Blog Post
Graphic Novel Recommendation: Little Fish
by prlhw
Little Fish : A Memoir from a Different Kind of Year begins with Ramsey Beyer’s reflections on growing up in a little farm town, Paw Paw, Michigan. But nothing exciting seemed to be happening there and the culture felt one-dimensional. As a high schooler, the most fun she could extract from between the cornfields was punk music and the internet (Livejournal, to be more specific). Armed with her own intimate records from years worth of personal journals, Beyer crafts her memories into an offbeat coming-of-age story with intricate details and drawings in a zine-like fashion. Eventually, she makes her way off the farm in Paw Paw and into the big city of Baltimore, where she transitions into a whole new life at an art college; the graphic novel continues to blossom from there.
Personally, I can relate immensely to this unique story: I, too, grew up in the little town of Paw Paw, Michigan, pop. 3,534. I also spent my childhood following my mom to “The Shopping Center” and eating ice cream in the summertime at “The Sugar Bear” (see Ramsey’s map of Paw Paw in the book). Although I didn't leave to go to art school, I also flew the coop as soon as I could, and headed due east. I have in turn grown an appreciation for the distinct city life and diverse cultures that fill the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti/Detroit area of Michigan, and have had many new experiences similar to Ramsey’s since leaving our small town.
Don’t get me wrong, though, Paw Paw - with its vineyards and slower ways of life - will always have a place in my heart, and Ramsey’s too, as anyone can tell from this extraordinary graphic novel.
Blog Post
Comic Artists Forum with Ted Woods
by K.C.
Sunday December 1, 2013 | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | Downtown Library-4th Floor Meeting Room
We all have our favorite artists and try to emulate them. But how do you develop your own style? Artist Ted Woods, creator of The Book of Love, will focus on the long development of his own artistic style. He'll discuss the various artists that have influenced him over the years, and the different ways he has melded their styles into one of his own.
Get fresh ideas for your next comics or graphic novel creation at the Forum. Drawing supplies are provided, so drop in to draw, learn, and network with other cartoonists.
Blog Post
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas
by K.C.
From author Jim Ottaviani’s boundless curiosity and research springs another fascinating graphic historical science comic. Primates relates the stories of three female scientists and how their life experiences brought them to discovery in the world of primates. All three women are protégés of anthropologist Louis Leakey and each find their niche of study – Jane Goodall researches chimpanzee behavior, Dian Fossey becomes a leading expert on mountain gorillas, and Birute Galdikas builds world awareness and understanding of orangutans.
The adventures of these three women who would come to know one another are ably illustrated by Maris Wicks who employs a cartoon style that infuses the energy and passion of each woman. Though cartoony the earth green/brown colors lend a realism that help the reader imagine the habitats in which these women live and work.
Blog Post
Comics Are Great! 82 – Funding Your Kickstarter with C. Spike Trotman and Laur Uy
by dubaym
Hooray! Thanks to services Kickstarter and Indiegogo, we finally have a mechanism to fund our dream project! But is it as easy as just asking your friends or audience to support your thing? It sounds like a lot of work. And how do you avoid annoying everyone with tweets and updates during the campaign’s run? Suppose I raise a boatload of money during the campaign: Do I get to keep the extra income, or does it have to go back into the project?
I’m joined by C. Spike Trotman and Laurianne Uy on how to run a successful Kickstarter campaign. Spike and Laur spill their secrets to engaging an audience, managing costs, and building a system of reward tiers that will elicit support for your dream project.
We also have our regular round of book recommendations with AADL PLA Rachel Moir!
Links mentioned in this episode:
Blog Post
Comics Are Great! 80 – Public Domain Comics with Barry Gregory and Kim Holm
by dubaym
What is the benefit of working with public domain characters and stories? Is it just fun to play in “someone’s sandbox,” or is there a larger cultural benefit to authors building on and expanding the works of those who came before? What might happen if more creative works were to enter into the public domain? And is copyright “stealing” from the public?
I’m joined a great roundtable to help navigate these challenging questions! Barry Gregory is the man behind Ka-Blam Digital Printing (and the provider of audio hosting for this show!). Barry teamed up with Steven Butler to create Gallant Comics featuring public domain characters created by Jack Kirby, Bill Everette, and others. Kim Holm is the author of the graphic novel adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s Pikman’s Model, which you can purchase or download for free on archive.org.
We’re joined later by Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library for another round of book recommendations!
Blog Post
Comics Are Great! 79 – The Final Superhero Discussion with Dan Mishkin and Dean Trippe
by dubaym
Over the past years we’ve seen more and more summer blockbusters featuring superhero characters and stories. Are they just fashionable again, or is there something to these kinds of stories that connects us to them? What characterizes an effective superhero story? I’m grateful to be joined by two of the best sources on the topic for a walk around this idea. Dan Mishkin is the co-creator of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil (with writing credits on stories about Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and more) as well as one of the founders of the annual Kids Read Comics Celebration. Dean Trippe is the creator of Butterfly, co-founder of Project: Rooftop, co-host of The Last Cast, and owner of the most Batman-filled Tumblr you’ve ever seen. Together we have the definitive discussion on the hows and whys of superhero stories.
We’re joined at the end by Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library for another round of comics recommendations!
Links mentioned in this episode:
Blog Post
Comics Are Great! 78 – Cartoon Appeal with Chris Giarrusso
by dubaym
It’s hard enough to learn how to draw, but things get even dicier when we start talking about what it takes to create appeal. Fortunately I’m joined by Chris Giarrusso of the eminently appealing G-Man series and Dave Carter of the University of Michigan comics and video game Library. Together we discuss how using kid logic, exploring character choices, and trusting your voice are essential elements to creating a story with appeal.
We’ve also got another round of book recommendations with Sharon Iverson of the Ann Arbor District Library!
Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):
Blog Post
Comics Are Great! 77 – Action and Comedy with Tony Cliff and the Houghton Brothers!
by dubaym
How do you design awesome action sequences? What’s the secret to writing scenes that make the audience roar with laughter? I know I couldn’t answer these questions on my own, so I’m grateful to be joined by the perfect roundtable for the job: Tony Cliff, author of the soon-to-be-released Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant, and Chris and Shane Houghton of Bongo’s Simpsons Comics, Adventure Time comics, and Reed Gunther! Together we explore why understanding character is so crucial to comedy, and why understanding movement is so crucial to action.
We’ve also got another round of book recommendations with Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library!
Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):
Blog Post
Comics Are Great! 76 – Bringing the Gods to Life with George O’Connor
by dubaym
What better medium than comics to capture the majesty and mayhem of Greek Mythology? Especially in the hands of celebrated cartoonist George O’Connor, creator of The Olympians series from First Second books. Together we talk about kid logic, how an author must get to the heart of their characters, and how the poetry of a visual medium like comics can be utilized to express larger-than-life (yet true-to-life) ideas.
Links mentioned in this episode (thanks to Eric Klooster for collecting them!):
Blog Post
Comics Are Great! 75 – Editing Graphic Novels with Calista Brill
by dubaym
I’m excited to talk with Calista Brill, Senior Editor at First Second Books, about the entire process of developing and publishing a graphic novel. What does a good pitch look like? What qualities are editors looking for in a graphic novel proposal? Once the book is acquired, what happens then? How does the editor/author partnership work?
It’s a really fun and instructive conversation with one of the people responsible for the terrific changes happening in the comics publishing landscape.
We’re also joined by Sharon Iverson of the Ann Arbor District Library for another round of book talks!
Links mentioned in this episode: