Three Words - NZ, Women, Comics

I'm a huge fan of short comics. Upon discovering NZ author (as well as comic artist and zine-maker) Sarah Laing, I fell in love with the simplicity of her autobiographical comics. After this, I kept seeing her work everywhere. And then I noticed - I kept seeing NZ comic artists everywhere. And a lot of them were women. Or, they've been there the whole time, and I never bothered to look.

But now, I'm bothering.

Earlier this year, Three Words: an anthology of Aotearoa/NZ women's comics was published. A whole anthology of comics from our very own artists, from all over the country, with the purpose of getting our creative women and their work out from the shadows and into a book - into your libraries, onto your coffee tables, into your hands.

And the theme? Simple - each artist would give three words to another, and in return, receive three words from someone else. Then, they incorporate those words into a comic (literally or figuratively) which you get to feast your eyes on.

With a huge variety of artists - from those who breathe comics, to those who are doing them for the first time - Three Words is a diverse and fantastic way to get to know the women who you probably pass on the street, and the creativity that they put on the page.

Comic Book Month, Baby!

It's my favourite month of the Auckland Libraries year - September! This means...

Comic Book Month!

Every year we in the Libraries host a whole bunch of comic/fandom themed events, and generally go crazy about one of my most favourite formats for reading. At first, September was all about celebrating comics and graphic novels, but slowly, this month has also been expanded to include things like movies, cartoons, zines and other geekery and pop culture.

Already underway, Auckland Libraries has had some awesome events such as LibraryCon, a fantastic Panel of comic artists/cartoonists, and other community library based events (I myself ran a small cartooning workshop in one of my fave libraries, ho ho ho).

Displays are up, people are buzzing, and as always we have our comic book card comp - where you get a stamp for each comic you read, open to all ages (not staff, unfortunately ): before I was staff, I went crazy for this!) to get awesome prizes.

If you've ever read any of my posts, you'll know that I am crazy for comics. I go wild for graphic novels, I fangirl over fanart and cry over cartoons. So you can expect, with the amount of buzz about them this month, that I'll be preparing some awesome graphic novel-related posts soon.

But for now, I'll share with you the place to check if you wanna see if there are any events near you - and remind you (or share for the first time, if you don't already know!) about our cosplay workshops! Although they start at the end of this month, I'm still gonna pop the info here so you can check it out.

And remember to have a gander at our new titles page, where you can see all the new graphics we've gotten our mitts on for adults, as well as teens and kids, so you can pass your geekery on to the next generation (and always take some time to scroll through our non-fiction lists for some hidden gems, like this or this).

If that isn't even for you, also check out the popular culture nextreads eNewsletter. Not just for comics, this newsletter puts the light on some new releases, actor/screen related biographies and general popculture-y awesomeness.

All Things Bookish...

I love books.  I also love bookish things.  And believe me there is a wide range of bookish things out there.  From movies about books to book trailers to books about books and everything in-between.

So if you've ever struggled with trying to find a gift for a bookie family member or friend or, if we're being honest, yourself, then why not check out some, if not all, of the things below.

I'm already writing up my Christmas wish list...

Mugs

You can never have enough mugs.  There is something comforting about the feel of a mug.  Even the word mug sounds solid and steady.

Happiness Is...

I kind of want this mug.  And I don't even drink coffee.  Weird or what?  Don't answer that.

Okay, Okay

If you've read John Green then you'll recognise this mug straightway.  Then again John Green is kind of awesome.

Banned Books

Educational and inspiring too.  What better mug can you ask for.

Writers Mug

A mug designed especially for me.

Things to wear, things to carry

Of course if you've got the mug why not have the clothing.

Library Stamp t-shirt

Well I am a Librarian.  So I just had to include this t-shirt.  Because how could I not.  I also highly recommend that you check out the rest of Outofrprintclothing because their stuff is just awesome.

