|
Graphic Novels & Comics November 2015
|
|
Greetings! My name is Patrick Holt, and I'm a librarian at Southwest Regional Library. I'm also a lifelong reader of comics and graphic novels. Check out the contents of this month's newsletter in the box to the left, and get access to past editions in the archive at the bottom of the page. I hope you find these recommendations worthwhile, and please email me at pdholt@dconc.gov if you have any thoughts or questions.
Thanks and enjoy!
|
|
Dayblack
by Keef Cross
This fantastic book follows Merce, a tattoo artist who, thanks to bite from a vampire, has come a long way from his life as a slave in the cotton fields of Georgia. But now he's haunted by mysterious dreams that threaten the balance of his modern life. Cross's artwork is hits a sweet spot of ornately stylized and fluidly realistic, and his story is appropriately mysterious and compelling. Looking forward to more volumes!
|
|
|
Beauty
by Hubert and Kerascoët
Matthew Burbridge at Graphic Novel Reporter says that Beauty "tells the tale of an ugly little girl cursed with the illusion of being beautiful to those who look upon her. The art style in Kerascoët's line work and layouts screams classical French cartooning, and compliments Hubert's story, which has all the facets of an old fairy tale epic. Hubert writes the life of a girl who is genuinely ugly --- rather than simply self-conscious while awkwardly growing into womanhood --- and forces us to see past any existential ambiguities and potentials for personal interpretation clouding the message." Recommended!
|
|
|
Killing and Dying
by Adrian Tomine
This volume collects several stories from the most recent issues of Adrian Tomine's acclaimed Optic Nerve series, showing off Tomine's finely honed ability to balance the absurd and the tragic, all with familiar settings and relatable characters. Tomine's work has changed through the years, and this collection demonstrates that it's only getting better.
|
|
|
Book of Grickle
by Graham Annable
Marty Mulrooney at Alternative Magazine Online reports that "The tales collected in The Book Of Grickle range from the humorous, with sketches parodying such topics as consumerism or a trip to the doctors, to the more emotionally charged, covering as many different aspects of life as marriage, grumpy neighbours or even a sense of crippling loss. Mr Annable shifts from one focus to another with ease: as much as you will likely cry with laughter, you may even possibly shed a small tear of sadness too. That is surely the mark of a master storyteller, regardless of the medium said story resides within: The Book Of Grickle is delightful because it achieves so much with seemingly so very little."
|
|
|
Matty's Rocket
by Tim Fielder
From the publisher: "Matty’s Rocket is a galaxy spanning tale about the adventures of space pilot Matty Watty. This animatic series is based in an alternative past where the pulp stylings of Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis collide with the real world events of World War 2, FDR, Nazis, the Harlem Renaissance and the oppressive Jim Crow era, Watch as Matty navigates her vessel through a dangerous world filled with evil villains, heroic feats, alien oddities and down home adventure."
|
|
|
Pachyderme
by Frederik Peeters
In post-WWII western Switzerland, an injured elephant blocks traffic, prompting a woman to leave her car and proceed on foot. A slow whirlwind of memory and dreamscape awaits her at her destination, the countryside hospital where her husband mends from a serious accident. None other than the late Moebius said that Pachyderme contains "something mysterious and obvious that must, above all, not be explained."
|
|
|
Epileptic
by David B.
The only work of nonfiction on this list, Epileptic follows cartoonist David B. through his childhood as his family struggles to find a successful treatment for his brother's epilepsy. What could be an ordinary memoir in another's hands is instead a touching and frightening journey through family ties, histories of international wars, the impact of death on the many and the few, and the artist's own subconscious. Beautiful, haunting, and highly recommended.
|
|
|
Bardín the Superrealist: His Deeds, his Utterances, his Exploits, and his Perambulations
by Max
As Publisher Weekly says, "Spanish cartoonist Max uses some of the most cherished pieces of high art as the catalyst for his character Bardin's funny and thoroughly humane adventures. In the first story, Bardin is taken to the superreal world by the Andalusian Dog, who complains about his misuse by Dalí and Buñuel. But Bardin also learns from this strange canine that he is the new custodian of this even stranger world. In another strip, pondering Brueghal's The Triumph of Death reassures Bardin about his own life. Max has designed Bardin with a large, essentially bald head perfect for drawing all kinds of emotions, ranging over fear, terror, righteous anger, and jocularity in the face of the truly weird. Almost all of the last half of the book is taken up by "The Sound and the Fury," a silent strip in which Bardin must fight through many bizarre situations as a knight complete with sword and helmet... Max takes what can be impenetrable and uses some fine cartooning to make it accessible and enjoyable."
|
|
|
If 'n Oof
by Brian Chippendale
Big-eared If and globular Oof journey through what may be described as a mashup of Where the Wild Things Are and The Inferno or Gulliver's Travels... or maybe not! What's certain is that Brian Chippendale's bizarre sci-fi epic, with its unrefined drawings and wobble between poignancy and ultraviolence, demonstrates that masterpieces come in all shapes and sizes.
|
|
|
Saturday, November 21, 2 p.m. Main Library - 300 N. Roxboro St. Questions? Call John Davis at 919-560-0125 Join our MeetUp group at meetup.com/graphic-book-club Enjoy comic books or graphic novels? Join us for the monthly meeting of Main Library's Graphic Book Club. This month is FREE CHOICE!
|
|
|
Ultimate Ladies Book ClubThursday, Nov. 5, 8 p.m. Ultimate Comics, 6120-A Farrington Rd., DurhamThe first Thursday of each month the Ultimate Ladies Alliance meets to discuss a different comic or graphic novel. Join the Ultimate Ladies’ Alliance on Facebook for more info and to vote on your top picks for the next month’s meeting, plus suggest books for future discussion and share your favorites. November's title:Suicide Squad Trial by Fire. December's pick is This One Summer by Mariko & Jillian Tamaki.
|
|
|
NC ComiconFri-Sun, Nov. 15-17Various Durham Locations The annual event is back, with a suite of exciting guests, talks, and more. See schedule and ticket prices at nccomicon.com.
|
|
|
ComiQuest Film Festival Fri-Sun, Nov. 13-15 The Carolina Theatre of Durham, 309 W. Morgan St., Durham A series of films that are adapted from comics or otherwise in a similar spirit, screened in conjunction with NC Comicon. Visit the theater website for schedule and ticket prices.
|
|
|
Durham Comics Project: Drink & DrawWednesday, Nov. 18, 7-9 p.m.This monthly meetup is for those new to comics and seasoned vets alike. The hardest part of making comics is often making the time to draw, so let’s make that time together! We'll have an exercise or two (often collaborative), but you're welcome to just come to work on your own thing.
|
|
|
For personalized reading recommendations from Durham County librarians, try My Next 5! Simply complete an online form to tell us a little about what genres, books, and authors you like (or dislike). A DCL librarian will review your submission and reply with a list of the next five books you should read.
|
|
|
NoveList Plus is a comprehensive database of fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages, including recommendations, articles, and lists for your fiction and nonfiction needs. DCL cardholders can access NoveList Plus from any computer. |
|
|
|
Links to newsletters from the past year:
|
|
|
If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact the Durham County Library at
919-560-0100, 300 N. Roxboro Street, Durham, NC 27702
librarywebmaster@durhamcountync.gov
|
|
|