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Top 25 Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga:
June 2020
‘Face Front’, as someone used to say. It has to be said that the ongoing circumstances mean that the schedule for the printing, publication, distribution and retail for these upcoming titles is by no means set or certain at time of posting. So, in the meantime, much to look forward to.
I have been following and cherishing Anne Opotowksy’s The Walled City Trilogy since it kicked off, writing about it in ArtReview magazine and including it in the House of Illustration’s Comix Creatrix exhibition. So I am especially anticipating this concluding third epic episode. Another highpoint for me is the return of Paco Roca with an evocation of his native Spain’s turbulent comics past…
Let me also alert you to the English-language premiere of Switzerland’s Anna Sommer and the latest by South Korea’s Yeong-shin Ma, both exploring the female condition…
While in the realms of the fabulous and fantastical, few get much wilder and more wondrous that Italy’s Leila Marzocchi and L.A.‘s Barbara ‘Willy’ Mendes, a very welcome return from them both…
And amid our ongoing political turmoil, what better way to understand your constitutional rights in the USA than to read Sikoryak’s slyly subversive graphic reinterpretation. Stay safe, stay well, stay at home as much as you can, and all being well, see you back here in a month’s time ...
And Now Sir, Is This Your Missing Gonad? and Other Frank Cartoons
by Jim Woodring
Fantagraphics
$21.99
The publisher says:
And now sir, is this your missing Gonad?’ brings to your fun-hungry hands over 113 choice and previously unpublished images created by cartooning visionary Jim Woodring between 2009 and 2019 for his private amusement. Featuring Woodring’s familiar cast of characters from such canonical graphic novels as Congress of the Animals and Poochytown, but with a twist! Woodring has enlisted the mysterious Walter Foxglove, The Smartest Artist, to undertake the huge task of restoring to these images the notes, comments and coarse jokes that accompanied their creation. The result is a triumph of scattershot revelation. As through the holes and cracks in a shotgun shack, the light of truth seeps in. And in, and in… and in! Don’t fail to install this demure volume in your reliquary - its absence will haunt you to your grave. And now sir, is this your Gonad? reads like a collection of otherworldly gag cartoons sent from an extracorporeal corner of nihilist ecstasy. We promise you that you have never viewed situations quite like these before. 96pgs B&W hardcover.
Atlas At War!
by various creators, edited by Dr. Michael Vassallo
Dead Reckoning
$65.00
The publisher says:
Atlas at War! collects fifty hard-hitting stories from Atlas Comics, the company that became Marvel Comics and published more war titles than anyone in the industry between the years 1951 and 1960. Comics historian Dr. Michael J. Vassallo has chosen the best of the best, many of which are coming back into print for the first time, from sixteen different Atlas war titles and featuring the artwork of twenty different artists, giants of the genre, including Russ Heath, John Severin, Bernie Krigstein, Joe Maneely, Jerry Robinson, Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby. Each page has been meticulously restored from its first printing by comic art restorer Allan Harvey. Atlas at War! covers the brutal pre-code period where graphic depictions of war action were rendered by artists who were World War II veterans themselves, as well as the post-code period, where code restrictions forced creators to tell stories without graphic violence but produced some of the most beautiful comic art of the genre. In addition to the artists, stories cover all aspects of war from famous campaigns, weaponry and personal soldier stories to political topics, Nazi atrocities and even one story tinged with pre-code horror. Often overlooked in favour of its competitors, Atlas at War! will finally show that Atlas war titles were second to no one. 272pgs colour hardcover.
Authorised Happiness
by Jean Van Hamme & Griffo
Cinebook
$13.95
The publisher says:
When society pushes the ideals of social equality to their breaking point, the result can easily become plain absurd. For example, in order to avoid the chronic budget deficit of social security, what better way is there but to forbid people to take any chances with their health? Even if it leads to a Medical Police and fines for anyone not watching the weather forecast … Three Kafkaesque stories that paint a frightening picture of an over-regulated world. Jean Van Hamme was born in 1939 in Belgium. His major breakthrough came in 1977, when he created the Viking hero Thorgal for Grzegorz Rosinski. The mix of medieval legends and heroic fantasy soon became a huge success, with major awards following. He is also the creator of the bestselling series Largo Winch and XIII (also published in English by Cinebook). Belgian artist Griffo (Werner Goelen) has worked with some of the greatest names in bandes dessinées, but his most fruitful partnership was with Jean Dufaux (Lament of the Lost Moors), producing series such as Giacomo C. 56pgs colour paperback.