Pride and Prejudice Bag
I just love this bag.  It's pretty and girly and kind of perfect.

Love Text Tights

Of course if you've got the t-shirt and the bag you just have to have the tights.  I'm just a little bit in love with them.

I carry your heart...

Romantic that I am it probably comes as no surprise that I've included this bracelet.  It is all kinds of lovely.  A perfect gift really.

Around the House

Okay I'd probably wouldn't go quite so far as to furnish my house with bookish things... then again...

Bath set

Yeah bookie things even make it to the bathroom.  Just be grateful I didn't post the link to the bookish toilet paper.

Bookworm Pillow

You've got the book and the bookish mug and you're ready to lean back and read so why not have a bookish pillow to lean on.

Literary Candles

Reading by candlelight.  Probably not that good for the eyes.  Still the candles are pretty.

Novel Tea

You just know they had to do it.

Comics

I just had to include some comic related stuff because awesome!  Like seriously.  I'm  this close to buying that Marvel bag.  Because how cool would that be.

Wonder Woman Sneakers

What every woman should have in their wardrobe.  A pair of Wonder Woman sneakers.

Comic Graphic Leggings

I wish I could wear leggings.  Because if I could I would be madly buying all the pairs because there are some amazing leggings and tights out there.  Sadly  my legs just look like a sausage about to explode.  Tragic really...

Comic Shoes

These shoes rock, lethal looking as they are.

Gym Bag

I want.  And that's all I have to say really.

Author interview: Richard Fairgray, comic book guy

Welcome to the first ever instalment of our local author interviews pages. We're celebrating the best of what's being written (and/or drawn) in our super city of Auckland. And it's about time. 

In celebration of Comic Book Month, our first profile is North Shore comic book writer and artist Richard Fairgray, creator of Blastosaurus, I Fight Crime (under the pseudonym Mary-Ann Cotton) and many more. See http://blastosaurus.com/ for a full list...

Richard is unusual in an artist, given that he's legally blind. He only has a tiny bit of sight left in one eye. It's meant he's always seen things in two dimensions, just like a comic book image...However, the world of his comics is a slightly skewed vision.

His best-known work, Blastosaurus, stars a mutated triceratops with human intelligence whose parents are killed by three likewise mutated raptors. All four have been transported into the future through a time tunnel - to Freak Out City. Our saurian hero may look fearsome, but he fights for the good guys, becoming a policeman who specialises in stopping the damage his fellow dinosaurs love to cause. In Richard's own words: "He's a 6' tall, mutant triceratops with a gun from the future and a mission of vengeance. But he mostly gets relegated to doing publicity work for the police department. Yes, he fights raptors and killer robots and he time-travelled, but at the heart of it all he's an ordinary man who just happens to be shaped like a dinosaur."

Can't wait to read it now? We have the graphic novels in our library. See Welcome to Freak Out City and Exhibit B.

There's also plenty more to come. Richard has just finished the script for issue 24 of the Blastosaurus comic, and has ideas for at least another 30. Most of his works are collaborations between himself and friends, including his wife Tara, a colourist, and Terry Jones (not the ex-Monty Python one). They get together in a room and bat ideas back and forth until the pages are filled, or until they go mad.

"Yes, he fights Raptors and killer robots and he time travelled but at the heart of it all he's an ordinary man who just happens to be shaped like a dinosaur."

Richard regularly jets around the world to comic book conventions and to work with other collaborators, but he's happy enough staying on the Shore. First, because you meet some crraaaaazy people at conventions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIJ-ssh46J8). And because it lets Richard have control over his own creations.

A deal with American Original, a noted US comic company, didn't go according to plan, so production is definitely back in New Zealand. Richard doesn't elaborate on the reasons, but now says: "I'm always happy to talk with publishers about any of our myriad other books but Blastosaurus will...well, the phrase 'cold dead hands' springs to mind."

