Blog Post
Today is always the most enjoyable day with Yotsuba&!
by wampishing
We take it for granted that people will know what certain things are, and how they work...A/C, swings, doorbells, manners. You'd think, for instance, that most people would know not to let a cage full of cicadas loose in their neighbor's house. But green-haired little Yotsuba is new in town and new to a whole lot of other things too! In this all-ages comedy series from Azumanga Daioh creator Kiyohiko Azuma, the everyday becomes strange and wonderful, as Yotsuba drags her daddy and new neighbors through wacky hijink after wacky hijink, discovering the world around her with endless enthusiasm. Yotsuba's adventures, 11 volumes worth, will keep you laughing for a long time to come!
Public Event
EVENT CANCELLED - Comic Artists Forum with Jay Fosgitt
Sunday January 5, 2014: 1:00pm to
3:00pm
Downtown Library: 4th Floor Meeting Room
Adults And Teens (Grade 6 And Up).
Blog Post
Jump into a good book...and then try to survive it!
by wampishing
Spending time inside the worlds of your favorite books sounds like a dream come true, doesn't it? But every good plot has an element of danger, a fact that Namesakes know all too well! Thrown into famous fictional lands, Namesakes are forced to live out the story of the protagonist in order to make it back home - in one piece, if they're lucky. But usually it's an Alice who falls into Wonderland, a Jack who climbs the beanstalk, a Wendy who flies off to Neverland...why, then, is Emma Crewes tossed into the Wizard of Oz, expected to play the roll of Dorothy? Emma doesn't know, but one thing is for certain: with shadowy organizations Calliope and the Rippers vying to add Emma to their ranks, wicked witches and warlocks everywhere she turns, and a sister who is developing strange abilities of her own, the power of the page has shattered the quiet of Emma's settled life.
Join her on her unwitting adventure through literature in Namesake Vol. 1 - and then find out the rest of the story at namesakecomic.com!
Blog Post
Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant
by yugure
Swashbuckling adventure. Loud explosions. Abundant treasure. A woman skilled with forty-seven sword-fighting techniques and a man who brews the best tea in Europe. And a flying boat. Interested yet? How about a daring escape from jail, a foiled beheading, and a raid on a pirate captain's stash of gems and jewels? All jam-packed into a tidy 167 pages!
Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is the story, in graphic novel format, of the indomitable Delilah Dirk, a female adventurer in the early 19th century, and her unexpected traveling companion Lieutenant Erdemoglu Selim. Each chapter can act as a standalone story but you probably won't want to stop once you start!
Beautifully illustrated and richly colored, engagingly paced, and quite funny, Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is not one to miss. And if you enjoyed this one, author and illustrator Tony Cliff is currently working on the second book, Delilah Dirk and the Blades of England!
Blog Post
Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong . . . righhht!
by K.C.
This is one fun read you gotta try - full of humor, angst, friendship, rivalry and action! Nate and Charlie are two guys most people would never imagine being friends. Charlie’s the laid-back captain of the basketball team, and Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But these guys are friends, however unlikely — until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders, and the cheerleaders retaliate by making Charlie their figurehead in the ugliest class election campaign the school has ever seen. And what’s at stake? Student group funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms — but not both.
In Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong writer Prudence Shen and artist Faith Erin Hicks create unforgettable characters and so many plot twists and turns you won’t be sure you’ve reached the end until you read the final page.
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!