Be Gay Do Comics
by various artists, edited by The Nib
IDW
$24.99
The publisher says:
The dream of a queer separatist town. The life of a gay and Jewish Nazi-fighter. A gender reveal party that tears apart reality. These are the just some of the comics you’ll find in this massive queer comics anthology from The Nib. Be Gay, Do Comics is filled with dozens of comics about LGBTQIA experiences, ranging from personal stories to queer history to cutting satire about pronoun panic and brands desperate to co-opt pride. Brimming with resilience, inspiration, and humour, an incredible line-up of top indie cartoonists takes you from the American Revolution through Stonewall to today’s fights for equality and representation, including: Hazel Newlevant, Joey Alison Sayers, Maia Kobabe, Matt Lubchansky, Breena Nuñez, Sasha Velour, Shing Yin Khor, Levi Hastings, Mady G, Josh Trujillo, Bianca Xunise, Kazimir Lee, and many, many more. 256pgs colour paperback.
Bering Strait
by Tom Manning
Robots and Monkeys
$24.95
The publisher says:
Bering Strait by Tom Manning, writer and illustrator of the critically-acclaimed graphic novels Runoff and Eric, takes us to humanity’s prehistoric origins with a dark account of what it took our ancestors to survive. The story follows a Neanderthal tribe in Siberia as they journey toward a promised destination and seek to understand what it means to be a chosen people. The tribe calls themselves the Awake People, meaning that they are aware of present reality and do not engage in mystical or otherwise imaginative practices. Their pilgrimage begins when a revered elder receives a message from a mysterious entity promising to show them the way to a land of bounty if they follow a herd East across the Bering Strait. As the Awake People undertake the journey, however, they are met with a world more chaotic and terrifying than their worldview allows them to understand. Facing threats from the environment, supernatural occurrences, distrust among their ranks and the unpredictable actions of a rival tribe known as the Lost People, the Awake People find themselves in direct encounters with their worst fears. The black-and-white story is gritty and gripping, with frames that focus on individual aspects and force the reader to identify with the feeling of being small against the unknown. The result is a narrative that moves along slow enough to keep the viewer in suspense as the action picks up and the sombre drama unfolds. Bering Strait meditates on the relationship between dream-like perception, reality and the journey to self-discovery. The path to knowing oneself does not always lead to empowerment and gratification, however. Manning’s works remind us that the truth is the thing we least want to face, and, if we do not let it change us, it can be lethal. 300pgs mostly B&W paperback.
Breaks 2: Truth and Dare
by Emma Vieceli & Malin Rydén
Soaring Penguin Press
£15.99
The publisher says:
Emma Vieceli (Life is Strange) and Malin Rydén (Fallen Hero) with the second volume in their acclaimed dramatic romance trilogy. Ian and Cortland are all too aware that the bubble they’ve made for themselves can’t last. Shifting relationships and tested friendships may be the least of their worries, though, as they learn more about each other and the pasts they’d rather leave behind. Familial legacy, fragile ambition and potentially devastating secrets; their budding relationship is going to need a stronger foundation than secrecy if they want to face what life has in store for them together. Bringing the world of LGBT young adult fiction into the realm of comic books, and collecting the second arc of the acclaimed weekly web series (2017-2019), Breaks is the story of two young men discovering who they were, who they are, and who they will become. It’s a love story…but a bit broken. 172pgs greyscale paperback.
Child Star
by Brian ‘Box’ Brown
First Second
$19.99
The publisher says:
In Child Star, bestselling author Box Brown creates a biography of Owen Eugene, a fictional 1980s child actor. Owen had it all: a hit sitcom on prime time, a Saturday morning cartoon, and a memoir on the bestseller list. The secret to his success was his talent for improvisation… and his small size. But Hollywood ate him alive. On screen he made the whole world laugh, even as his life fell apart behind the scenes. Inspired by real-life child stars, Box Brown created Owen Eugene, a composite character whose tragic life is an amalgam of 1980s pop culture. In this fictional documentary-style graphic novel, we see how growing up in the spotlight robs young actors of a true childhood. 240pgs two-colour paperback.