Despite this, Richard's comics aren't "New Zealand comics" - for him, it's all about originality, not trying to push a barrow with a big kiwi on it. To other wannabe graphic novelists, he says: "I think why people like our books is that we aren't drawing from a self-filling well. I talk to too many would-be writers who say they only read comic books and I think it shows in the work. People should be reading everything, watching everything, listening to everything before they decide they only like one medium."

I ask: "Do you think Blastosaurus is any weirder than a lot of stuff on the market?"

Richard doesn't have to think about it.

"I'd prefer to think of him as more interesting." 

KAPOW! SHAZAM! Comics But Not As You Know Them

Surprising enough, I've never been much of a comic book fan.  I just never saw their appeal.  Recently though I have been making an effort to try out more of this much misunderstood, and sometimes maligned, way of reading.

And I'm so glad I did because comics have come along way from the ones I remember as a kid.  The art work alone in some of them is truly amazing, and beautiful.  And in many ways they have helped me appreciate stories that never held all that much of an allure for me.

Which is really the point, don't you think?

If something gets you to enjoy, even love a story, then I'm all for it.

Personally I can't wait to discover more great comic delights.  Of course knowing me it will probably just end up as yet another addiction...

Romeo and Juliet : the war / reimagined by Stan Lee and Terry Dougas.

A recommendation from my fellow blogger Tosca, this is Romeo and Juliet as you've never seen them before.

Combining beautiful illustrations with a classic story and giving it a sci-fi twist.  Just wonderful.

Batman. Volume 1, The court of owls / Scott Snyder, writer.

In the argument of who you prefer Batman versus Superman, Batman has always been the one for me.

Mysterious, broody with a touch of bad boy and unlike Superman he has to rely on his own 'very human' abilities.  There's no flying or x-ray vision with this superhero and that's just how I like it.

Pacific Rim. Tales from year zero / writer, Travis Beacham.

Aliens from outer space. Earth under attack.  War machines. Yeah I am so there.

Even better there's a film coming out.  So double yay.

Until then check out this comic to see what all the fuss is about.

Star Trek the next generation / Doctor Who. Assimilation / [written by Scott & David Tipton with Tony Lee.

The moment I found out that someone had done a Doctor Who/Star Trek The Next Generation crossover I just had to check it out.

Because seriously this is so awesome and for a fanfic lover like me the ultimate kind of story..

If you've never read a crossover's before then you're in for a treat and if you're anything like me will probably want to hunt down every kind of crossover you can find.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer : the long way home / script, Joss Whedon.

I'm a Buffy fan so it will come as no surprise that I've read all the Buffy comics.

Because why not? Or better yet, why haven't you?  Especially if you a Buffy fan and wanted to know what happened after Season seven.

This series of comics carries on from where the TV show ended and will give you all the answers you've been craving and even better it's written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon.

Spike: the complete series / written by Brian Lynch

Buffy. Vampires. Bad boys...

I'm sensing a theme here but really can you blame me when the bad boy in question is none other than Spike.  He was (and is) the ultimate bad boy with a British accent (God aren't they the best), dressed all in black who underneath it all was really a hero.

Personally I would chosen him over Angel any day.  Buffy was a fool.

Winter Soldier / writer, Ed Brubaker

Men in tights?

Sorry doesn't really do it for me.

Men in black. With guns no less.  Well that's a whole different story.

Move over Captain America and hello Winter soldier.  Now this is my kind of superhero.

Now all I need to find is western comic with guns and cowboy hats and bad boys - who look super hot - because why the hell not.  So if you have any recommendations let me know.

Why is Supergirl in a miniskirt? My thoughts on women in comic books.

Now before I get angry comments from comic book enthusiasts. I will openly admit that I'm not ultimate nerd level on comic books. I do however work in a library so everyone just be cool.

