Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
Guy Delisle is best known for two kinds of comics: travelogues, where he works (often in animation) in a lesser-known country, such as Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, and parenting comedy. Factory Summers, which is due out in mid-June, is a surprising change of pace. It’s a memoir, a story of three summers of manual labor in a paper mill, before he gets his first animation job. He’s a teenager, and he draws, in straightforward, simplified fashion, the various […]
Read more
Out this week in the UK, next month in the US, are a new set of Doctor Who novelizations. Target originally published Doctor Who script adaptations from 1973-1993. BBC Books took up the mantle again with five key episodes from the relaunched series in 2018. This new set, called the Target Collection, consists of seven books: The Witchfinders by Joy Wilkinson, who also wrote the script for this 13th Doctor episode; this is the first novel with the current Doctor […]
Read more
Kodansha has announced today that they are unifying their “English-language publishing program” with a new website, kodansha.us (formerly KodanshaComics.com), and the elimination of Vertical as a label. Well, they didn’t exactly announce that last part, but that’s one of the results. The combined website “spotlights not only the Kodansha manga you know and love but also highlights all of Kodansha’s award-winning and fan-favorite English-language, novels, cookbooks, craft guides, historical/cultural literature, and more.” This includes what was formerly Kodansha Comics, Kodansha […]
Read more
Couldn’t we all use more support for our mental health these days? I’ve been getting a regular dose of encouragement from The Latest Kate, a mailing list by Kate Allan that provides a daily message with a cute colorful animal drawing and an inspirational saying. It may seem silly, but I’ve found it a thoughtful pick-me-up. Allan’s newest book, You’re Strong, Smart and You Got This: Drawings, Affirmations and Comfort to Help With Anxiety and Depression, collects a number of […]
Read more
UK publisher SelfMadeHero, thanks to public funding, is starting a mentoring programme (I said they were UK) “designed to find, develop, publish, and promote emerging comic-book artists from Black, Asian, Arab, mixed-race, Romani/Traveller, and non-white Latinx backgrounds.” Until March 26, they are accepting applications for the opportunity. Participants must be over 18, reside in the UK, not have a literary agent, and not have been published by a traditional print publisher. Eight artists will be selected for a 12-week online […]
Read more
I’ve been a fan of Kris Dresen’s work for a long time now. It doesn’t look like anything else out there, and she was telling everyday stories about queer characters long before it was fashionable, or accepted, to do so. Now she’s put a whole graphic novel, She Said, online. It’s about the lifespan of a relationship, and it’s so very bittersweet, particularly if you don’t rush through it but give each panel space.
Read more
We still aren’t ready to have in-person conventions, so as with many other shows, the Toronto Comics Art Festival (TCAF) will be held virtually again this year, from May 8-15, 2021. They are asking, this week, for programming ideas: While we work with authors and publishers to generate ideas for these programs, we’re also interested in suggestions from the larger comics industry and community. TCAF has multiple streams of programming, including: • Readings, panel discussions, interviews, and other presentations • […]
Read more
Readers know I’m not a horror fan, but I’ve figured out how to get me interested in a story about a potential serial killer — tell it from a perspective of a cute dog. Stray Dogs #1, out February 24, is being described as Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs. It’s the first of a five-issue miniseries written by Tony Fleecs and illustrated by Trish Forstner, both of whom have worked on My Little Pony. Sophie is […]
Read more