Calamity Before Jane

I recently borrowed this book from my local library. Libraries RULE! Calamity Before Jane is a biography/history book for younger readers, and I feel it is very successful in deflating romantic myths about the American West. When this book opens, Jane (born Martha Jane Canary) is a performer in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, telling her tales to an audience in upstate New York. She happens upon a couple of young runaway orphans and tells them about her own tough childhood. She is run-down, barely able to tell her own tall tales, and adding insult to injury, they rob her after she passes out.

What we know to be true: Jane's dad moved the family around a lot, trying to get rich by mining gold, gambling and later farming. Her mom died when she was young, and she had to take up the housework before she decided to strike out on her own. She had to fend for herself in places of ill-repute, learning to ride a horse and shoot along the way. She drove cattle and was a US Army scout. The rest may or may not have happened.

All in all, the brown and grey coloring of this book matches the dour town of the story, which is enlightening in how it dispels the typical "cowboys and Indians" tenor of many Western tales. This book does not sugarcoat the treatment or depictions of Native Americans, describing how it avoids the stereotypes used to portray them as wild people. It also touches on their genocide, the pointed decimation of the American buffalo, and later small inclusions in traveling shows like Buffalo Bill's. 

Bolstering the story are informative essays by Dr. Susana Geliga that add more context to Jane's life and times. There are also copious period photos in the inside covers and endpapers that show readers more about the reality of her life, and they also reveal how much reference work went into the drawings. I feel like this is an excellent source for learning about American history for readers of any age.

Cartoonist Noah Van Sciver wrote and drew this book. He is one of my favorite comics creators, the Ignatz Award-winning author of the graphic novels Beat It, Rufus, One Dirty Tree, The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln, Saint Cole, and Fante Bukowski.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews called it "engaging and eye-opening." Publishers Weekly wrote, "Gritty illustrations and ample 19th-century vernacular render a thought-provoking portrait of the rapidly changing era." Melanie Jackson described it as "fun, lively."

Calamity Before Jane was published by Toon Books, and they offer more information about it here.

Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller The Man Who Created Nancy

Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller The Man Who Created Nancy sounds like a biography, but it is so much more. Certainly it does detail much about Ernie Bushmiller, the cartoonist who inherited a comic strip started in 1922, Fritzi Ritz, about a flapper making her way in the world, and who transformed that strip by introducing her niece Nancy who eventually took it over. But this book also delves deeply into the semiotics and sensibilities of that comic strip and what has led to it enduring over time with many different sorts of audiences. Also, this book offers a great sampling of Bushmiller's strips over the decades, detailing both its evolution and many of its greatest hits along the way.

Bushmiller was a workaholic who seemingly was constantly thinking of gags for his strips. He had four work tables set up in his house so he could work multiple strips simultaneously, and he worked so far ahead that he was about a year's worth of strips in the hopper. So it is no surprise that often the strip and reality coalesce in the course of the book's narrative:

I was totally engrossed reading this book, and it is dense with information but presented in a energetic and engaging way. It is a long-form comic about a man's life and how comics work, like reading an essay presented in comic strips. 

This meticulously rendered and researched book is a clear love letter to the Nancy strip as well as Bushmiller's work, written by a man who has read, enjoyed, and analyzed it all for decades. Since 1969, Bill Griffith has been publishing comics, including his long-running strip Zippy the Pinhead and nonfiction graphic novels like Invisible Ink and Nobody's Fool. He speaks about his work on Three Rocks in this interview.

This book has been extremely well reviewed. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews concluded that it "firmly raises the bar for comics biographies." Cory Doctorow called it "a great biography and a great book of literary criticism and comic arts theory." Henry Chamberlain wrote, "There’s a lot of fun things going on in this book and you definitely don’t need to know a thing about comics or have any strong feelings regarding the subject."

Three Rocks was published by Abrams, and they offer more info about it here. 

One last note: I borrowed this book from my local public library. Public libraries ROCK! 

Run, Book One

The March trilogy of graphic novels is a modern classic, a multi-award-winning set of books that chronicle the life of John Lewis during the first part of his life. This book, Run, was proposed as the first in another series, but Lewis died just as the final edits were made to it, and it is up in the air if it will ever continue. Still, it is a worthy and fascinating book well worth reading and revisiting.