I was browsing the library shelves the other day in the adult comic book section and I noticed that almost every depiction of women on the cover of the comic books was borderline ridiculous. Everywhere I looked there were cartoon boobies, cartoon thighs and cartoon butts. I couldn't help but wonder why the hell they're all dressed like that, I mean is it really necessary for Supergirl to be in a miniskirt? 

First of all let's talk about practicality. Say you're hypothetically fighting an evil Nazi spymaster as Wonder Woman often did. Are you really going to wear high heels? Of course not! You've got a job to do, ain't nobody got time for that! Don't even get me started on her playsuit. There is no amount of fashion tape in the world that's going to keep those knockers in. I guess my real question is this: Are women in comic books just there to be sexualised or do they have a real purpose? 

I will say that from my experience a lot of female characters in comic books are tough and intelligent women and we are defiantly moving away from them being just the love interests and side kicks but isn't it time that we were at least a little realistic about what a woman actually is? Can't we have female super heroes who are  intelligent and awesome without being ridiculously over sexualised? I'm all for a bit of leg meat now and again but there comes a point when they're just there for the sake of their bodies and nothing else. 

Now I'm not necessarily pointing fault at libraries for this even though we are the ones stocking these books so yeah, I'll admit it's partially on us but I really don't think there are a huge amount of books available that feature women who aren't nearly naked.

I'd love to see more comic books featuring women who are a tad more practically dressed while being smart and generally kicking ass. Either that or we need a little more of this: 

This Month I'm Loving...

well any month that isn't February.

I hate February.

And yes I know it's kind of silly to hate a month. But I do.

There's just something about February that is off-putting.  Whether it's the heat, the fact that the holidays and relaxed mood of Christmas is finally over or strange vibes in the air.  There is something about February that is unsettling.

Strangely enough I've discovered that I not the only one to feel this way.  Which is nice  - it's always great to find someone who shares in your insanity, whether it's rational or not.

Luckily for me I've discovered heaps of new things to help ease the unsettled blues as well as getting reacquainted with some old friends.

So how is the month that shall not be named, treating you?

The Lumineers

Music as always is one of the best way's to shake those unsettled blues away and The Lumineers are one of my favourite new discoveries.

These guys (and girl) are amazing.  A folkie-indie-pop band I could easily listen to them all day... oh right I pretty much do.  Their music is catchy and bouncy and just a pure delight.

I can hardly wait for them to do another CD.

My favourites are Ho Hey, Stubborn Love, Flowers in Your Hair and Submarines.

My one and only thrill / Melody Gardot.

At 18 a car ploughed into her while she was out cycling.  What helped in her in during the years of recovery was music.  From her hospital bed she began writing songs.

And this, along with her other 2 albums, are the results.

Featuring nearly all original material she is a jazz-blues singer along the likes of Diana Krall and I have just fallen in love with the song Who Will Comfort Me.  It's just a great foot-tapping jazz song that is sure to make you smile.

Punk goes pop. Volume 4 

Now I'm not a huge punk fan.  But as they say there's punk and then there's punk.

I love the Clash and The Cure and The Pretenders.  Bands who had punk roots in their music but who also sang across other genres.

Now of course there's a wide range of punk styles and bands who fit into other genres.  It seems that punk has become popular - who knew.

This CD features an array of punk artists doing they own unique take on some popular songs.  My absolute favourite is Tonight Alive's version of Little Lion Man which I think is almost better than the original by Mumford and Sons.

Golden age [compact disc] / [by James Goss].

I have a new addiction. 

Yes I know I have a lot of addictions (Supernatural, fanfiction, books, chocolate...)

But audio books or more exactly audio dramas have completely hooked me.  Or at least the TV show based ones have.

I blame it all on Big Finish.  Nearly all their audio's feature a full cast plus sound effects and they are AMAZING!

The Stargate ones were the first and from there I just had to have more and so onto Torchwood and Blake's 7 it was.  The Blakes 7 The Dust Run and The Trial had Benedict Cumberbatch (how could I go wrong) and the Torchwood ones... well let's just say the one of the stories in  Torchwood: the lost files made me cry.