Concrete Surfer: From The Pages of Jinty
by Pat Mills & Christine Ellingham
Rebellion / 2000 AD
$13.99
The publisher says:
Sent home to Britain after her parents fail to establish a new life in Australia, Jean Everidge is forced to rely on family charity, moving in with her Aunt, Uncle and cousin Carol, successful gymnast, beloved of teachers and pupils alike, and all round charming top girl. Jean has one solace left to her skateboarding, surfing the concrete pavement, while forgetting all her troubles, and feel free. But Jean s free-styling talent soon attracts attention, and if there’s one thing Carol can’t stand, it’s being out of the spotlight. With the new skatepark freestyle contest coming up, just how far will Carol go to stay number one? 80pgs B&W paperback.
Constitution Illustrated
by R. Sikoryak
Drawn & Quarterly
$14.95
The publisher says:
R. Sikoryak is the master of the pop culture pastiche. In Masterpiece Comics, he interpreted classic literature with defining twentieth-century comics. With Terms and Conditions, he made the unreadable contract that everyone signs, and no one reads, readable. He employs his magic yet again to investigate the very framework of the country with Constitution Illustrated. By visually interpreting the complete text of the supreme law of the land with more than a century of American pop culture icons, Sikoryak distills the very essence of the government legalese from the abstract to the tangible, the historical to the contemporary. Among Sikoryak’s spot-on unions of government articles and amendments with famous comic-book characters: the Eighteenth Amendment that instituted prohibition is articulated with Homer Simpson running from Chief Wiggum; the Fourteenth Amendment that solidifies citizenship to all people born and naturalised in the United States is personified by Ms. Marvel; and, of course, the Nineteenth Amendment offering women the right to vote is a glorious depiction of Wonder Woman breaking free from her chains. American artists from George Herriman (Krazy Kat) and Charles Schulz (Peanuts) to Raina Telgemeier (Sisters) and Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For) are homaged, with their characters reimagined in historical costumes and situations. We the People has never been more apt. 128pgs colour paperback.
Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books
by Ken Quattro
IDW / Yoe Books
$34.99
The publisher says:
Hear the riveting stories of Black artists who drew – mostly covertly behind the scenes – superhero, horror and romance comics in the early years of the industry. The life stories of each man’s personal struggles and triumphs are represented as they broke through into a world formerly occupied only by whites. Using primary source material from World War II-era Black newspapers and magazines, this compelling book profiles pioneers like E.C. Stoner, a descendant of one of George Washington’s slaves, who became a renowned fine artist of the Harlem Renaissance and the first Black artist to draw comic books. Perhaps more fascinating is Owen Middleton who was sentenced to life in Sing Sing. Middleton’s imprisonment became a cause célèbre championed by Will Durant, which led to Middleton’s release and subsequent comics career. Then there is Matt Baker, the most revered of the Black artists, whose exquisite art spotlights stunning women and men, and who drew the first groundbreaking Black comic book hero, Vooda. The book is gorgeously illustrated with rare examples of each artist’s work, including full stories from mainstream comic books from rare titles like All-Negro Comics and Negro Heroes, plus unpublished artist’s photos. Invisible Men features Ken Quattro’s impeccable research and lean writing, detailing the social and cultural environments that formed these extraordinary, yet invisible, men. Ken Quattro and his involvement in comic book history led to his being named a historical consultant on the 2017 Hollywood film, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. Quattro is the author of hundreds of book, magazine and online articles. He has also provided source material for television programmess and many other comics histories. He attended both Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan, studying Fine Art and journalism. 240pgs colour hardcover.
Kona: Monarch of Monster Isle Vol. 1
by Sam Glanzman
It’s Alive
$9.99
The publisher says:
One of the weirdest, wildest comics ever published is back! Kona: Monarch of Monster Isle tells the story of a strange hero known only as Kona, saving the lives of Dr. Henry Dodd, his daughter Mary, and his grandchildren Mason and Lily, after this group crashes their army surplus blimp on the prehistoric Pacific island that Kona calls home. Befriending them, Kona becomes their protector, saving them from giant animals, monsters and much more. Originally published in 1962, this series has never been collected or reprinted until now. This issue sports a variant by comic book legend Bart Sears, available via this Kickstarter project. 100pgs colour paperback.
