story is a 60s romantic comedy with Jane Fonda. I’ve previously enjoyed her in Sunday in New York and Any Wednesday, so I’m eager to watch this, her debut film. She’s in college and trying to convince basketball star Anthony Perkins to marry her. Sounds slight, but it should be a fun slice of pop culture.

On the book side, Fantagraphics kindly sent The Sincerest Form of Parody: The Best 1950s MAD Inspired Satirical Comics for KC’s perusal and review. Just at a flip-through, it looks nicely grungy, with packed panels and a good choice for reproduction that makes the work feel authentic. You want a little age visible on something 60+ years old, just to remind you that this is something from a different time, and we’re lucky to have so much available to us through reprint.

The last cool thing I got this week was a gift from my new friend at JetPens.com. I expressed my appreciation at their marketing style in a mailbag post last month, saying I was tempted to steal one of the pens intended for Ed. Lo and behold, now I have my very own — thanks, Brad! These brush pens are impressive, comfortable to hold and a pleasure to use.

Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland

Today’s edition of Flashmob Fridays covers Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland (due out in March from Top Shelf). I enjoyed the advance look; I’ve had mixed reactions to Pekar’s autobiography before, but this volume really worked for me.

Visit the link to find out more, as well as reading praise from Alan David Doane, Christopher Allen, Roger Green, and Scott Cederlund.

Raina Telgemeier (author of Smile, one of the best graphic novels of 2010) has released this cover to her next book, Drama. Due in September 2012 from Scholastic, Drama involves theater geeks working stage crew in middle school. What a great title! And I love that strong purple.

Update: The book is now available at Amazon with this description:

Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school’s production of Moon Over Mississippi, she’s a terrible singer. Instead she’s the set designer for the stage crew, and this year she’s determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn’t know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen, and when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

American Terrorist

My big package of last week contained some of the many great manga Viz has coming out at the beginning of next month. In addition to favorite series The Story of Saiunkoku Book 6, Otomen Book 12, and Bakuman Book 9, I get to sample new series A Devil and Her Love Song. Spring looks lovely in manga!

Tyler Chin-Tanner sent over a copy of American Terrorist, which is not what you might think. It’s a story of rebellion within the U.S. and what happens to people who want to take back the country. Very timely, since I see a lot of similarity to the Occupy movements — I’m curious to see how this story is told.

George Alexopoulos’s Paris is now available in print-on-demand format, so I have a copy of that to check out, which I’m glad for. The whole thing used to be available online, but now that it’s available to buy, there’s only a lengthy preview available on his site.

Last in the set of intriguing self-published graphic novels this week is Buffalo Speedway, a three-volume digest series about the adventures of a pizza delivery guy on the “busiest day ever”, the day that O.J. Simpson’s low-speed Bronco chase was all over the news and everyone stayed home and watched. I’m getting a vibe of slacker boy comedy from it, but that may just be the author’s comparisons to Harold and Kumar and Clerks.

Normally, I combine my personal best manga of 2011 and best graphic novels of 2011 lists for my submission to the PW Comics World poll, but this year, there wasn’t a lot of manga that I would recommend to a readership that’s not already devoted to that format, so my entries were primarily from my GN list.

I agreed with the top pick, Kate Beaton’s Hark! A Vagrant and was honored to be quoted in its respect. One of the books tied for second place, Finder: Voice was my top pick for this year, while I recommend you avoid the other, Habibi. (I hope to tell you why I think that soon, but I have to find the time to be willing to re-engage with the brick of a book.) After that, with the exception of A Bride’s Story, my books wound up in the “single vote only” category.

Still, I find it refreshing that we don’t have monolithic tastes and that there are so many excellent potential choices for “best book”. To my mind, it’s a sign of how diverse and healthy the comic medium is.

Chris Pitzer visited the Special Collections of VCU Libraries where they have a small AdHouse Books display on exhibit until May. (Until next month, it’s accompanied by “Zombies in Comic Books” and holiday pop-up books.) He wrote about his visit at the AdHouse blog, as well as posting some photos (from which this one is taken). Sounds like a neat local resource in Richmond, Va., showing off some of AdHouse’s award-winning design.

Abrams sent over two of their fascinating historical examinations of comics. The first, The Someday Funnies, is an oversized coffee table book that captures a lost project, an immense collection of strips from the 70s about the 60s with an oddly wide-ranging list of contributors. KC will tell you all about it later, but first impressions are that it’s intimidating in its size. I was comforted, though, by seeing work by Walt Simonson included. I don’t always get the appeal of some of the classic underground artists, but Walt is always good.

Government Issue

The Abrams book I’ll be tackling is Government Issue: Comics for the People, 1940s-2000s. It’s just the kind of collection I like, a context-based overview of a previously little-known area of comic history in a handsome, easy-to-read package. In this case, it’s comic books commissioned by the government, usually for educational or propaganda purposes.

Archaia sent a stack of their recent publications. Although they make everything available to reviewers in PDF format at the time of release, they also follow up with the actual print books, a very smart thing to do. It’s easy to ignore a digital file, especially if the first few pages don’t grab you, but looking at a print book, you can flip ahead and give the work another chance. (So by sending followup copies, they get two chances for coverage.) Plus, Archaia’s books are always substantial and well-made, so they’re pleasures to hold and page through.

I’ve already recommended Fraggle Rock Classics, but this package also brought the first volume of The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths; the fantasy saga Spera, in which two princesses and a fire-dog set out on a fantasy quest; and the Edward Gorey-esque picturebook Billy Fog and the Gift of Trouble Sight.

The latest TwoMorrows book is Modern Masters Volume 27: Ron Garney. The interviewer and co-writer, Jorge Khoury, calls Garney “Marvel’s best comic book artist”, so if you’d like to know more about him, known for work on Captain America and Wolverine, among others, this is the book for you. (Although I imagine if that’s the case, you already know about and have preordered this volume.)

Coming in April is Unterzakhn, a historical graphic novel by Leela Corman (whose Subway Series I remember fondly) about life on the Lower East Side as an immigrant in 1909. A flip-through makes it look intriguing, especially since it explores the limited options available to little girls, twin sisters in this case.

We Can Fix It!

This year’s list is particularly rich, with a number of must-read books, including:

* We Can Fix It!, a time-travel memoir by Jess Fink. She’s better known for her porn, but I’d love to see this coming-of-age story, especially since I’ve had similar dreams, of convincing my younger self to do some things differently. And I like the optimistic title.

* A new volume of one of my favorite series, Andy Runton’s Owly, is always welcome.

* The long-awaited reprint of The Bojeffries Saga, my favorite Alan Moore story (by which I mean, the one I can read and re-read without getting creepies).

* The complete Small Favors Omnibus, Colleen Coover’s girly porn comic. It’s adorable!

* The Story of My Tits, Jennifer Hayden’s (Underwire) story of battling breast cancer.

It’s torturous looking over these books, because I want to read them now! I hope they all manage to make it out this year. Perhaps if we all bought something from their website, that would happen faster.

If you’d like to know more about what I’m looking forward to this year, I also participated in the Robot 6 roundup, where they asked a bunch of comic folks that question. I gave a different (but just as accurate) answer there. KC also participated in that column.

Antarctic Press has assented to a Temporary Restraining Order in federal court that will prohibit the company from selling its Diary of a Wimpy Kid parody books Diary of a Zombie Kid and Diary of a Zombie Kid: Rotten Rules.

Wimpy Kid, Inc. filed suit on December 20, alleging “In addition to the confusingly similar title, the jacket design of Defendant’s infringing works are substantially similar to those of Plaintiff’s series and are obviously intended to confuse the public into believing that Defendant’s books are additions to such series.” I think you can see, from the images below, that the covers are confusingly similar, especially to a younger reader.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Zombie Kid

That isn’t the case with another parody that hasn’t been sued, Tales from the Crypt #8: Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid. That book has a different color cover, there’s another logo prominently displayed, and there’s a big “parody” tag. None of that is true of the Antarctic Press version. Plus, their proposed second book also uses the same cover color, spine treatment, and image arrangement as the second Wimpy Kid book, Rodrick Rules.