This volume takes place after the first push of civil rights victories, and it shows how even that segregation was legal and voting rights cleared that equality was far from the norm. This book opens with a white congregation refusing to allow blacks to enter their church and worship, and shows more examples of how entrenched power structures made it difficult for true justice to be practiced. I think it is important to see just how much struggle existed and continues to exist, even after "progress" was made. We are still fighting some of these same battles now, sadly.

This book also features much detail about the workings and politics of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee that Lewis headed, and how it morphed into a different sort of movement that eventually gave rise to the Black Panther Party. 

It also chronicles several contemporary events, such as the Vietnam War and Watts riots, and how they all contributed to the political atmosphere of the times. This book ends with Lewis deciding to run for office, and even if it ends in an open-ended manner that may never be resolved, readers would know that Lewis was elected and served for decades as a US Representative. And I feel that what makes this book relevant and moving is how it shows the friction and effort necessary with any political action. 

Like the March trilogy, this book was written by Lewis and Andrew Aydin, with art by L. Fury, in her graphic novel debut, with some assists by Nate Powell. Fury has been at work on her own graphic novel project, Condemned, and Powell has a long list of credits, including the March books, an adaptation of Lies My Teacher Told Me, and his own works like Fall Through.

This book has received many accolades and glowing reviews. Publishers Weekly concluded their starred review, "Lewis’s stunning American story and legacy lives on in these pages." In another starred entry, Kirkus Reviews called it "an intimate, powerfully revealing look at a crucial, complex time, through the eyes of a true American hero." In a third starred review, Eric Carpenter wrote that it was "as informative and essential an addition to the nonfiction comic canon as its much-lauded predecessors."

Run, Book One was published by Abrams ComicArts, and they offer a preview, a teaching guide, and more information about it here.

History Comics: Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes

I have to admit I went into reading this book, Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes, with a bit of trepidation, because I know that Parks's story is often-told and also incorrectly, as if she was just some tired woman who happened into the situation, which could not be further from the truth. However, there was so much in this book that I either did not know or appreciate, and it was truly eye-opening. If I have a quibble with it, it would be that the title should be reversed, because its narrator and main focal point is Claudette Colvin, who just died this year and should be known by many more people. She was arrested nine months before Rosa Parks was, also for not giving up her seat to a white person in Montgomery, Alabama. The difference was that Colvin made for a poorer test case for litigation, as she was younger, unmarried, and pregnant at the time of the proceedings. It was not until later that Parks became the subject of that test case to argue against and finally end segregation (legally, at least). 

What this book does an excellent job of is telling things like it was, not sugar-coating language, events, or how some people ended up getting more credit than others for the civil rights work. It shows the long, laborious process it took to get justice, from the arrest to trial and later appeals. It shows how these events affected both women and their families, highlighting how they lost friends and jobs and also feared for their lives because of the stands they took. This book also situates these events with other contemporary happenings, like the murder of Emmett Till, to give a clear context of the times. It makes these people real, not just grand figures from history to be studied.

Reading this book the same day that I learned the Reverend Jesse Jackson died, and revisiting the 1984 skit "The Question is Moot" from Saturday Night Live, it strikes me that even after decades we are still dealing with the same issues of disparity, violent authorities, hateful legislation, and misinformation. It's shameful that some of us have hoodwinked by illusions of progress, when the same old things just happen under different guises. Having access to stories like these is vital for people to realize that these struggles are ongoing, difficult, and necessary.

Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin was written by Tracey Baptiste and drawn by Shauna J. Grant. Baptiste has many books to her credit, including Kid X and Super Goat Girl. Grant has created her own series of Mimi graphic novels as well as a couple of entries in the Baby-Sitter Little Sister series.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews called it "a valuable addition to the growing swath of graphic novels drawing attention to civil rights history." Johanna Draper Carlson wrote, "The narrator and the open, friendly art style make History Comics: Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin an enlightening read with something new to say."

Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. This book is suggested for readers age 8 and up, and it features some hateful language and references to sexual violence.

History Comics: The Challenger Disaster: Tragedy in the Skies

I was home from school for a snow day on January 28, 1986, and I remember watching the Challenger disaster live on television, which made quite an impression on me. This book takes a look into the people and circumstances behind that space mission and explains just went wrong. The framing sequence here is that those seven astronauts have been commemorated in the future where humanity has moved beyond Earth to colonize outer space, and a teacher has her students giving presentations about the Challenger mission. Over the course of this book the students expound on these astronauts as explorers and also for introducing the idea of civilians traveling to outer space.