Listening to the Hundredfold Notes of the Avowed Nightingales: The Walled City Trilogy Vol. 3
by Anne Opotowsky & Amber Ma
IDW / Top Shelf
$34.99
The publisher says:
Emmy Award-winning writer Anne Opotowsky and stunning artist Amber Ma present the final volume in the massive saga of ambition, loyalty and the walls we build inside and out; animating an irresistible historical setting with powerful modern resonance. The solemn wisdom of gems and jaded history – watch in the last volume of the trilogy how one entangles the other. The gems float down from the Mekong, gathering dragon fire, ancient qi and vengeful powers along the way. One such gem, embedded in a ring, first discovered in Volume One when it slipped ashore from Hong Kong Bay, surfaces again. As two games at play unravel, the gem roots, and the fates then align. One game is deceptively simple. Go – the Chinese board game that has captivated centuries of Asian players – ensnares two more. One is the young boy stolen off the docks long ago in Calcutta. He has become a master at games of chance that rely on hidden wit. His opponent, an anonymous Brit, teases clues to Ben’s past along the way. It’s wise to know that jaded history and watchful gems should never be teased apart. The other game has no rules. But the same ring sits at this centre. It sets off a cascade, binding fragile bridges that link the Walled City, decades of kidnapped children, the acrobat-magicians who have become intrepid rebels, to those who believe they can drown their secrets in the warm waters of the South China Sea. 376pgs colour paperback.
Moms
by Yeong-shin Ma
Drawn & Quarterly
$29.95
The publisher says:
Lee Soyeon, Myeong-ok, and Yeonjeong are all mothers in their mid-fifties. And they’ve had it. They can no longer bear the dead weight of their partners or the endless grind of menial jobs where their bosses control everything, down to how much water they can drink. Although Lee Soyeon divorced her husband years ago after his gambling drove their family into bankruptcy, she finds herself in another tired and dishonest decade-long relationship with Jongseok, a slimy waiter at a nightclub. Meanwhile, Myeong-ok is having an illicit affair with a younger man, and Yeonjeong, whose husband suffers from erectile dysfunction, has her eye on an acquaintance from the gym. Bored with conventional romantic dalliances, these women embrace outrageous sexual adventures and mishaps, ending up in nightclubs, motels and even the occasional back-alley brawl. With this boisterous and darkly funny manhwa, Yeong-shin Ma defies the norms of the traditional Korean family narrative, offering instead the refreshingly honest and unfiltered story of a group of middle-aged moms who yearn for something more than what the mediocre men in their lives can provide. Despite their less-than-desirable jobs, salaries, husbands and boyfriends, these women brazenly bulldoze their way through life with the sexual vulnerability and lust typically attributed to twenty-somethings. 376pgs B&W paperback.
Negalyod: The God Network
by Vincent Perriot
Titan Comics
$39.99
The publisher says:
In a post-apocalyptic far future/alternate world, dinosaurs roam the desolate land, while the last denizens of humanity survive together in technological cities run by a military regime. Jarri, a loner who shepherds a group of dinosaurs, travels to the city when his herd is murdered. There he becomes involved with a rebel group who defy the totalitarian society, and uncovers a conspiracy that reveals the true nature of the world they live in. What he finds will change his life forever… Written and illustrated in lavish detail by ground-breaking author Vincent Perriot, this stunning graphic novel will make you think twice about reality. Vincent Perriot is an award-winning author and illustrator from France. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Angouleme, then went on to contribute to Editions de la Cerise, before publishing his own works. After moving to Paris, Vincent collaborated on the illustrations of the animated film Le Chat du Rabbin, by Joann Sfar, and also adapted Belleville Story into a comic. His numerous awards include: the Great Golden Squirrel at the Angoulême festival in 2001; the Young Talent Prize at the Angoulême festival in 2005; the Young Comics Talent Prize in 2009; and most recently in 2019, the Saint-Michel Prize for Negalyod. 208pgs colour hardcover.
Nymph
by Leila Marzocchi
Fantagraphics
$29.99
The publisher says:
In this fairy tale of a graphic novel, a mysterious, tiny being upsets the balance of the woods. A lone, defenceless pupa has rained down from the sky. An assembly of talking birds and trees agree to protect “Dolly” as it begins to evolve ― but into what? As the humanoid creature starts showing a predilection for flight and music, magical clues start unveiling themselves. Italian award-winning cartoonist Leila Marzocchi’s terrifically lush scratchboard drawings are a perfect companion to her witty dialogue and profound storytelling. Nymph gets to the heart of both human and Mother Nature to prove that, to raise a child-like larva, it takes a village. Or at least a forest. Leila Marzocchi is a critically acclaimed illustrator and comic artist, born in Bologna. She has published work in Reporter, Il Manifesto and L’Unita, and she co-founded the magazine Fuego. 208pgs colour hardcover.
