My Life in 24 Frames Per Second

Anime seem omnipresent in contemporary times, and I feel I did not know much about it before I read this book. Rintaro is a veteran anime director who has an impressive body of work to his credit. My Life in 24 Frames Per Second is a different sort of artistic endeavor for him, a manga memoir of his life and work in the cartoon industry. This book melds his personal and professional lives, beginning with him as a child and his family dealing with the fallout of World War II.

He and his father end up having a tenuous relationship, though they do share a love of cinema. Rintaro begins working in animation at the tender age of 17, and the rest of the narrative traces his circuitous rise to being one of the most storied and influential people in his field. Along the way, he worked at multple studios and collaborated with such titans of the industry as Osamu Tezuka, the god of manga, and Masao Maruyama, another founder of Madhouse Studio. He worked on seminal TV series like Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion as well as directing the groundbreaking film Galaxy Express 999. Seeing the behind-the-scenes goings-on of these projects lends a lot of insight into how much work, uncertainty, and ingenuity went into these classic works.

I love how this book humanizes the people who may seem like otherworldly figures because of their accomplishments. Rintaro comes across as a driven but ordinary person, trying his best to realize his dreams. Also, it is clear that many of these anime/manga artists really overworked themselves with their projects, some to the detriment of their personal lives and health. This is a very engaging and eye-opening book that educated me tremendously about anime. 

My Life in 24 Frames Per Second has been nominated for an Eisner Award, and all the reviews I have read of it have been positive. Publishers Weekly concluded their starred review, "This meticulous portrait of a life in animation glows with love of the art form." Orrin Scott called it "a powerfully personal story written like a screenplay."

My Life in 24 Frames Per Second was published by Kana, and they have more information about it here.

I borrowed this book from my local library. Libraries RULE! 

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.

Boy vs. Shark

You know what is still awesome? Libraries! I recently borrowed and read the e-comic version of Boy vs. Shark through Libby, because the physical copy from my local branch was already checked out. I don't regularly read comics on my laptop, but the interface was intuitive and I enjoyed the reading experience. Logistically, it also made it super easy for me to take a screen capture and provide this short excerpt:

This graphic novel, set in 1975, was totally up my alley, not just for the pop culture references of the times (there is a handy glossary for those references in the end matter, for you whippersnappers) but also for its good senses of characters and humor. The story here is one of transitions, as young Paul is 10-years-old and feeling threatened for a couple reasons. First, he feels like he is losing touch with his best friend David, who he has known forever, because he has started hanging around with some older kids. Second, everyone seems obsessed with the new movie Jaws, a huge summer blockbuster that he is probably too young to watch but he feels compelled to in order to keep up appearances. Also, the older kids seem OK with initiating these younger ones into their club, but it involves some questionable activities like throwing apples at people's windows and shoplifting.

Paul is caught up in many emotions: he wants to act grown-up, to keep his friendships stable, and does not want to disappoint his parents. I should also add that he thinks that his father has the "Irish eye," which is an ability to see what he is doing at all times. He and his dad do not always see eye to eye, and a large part of this book is a look at their realistic, imperfect, and loving relationship.

Of course, things go wrong and there is trouble with the law, store owners, and the next-door neighbor. And people get hurt, both literally and figuratively. I do not want to spoil much, but I was impressed with how Paul deals with things and also how he relates to his friends and family. Bravery can take different forms, and he certainly shows ways to face responsibility and find an alternative to toxic masculinity. This graphic novel tells a coming-of-age tale in excellent fashion.

The deceptively simple artwork and moving story were done by Paul Gilligan, who is known for his comic strip Pooch Cafe. He has been twice nominated by the National Cartoonist Society for best strip, and he also has a couple of other books series, Pluto Rocket and King of the Mole People. He speaks about his work on Boy vs. Shark in this article.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been glowing. In a starred entry Kirkus Reviews called it "an authentic and funny look at masculinity and growing pains that resonates across the decades." Kasey summed up, "Gilligan creates a compelling balance of humor and heart in his exploration of masculine values and growing up." Allison Giggey wrote that it "never feels preachy or overly sentimental" and added, "it’s funny, upbeat, and overall a great read."