What made this particular space mission notable, even before the tragedy, was the inclusion of Christa McAuliffe, a high school teacher who won the opportunity to train as a payload specialist. Of course, a focus of this book is on her but it also makes sure to give more details about the rest of the crew. It also delves into the factors that led to disaster, exploring how the space shuttle program developed its vehicles as well as what went wrong in terms of weather conditions and O-rings. I felt that this book was very informative and engaging, another strong entry in the History Comics series.

The Challenger Disaster was written and drawn by Pranas T. Naujokaitis, who has written and/or drawn several books over his career. He is also known for the mini-comic Laffy Meal. He speaks about his work on this book in this interview.

The reviews I have read about this book have been mostly positive. Sophie Brown called it "a great book that conveys a huge amount of detail without ever feeling overwhelming or dry." Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "a well-researched, idealistic tribute." In a starred review for School Library Journal, John Peters praised it for "artfully incorporating a solid payload of information within a well-developed frame story."

The Challenger Disaster was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information here. 

Hoops

I loved reading Hoops, a fictional account of the first Indiana high school girl's basketball tournament in 1976. The books follows the Wilkins Regional High School girls’ basketball team through their bumpy inaugural season. The boy's Bears team is a perennial state power that gets lots of accolades and attention, but the start-up girl's squad suffers in comparison. Those players have to practice in the elementary school gym, deal with tension from peers who think they should stick to cheerleading, and struggle to find funds for basic things they need to run the team, like uniforms, equipment, and buses.

I will try not to spoil much, but they have trials and successes, and luckily they find someone who helps them not only advocate for the team but also find ways to pay for uniforms, travel, and everything they need to compete. This is historical fiction, but it is based firmly on real events, and it is a great way to revisit the recent past and see how it differs from our current realities, and why things are more equitable after Title IX was more fully realized. 

However, this book is not a dry history lesson. It is full of great character moments as well, and it's easy to root for the upstart team, mostly seen through the eyes of Judi. The game and action sequences are exciting and vivid, and the artwork is very clear and inviting. Fans of history, sports, and sports stories will find much to entertain them here.

Hoops is the debut graphic novel by Matt Tavares. He is a long-time children books' writer and illustrator, with more than 20 titles to his name. He speaks about his work on his graphic novel in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "a winning tale, all the more exhilarating for its links to history." Beth Kanell called it "a page-turner where determination and hope fill every page." Ofama Umesi opined that it is "delightful and informative on a historical level."

Hoops was published by Candlewick Press, and they offer a preview and more information here. 

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Bones and Berserkers

The 13th book in one of my favorite graphic novel series, Bones and Berserkers changes up the format in that it features a collection of 13 tales rather than one overarching narrative. Still, all the major players are still here, and the range of horrific stories run a gamut of genres. There are folk tales like the Demon Cat, an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "Hop-Frog," the real-life misadventures of pro-golfer Eben Myers with medicinal radium, and the terrible murders and arson at Frank Lloyd Wright's home/studio Taliesin. I felt that in some ways this book was a bit more documentary in places, like history mixed with true crime writing, which worked well.

This book is dedicated to Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell, and it shares a real kinship to their Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. It features some pretty graphic scenes, including a human head stripped bare by cancer treatments, a bunch of men dressed as orangutans who are set on fire, and butts being chopped off of people's bodies, so it is pitched toward an older audience than earlier volumes in the series. Still, there are moments of grim humor that punctuate the proceedings much like the Crypt-Keeper did in Tales From the Crypt. It's not a book for the squeamish, and I found it to be wonderfully gruesome and fun. This book is a treasure trove of horror for fans of both fiction and nonfiction.  

The Jersey Devil!

Bones and Berserkers was made by Nathan Hale (not related to the Revolutionary War spy), a highly accomplished graphic novelist. I love his work so much that I named one of my annual favorites list categories after him. Aside from his great success with this series, he has also published the fictional graphic novels The Mighty Bite,  One Trick Pony and Apocalypse Taco. He has also drawn a few others, including Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack. I learned some more about Hale's work on this book and his upcoming projects in this article.

The reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews summed it up, "Not all true, but truly nightmarish." Susan Harari wrote that it would be "perfect for reluctant readers in middle or even high school who are brave enough to handle both fictional and factual horror stories."

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Bones and Berserkers was published by Abrams Fanfare, and they offer more information about it here.

Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been called "the best book we've had" (by Ernest Hemingway) and also been widely banned because of its copious use of the N-word. Here, this American classic is recast in a way where Jim becomes the central figure and Huck is more of a sidekick instead of vice versa. A big impetus for the switch is to bring dignity and humanity to a figure who is not given proper treatment in the original novel, but it is also made to explain some weirdness to the narrative, namely revealing why an escaped enslaved person would travel south instead of north to safety. Also, this book explains why Jim is so attached to Huck in the first place.

One major addition to this story is the revelation that Jim's family, who are referred to in the original but never named, have been illegally sold down the river by Huck's reprobate father Joe. So, Jim embarks on his odyssey to be reunited with them. Along the way, he is hunted, becomes a sort of racist bogeyman, assists with the Underground Railroad, joins the Union army, and has all sorts of adventures. He meets many people, telling all of them his story, and he becomes an almost mythic figure, an adventurer and beacon for freedom. 

What makes this narrative work is the fact that it is told across three different timelines. Some of the book focuses on the adventures from the book set in the 1850s, other portions show Jim and Huck as old men in the 1930s, telling tales of their adventures to Jim's grandchildren. The third storyline is set in 2022 and follows Jim's great-great-great-great-granddaughter Almena who is a history professor researching his life. The various viewpoints make for a rich, complex narrative, and the result is a grand epic. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

Big Jim and the White Boy was a collaboration between writer David F. Walker and artist Marcus Kwame Anderson, who previously produced the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel The Black Panther Party. Walker is a prolific author and is best known in comics for his work on the series Bitter Root, runs on Marvel Comics series such as Luke Cage and Power Man & Iron Fist, and the DC Comics series Naomi. He also wrote another nonfiction graphic biography of Frederick Douglass. Anderson also worked on his creator owned series Snow Daze. Walker and Anderson speak about their work on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been glowing. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it "a vital reconsideration of an American classic." Mike Rhode wrote that Walker and Anderson achieved what they "set out to do, providing readers with a work that strips away the minstrel mask that Twain placed on Jim and reveals reality." Carla Riemer declared that "this well-researched, well-written book belongs in all library collections."

Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined was published by Ten Speed Graphic, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. There is also this 11-page preview available from Publishers Weekly.

I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916

This book has been super-popular in my house of late, with two of my kids reading and re-reading it and asking for more books in the series. So, naturally, I read it to see what the hubbub was about. I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 is an adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's novel written for elementary and middle school readers. It is a fictionalized version of the actual Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916. Before then, people largely believed that sharks were harmless, skittish creatures, but that summer between July 1st and 12th, five people were attacked and 4 died of their wounds. This story became national news and kicked off the widespread fear and even hatred people have toward sharks today.

You should always listen to the grizzled sea captain in these stories...

Making history come alive, this story is told through the eyes of Chet, a young teenager whose parents have left him to live (and work) with his diner-running Uncle Jerry for a summer while they chase their own fortunes. As a new kid in town, Chet has a hard time making friends, and the ones he does make are into pranks, which leads to lots of drama surrounding the local creek they swim in. The recent shark attacks have some people on edge, and the kids take the chance to test their friends' bravery through hijinks. Little do they know what is coming upstream.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can see why it is such a crowd-pleaser. The artwork is clear and expressive, and the first-person narrative makes for some great eyewitness storytelling. That there is the added element of shark attacks and blood puts things over the top. This book will be popular with younger readers looking for some compelling historical fiction that teaches about disasters both natural and man-made, with backmatter that explains more about sharks and the actual events. It also, mercifully, includes helpful tips for avoiding shark attacks.

Translating Tarshis's novel into graphic novel format are writer Georgia Ball and the art collective Haus Studio, a group of self-publishers from Argentina. Ball has published more than 30 books, many of them of the licensed property variety, including ones about Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony, and has also written more in the I Survived graphic novel series. This book was penciled by Gervasio, inked by Jok and Carlos Aón, colored by Lara Lee, and includes an art assist by Dario Brabo. 

The reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Pharaoh Miles summed it up as "a great book that melds slice of life with history." BlackRaven called it "fun and educational."

I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 was published by Scholastic Graphix, and they offer a preview and more info about it here. 

Constitution Illustrated

Up until now, the US Constitution has proven to be a sturdy and adaptable document that has guided the country through troubled times by describing the rule of law as well as the basic rights afforded to Americans. Portions of it have been hotly contested and reinterpreted over centuries, and it has slowly been transformed through amendments. In Constitution Illustrated it gets further transformed with the addition of comics art to communicate the big ideas, making this landmark document more accessible in a time when folks should brush up on their rights.

I teach social studies teachers, and they seek ways to make difficult texts more approachable, and I love the way that the Constitution is parsed into manageable chunks in this book. Additionally, another scaffold is provided with the artwork, which can act as imagery to help recall the text or also extend it by adding another aspect for analysis and examination. These images run the gamut from classic works like Krazy Kat, Little Lulu, and superhero fare to more contemporary ones like Captain Underpants and Rick and Morty.

What I like about this book are the many ways you can approach reading it. A long-time comics reader, like me, can play "guess the pastiche" as I peruse the pages. One could also think of rationales for the pairings between sections and amendments and the comics style/artist/characters. Alternatively, a reader could also just be amused to see the juxtaposition of the governmental policies and comics artwork or, if nothing else, laugh at how the characters are rendered in colonial dress. I like the combination of humor and politics in this book, and I think it is an excellent way to get introduced to or just review the founding  document of the US government.

This book's creator, R. Sikoryak, teaches in the illustration department at Parsons The New School for Design. He has been making comics for decades, appearing in books such as Masterpiece Comics, in prominent publications like The New Yorker, and in anthologies like Raw. He speaks about his work adapting the Constitution in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Ryan Carey called it "the most grand, ambitious, and relevant application of his unique skill set to date." Publishers Weekly wrote, "This pastiche of comics and politics is a cleverly educational and irresistible way to engage with this foundational text." Paul Buhle opines, "Wake up, reader. Look at the constitution with new eyes. Or else."

Constitution Illustrated was published by Drawn & Quarterly, and they offer more information about it here.

Know your rights!

 

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States: A Graphic Interpretation

I got this book for Fathers Day this year, and reading it has been a moving ordeal. I have not read the source material for this adaptation, but this graphic interpretation is structured in a way that features its author, scholar and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, as its narrator delivering a grand lecture. As lectures go, this one is engaging and chock full of information. It runs from a time 10,000 years ago when agricultural communities were being established around corn until protests and political actions very near our present day. In between is a vast channel of history, from the governmental and social structures of various tribes in North America to the ruling principles of European countries that eventually crossed the ocean in search of trade routes and treasures, only to conquer, enslave, and slaughter the people who already lived here.

This book is encyclopedic with historical figures such as Tecumseh and Andrew Jackson, events such as the Wounded Knee Massacre and the Trail of Tears, and (sadly) influential publications such as Last of the Mohicans. But this is no dry account, and what I appreciate about it most is how it explores historical concepts and expounds on how specific ideologies were formed and propagated and how large-scale murder and theft were made to look heroic and just. It covers the idea of Manifest Destiny and how a campaign of mass genocide was pitched as a moral crusade, and it also touches on how policies such as the Homestead Acts and economic happenings like the California gold rush mightily and swiftly led to native peoples losing land and rights. There is much to think about here that pertains to current events, propaganda, and modern history, questions and critiques that are worth pursuing to make a more equitable and just world. This book is the best sort, one that leaves the reader changed after putting it down.

One critique I do have is that the book features many large blocks of text, which can be dense, but I feel that it also scaffolds them well with detailed artwork that conveys not only images of the past but also a good amount of emotion and drama. The artwork well suits the prose, providing much needed context that supports and promotes comprehension of the big ideas within.

Pulling off the large feat of adapting this book was Paul Peart-Smith. He is a British artist who has been making comics for over three decades, drawing stories for 2000 AD and many other publishers, including a graphic adaptation of W.E.B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folks. Both he and Dunbar-Ortiz speak about this adaptation of Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States in this interview.

I was not able to find many reviews of this book online, but I very much agree with Brian Cronin who wrote, "This is a book that is very worth reading for anyone who wants to challenge what they think about American history."

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States was published by Beacon Press, and they offer more information about it here.