I’d also guess, although this is purely my assumption, that Antarctic’s choice to do a second volume (and presumably more, if these were successful) contributed to the lawsuit. It’s one thing to do a one-off joke, but if you look like you’re trying to ride the success of someone else’s property as a continuing effort, that might be something to stop. Even though Zombie Kid only sold about 850 copies through comic stores (bookstore figures aren’t available), while the Wimpy Kid series has sold 52 million copies so far in North America. Wimpy Kid, Inc. is seeking in court “treble damages, plus attorneys’ fees and Antarctic’s profits from Diary of a Zombie Kid.” The companies are reportedly in settlement talks; I’m betting the settlement is Antarctic saying, “We’re sorry, and we won’t do it again.”

Friends With Boys

One Model Nation is written by Courtney Taylor-Taylor (of The Dandy Warhols) and illustrated by Jim Rugg (Street Angel, The Plain Janes). Originally released by Image Comics in 2009, it’s now in hardcover from Titan Books ($24.95). It’s the alternate history of a rock group in 1978 West Germany and their connections to a terrorist organization. Unfortunately, reviews of the previous version aren’t positive, with the concept sounding better than the execution. I’m also curious about the re-release, since the Image edition is still in print. Ah, well, I’ll read it and decide for myself.

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller (Archaia, $19.95) is a handsome anthology of folktales, but I don’t know why the Henson name is on it. If I’d ever seen the TV series, maybe it would make more sense to me, or maybe I’d have more connection to the narrator and his dog. They’re fine stories, and the contributors are skilled, but to me, this is just a gathering of a variety of fables. It’ll have more resonance for those who remember the show fondly, especially since the last tale is based on an unproduced script for the series. There’s a preview at the publisher’s website.

This last is a little off-base for the site, but since I’ve written so much about press release mistakes, I wanted to share a story of marketing done right. I was contacted by a rep from JetPens.com to see if I wanted to try some of their internationally sourced “rare and hard to find comic art supplies”. I said no, thank you, because I don’t consider myself qualified to evaluate art implements. In responding to the turn-down, the rep mentioned “If Ed was still reviewing I would hit him up” since he’s a pen fan.

This impressed me so much we got Ed to accept a package for review. That rep did two very smart things: 1) Took no for an answer graciously, without being pushy or sounding disgruntled, and more importantly 2) Demonstrated knowledge of the site, who’s associated with it, and our tastes. Along the way, he turned a rejection into an acceptance — and in addition to Ed’s upcoming review, he got this bonus writeup, too! I checked out the pens before handing them to Ed, and they look really cool. I was tempted to steal the double-sided black and grey brush pen.

Since I’d already reviewed the book (and named it one of my Best Graphic Novels of 2011), my contribution discusses my reaction to the ending of the book, including whether I thought it was ethical or not. Feel free to discuss, here or there.

Finder: Voice

1. Finder: Voice by Carla Speed McNeil
   I simply adore this series, and yet it invariably makes me feel inferior, because I do not have the language or ability to tell you how incredible it all is.
2. Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
   I was most impressed this year, visually, by the way Gulledge assembles her pages and the artistic choices she makes in this semi-autobiographical story of a young artist finding herself. This is the kind of book you can return to year after year and find new insight and inspiration.
3. Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
   What a great year this was for graphic novel debuts! This is one of three on my list (along with Page by Paige and Picket Line). As with the title above, this is a story of a teen girl coming of age, but where Page by Paige emphasizes creativity, Anya’s Ghost is more fantastic and sneaky. The book’s characters scheme, as does its author in how she surprises the reader.
4. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
   Funny, educational, modern, insightful, unique.
5. Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: Race to Death Valley by Floyd Gottfredson
   I was astounded to discover that once upon a time, Mickey Mouse comics were really good! And exciting! The EveryMouse battles shyster lawyers and thieves, travels widely, is unjustly imprisoned, and generally acts like a scrappy go-getter during the Depression. Plenty of good background material puts it all in context for the new reader, previously unaware of this strip or Gottfredson’s skill. I haven’t had a better adventure read this year, in sheer “I don’t want to put this down!” desire to find out what comes next. This was the book I was most pleasantly surprised by this year, in terms of comparing expectations to the high enjoyment I got from it.
6. Criminal: The Last of the Innocent by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
   Archie noir, as versions of those classic characters are used in a tale of addiction, murder, nostalgia, and desire. A fascinating example of a story that only works this well in comics, given the allusions to familiar properties and the way the flashbacks are drawn in different artistic style.
7. Picket Line by Breena Wiederhoeft
   This year was full of good surprises, and this is another. I was impressed by how well Wiederhoeft balanced themes of personal responsibility, business decisions, family struggles across generations, and the desire to protect a plot of old-growth forest from development. A substantial, thought-provoking work.
8. Americus by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill
   I was surprised to see some of the quibbles that were made in response to this graphic novel about a certain faction trying to censor a favorite fantasy series from the local library. It seems that some readers found the situation unrealistic in some aspects; on the other hand, I’ve known well people who want to keep others from enjoying anything they disagree with, so I found it an authentic portrayal of a certain kind of small town personality.
9. Love and Capes: Wake Up Where You Are by Thomas Zahler
10. Amelia Rules! The Meaning of Life… and Other Stuff by Jimmy Gownley
    These two are old favorites who never fail to entertain and impress me. It’s easy to get caught up chasing the new and overlook the skill it takes to provide consistent enjoyment book after book in a series.