Boy vs. Shark was published by Tundra Books, and they have a preview and more available here. 

Steady Rollin': Preacher's Kid, Black Punk, and Pedaling Papa

I got this book a few years back from a Kickstarter campaign for Birdcage Bottom Books. Steady Rollin' is a collection of previously published comics, and the only thing holding them together is that they are all autobiographical, roughly chronological, and feature the author and illustrator, Fred Noland. He is currently, in his own words, "an avid cyclist and proud papa." 

Over the course of this book he delves into lots of subjects and time periods, including looking at his upbringing as a literal son of a preacher man, his foray into the punk music scene, living in and around southern California, working at a car wash, various cycling trips, and a tense escapade where he tracked down someone who had stolen his bike. Along the way, I got a lot of insight into his politics, personality, and parenting. 

Each comic episode is a concentrated look at his life, sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful, and always engaging. He tends to look at things, warts and all, and I appreciated the many truth bombs he dropped. At first I was disappointed that there was not a unified narrative, but I think this book has something better. Although the stories only really roughly fit together and were purposed for other venues, taken altogether they create a mosaic of man I find not only interesting and entertaining but also someone I'd actually like to meet and hang out with. I am not sure if we would get along necessarily, but I like the cut of his jib. And I really like his comics.

As I wrote earlier, Noland is a working artist, and he has produced work for many prominent magazines and venues. He has made a short graphic biography of Major Taylor, one of the USA's first global superstar athletes, and has been working on a longer one as well. He speaks more about his work and this book in this interview and also in this article.

I was not able to find many reviews of this book online, but Publishers Weekly called it a "companionable grab bag of humorous autobiographical shorts."

Steady Rollin' was originally published by Birdcage Bottom Books, but now you can get copies from Microcosm  Publishing (they offer a preview and more at the link).

I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, And Other Musical Meanderings

One of the highlights of this year's HeroesCon for me was meeting Keith Knight and buying this book from him. I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, And Other Musical Meanderings is a funny and entertaining autobiographical comic that mainly details the author's brief stint making crazy amounts of money as a celebrity impersonator. For about a year and a half in the mid-1980s, starting when he was 17-years-old, he lip-synched and danced at birthday parties and department stores, joined a cadre of other touring impersonators, dated a Madonna impersonator, and learned a lot about the entertainment business. Also, ironically, by pretending to be someone else, he learned much about himself, the world, and how to get by in it.

Certainly, this book has lots of voyeuristic thrills, and it is fun to watch as Knight gets into (and out of) various scrapes and uncomfortable situations. His artwork is wonderfully cartoonish and expressive, bringing life and vibrancy to the proceedings, and the pacing makes the gags and witty dialogue land in hilarious fashion. As a bonus, interspersed between the chapters are passages from Knight's various comic strips that celebrate various musicians from David Bowie to Run DMC (RIP Jam-Master Jay) to Prince. If you have a fascination for 1980s pop culture and a sense of humor, this is the book for you.

The aforementioned Keith Knight created this book, and he has been celebrated for his past strips The K Chronicles and (th)ink. He is also a rapper and had his life and comics adapted into the comedy series Woke, which ran for two seasons on Hulu. I love this show and am glad it got two seasons, but I wish there were many more. Knight speaks about his MJ years and this book in this interview.

I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication in 2024. It was published by Keith Knight Press, and there is more info about it here. This book was originally funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

Sunflowers

Put simply, Sunflowers is an amazing comic, an autobiographical account of what it is like to being bipolar. It goes from hypomania to mania to a psychotic episode, telling a frank tale of what could happen and what it feels like. It then gets into how these conditions might be treated and ends with a bunch of resources for getting help. This book is terrifically brave, frank, and revealing, and I found it profoundly moving.