The Comic Book History of Professional Wrestling

I was a huge wrestling fan when I was younger, in the heyday of "Rock 'n Wrestling" and the rise of the WWF (now WWE), and I was also intrigued by wrestling magazines that showed rankings for other wrestling promotions in other parts of the USA. The Comic Book History of Professional Wrestling helped me make sense of the convoluted history of "the one true sport" and learn about its origins as a sort of carnival attraction and its evolution into the media juggernaut it is today. Along the way, it touches on the unique history of wrestling and its provincial qualities and how they all eventually have been melded into a more national entity for the most part. What is more, this book does not just detail the US scene, but also elucidates about wrestling in Mexico, Japan, Europe, and Canada. 

The artwork is appropriately colorful and dynamic, taking its cues from cartoon superheroes, which I feel captures the bombast and energy of many wrestling personalities. There are a few times when specific images were repeated, which I found a bit distracting and "cookie cutter," but those instances were few. I felt that the art and story worked very well together so this book was incredibly entertaining and informative. Also, the book does not shy away from the more troubling aspects of wrestling, including steroid abuse, accidental deaths, murder/suicides, and the physical toll it takes on people's bodies and brains. I feel it would be great for a budding wrestling fan to learn the background of the profession as well as for non-fans that just want to know what all the hubbub is about.

The Comic Book History of Professional Wrestling was a collaboration between writer Aubrey Sitterson and artist Chris Moreno. Sitterson has written other comic book series, including No One Left to Fight and the upcoming Free Planet, and  Moreno has drawn comics for a variety of publishers. Both creators speak about their work in this interview.

The reviews I have read about this book have been mainly positive, with some reservations. Kyle Cassello wrote that "the recapturing of history will have fans smiling." Ben Abelson summed up, "Overall, readers should find CBSPW a valuable addition to their libraries — a handy quick reference for major formative events and persistent themes in wrestling history that is both illuminating and enjoyable." Greg Hunter found some positive parts of the book but found problems in its overall execution and glossing over some of the more seedy aspects of the business and particular popular wrestlers, opining that "the result is neither a key account of wrestling nor a notable use of comics."

The Comic Book History of Professional Wrestling was published by Ten Speed Graphic, and there is a preview and more information about it here.

Parachute Kids

Parachute Kids is a compelling and moving graphic novel about immigration. It is set in the early 1980s, but I feel that the issues and experiences are still sadly relevant in contemporary times. The narrative follows a family from Taiwan who are visiting California except there is a huge twist: the parents have decided to leave their children to have a better life in the USA until they can return.

Most of the narrative then follows Feng-Li, the younger sister as she tries to fit in at school and life. She feels isolated and out of touch, and learning English is a huge hurdle. Also, she gets teased by other kids for being out of touch with US pop culture and also not having enough money to get some of the things she feels would help her fit in. However, this book is not just about her plight but also features two other prominent plots with her older siblings. Her older brother Ke-Gang has different issues than her fitting in, as he falls into a group of other immigrant children, but they often get into trouble outside of school. Her older sister Jia-Xi perhaps struggles the most, as she has to maintain finances as well as shoulder many of the parental roles. All of them fall into peril when she is victimized by a phishing call.

What I loved about this book was how it told individual tales in a way that reflects universal struggles that immigrants face. Even 40 years later, many of the prejudices, pitfalls, and obstacles still exist for people seeking to find better living conditions for themselves and their children. Both of my parents are immigrants so I am especially sensitive to immigration tales, and this one is told in beautiful and heart-rending fashion.

Although this book is fictional, it is based on the experiences of its author Betty C. Tang, herself a parachute kid from Taiwan who still lives in the USA. She has worked for various Hollywood animation studios including Disney TV and Dreamworks Animation. She has been working on her second graphic novel, a sequel called Outsider Kids, which is due to be published in April.

Parachute Kids won an Excellence in Graphic Literature Award, was included on the National Book Award Longlist, and was named an Asian/Pacific American Award Honor Book. Consequently, it has been extremely well reviewed. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews summed it up, "Emotionally moving and beautifully executed." In another starred entry, this one in The Horn Book, Jerry Dear wrote, "Tang weaves themes of family, racial stereotyping, cultural adaptation, sacrifice, peer pressure, sexuality, bullying, and survival into a poignant and triumphant story of perseverance and resilience, presenting a remarkably honest depiction of an Asian American immigrant experience." Esther Keller opined, "The endearing artwork, with color that pops and wide-eyed characters that mimic manga-style artwork, will easily find its audience."

