Comics that taught me more than school did

I was never big on subjects like social studies or biology, I didn't know which was the 'good' Korea, or who David Attenborough was (I know now, don't worry). Let's face it, most school subjects have the ability to suck the joy out of someone's curiousity, and as a teenager I didn't care about what I didn't know.

And then, one day, I found a comic book about Jane Goodall, and two other women I had never heard of - Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas - and their work with primates. I read it - and I learnt something. I knew Jane Goodall was a scientist who was obviously really important, somehow, but I never really bothered to find out why (gasp) - which is why I was surprised about how interesting the comic was. And so I dug deeper into our catalogue for something a little, well, deeper than your average superhero comic.

Sure, some/most of it is biased, some of it is fictional ('based off a true story') - comics (or graphic novels) are often more personal and about the author - but I know more about things than I did before, and that, to me, is a win. I'm learning about what civilians thought about the introduction of 'the veil' in Iran - not how the news or internet portray it, but by someone who actually was there in that time. Or what happened after the Hiroshima bombings, even ten years later. Or what particle physics really is. So, if you're looking to learn a bit more about what's going down in Israel (without the vague news reports), or who the heck is Dian Fossey and why was she so great, take a look. And keep looking. We have plenty of graphic novels and illustrated books on stuff that you could have probably learned if you had bothered to listen in Social Studies (not me), and a lot more they wouldn't teach you.

Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
"Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life" - Marjane Satrapi shares with us the good and bad about the religon and law in Iran, and how they, with other things, affected her as a child growing into a young woman. An in-depth look into her personal life, Satrapi doesn't spare details as she looks back on how she got where she is now, and what she and others went through (and still do). Also a film, if that's more appealing!

Strange Fruit. Vol 1. Uncelebrated narratives from black history - Joel Christian Gill
"A collection of stories from African American history that exemplifies success in the face of great adversity." - This graphic novel is about multiple African Americans and their amazing stories that never made it into any history book. An insightful look into the life of the people who did what did what they had to to survive, and some recognition (finally) for their hardships.

How to understand Israel in 60 days or less - Sarah Glidden
"A charming memoir and a sensitive examination of a highly-charged issue, Sarah Glidden presents an account of her 'Birthright Israel' tour." - Glidden goes to Israel as a Jew who refuses to accept what is happening and has happened between the Jews and the Arabs. She finds out what the difference is between reading about her 'birthright' in books and articles, and experiencing it firsthand herself - as well as finding out the difficulty of coming to terms with her beliefs and identity.

Primates: the fearless science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas - Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks
"These three ground-breaking researchers were all students of the great Louis Leakey, and each made profound contributions to primatology--and to our own understanding of ourselves." - This nonfiction graphic novel shares the history of these significant women scientists and how they became such influences, giving you a quick read that is sure to be informing - but not boring!

Hark, a vagrant! - Kate Beaton
"Hark! A Vagrant takes readers on a romp through history and literature—with dignity for few and cookies for all—with comic strips about famous authors, their characters, and political and historical figures, all drawn in Kate Beaton’s pared-down, excitable style." - If you haven't heard of Beaon's insanely hilarious and popular webcomic, Hark! A Vagrant, you will have surely seen it somewhere before (and if not, you will soon!). A much lighter take on what were some pretty dark times, Beaton shines a light on the important people of history - and it's usually not as romantic as we think (although not all of the comics are 'educational', you'll still have a good laugh). Also, sexy Batman. Her newest collection of comics, Step Aside, Pops, is also in our collection - though you'll have to go on the waiting list for that one! 

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.

The goodness of Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is something of a treasure to libraries, and not just because of the incredible books he writes. He is a strong advocate for fiction and reading which is very evident in his recent lecture 'Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming' 
It is no wonder with quotes like "Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one" that Mr Gaiman is beloved by librarians the world over :)  

The following are my top 5 Neil Gaiman recommendations. This was a pretty difficult list to narrow down, but these are my personal favourites - I'd love to hear which are yours!