There have been excellent graphic novels that touch on similar areas, including ones by Ellen Forney and Daryl Cunningham, but what I feel sets this one apart is its accessibility. It is relatively short, in the form of  a mini-comic, inexpensive, and easy to share. Even in this day, I know that issues of mental health are often kept secret or not discussed, and the level of candor and honesty here are powerful and potentially very helpful to those in need of assistance. I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that this comic has great potential to save lives.

Sunflowers was created by Keezy Young. They prefer to draw short comics and graphic novels with  horror, supernatural, romance, LGBTQ+, and mental health themes. Their graphic novel work includes the forthcoming queer horror story Hello Sunshine and the award-winning supernatural romance Taproot. They speak about their career in comics in this in-depth interview. If you would like to read an interview specifically about Sunflowers, this one is great.

Sunflowers is a 2025 Eisner Award Nominee for Best Single Issue/One-Shot, and it has received many positive reviews. Chloe Horning wrote, "I appreciated the author’s commitment to depicting both the good and bad aspects of their disorder, while taking care not to romanticize those aspects that may seem appealing to someone on the outside looking in." Andy Oliver summed up, "Undoubtedly one of the finest comics to have come out from Silver Sprocket to date. And that is really saying something."

Sunflowers was published by Silver Sprocket, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. You can also read it for free from their website here. Trigger warning: this book deals with issues of mental health and potential self-harm.

I Was Their American Dream

I am the child of two immigrants, a German and a Greek, which makes me a Gerk ("jerk") is my hilarious joke. I have my own sense of figuring out my identity in relation to my relatives and also my native land, the USA, and I was very glad to read a very different tale of a person melding nationalities,  I Was Their American Dream. This book is a memoir by Malaka Gharib, whose parents are Filipino and Egyptian, making for a unique blend of cultures and religions. 

Much of this book centers on Malaka relating her formative experiences, remembering, celebrating, and regretting her cultural roots while also detailing how she made sense and peace with two religious traditions, Islam and Christianity. Also, it is about how she incorporated different aspects of those cultures into her life while also trying her best to be an American. It is a bumpy journey, and I really loved how she shares her various insights along the way. 

The artwork is mostly comics, though there are some passages that are more like an illustrated book. The drawings are cartoonish and convey broad emotions and actions very well. Still, there are some more quiet moments that still pack a sentimental punch. This book made me giggle, grow wistful, cringe, and relate. It is the best sort of memoir, one that is a window into a different world that affects how the reader sees life. I really loved this book.

This book was created by Malaka Gharib, who is a journalist and artist who works for NPR. She has also published another graphic memoir, It Won't Always Be Like This, about her summers abroad in Egypt. She speaks about the background and making of this book in this interview.

I Was Their American Dream won the 2020 Arab American Book Award, and has been well praised. In their starred entry, Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "a heartwarming tribute to immigrant families and their descendants trying to live the American dream." In another starred entry, from School Library Journal, Elise Martinez wrote, "This engaging memoir is an uplifting ode to Gharib’s bicultural background, her immigrant parents, and her road to self-acceptance."

I Was Their American Dream was published by Clarkson Potter, and they offer a preview and more information about it here.

Sk8 Dad Summer: ramps, rebellion, and raising a kid

Sk8 Dad Summer is one publication in the 2022 Birdcage Bottom Books distribution list, for which there is a Kickstarter currently happening (and I hope that you help fund - go check it out!). As a parent of young children, I found a lot to relate to in this book. It is a refreshingly real look at parenting that I feel captures the spirit of contemporary culture. And although I have not been a dedicated skater, I could empathize with wanting to share my interests and joys with my children, though they often have their own ideas about what is cool and what they would prefer to do.

The main narrative of this book involves the author making a half pipe in his backyard, but he uses this device as a platform for pondering multiple aspects of his life. He thinks about when he was as a young skater and how his life has changed now that he is in his 40s. Once, he literally had to scavenge materials and deal with prohibitive authorities, but now he is part of the authority structure and can readily buy high quality construction materials. Now, he tries to encourage his child to skate, with mixed results. It also makes him think of his own relationship with his father, who was a preacher. The skate ramp also becomes a center of activity for the neighborhood, attracting both nearby children and parents, so it embodies a certain sense of community. 

All of these threads of the story weave into a humorous exploration of  parenthood, community, marriage, and life in general. In many ways, it reminded me of the recent aging punk anthology I read, in that it shows how being a skater informed his life in a way that has colored his experiences and formed his ethics. And although it is relatively short, this book is memorable, packing a heartfelt and emotional punch. It is highly entertaining, insightful, and frequently funny. I loved reading it, and I cannot wait to have a hard copy in my hands.

This book's creator Brett Hamil is an artist, comedian, and writer who regularly publishes comics in Seattle's Child. He also draws a weekly political comic for the South Seattle Emerald. I just been getting into his various works, and I have dug what I have seen so far.

I could only locate one review of this book so far, and it was a positive one. Cheryl Murfin (scroll to page 57) called it a "sweet, funny, poignant little book." It deserves much more attention, and I hope it receives it.

Sk8 Dad Summer was/will be published by Birdcage Bottom Books, and they offer a preview and more here on their Kickstarter page. Please consider funding this and other great books from this indie publisher. The campaign ends in a week on March 17, and they could use your support.

Clutter: A Scatterbrained Sexual Assault Memoir

 

I recently received this book as a reward for backing its Kickstarter campaign. Clutter is a frank and enlightening look at one person's coping mechanisms for dealing with sexual assault. It is a thoughtful and moving account of how trauma affected her life, as she went through a few ordeals as a young girl, and all her attempts to tamp them down were for naught. 

I appreciated the honesty and candor put on the pages here, and it is hopeful to see how she eventually learned to deal with trauma through a combination of methods, including therapy and mindfulness exercises. I know that the statistics on sexual assault for females are pretty horrific, and having a text like this that can be a beacon to those who might not want to broach what is largely a taboo topic. It could be a great resource for someone who is suffering in silence, and I feel it could also be helpful to those who might know someone who experiences sexual violence, as it provides insights into relationships and how one might try to be an ally. 

Given the subject matter, there is much in this book that can be difficult to read, but I feel that the colorful, attractive artwork makes the text more approachable. That, combined with the format, which is broken up into shorter episodes and comic strip-like formatting in places, creates an inviting structure that puts a sense of order on the "scatter-brained" reflections. This book might not be for everyone, but I feel that it is an important one for its audience.

Clutter is the creation of Ariel Bordeaux, and an earlier version of it served as her senior thesis at the Center For Cartoon Studies. This version is expanded and contains an epilogue and copious footnotes. Bordeaux is known for her auto-biographical comics especially, the mini-comics series Deep Girl, as well as other works such as the comics series Raisin Pie. She speaks about her art and career in this interview.

I was not able to find any reviews of this book online, which is a shame because I feel it deserves much more attention. It currently has a 4.33 (out of 5) star rating on Goodreads.

Clutter was published by Fieldmouse Press, and they offer a preview and more info about it here.

Montana Diary

Montana Diary is an interesting travelogue/mini-comic that melds history with current politics. It is about a road trip through "Big Sky Country" that delivers a history of the state, exploration of its national parks, sample of local culture, and reflection on contemporary politics and race relations. As a person in a mixed race marriage, Taylor shares her discomfort with social situations on her trip, admitting how she let her husband do the speaking, as she did not know how locals would react to them. She is also responding to the historical moment, living in the US after years of divisive hate becoming more and more pronounced. 

Thus, this book captures a few unique facets in its pages. It contains a response to a specific time, set in a particular place, and elucidating that place's history and geography. I think that the artwork is elegant and economical, depicting very human and occasionally humorous situations. It is alternately affecting, informative, and moving, portraying an intimate look into relationships and traveling. I think that it exemplifies the best characteristics of both diary writing and a travelogue, a compelling book that is surprisingly complex and enlightening in the short space of 32 pages. You will feel like you are there in the car with her, knocking back a huck shake while worrying about climate change.