Papaya Salad
by Elisa Macellari
Dark Horse
$24.99
The publisher says:
The debut graphic novel from Thai-Italian illustrator Elisa Macellari, Papaya Salad tells the story of her great-uncle Sompong who found himself in Europe on military scholarship on the eve of World War II. A gentle and resolute man in love with books and languages, in search of his place in the world, Sompong chronicles his life during the war and falling for his wife, finding humour and joy even as the world changes irrevocably around him. This Winner of the 2019 Autori di Immagini Silver Medal in the Comics category tells the human story of the War, from a perspective not typically seen. In Elisa Macellari. words: “A historical and emotional journey through my family and my roots that are grown between Europe and Asia. A personal narrative that needs to be shared and hopefully arouses empathy in the reader.” 232pgs colour hardcover.
Queen of Cosmos Comix Vol. 1
by Barbara “Willy” Mendes
Red 5 Comics
$19.95
The publisher says:
An autobiographical tale spanning time and space, from creation to the present and onward, renowned artist Barbara ‘Willy’ Mendes’ female futurism holds a mystical mirror up to reality. Presenting her first brand new comic work in decades, the 36-page, consciousness-expanding Queen of Cosmos, plus reprinting for the first time several of her classic underground comix from the 1970s, including Tales for the Modern Mystic and Realm of Karma Comix. 80pgs part-colour paperback.
Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band
by Christian Staebler, Sonia Paoloni & Thiebault Balahy
IDW
$24.99
The publisher says:
Experience the riveting, powerful story of the Native American civil rights movement and the resulting struggle for identity told through the high-flying career of west coast rock n’ roll pioneers Redbone. You’ve heard the hit song “Come and Get Your Love” in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, but the story of the band behind it is one of cultural, political and social importance. Brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas were talented Native American rock musicians that took the 1960s Sunset Strip by storm. They influenced The Doors and jammed with Jimmy Hendrix before he was “Jimi,” and the idea of a band made up of all Native Americans soon followed. Determined to control their creative vision and maintain their cultural identity, they eventually signed a deal with Epic Records in 1969. But as the American Indian Movement gained momentum, the band took a stand, choosing pride in their ancestry over continued commercial reward. Created in cooperation of the Vegas family, authors Christian Staebler and Sonia Paolini with artist Thibault Balahy take painstaking steps to ensure the historical accuracy of this important and often overlooked story of America’s past. Part biography and part research journalism, Redbone provides a voice to a people long neglected in American history. 160pgs colour hardcover.
Red Mother with Child
by Christian Lax
NBM / Louvre Editions
$27.99
The publisher says:
In Mali in Africa, a Red Mother with Child, a 14th century African sculpture, is saved from the destructive madness of Islamists by Alou, a young honey hunter. In the company of other migrants, sisters and brothers of misfortune, Alou goes all out to reach Europe. His goal and his obsession: entrust the precious statuette to the Louvre Museum. An epic adventure, touching upon the burning worldwide issue of refugees and immigration, in the ever-expanding Louvre collection, commissioning graphic novels from leading world artists to spin tales around the famous museum. Christian Lax has accumulated an impressive body of work, mostly stand-alone literary graphic novels. His bibliography includes a few dozen works through various leading publishers. 144pgs colour hardcover.
Sennen
by Shanti Rai
Avery Hill Press
$14.95
The publisher says:
Sennen’s life is mostly perfect – spending her days tending the fields in her idyllic village and her evenings with her beloved family, all tucked into the crook of a green and beautiful valley. And if it weren’t for the masked figures descending from the hills with increasing regularity to take their harvested food to deliver to their Gods, she’d have no worries at all. But when the demands for tribute strike closer to home, Sennen is forced to flee the paradise of her valley and venture into the home of the Gods to save her family and their way of life - only to discover that those we worship are not always what they seem, and the lives we lead are not always so simplistic after all.
Shanti Rai is an illustrator and comics creator from London who graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2017 with a degree in Illustration. She has self-published her own work previously, including the comics Day Dreams, KO and Persephone with Sennen being her debut full-length work. 100pgs colour paperback.