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional books, listed in alphabetical order, that were also recommended by me this year, and I wanted to remind you of them.

• Bake Sale
• Blink: So Far
• Ivy
• Just the Usual Superpowers
• Owly & Wormy, Friends All Aflutter!
• Psychiatric Tales
• Same Difference
• The Sugar and Spike Archives Volume 1

I also considered The Influencing Machine, but while the material was great, as a comic, it was too much illustrated lecture. And I haven’t read yet Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, although a little bird told me it’s in one of the packages under the tree.

For previous years’ lists, see my page of must-read comic classics. (And bravo to me this year for getting all the reviews done BEFORE this list was due! That’s a big change from 2006, when it took me two years to finish afterwards.)

Uglies: Shay’s Story

The latest novel series to have a comic spinoff is Uglies, Scott Westerfeld’s young adult science fiction series about a world where everyone is made pretty through surgery at the age of 16. (Fascinating premise!) Uglies: Shay’s Story (Del Rey, $10.99) follows Shay, the best friend of the novel’s lead character, Tally. The graphic novel, the first of two planned, is co-written by Devin Grayson and illustrated by Steven Cummings (Pantheon High).

The book is in Previews now, code DEC11 1045, for publication in March. I’d like to be able to tell you whether to order it, but I haven’t had a chance to read this review copy yet. I’ll see how well the graphic novel works for those (like me) who haven’t read the series. (After skimming descriptions on wikipedia, I think I’d get so frustrated at Tally that it wouldn’t be enjoyable for me anyway.)

Also sent to me was the second volume of Salvatore (NBM, $14.99). I didn’t read the previous one, but here’s a back-and-forth between two good critics on the first book. And here’s the publisher’s description of book two. It doesn’t sound like my kind of thing, because I have enough anxiety without reading a book that produces more, but a flip-through shows skilled art with anthropomorphic characters.

Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary

Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $18.95) is one of those fake-journal illustrated texts that makes me quibble over whether it’s really comics. Regardless, I’m intrigued by the premise, since this one tackles the life of an Indian girl in high school in Southern California, by Keshni Kashyap and Mari Araki. This book is supposedly the result of a class assignment to keep a diary while studying Jean-Paul Sartre, telling the story of how loner Tina comes of age. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy it without having to understand existentialism.

I was thrilled to hear that there was a second collection of Johnny Wander webcomics, so I ordered myself the book, which arrived this week. It’s another slice-of-life strip, but I like its distinctive look, and that there’s clearly more to the characters than what we’re shown. They feel like real people to me (and I believe that’s because they’re based on the writer and artist and their friends). It’s funny and insightful, what more can you want from a webcomic? In this case, the ability to read it anywhere I want, without a laptop or power cord.

Wandering Son Book 2

The highlight, in terms of book I’m most looking forward to reading, is the second volume of Wandering Son. The two gender-swapped children are now in sixth grade, a time when their feelings of being in the wrong bodies become more painful. At least they’ve now found a mentor. I thought the first volume was a little slow to get started, so I expect the second book to be just what I hoped for.

I am also grateful to have gotten another batch of manga from Viz, where the highlights are the newest 20th Century Boys — I hope Kenji finally returns! — and book 41 in the Case Closed series. Can you believe that? 41 books? Also included was Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You Book 12, which makes me wish I got what others saw in the series. I just can’t seem to click with it, and I feel like I’m missing out.