Montana Diary is the work of Whit Taylor, who has been a very active cartoonist, editor, and contributor to multiple anthologies. She has won multiple Ignatz Awards, one for co-editing the anthology Comics for Choice and the other for outstanding series for Fizzle. She is also a contributing editor for The Nib.

The reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Rob Kirby wrote, "This thirty-two-page zine boasts a rich tapestry of content, more in fact, than many full-length graphic novels I’ve read of late. It’s an entertaining, genuinely rewarding read, created with equal parts heart and mind." Scott Cederlund opined, "It’s great to come away from a comic like this feeling like you’ve shared at least a part of the experience with the cartoonist and that’s what Taylor does in her cartooning."

Montana Diary was published by Silver Sprocket, and they offer a preview and more info here. You can also read the entire comic here, though I suggest you also buy a copy.

Too Tough To Die: An Aging Punx Anthology

I have read a few anthologies published by Birdcage Bottom Books (like this one), and they have always been interesting and/or provocative, introducing me to some new artists along the way. Too Tough To Die is a weighty tome featuring 47 different entries. Many focus on autobiographical tales of people's punk rock fandom. There are references to lots of bands and multiple reasons why these people were drawn to punk rock. For some, there was family situations that made the scene relatable; others just liked the crass humor; some found it an appropriate response to hypocrisy, and others found kinship in the motley assortment of punks. Many of the stories speak to punk more as an ethos than a fashion or musical movement and also speak to how it was not just some youthful phase but a blueprint for being a critical and informed adult.

Art by Hyena Hell

These stories are not all about sharing mix tapes, though there is plenty of that. They are not overly nostalgic, depicting scenes of violence, some substance abuse, and a number of other poor life choices. Many also address some of the more sinister aspects of the scene, such as the presence of white supremacists and skinheads. Many of the stories puncture any pomposity of the narrators, as contemporary young people have their own particular mindsets and wonder why these lame old folk keep trying to impress them, even if they might be into the same bands.

Art by Ayti Krali

In terms of representation, I really liked seeing the multiple ways that people found their ways into punk consciousness. There are tales from men, women, people of color, city dwellers, suburbanites, and kids from the country. There is also plenty of discussion about how punk intermingled/juxtaposed with other movements, such as hair metal, grunge, and alternative music.

Art by Gideon Kendall

There are too many stories for me to explain fully, but I loved the range of formats and styles. Some are short, almost like gag strips. Many are pretty raw, featuring rough lines and splotchy black and white images, mimicking the format of zines. One of my favorites, concluding the book, is series of images and biological accounts by Haleigh Buck in the style of show posters. Maybe it's because I am squarely in the age demographic of many of these artists/stories, but I found much I could empathize with and relate to. This anthology is phenomenal.

This collection was edited by Haleigh Buck and J.T. Yost. Yost has done all sorts of comics over the years, including a memorable tale about the Westboro Baptist Church in American Cult, and also founded and runs Birdcage Bottom Books. Buck is a frequent contributor to anthologies and has created a number of comics and mini-comics.

The reviews I could find of this book have been positive. Publishers Weekly summed up, "This is one awesome and introspective ode to rebellion." It currently has a 4.7 (out of 5) star rating on Goodreads.

Too Tough To Die was published by Birdcage Bottom Books, and they offer a preview and more here. This book features profanity, some sexual situations, and drug use, so reader discretion is suggested.

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden is a sprawling memoir/historical essay that almost defies categorization. It starts off as a personal history/appreciation of actor River Phoenix, particularly his work on the film My Own Private Idaho with director Gus Van Sant. Then it delves into Phoenix's and Van Sant's interactions with the local Portland, Oregon gay community and various street hustlers. The chapters that follow change direction and begin more of a focus on the history of Oregon, its roots in white supremacy, its popular culture, how police violence and social institutions help reinforce inequity, as well as a deep dive into one memorable episode of the talk show Geraldo.

