Sequential Tart Interviews Author of _Road To God Knows_

Von Allan is interviewed regarding her new graphic novel featuring a teenage girl coping with being an adolescent while also having a mother struggling with schizophrenia.

Originally published as a webcomic at http://www.girlamatic.com/, Road to God Knows is now available in print.

I'm glad Sequential Tart covered this text, which seems to be flying under the radar but could become an important book in young adult literature circles.

Review: _Resistance Book 1_

Having just been less than kind to Jane Yolen's own graphic novel effort, I find her appraisal of Carla Jablonksi and Leland Purvis' Resistance right-on: "A forceful reminder of both the broad horrors and the small braveries of that period of history, things we should never forget."

Resistance is the story of how pre-adolescents Paul and Marie Tessier come to join their Vichey, France-based family and friends in subverting the efforts of the occupying German army. Paul uses his artistic talent to send messages to others in Paris; Marie uses her ability to memorize (toe-the-line literacy supporters rejoice. But, then again, such folks are probably least likely to accept a graphic novel as good reading material anyway, right?) to interpret crytpics. Their older sister uses her feminine wiles to distract soldiers and hide papers. The kids are able to join their Jewish friend Henri with his parents in Paris, but their success seem small in sight of growing threats.

The well-established novelist Jablonksi and the respected comics artist Purvis, rightly considered co-authors of the text, appear to work well together to integrate plot and symbolic elements. The use of Paul's art as multilayered metatexts (actual images within panels; Paul's drawings of those images -- as drawings -- overlapping the actual images, and the reader seeing the signs as multiple as they read) reveals the complex reader response relationships inherent in graphica that the best comics artists easily manipulate. As well, the severity of the situations of the characters makes caring for them quick and easy, allowing for a fast-paced, deep, but still economic story development.


Further, it is nice to see more sequential art narratives on the Holocaust examining "other" sides of the equation, not just "War-Mongering Germans vs. Hapless Jews." I recently read an article about movies like Inglorious Bastards and books that are revealing a new version of Jewish identity, especially Jewish male identity. As well, graphic novels like the Barefoot Gen series and A Family Secret and The Arrival inform readers about how the war affected different nations and hemispheres as well as more various populations than we often consider in our study of this bleak period of human history.


Resistance fits well with the texts mentioned above, and in terms of quality, would be near the top (but not quite so near The Book Thief). Apparently there are more volumes to come, as this text was published as Book 1. I hope Jablonski and Purvis can keep up thier mojo in future continuations of the story, and perhaps one day we'll be looking at a tome-sized version of Resistance like we do the collected Maus.

Review: Jane Yolen's _Foiled_

Jane Yolen's new graphic novel Foiled is about a teenage girl who is a skilled fencer (not the Tom Sawyer kind; the kind with swords, or weapons, as they're called in the text) and uses her knowledge of parrying and thrusting to explain her relationship with a certain young boy. Sounds hot and heavy, but it isn't.

The story is basically a jumble of mixed metaphors and underdevelopment of everything, with some bad magic thrown in that conveniently develops in the third quarter of the book when the main character puts on her fencing mask -- something she's done thousands of times before with no wizards or trolls -- in Grand Central Station while waiting on a date.

I will say I admire the effort. Certainly Yolen has proved herself a capable writer in other forms. This one, to continue the fencing language, simply misses the mark. What it reveals to me is that while it is great to see writers in other genres or mediums, not all of them will have smash hit-level successes with their efforts. I actually see this as a compelling actuality, in that it shows how difficult it is to create an exemplary graphic narrative. Not every author from other forms will be able to make a coherent story or work with an artist (not an illustrator, as Mike Cavallaro is called on the book's cover) such that what needs to be said is fully said and what needs to be conveyed through images is what gets conveyed as such.

When otherwise skilled writers struggle to do well and have their struggling efforts published in sequential art narrative, I celebrate the effort and the affects: helping us all see how complex and difficult comics can be, and thereby engendering more respect for those who do them well.

So, while not a great read or an inspirational graphic novel, I can't say Foiled should remain shrinkwrapped.

Twilight GN Breaking Records, According to Publisher

Swiped from The Beat:

Via PR, The Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 (The Twilight Saga) adaptation released last week sold over 66,000 copies, which publisher Yen Press claims is a record for single week GN sales in the US. The sales success comes in the face of generally bad reviews from the comics press, especially for the bizarro lettering. Yet despite these flaws, the target audience....

Click this post's title to link to the full story, with comments!

Katie Monnin's Teaching Graphic Novels in the Secondary Classrooms Nominated for Foreward Magazine's 2010 Book of the Year in Education

You go, Katie!

Michele Gorman Profiled at GNR

Graphic Novel Reporter has an OP-Ed up by Michele Gorman, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based (if only I'd known!) librarian who has been working with graphic novels for years. I'm super-excited to see her get some recognition, as her book Getting Graphic!: Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens, was one of the very first resources I learned about when starting my graphic novels-and-education love fest.

Alas, she and I seem to be in the boat of good works on comics and education that continually go uncited, but perhaps this write-up will get her more of the attention she deserves.

Ball State To Honor Jim Davis

Garfield's creator is getting some love from his hometown university. Also, if you're not familiar with Professor Garfield, you're missing out on some great comics-and-education applications joining BSU and everyone's lovable orange feline.