The revamped edition of Louis: Red Letter Day gives me the chance to rectify a similar oversight. When I read the first edition a decade ago, I didn’t quite get it. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the Metaphrog team and better understanding what they want to achieve. I expect I’ll better appreciate the re-reading — it’s not just a comic that determines a reaction, but who we are when we encounter it. Plus, this new edition features every page “entirely redrawn and repainted” with a bonus “making of” section. Behind-the-scenes info is cool!

I’ve been anticipating African-American Classics ever since I heard that this anthology of “great stories and poems by America’s earliest black authors, illustrated by contemporary black artists” would include work by Kyle Baker, Alex Simmons, Trevor Von Eeden, and the long-lost (in mainstream comics, anyway) Christopher Priest. It should be educational as well as eye-opening.

The Rocketeer

Disney was kind enough to send The Rocketeer on Blu-ray. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the movie, and now that I know more about the work of Dave Stevens, I think I’ll find new ways to enjoy it. I’ll be telling you more about this movie next week.

I think I went a little overboard when it came to online shopping for myself, with the holiday deals. I don’t know when I’m going to get the time to watch all the TV seasons on DVDs I ordered, but I knew I’d want to see again these favorite shows:

• The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season
• Castle: The Complete Third Season
• Cougar Town: The Complete Second Season
• Mad Men: Season Four

And at under $20 a pop last weekend, how could I resist? Plus, I upgraded my copy of Ratatouille to Blu-ray, which gave me a bunch more extras, including one about being a female animator in a man’s world. Great film, and I find more in it every time I watch it. I’ve gained a new appreciation for Patton Oswalt, too.

Also out on Tuesday on DVD is an animated series I’ve never seen (but am eager to be introduced to): The Adventures of Tintin: Season One. These 13 episodes tell seven stories, most in two parts. I should know much more about Herge’s creation than I do, so I’m looking forward to catching up via cartoons.

Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series

On my own dime, I took advantage of the superhero DVD sale to pick up The Flash: The Complete Series, which I’ve never seen. I’m told the villains, particularly, are worth watching, especially Mark Hamill as the Trickster and David Cassidy as the Mirror Master. Also, Amanda Pays (Max Headroom) co-stars.

In terms of books, I’m excited to get a chance to check out The Cartoon Guide to Calculus, which is due at the end of the year. The great Larry Gonick is behind this educational comic. While in college, I used to tutor Calculus, so I’m also looking forward to seeing how much I remember!

I’m very curious to see what I think of Within the Flames. It’s a paranormal romance novel, not comics, but by comic writer Marjorie M. Liu (X-23, Black Widow). It’s the 11th in the Dirk & Steele series, but I’m told you don’t need to have read any of the previous. We’ll see if that works for me.

KC’s eager to read TwoMorrows’ latest book, The Stan Lee Universe, labeled as “interviews with and mementos from the man who changed comics and popular culture”. Me, I’m eager to see what he says about it, as well as checking out what qualifies as a rarity from the “Stan Lee Archives”, since some of those are also included in the book. The publisher has provided a free PDF preview if you’d like to check it out before we get a chance to tell you more about it.

Coming over from the UK is Sun Fish Moon Fish, a Sweatdrop Studios fantasy graphic novel by Morag Lewis. It’s a single-volume complete story, and while fantasy isn’t always my thing, the manga-influenced art seems (on a flip-through) able to tell a story, and I have a fondness for the name Morag, so I hope it’s good.

Last but certainly not least, Viz was kind enough to send over a sampling of their latest releases, coming out early December. My favorite of this batch will be I’ll Give It My All…Tomorrow Volume 4, since I’ve really come to enjoy this series about a middle-aged business worker who gives it all up to draw manga. Other highlights from this package are Kamisama Kiss Book 6 and a debut, Dawn of the Arcana.

Let me know what you think, or whether I should bother continuing.

Same Difference

First Second is bringing Derek Kirk Kim’s Same Difference back into print next month in an attractive hardcover with a distinctive transparent dust jacket. These slice-of-life stories as a young Korean-American are skillfully illustrated. I’m lucky enough to own the older self-published version, and I look forward to comparing the two. I’ve already noticed that this new book has one big improvement over the previous: a readable title on the spine.