The artwork is unique, each page a sheet of old-time elementary school composition paper with a black and white water color image and handwritten text (as you can see above). I think use of this primer-like format points toward an educational aspect of the book, but it does not come off as preachy or didactic. The illustrations are moody, atmospheric, and highly expressive.

The personal connections give the book heart but it is also very well-researched and compelling. It contextualizes so many contemporary social issues and is a clarion call for awareness and action. I appreciate how well it humanizes and makes concrete historical and social happenings in a way that explains how we have arrived at our current moment, when things seem far off center and veering toward totalitarianism. Once I started reading it, I found it difficult to put down.

Mannie Murphy first published this book as a series of zines. They are a graduate of The Center for Cartoon Studies, and this is their first graphic novel. They speak more about it in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. Ryan Carey wrote that there is "a strong case for this being the most affecting, inspired, and important comics release of 2021 to date." Publishers Weekly called it a "piercing debut" and concluded, "Murphy’s elegaic treatment grants a sobering reflection on the depth and deadliness of American intolerance." Oliver Sava opined, "A key aspect of that is making sure people know their history so they don’t keep making the same mistakes, and I Never Promised You A Rose Garden makes that past feel real with its accessible, emotionally driven storytelling."

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden was published by Fantagraphics, and they offer a preview and more information about it here.

Teaching Artfully

Earlier this year I reviewed Alex Nall's Are Comic Books Real?, and one of the things that struck me about that book was just how viscerally it made me feel about teaching. Teaching Artfully is another wonderfully, painfully honest looks at education from the perspective of an art teacher. There was a lot about this book that I could relate to, the feelings of being overwhelmed, the amounts of grading, the effort that goes into planning, and the wondering about what you are doing with your life. But this book also delves into a bunch of academic and theoretical work, citing major scholars like Maxine Greene and Elliot Eisner, which feeds into my scholarly interests. This is a complex, multi-faceted work, one that I took a long time to read, because I wanted to take time to reflect and pore over each chapter.

Teaching Artfully is a terrific long-form visual essay about the enterprise of education that expertly meanders and offers insights along the way. It mixes in scenes of teaching, intellectual commentary, one panel gags, lists, metaphors, static images, and abstract visuals in exploring multiple dimensions of the profession/calling, and I loved the mix of narrative/expository/aesthetic forms that it employs. It is a great treasure chest for educators, showing her teaching, some of her activities, and how she approaches planning. It also shows scenes from her life that give context to the whole enterprise. 

This is not a linear work, but that is also part of its point. Teaching is not as simple as one would imagine, and it requires all sorts of lenses to bring it into some sort of focus. I think this graphic novel is a clever for its commentary and its loose structure where it is divided into seven chapters that mirror the major components of art, including line, color, shape, space, and form. I loved its vibrant colors, and the way that it frequently took off into flights of whimsy. It is also a very contemporary book, commenting on our present moment when technology and social media loom large in people's lives, and the role of art is perhaps more nebulous but necessary than ever. I feel that Teaching Artfully is an important work linking education and visual literacy using comics to its best capabilities.

This debut graphic novel was written as a Master's thesis, and author Meghan Parker is an art teacher who works in Vancouver. She speaks about her work and this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Kay Sohini called it "a timely reminder of the expansive future of comics scholarship, of what comics practitioners can do with comics as medium and as method, and of the importance of storytelling as humanistic inquiry." Publishers Weekly wrote, "Educators will appreciate heady musings about art-as-process and prompts to “design a new home for a snail,” though creative young readers may prefer passages on self-expression, identity, and inclusion." In a starred review from School Library Journal Thomas Maluck called it " a manual and call to arms for creative perspectives." And I agree with Melissa N. Thompson who wrote that it "does not have to apply solely to art teachers but can foster ideas on how to create meaningful discussions and connections with students by thinking outside of the (report card comments) box."

Teaching Artfully was published by Yoe Books, and they offer more about it here.