Parachute Kids was published by Scholastic, and they provide more information about it here.

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Above the Trenches

I have read and reviewed every graphic novel in this series (go see), and this one is a sequel of sorts to Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood in that it also is about World War I. However, this one does not look at the broad scope of the war but at a specific area, namely the origins of aerial combat. 

It is crazy to think that people took their lives into their own hands in early airplanes and even crazier than not even ten years after man-powered flight was invented that someone thought to use these vehicles for war. At first, they were used to scout troop movements and plan assaults, then they were used to drop bombs, and finally someone had the bright idea to strap guns onto them. 

At the time, just flying an airplane was somewhat a daredevil enterprise, with lots of risk involved and little in the way of safety equipment. This book follows a small group of brave (or foolhardy, depending on your viewpoint) young Americans who enlisted in the French Foreign Legion in order to take part in a war that the USA had not yet entered. Their intention was to become pilots and help fight in the skies, and this book chronicles the long, bumpy road many of them took in order to become soldiers. Spoiler: As people who engage in highly dangerous situations they also frequently smoke and drink. Also, most of them die or get killed over the course of the war.

What is excellent about this book is how it puts a human face on the war. There are many stark, pronounced personalities among the pilots, and it is very easy to get to know and root for them. Also, as with all the other volumes in this series, there are plenty of details that make the past come to life. Among the various topics also at hand are the intricacies of dog-fighting, string of technical innovations, military developments, and a code of honor among all pilots. 

It is amazing to me that this book not only encompasses so much information but also communicates it clearly while also making for a compelling, human story. And I have not even mentioned how many visual references must have gone into depicting the intricate uniforms, planes, and people involved in the war. From the lack of reviews I have found online, not many people review the twelfth entry in a series, but I feel it bears repeating just how marvelous and exceptional this book and the entire series are. The art is phenomenal, the stories moving, and the facts fascinating. NHHT continues to be the gold standard for nonfiction graphic novels.

Author Nathan Hale (not related to the Revolutionary War spy) is a highly accomplished graphic novelist, so much so that I named one of my annual favorites list categories after him. Aside from his great success with this series, he has also published the fictional graphic novels The Mighty Bite,  One Trick Pony and Apocalypse Taco. He has also drawn a few others, including Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack.

Above the Trenches was published by Amulet Books, and they offer more information about it here.

Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball

I have read a bunch of comics by Jon Chad over the years, including his Science Comics entry about volcanoes, his Leo Geo books, and The Bad-ventures of Bobo Backslack. I have even checked out his multi-genre/multi-media collection Bad Mask, which is an inventive collection of texts. I have always been excited to experience his artwork and storytelling, both which usually press the boundaries of comics. Here, in Pinball, what he does is use comics to try to communicate the kinetic action and vibrancy of pinball machines while also telling their history.

I came of age in the 1970s and 1980s, so pinball machines are something I am well acquainted with. I spent many a quarter trying to keep silver balls in play while ringing up bonuses and being distracted by flashing lights. They seemed a relatively harmless entertainment, and I had no idea about their origins and links to organized crime and alleged juvenile delinquency. They were sort of the video games of their time, a new type of entertainment technology that got unjustly blamed for social ills. 

Pinball machines had a long ride as a popular amusement, and this book does a great job chronicling their rise and decline, with a good deal of information about their designers and technological advancements. It is a marvel just how much goes into making these machines, a complicated combination of engineering and computer programming. I learned so much about the technical and cultural aspects of pinball while reading this book, and it is a dense, rewarding account. I am not sure if the topic would appeal to everyone, especially the more technical aspects of pinball machinery, but I think that it has something important to say to any audience in terms of how popular technologies emerge and evolve.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Publishers Weekly summed up their starred review, "Cracking this one open evokes the delight of snapping back the launcher in the arcade." Leonard Pierce wrote, "Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball isn’t going to set the comics world on fire. It’s a niche guide to a niche game," but he also called it a "a surprisingly deft combination of social history and how-to manual" and "downright charming." Brian Salvatore opined that it is "a lovingly crafted, expertly presented exploration into something that has rarely been thought of this deeply before."

Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more here. And if you want to learn more, Chad talks about his work on the book in this interview.

The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, Volume 1: 1862

What seems like a million years ago now, I supported a Kickstarter campaign for volume 3 of The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, and I am so glad I did. I read the first book a long while ago, and so much of it stayed with me. It is a faithful, compelling, informative, moving, and often funny adaptation of a Civil War soldier's diary (just like the title says!). When the war broke out, this 21-year-old New Hampshirite was a teacher, but when his gung-ho little brother Newton enlisted in the Union Army, his parents entreated him also to join so he could look after the impetuous lad. 

What follows is a treasure trove of experiences, a primary account of what these soldiers did, where they stayed, what they endured, and what they ate. That last point especially looms large, as much of this book involves matters we mostly take for granted today, such as a regular diet, routine medical care, and a host of gastrointestinal plights that plagued these soldiers for various reasons. Things are not always so great for poor Freeman. Also, we get to see the not always brilliant machinations of military leadership as well as the events of the day as interpreted by a civilian.

This last point is one of the main features of this book that really makes it sing. I love how this book is all from the viewpoint of a person I had never heard of before, and mostly the soldiers in these pages are basically homesick kids. It really impresses a view of the war in a unique and memorable way, a truly invaluable view of history. 

The other main feature that really makes an impression is the highly expressive artwork. Sure, it looks simple, with its spare lines and almost stick-figure rendering, but this simplicity belies the use of reference materials, much craft, and thoughtfulness. The accounts here are imbued with so much movement and feeling that they are almost palpable. It may be a cliche to say that this book makes history come to life, but I'll dare say it anyway. This series of books is an excellent resource for anyone interested in or learning about the US Civil War. And to boot, Volume 1 of the series was named one of YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens in 2017.

Artist/educator Marek Bennett created this book and also runs his Comic Workshop across New England. In addition to the Freeman Colby series, he has also collaborated with a host of creators on The Most Costly Journey/El Viaje Más Caro, a graphic medicine/ethnographic look at migrant workers in Vermont. He speaks about his work on the Civil War Diary series in this interview.

The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby was published by Comics Workshop, and they offer a preview and more info about it here. Thus far, there are three volumes in the series

The He-Man Effect: How American Toymakers Sold You Your Childhood

I am a big fan of Brian "Box" Brown, a comics artist who uses a clean, minimalist art style to tell many a nonfiction tale. Here, I expected to get a story about toys and toy companies, but I got so much more. This book touches on many aspects of the social studies, including history, government, and psychology in explaining the arcane and calculated strategies that have shaped modern generations. This book begins with a look at propaganda from World War I and then traces how the strategies used to sell war to a population were turned to selling goods to people, notably toys, comics, and cartoons to children. 

Box Brown goes way-back to the roots of the propaganda.

Along the path of this explanation, Brown touches on many issues, including the work of psychologist (and Sigmund Freud's Nephew) Edward Bernays, a pioneer in the field of public relations; the evolution of public domain; the importance of children engaging in imaginative play; the great toy boom set off by the popularity of Star Wars, and Ronald Reagan-era policies that deregulated the connections between advertising and children's programming. As you can see, if you are interested in tracing a great many social issues about nostalgia, marketing, and public consciousness, this is the book for you. It critiques our modern culture, delving deeply into what shaped it and what we might do differently in terms of being a literate person in the 21st century. What could have been a trifling book about playthings turned out to have much more gravity.

This book's author Box Brown has drawn a number of nonfiction graphic novels. including ones about Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman, Tetris, and Cannabis. He also published the fictional biography Child Star. Of late he is publishing a web-comic about the state of Cannabis in the USA, Legalization Nation, and is the midst of Kickstarter campaign to fund a print compilation of those strips. He speaks about his work on The He-Man Effect as well as a number of his other works in this article.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "a boffo cartoon history of the deliberate manipulation of children's minds." April Spisak called it "another clever, sharp, and well-researched graphic novel that explores a pop culture non-fiction topic in close detail." Timothy ONeil wrote, "It can sound hyperbolic to call this book important, but it really is... The way nostalgia and brands have been entrenched in our culture is only growing bigger, and it’s important to understand how we got here."

The He-Man Effect was published by First Second, and they have a preview and much more information here.