Little Lulu:
The Cranky Giant
and Other Stories

I quit getting the Dark Horse Little Lulu reprints after Volume 18 because I was just running out of space for them. I hadn’t realized how long they’d kept going — they’re now up to book 29 in the series! They switched to color reprints just after I quit, it seems, and this book, The Cranky Giant and Other Stories, collects two themed specials from 1958, Marge’s Little Lulu and Tubby at Summer Camp #2 and Marge’s Little Lulu and Tubby Halloween Fun #2 (with Witch Hazel stories). Read over the winter holidays, this’ll provide a reminder of the enjoyment to be had at other times of the year. The kids’ comics are always entertaining and well-told — I think a couple of the stories in here, I’d read as a youngster in digest form.

Nina in That Makes Me Mad!

After a mixup due to a distribution change, I was happy to get the latest batch of Toon Books, including the much-anticipated Nina in That Makes Me Mad! I’m way behind in what was intended to be a monthly Great Graphic Novels for Kids column (that last one was in February), but that means I’ve got a foot-high stack of good reading to tell you about sometime this month. I’ll definitely recommend the Toon line, since their books are always entertaining and sturdy.

Jumping audiences, I appreciate the intent behind Sparkplug’s Gay Genius, an anthology exploring “queer history makers”, but I’ve lost my taste for scratchy, primitive, outsider-style indie art comics. It’s shallow of me, perhaps, but I prefer prettier art, or that with more visible craft. (I also found it a little weird that the review package arrived with a note signed “Dylan Williams” when he passed away two months ago. I’m glad to see the publisher continue, but I would hope they would update their templates.)

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt is an odd but rewarding experiment, a “novel in pictures” that tells its story through captioned vintage images, over 600 pieces of memorabilia in all. The book’s trailer pretends to show the construction of the scrapbook, and the publisher has posted sample pages (PDF). It’s about Frankie Pratt, an 18-year-old New Hampshire village girl in 1920 who wants to be a writer. As she grows up, she attends Vassar, struggles in Greenwich Village, and runs away to Paris to heal a broken heart. It’s great fun to read, with the added thrill of feeling like you’re seeing someone’s diary, with pictures. Author Caroline Preston knows her history, and the glimpses of daily life are illuminating — having to eat only what you grow or raise yourself and making your own clothes in a world that’s beginning to be affected by mass marketing and media-created dreams. Until I read this, I couldn’t imagine what it was like to go to college with a prescribed wardrobe and such restrictive, protective rules. Preston’s next “scrapbook novel” is planned to tell the story of a bride’s first year of marriage from 1959-1960. I’m eager to see it.

Charley’s War: Hitler’s Youth

Charley’s War: Hitler’s Youth reprints a British war comic from the 1980s. This is volume 8 in the series, but I wanted to check it out because it provides strip commentary from writer Pat Mills, and I’m always interested in hearing creators talk about their work, especially in retrospect.

I thought 60 Ways To Leave Your Mother (Alone) might be cute, since it was described as “an affectionate look at childhood misadventures in suburbia”, but I wasn’t paying enough attention to the details. $21.95 for 32 pages is just too expensive for what this is, memories of more significance to the author than the reader. The colors are lovely, but I lost interest in the content — brother and sister squabble over a chair or eat happy meals — even before the book was over.

Breathe Deeply is a thick single-volume manga from One Peace Books, a “medical thriller” about two men inspired by the loss of the woman they both loved. A flip-through shows lots of hospital scenes, attractively illustrated with a bit more shading and detail than used in the typical manga style.

Princess Knight

After Ed’s review of Princess Knight, I knew I needed to read it for myself, so I ordered a copy. I’ve had mixed luck in the past with the work of Osamu Tezuka. I know he’s essential to the history of manga, but that doesn’t make his books good reads for someone today. However, this one sounds like it has enough hooks for me — a girls’ adventure story better suited to Tezuka’s cutesy-pie style than some of his more “meaningful” attempts — that I’ll enjoy it.

I also thought I’d better pick up a couple of the out-of-print Boom! Muppet Show collections before they disappear completely. When my mom and I were at Disney World last month, I got a thrill showing her, on the back of one of them on-sale in the Muppet store, a quote from my website. That one is Family Reunion, so I bought myself a copy. (I think that someone who uses you as a pull-quote should send you a copy of the book, but maybe that’s selfish or greedy of me.) I also picked up the first (and best?) collection, Meet the Muppets.