Our Stories Carried Us Here

Our Stories Carried Us is a graphic anthology of first-person narratives told by immigrants to the US. They came from a variety of countries, including Somalia, Myanmar, Jamaica, Guatemala, Chad, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Mexico, Vietnam, and Liberia. The reasons why they came are varied, and include the desire for freedom, safety, family, as well as economic and educational opportunities. Each tale is pretty journalistic in presentation, so they tell the facts in a fairly chronological way that is both accessible and moving. I learned a lot from reading this book, about global politics, immigration policy, and the lengths some people have to go through to protect themselves and their families. 

Illustration by Aziz Kamal, story by sunshine gao

Each story is illustrated by different artists, so they feature very different tones, styles, and coloring. They are all unique and interesting, and I love this book walking the walk and providing space to showcase a range of nationalities in terms of story and art. 

Illustration by Ana Hinojosa, story by Craig Moodie

As the child of immigrant parents, I found this book enlightening as to how people learn to deal with American culture. As an educator, I saw many opportunities for critical engagement with social issues. As a US citizen, I saw lots of information here that would enlighten others as to who wants to come to this country and why. I highly recommend this book.

This graphic anthology came from the work of Green Card Voices, a nonprofit organization the focuses on immigration and social justice issues and is based in Minnesota. To my knowledge none of the writers or artists have published graphic novels before. The book was edited by Tea Rozman Clark, Julie Vang, and Tom Kaczynski, and it features a cover by multiple award winner Nate Powell as well as a foreward by another multiple honor winner, Thi Bui.

I was not able to locate many reviews of this book, but the ones I have found have been positive. Brett at Graphic Policy said, "I'd love to see more of this," and offered potential avenues to expand on this project. It currently has a 4.58 (out of 5) star rating at Goodreads.

Our Stories Carried Us Here was published by Green Card Voices, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. The initial printing of this book was aided by a Kickstarter.

The Man Without Talent

The Man Without Talent is a landmark manga book, a collection of semi-autobiographical stories by a classic creator who has not published a comic since 1987. The six chapters in this book follow the travails of Sukezō Sukegawa, a middle-aged man who is married and has a son but little direction to his life. He used to draw manga but now he is casting about for a vocation. Mainly, he tries to sell river rocks, but his improvised stand does not attract any customers and the rocks he collects impress no one. He is more successful in restoring and selling vintage cameras, but when he runs out of cameras to refurbish his prospects trickle out. I'd say that he was suffering from a mid-life crisis but it seems more like he struggles to find his place in a capitalist system. He was only good at one thing, creating manga, but he does not want to do that anymore.

His life is a disappointment to his wife, whose face is barely seen as she can't bear to look at him. And even though he shown to be a good father to his little boy, the family struggles financially and emotionally. Sukezō's melancholic state of mind manifests in many musings, concluding in a prolonged meditation on the life and works of Seigetsu, a wandering, derelict haiku poet, which closes this book. I won't call this ending hopeful, but it does comment on the potential of creating art that lives beyond its creators. Although there is no broad action in this book, what it does extremely well is present a portrait of a desperate, frustrated man and his inner thoughts. This work is more philosophical and literary, but it is nonetheless still beautiful, captivating, and impressive.

The stories here are considered classics in manga that established the tradition of I-stories, which focus more on literary matters than genre conventions. This book's creator Yoshiharu Tsuge is an important figure in Japanese comics because of the conventions he established with his various works. He has not been active in publishing for decades now, but his works and life have been adapted into a number of movies. He speaks about the recent revival of his works in English here. After a long-standing opposition he had to have his works translated into other languages, The Man Without Talent is his first book to be published in the US. It was translated and includes a great informative essay by scholar Ryan Holmberg.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. Brian Nicholson wrote that "it resonate[s] on a deeper level than simply being relatable." Morgana Santilli called it "an excellent read for anyone who wants to know more about early underground/art manga history." In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews concluded, "Humanity stunningly observed—a treasure."

The Man Without Talent was published by New York Review Books, and they provide a preview and more information about it here.