Number 5
I'm going to cheat a little and link both The Sandman comic series and the various Death comic mini-series together, as they are after all connected. The Sandman comics were amongst the first I read when I was getting back into the whole comic scene in the mid 90's, and it is easy to see why they are considered classics in the genre.
The series centres around Morpheus, also known as Dream from The Endless, and he and his siblings Death, Destiny, Destruction, Desire, Delirum and Despair take us on a series of unbelievable exploits. The series has a very mythological feel to it, as do many of Mr Gaiman's works. I'll always have a soft spot for Death, who is always so much fun to cosplay, and the deluxe edition of her tales are well worth checking out.

Number 4
Mr Gaiman is a very diverse author and writes for ALL ages. He has many titles for kids under his belt, from the super cute Chu series of picture books to the rather spooky Coraline (I still look at buttons and shudder). But my favourite of these is the wonderful Fortunately, the milk.
Mum is away and Dad is in charge, and he's forgotten the milk for breakfast! Luckily he has some rather marvellous adventures getting it. Such a fun story to share with the littles (or not so littlies) in your life.

Number 3
From the very creepy beginning of The graveyard book where a small toddler manages to survive his entire family being murdered by a mysterious assassin, I was hooked. Bod (Nobody) Owens ends up being raised by the spooks at the nearby graveyard, a crazy assortment of characters. This was one book that stayed with me long after I finished it, in the very best way possible. I'm not sure how you can be creepy but heart-warming at the same time, but this book somehow manages it.

Number 2
Unbeknownst to me, I already owned a Neil Gaiman book long before I was even a fan. Another of my all time favourite authors is Terry Pratchett, and I own many of his books, including Good Omens: the nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, a witch, which a little later down the track I realised was a collaboration with that same comic guy I really liked :)
In this fantasy comedy about the impending end of the world, Aziraphale the angel, and Crowley the demon are on a mission to find the (rather nice) 11 year old Antichrist and avert Armageddon.

And in my top spot - Number 1
Stardust is probably the only book I own in any format I can get it. I have the exact hard copy as pictured above. I have the stunning 4 part graphic novel set, beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess. I have the DVD of the movie adaptation (the book is better, lets face it, it usually is - but the movie is pretty lovely). To me this has the same magical timeless quality of The Princess Bride.
Tristran Thorn sees a falling star, and sets out to retrieve it in order to win the heart of his supposed one true love. He is not the only one questing to retrieve the star, and a fantastical adventure ensues. This book makes it not only on my top five Gaiman list, but also on my overall top five book list!

So those are my personal favourites, and I have missed so many wonderful titles I also loved off this list - the novels American gods (hopefully soon to be a TV series) The ocean at the end of the lane and Neverwhere, the stunningly beautiful The sleeper and the spindle (he retells the classics like no one else), his recent short story collection Trigger warning: short fictions and disturbances....I could seriously go on! Thanks Mr Gaiman for letting us share in your daydreams, they are indeed a magical (and sometimes very spooky) place :)

Graphic novels ARE art!

I'm an animator. Or, an animation student. I can animate (though I don't get paid for it). I can draw (which sometimes I do get paid for) and I can ink and I can paint (a little). Art like this is the love of my life and I blame it all purely on cartoons and comics.

Working in a library, you see a lot of people – mostly parents - scoff over the value of comics and graphic novels. ‘Not real books,’ they say. ‘I don’t want my kids reading those.’ Full of pictures and therefore empty of anything worth acknowledging. Well! To those people I say –

‘...’

I mean, it’s my job. I’m not going to openly disagree with any patron in the library about the rights and wrongs of literature, but here – here, I can stand up for comics and my love for them. Comics expanded my world. It got me into Japanese (and I went to Japan) and drawing (I went to animation school) and webcomics (which I’m thinking of doing myself). Imagine what it could do for you? Or your kids? Or anyone?

When I was little, I drew Sailor Moon. As I got older I branched out into different styles and techniques, and most of these have been a direct result from something I've read. These are just some of the more memorable comics and manga that helped me pave my way into a world of art and magic that I will never want to leave.