Summer Spirit
by Elizabeth Holleville
Nobrow
£12.99
The publisher says:
A new YA graphic novel from French illustrator Elizabeth Holleville, Summer Spirit puts a fresh spin on the struggles of growing up as this coming-of-age story takes a supernatural and sinister turn. Being a teenager is hard enough without finding out your new best friend is a 60 year old ghost… Louise spends every summer at her grandmother’s house with her older sister and their cousins. But this summer, Louise realises her relatives are fast growing up, without her. While they’re concerned with boy drama, Louise is suddenly left alone. But then one day she meets Lisa, who will never, ever become a teenager… Elizabeth Holleville is a comic book artist based in Strasbourg, France. Inspired by the horror genre including David Cronenberg and Stephen King, and comic artists such as Alison Bechdel and Charles Burns, she seeks to produce stories that focus on the emotions of the characters involved, usually with a supernatural twist. She has worked with Glénat and Casterman as well as self-publishing her own comics and zines. 256pgs colour paperback.
The Great Gatsby
by F Scott Fitzgerald, Fred Fordham & Aya Morton
Scribner
$20.00
The publisher says:
A gorgeously illustrated, first-ever graphic novel adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved American classic. First published in 1925, The Great Gatsby has been acclaimed by generations of readers and is now reimagined in stunning graphic novel form. Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan and the rest of the cast are captured in vivid and evocative illustrations by artist Aya Morton. The iconic text has been artfully distilled by Fred Fordham, who also adapted the graphic novel edition of To Kill a Mockingbird. Blake Hazard, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great-granddaughter, contributes a personal introduction. This quintessential Jazz Age tale stands as the supreme achievement of Fitzgerald’s career and is a true classic of 20th-century literature. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy is exquisitely captured in this enchanting and unique edition. Aya Morton’s work has been featured in Comics Art by Paul Gravett, exhibited in London’s House of Illustration, and has received Awards of Excellence from Communication Arts and an honourable mention from 3x3 Illustration Annual. She is the illustrator of His Dream of the Skyland, the first book in a trilogy written by Anne Opotowsky, and has worked as a freelance artist in London and Portland, Oregon, where she now lives with her husband and two sons. Fred Fordham has written and illustrated for various publications, most recently adapting and illustrating the graphic novel version of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. He also illustrated Philip Pullman’s debut graphic novel The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship. He lives in London. 208pgs colour paperback.
The Minamata Story: An EcoTragedy
by Sean Michael Wilson & Akiko Shimojima
Stone Bridge Press
$14.95
The publisher says:
A powerful graphic novel/manga that tells the story of “Minamata disease,” a debilitating and sometimes fatal condition caused by the Chisso chemical factory’s carelessness in the 1970s and 80s, growing into an iconic struggle between people versus corporations and government agencies. The event is also the subject of the 2020 Andrew Levitas-directed Johnny Depp film, Minamata. This struggle is relevant today, not simply because many people are still living with the disease but also because, in this time of growing concern over the safety of our environment – viz. Flint, Michigan – Minamata gives us as a very moving example of such human-caused environmental disasters and what we can do about them. Sean Michael Wilson is a comic book writer from Scotland who has had more than 30 books published with a variety of US, UK and Japanese publishers. Working with various Japanese artists he has written a unique line of Japanese history/martial arts books, including The Book of Five Rings, Yakuza Moon and Black Ships. In 2016 his book The Faceless Ghost was nominated for the prestigious Eisner Book Awards and received a medal in the 2016 ‘Independent Publisher Book Awards’. In 2017, his book Secrets of the Ninja won an International Manga Award from the Japanese government - he is the first British person to receive this award. Akiko Shimojima is a comic artist from Japan whose comics have been published by several companies in Japan as well as worldwide. She has been working with Sean Michael Wilson on various projects, including The 47 Ronin, Bushido and The Satsuma Rebellion. Her book Cold Mountain was the winner of the China Comic and Animation Competition 2015 ‘Best Overseas Comic’ award. She also teaches how to draw digital comics at a college in Tokyo. 112pgs B&W paperback.