Now I just holding out for some more Stargate ones to be made and maybe some with David Tennant as Doctor Who (cross fingers).  Until then I've got the BBC's Neverwhere with James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch and co to look forward to.

PS: If you've got any recommendations let me know.

Zoo : the graphic novel / James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge

I've read the odd comic in the past.

Buffy Season 8, Angel Season 6.  That kind of thing.  But I've never gone out of my comfort zone of comics based on TV shows.

That is until I picked up this one.

James Patterson was part of the appeal.

I've always enjoyed his books (at least his earlier ones) so thought it might be alright and the story held even more appeal.  Dystopian, animals gone wild, man fighting for survival.

Yep definitely my kind of thing.  And books with pictures... well how can you go wrong.  I mean really pictures make things a lot easier


Inside HBO's Game of thrones / Bryan Cogman

Game of Thrones.

If you haven't heard of it you don't know what you're missing.

This show has it all.

Betrayal, treachery, blood-letting, sex, violence and families who give a whole new meaning to family squabbles.

It seems like we (the fans) have been waiting for forever for (too many for's) season 3 to start let alone the next book in the series.

Beautifully illustrated, this book might just help with some of the impatience and fill the void in with your Game of Thrones addiction.

Roll on the 31st March.

The Guild 

I love Felicia Day.

She's funny and quirky and hugely talented and probably one of the biggest and well known geeks around.

From her writing and starring in her online web series The Guild, to guest starring on Supernatural, to staring up her own YouTube TV channel (Geeks & Sundry - check it out); she is a one of the biggest online personalities around.

Think a female Wil Wheaton (who also appears on Geeks & Sundry) with a bit more sass and red hair and you've probably get a glimmer of who Felicia Day is.

Go the Red-Heads!

Comic Book Month - Week 1

Scott Pilgrim

23 years old
Rating: Awesome


You may have heard of Scott Pilgrim already - they made the comics into a film a couple of years back, and while they did a pretty good job, the source material is better. I can't really do better than the blurb on the book to describe the scenario for you, so here it is:


Everything is totally sweet.
Scott Pilgrim's life is so awesome. He's 23 years old, in a rock band, "between jobs," and dating a cute high school girl. Everything's fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. but the path to Ms. Flowers isn't covered in rose petals. Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends stand in the way between Scott and true happiness. Can Scott beat the bad guys and get the girl without turning his precious little life upside-down?


Scott... well, basically he's an idiot, but you can't help rooting for him anyway. His complete cluelessness and optimism that everything will work itself out is kind of endearing. There's so much to love about the series, from Bryan Lee O'Malley's artwork to the wonderful character names (Knives Chau? That's one for the list). With six volumes and a movie, there's plenty to keep you going, and if you read them all that's one and a bit cards filled up for the Comic Book Month competition!

Edited to add: Try as I might I cannot get a link to this book on the catalogue to work, but you can find it on the catalogue if you search for Scott Pilgrim or Bryan Lee O'Malley

Comic Book Month!

I'm super excited. September is Comic Book Month at Auckland Libraries, which means we get a whole month to celebrate one of my favourite storytelling formats. There's plenty to sink your teeth into, with competitions and events galore.

Show off your art skills and enter our create a character competition. There are some great prizes up for grabs in four age groups, which means that anyone can enter. That amazing picture to the left is of last year's winner, and we've used it on our posters and fliers - so not only are there prizes on offer, but fame too is up for grabs!

If art isn't your thing, and you just want to get reading, all you need to do to enter our other competition is borrow five comics, graphic novels, or manga. You'll go in the draw to win a cool prize, and the top 5 readers in Auckland will also get their hands on some goodies.

There's more information about these competitions and events on our website, or you can come into the library and ask your friendly neighbourhood librarian! Keep tuned throughout September for comics recommendations and reviews.