Sailor Moon – Naoko Takeuchi
As I said, Sailor Moon is what got me into drawing. Now, back then it was the anime, but the manga is just as beautiful.  Usagi Tsukino (Serena in the English anime) is a lazy fourteen year old who likes nothing better than playing video games and eating junk food. One day, she saves a cat with a moon on its forehead, and the cat follows her home. That night, the cat tells her (yeah, it can talk) that her name is Luna and Usagi is undoubtedly Sailor Moon, the Guardian of the Moon reincarnate. She must find the other Sailor Guardians and protect the mysterious moon princess. Cue awesome transformation scenes/panels, battles and romance. Great stuff.

Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne (or Phantom Thief Jeanne) – Arina Tanemura
This manga is for the older teen, but definitely not as risque as Arina Tanemuras other works.
Maron Kusakabe, main protagonist and lonely teenage girl meets a half-angel, Finn Fish. Finn tells Maron she is the reincarnation of Jeanne D'Arc and must save the world by capturing demons that take human hosts for God in return for a wish. Again, fancy costumes appear and battles commence. A pretty big difference between Sailor Moon and KKJ is this one gets darker and heavy, fast.
This manga is beautiful. When I first started reading it, I really adored Tanemura’s attention to detail, and I still do. Her art is stunning and emotive and it’s not easy to get that in a manga. I'm pretty sure I cried over this book. Don’t judge me.

xxxHolic - CLAMP
Clamp, who made xxxHolic (thankfully pronounced just 'Holic') is also the dream team behind childhood memories like Cardcaptor Sakura. Another magical girl thing, though? No. No no no. The lovely thing about Clamp is they're made of a group of ladies, and the art tends to vary between each different title they bring out - as well as the story. XxxHolic is not for kids, either. It’s not terrifying, and it’s not filled to the brim with sex – it’s just serious.

Yuko is a time witch who lives in a shop, where she will grant your wish for the right price - be it your money, your favourite thing or your very life. Watanuki is a teenager who runs to her shop one day and declares he's plagued by spirits, chasing him everywhere he goes. In return for stopping the spirits, Watanuki becomes Yuko's cleaner and all around maid. He becomes more important as he starts to help with the wishes being granted as well.

This manga inspired my love for black and ink work and flow. You only have to look at the detail in the cover pages to know it’s a piece of art.

The Adventures of Superhero Girl – Faith Erin Hicks
Here is where I started to read more indie comics and venture out of my comfort zone. Faith Erin Hicks has a style and humor I could only hope to emulate one day.
Superhero Girl is just that - a superhero. Having to deal with mundane things like buying new capes after her old one gets destroyed and living up to her (superhero) brothers legacy, she has it tough. This one got me into webcomics as it shares a lot in common - one liner puns, two page storylines, hilarious characters.

Very light hearted and funny, so I suggest you check anything of Faith Erin Hicks out if you need something less serious after those manga.

And last but not least...

French Milk and Relish - Lucy Knisley
A journal, rather than fiction, Lucy Knisley is a comic artist with a great simple style to boot. Knisley takes us with her as she traverses countries and navigates her life. In French Milk, she decides to go to Paris for her birthday with her mom, and stay for a month. As you get to know her, you get to know Paris and all its landmarks and foods. Especially foods.

In Relish, a more recent publication, she goes over her deep connection to food and cooking, sharing recipes from her childhood and the memory's that go with them – all with beautiful illustrative comics.

I love food. I love journals (especially reading other peoples) and of course I love comics. Lucy Knisley made me a huge fan since the first time I picked up her book and I have a feeling I'll stay a fan for a long time coming.

Stalking the catalogue: Manga Mills & Boon

"She was a superbabe. Her longs were so long...I'd die for the chance to see her again."

We have Mills & Boon in Manga *blink blink* I'm late to this party. (My life story, I suspect), because they've been around for a while in Japan, already.