The Unknown
by Anna Sommer
Conundrum Press
$17.99
The publisher says:
Drawn with guileful clarity and bite, The Unknown is a story of deceit, self-deception and the search for happiness. One day, Helen finds a newborn abandoned in a changing room in her boutique. She decides to keep it, nested in a cardboard box and hidden even from her husband. Vicky and Wanda are boarding school roommates. Wanda talks Vicky into turning tricks. Meanwhile, Vicky can’t keep her secrets from Wanda – not her affair with their history teacher, and not the pregnancy she tries to sabotage and yet stubbornly carries out. As the two narratives converge, coincidences and secrets are revealed. Incisive, wicked and breezily unconcerned by taboos, Anna Sommer lets readers put together the pieces of her morally ambiguous fable. Anna Sommer is a comics artist and illustrator. Her debut graphic novel, Damen Dramen, published in 1996, established her name in the alternative comics scene. Etched, pen-and-ink and papercut works followed, all distinguished by Sommer’s clear, flowing line and unsparing dark humour. Nominated for the 2018 Best Album award at Angoulême, The Unknown is her first book in English and marks her return to full-length comics after a ten-year hiatus. She lives in Zurich, Switzerland. 104pgs colour paperback.
The Winter of the Cartoonist
by Paco Roca
Fantagraphics
$21.99
The publisher says:
A graphic nonfiction story of the five extraordinary cartoonists who decided to rebel in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and WWII. In 1957, Editorial Bruguera was one of Spain’s largest publishing houses, putting out hugely popular weekly magazines and comics for young and old ― while retaining all rights and creative control of their artists’ work. Spanish comics superstar Paco Roca investigates the true story of five cartoonists who, spurred by poor working conditions, arbitrary editorial edicts and nationwide dictatorial rule, went on a quest for creative freedom. Little did they know that the corporation had begun actively trying to thwart their distribution and publishing efforts, turning their battle into a real-life David and Goliath tale. The Winter of the Cartoonist provides historical context and short profiles of these artists as they serve as everyday heroes for all of those who have chased a dream, no matter how high the obstacles that stand in front of them. Paco Roca (Francisco Martínez Roca) is a graphic artist and a cartoonist from Valencia, Spain, who has won several art/writing awards. His graphic novel Wrinkles has been adapted into an animated movie. 128pgs colour paperback.
Windows on the World
by Robert Mailer Anderson, Zack Anderson & Jon Sack
Fantagraphics
$24.99
The publisher says:
Based on the award-winning 2019 film, this graphic novel chronicles a son’s search for his undocumented immigrant father, who was working in the Twin Towers, in the wake of 9-11. An undocumented immigrant father has been bussing tables at the famous Windows on the World restaurant to support his family in Mexico. Then, tragedy strikes. His family hears no word for weeks. Refusing to give up hope, they send young Fernando on a quixotic mission across the border to find his father and bring him home. Along the way, Fernando experiences a warm embrace from fellow immigrants and a cold shoulder from The City That Never Sleeps. Told with empathy and nuance, this emotionally resonant story reflects on how the pains of our recent past have shaped the character of America. Robert Mailer Anderson is a San Francisco-based writer, producer and activist. He has written a novel, Boonville, and a play entitled The Death of Teddy Ballgame. He cowrote the films Pig Hunt and Windows on the World. He is a San Francisco Library Laureate, among other honours. Jon Sack is a US- and UK-based artist and writer. He graduated with an MFA from Goldsmiths College in 2006, and his work has been published and covered internationally. His comic books include La Lucha, which is about violence in Juárez and the lawyers working to combat it, and Iraqi Oil For Beginners, about the complicated history of oil in Iraq. 240pgs colour paperback.
You Brought Me The Ocean
by Alex Sanchez & Julie Maroh
DC Comics
$16.99
The publisher says:
The voices that shaped LGBTQ Young Adult literature, Lambda Award-Winning author Alex Sanchez (Rainbow Boys) and New York Times bestselling illustrator Julie Maroh (Blue Is the Warmest Color), present a new coming-out romance set against the backdrop of the DC Universe. Jake Hyde doesn’t swim—not since his father drowned. Luckily, he lives in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, which is in the middle of the desert. And yet he yearns for the ocean and is determined to leave his hometown for a college on the coast. But his best friend, Maria, wants nothing more than to make a home in the desert, and Jake’s mother encourages him to always play it safe. But there’s nothing “safe” about Jake’s future—not when he’s attracted to Kenny Liu, swim team captain and rebel against conformity. And certainly not when he secretly applies to Miami University. Jake’s life becomes a reflection of the name of his small town—does he live his truth and face the consequences? Jake is full of secrets, including the strange blue markings on his skin that glow when in contact with water. What power will he find when he searches for his identity, and will he turn his back to the current or dive headfirst into the waves? Preview pages here 208pgs colour paperback.