Scholastic to Publish GN with 1 Million Copy Initial Print Run!

That's a one with six zeros behind it, folks. "Scholastic is planning a million-copy first printing of the first Captain Underpants graphic novel," says the article, available b y clicking the title of this post.

ICV2 Reveals Top Ten Kids Graphic Novel Properties for 2009

Neat list. Glad to see Bone making the top 10. If you want to visit the main site, they also have a list of top 10 super-hero properties for 2009.

Ooligan Press's Classroom Publishing Guide Available!

Ooligan Press has released Classroom Publishing: A Practical Guide for Teachers, 2nd edition. The main website can be accessed in this post's title, and the press has a title-specific blog here.

What's this have to do with comics and education? My past exploits as a secondary teacher are detailed along with many other familiar names. My section deals with making and publishing comics, of course. :)

I have an advance copy, and I have to say, while I was a little dubious when I was being interviewed for the project a while back, I really do think the book is a good resource for current and future teachers. I'm thinking about adding it to some of my classes and suggesting it to colleagues. It is thorough, chocked-full of real-life examples, and takes on a broad definition of publishing appropriate to "best practice" thinking.

Kids' Graphic Novel Section at Alameda Free Library Gains Attention from ICV2

Swiped from the article (Click the title to this post to go to the rest of the story):

When we saw a picture of the new children’s graphic novel collection at the Alameda Free Library in Alameda, California in a tweet from Supervising Children’s Librarian (and ICv2 reviewier) Eva Volin, it looked to us like the kind of place where new comic readers were being created on a regular basis. We were intrigued and asked for more information. Here are Volin’s answers, giving some great info on the kids’ graphic novel collection and how it’s developed....

In Homage to the Spurge: If I Were in Arkansas....

I might go to this:

1st Annual Comic Expo. “Comics On the Wall” April 1st- 3rd 2010

According to Robert N. O'Nale, Jr, this "is a Comic-Con type event to be held at the Artchurch Studio, Hot Springs National Park urban arts studio and gallery on April 1-3- and sponsored partially by Hot Springs High School and Henderson state University."

He continues, "This event is geared primarily for educators and students, but does have some open-to-the-public events such as gallery showings at the Downtown Gallery Walk the evening of Friday, April 2. I'll be delivering a history of comics lecture that day as well--no word on whether this lecture is open to the public or if registration is required."

"TO TEACH" Being adapted into Graphic Format

Italics swiped from The Beat (link embedded in post's title):

Before he was a polarizing figure in the 2008 US presidential election. Professor William Ayers was also a respected educational figure with many books to his credit. Now he’s bringing his thoughts on the teaching life to comics with a graphic novel adaptation of TO TEACH: THE JOURNEY, IN COMICS, illustrated by Xeric Grant winner Ryan Alexander-Tanner.



Next on my wish-list of comic book adaptations of teacherly texts:
* Savage Inequalities
* Ghetto Schooling
* Basics of Qualitative Research

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel

Yes, this exists. Graphica adaptations of contemporary texts is the new "thing" right now. Still no word on when the Harry Potter comic books series will debut.......

Teaser: You'll Never Even Know It When it Hits You....

But when it hits you, it will knock you on your arse!

Hint: This Trans-Phat can be good for you.

Graphic Novel Reporter Updates

Some intriguing stuff in this week's edition:

* A roundtable discussion on black issues and comics
* News that the Los Angeles Times has added a graphic novel category to their Book Prizes.
* Lisa Coxson teaches comics to ninth-graders in the Bronx.

And the Congregation said "Amen!": The Spurge weighs in on Equating All Comics with Super-Hero Comics

Kudos to Comics Reporter's Tom Spurgeon for taking to task a blogger's perhaps well-intentioned post of the most important "gay moments" in comics. The problem? Every single entry came from super hero comics. Spurge's complaint, and a pet peeve of mine as well? The embedded assumption from the writer that super hero comics are the only genre that count, if not the only genre that exists.

Spurgeon calls for a a simple solution: If you're doing best-of lists or articles that focus solely on super hero-genred comics, say so.

"Amen!"

Barn Stomin', Award-winning Goodness!

Matt Phelan's The Storm in the Barn has been awarded the 2010 Scott O'Dell Award for nonfiction. Yay GN's!

Below is a trailer for the book. I'd be happy to review it if anyone wanted to send me a copy, cough cough.

Graphic Novels on Tap for Ya Lit Course This Summer

I'm mixing it up this summer by adding different titles to my typical reading list in YA Lit. American Born Chinese is still on the list, but now so are the Twilight Graphic Novel and Bayou, volume 1. The first new title will allow me to discuss two or three phenomenons at once (the graphic novel, the vampire craze in pop culture, and the Twilight hysteria) and the latter will help me mix up my selections of graphic novels and African American literature. I'm looking forward to teaching these books along with 11 more traditional print-based books during first session this summer.

MINER BALL!

UTEP MEN'S BASKETBALL = C-USA CHAMPIONS!

Hey, I'm a native North Carolinian. Loving good college basketball is in my blood. Also congrats to my Western Carolina University Catamounts on a 20+ win season there in cozy Cullowhee!