I remember watching Guilty Pleasures a couple of years ago, and hearing that such a thing existed but it went in one ear and out the other. And then yesterday I was stalking the catalogue (best job in the world, really) and came across The Forced Bride in eBook...and you know what happened then. That's right. I requested ALL OF THE THINGS *gulps*

So far we have 9 in total and you can find all of them listed here, and I'm going to read them all because CURIOSITY! It will not kill me as it did the cat. Maybe. This particular title pictured above? I chose it because Amelia is a 'typical bookworm librarian' who, by night, sneaks out of the house and works as a 'provocatively dressed waitress named Amber.' QUE? *suspicious look*

People read romance. Don't believe me? Consider this (Romance Writers of America romance reader statistics):

• Women make up 91 percent of romance book buyers, and men make up 9 percent
• The U.S. romance book buyer is most likely to be aged between 30 and 54 years
• The greatest percentage of romance book buyers (39 percent) have an income between $50,000 and $99,900
• According to RWA's 2011 Romance Book Consumer survey, slightly more than half of survey respondents live with a spouse or significant other
• Forty-four percent of romance book buyers consider themselves "frequent readers" (read quite a few romances); 31 percent are "avid readers" (almost always reading a romance novel); and 25 percent are "occasional readers" (on and off, like when on vacation)
• Readers have been reading romance for a long time: 41 percent of romance book buyers have been reading romance for 20 years or more

I read it for the happy ever after moment. I want one of those for everybody in the world. (Just not myself because eww feels).

Title: Amber by night

Author: Sharon Sala

Illustrator: Mayu Takayama

Series: Harlequin Comics

Stalking the catalogue: Cancer vixen

"Here is the tumor.  It looks like a black hole."

Four years ago I lost a friend to cancer. It wasn't until then that I realised it is an equal opportunist killer - men, women, children. It doesn't care about friends, families, lives yet to be lived, hopes, dreams, good people, indifferent people, careers. It doesn't care.  Fullstop. All of this time later and I still can't make sense of it. Sometimes, when I remember how bad things were towards the end, all I can remember is my own anger, and sadness, and helplessness, and how hugely important it was to not let my friend see all of that. Particularly not when she retained so much hope and strength. But Cancer Vixen gave me an insight into so much of what Trace chose not to share with us (that I couldn't, wouldn't, or was too afraid to ask about) and for that alone I love it.

Marchetto's graphic novel account of her experience with cancer is bold, hilarious, funny, strong, sad, truthful, comical, stunningly visual, and painfully human. (Which is exactly how I feel Trace was as a person, particularly towards the end of her life. Do I romanticise her? I'd like to think not). The most amazing things passed through Marchetto's mind at any one time and those, I think, gave the book an extra personal slant, e.g. her relationship with her very funny (s)mother (as she refers to her mum), women who blatantly chased her fiance, medical insurance, the best hamburger she'd ever eaten (and she has a copy of the receipt in the book of said hamburger) and so on. Would this book have meant as much to me had I not known Trace? I'm not sure. I do think I'm a little better off (in coming to terms with her death) for having read Cancer Vixen.

As 'stalking the catalogue' items go, this is a win.

Title: Cancer vixen [graphic novel] : a true story
Author: Marisa Acocella Marchetto
Published: Fourth Estate, 2007

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.

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.

5 mostly new graphic novels with really good reviews

"Look at him now, poor fellow. That's what a dose of reality does for you...never touch the stuff myself, you understand. I find it gets in the way of the hallucinations."
― Alan Moore, Batman: The Killing Joke

Earlier this month, over on the Top 5 Goodies blog, I highlighted 5 new graphic novels that I'd spotted/requested/read. They were well worth the time. (My awesomeness at picking books amazes even me). I thought I'd round up another 5 for today's post here, although this time with a bit of a difference. I spent more than quite a while looking through the catalogue for ones that had been reviewed. Did you know that you can do that? Not all of our books have them, but sometimes they can help if you're a little uncertain about whether or not you really do want to read something. If you find a title in the catalogue with a cover, click on the cover, and any reviews will be listed under 'Additional information.' You can try with this book here: Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh. You should see a review by Publisher's Weekly. Success! You haz it! A little tip from me. Don't say I never do anything for you. So, quick intro from me, which is a bonus for you if you're all about the graphic novels and less about the talky talky. I give thee: 5 mostly new (and somewhat eclectic) graphic novels with really good reviews