Documentary Alert: Trouble the Water

Mon, 11/23/2009 - 10:46am by manz

If you’ve read Zeitoun, Dave Eggers’ account of one family’s “adventure” during Hurricane Katrina (which I highly recommend), you may enjoy this Academy Award nominated documentary, which won Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Trouble the Water begins 24 hours before Hurricane Katrina fully hit New Orleans, with 24 year old aspiring rap artist Kimberly Roberts’ hand held video camera footage of the initial onslaught. She and her family decided to stay and brave the storm rather than evacuate with the rest of city. The film interweaves Roberts’ personal footage with that of documentary film makers. The footage is truthful, heartfelt and horrific. The film follows Roberts, her husband, and nearby neighbors before, during and after Katrina, where some of them view the tragedy and severe loss as a doorway to a new life.

I also recommend A.D.: New Orleans after the deluge, a graphic novel by Josh Neufeld. Similarly, it tells true survival stories of seven individuals before and during Hurricane Katrina, as told through fabulous illustrations by the author.

I rejoice that there are owls... A short blog about Thoreau

Sat, 11/21/2009 - 10:47am by DavidQ

John Porcellino has written a graphic story inspired by Henry David Thoreau's life at Walden Pond. The images in Thoreau at Walden are as simple and still as Thoreau's words and convey the deliberate life of meaning that he sought to live in his cabin in the woods. This is a refreshing reminder of an inspiring life.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Thu, 11/05/2009 - 6:56pm by celesteh

The classic children's story by L. Frank Baum gets the “Marvel treatment” in this delightful graphic novel adaptation that is in its 6th week on the New York Times Best Seller List for Hardcover Graphic Books. Eric Shanower, the writer and artist of the Age of Bronze series, and artist Skottie Young worked together on this amazing comic that is faithful to the original book, which is a bit different from the 1939 film. No ruby slippers here – Dorothy inherits silver shoes when her house falls on the Wicked Witch of the East.

One of the best things about this series is the really fantastic artwork – Oz was re-imagined by the artists, but in a way that maintains the spirit of the original story. I really loved the new look of the Wicked Witch of the West, the ultra green spookiness of the Emerald City and the highly emotional Tin Man – who looks a little more like the Tin Man of Baum’s books. A must-have for Oz fans. The first issue of The Marvelous Land of Oz - a sequel that follows the second book in the Oz series, has just been released.

Glorious Food Manga!

Tue, 10/13/2009 - 9:53am by erin

So lately I have been obsessively enjoying the magnificent Oishinbo A La Carte manga series by Tetsu Kariya. Oishinbo has finally been translated after being hugely popular in Japan. The series depicts the adventures of culinary journalist Shirou Yamaoka and his partner (and later wife), Yuko Kurita. Each volume in the series explores a different facet of Japanese cuisine. Starting with the 1st volume Japanese cuisine, it moves on to Sake, Ramen and Gyoza, Fish, sushi & sashimi, Vegetables and the most recent volume on Rice. The exhaustive detail is fascinating and will only heighten a love for Japanese food. Another title that's now on order for aadl is Project X a fascinating account of how the Nissin corportation revolutionized portable eating with the creation of Cup 'o Noodles. Other popular manga series about food are Kitchen Princess, Mixed Vegetables, and Antique Bakery.

Books into Graphic Novels

Mon, 10/12/2009 - 4:41pm by K.C.

They make books into movies so why not make books into graphic novels? The library has several in the collection like P. Craig Russell’s adaptation of Coraline by Neil Gaiman which is beautifully done and in my opinion better than the movie. The Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan has gone manga. Takahiro Arai’s artwork has made Cirque a manga hit in Japan. After translation it’s now available in the English-speaking world. Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation is another book turned into graphic novel winner. It’s creator, Ray Bradbury provides an intriguing introduction to this adaptation by Tim Hamilton. The storytelling and artwork set a dark and heavy tone that is ever faithful to this classic dystopian tale.

Graphic Novels - The Photographer

Fri, 10/09/2009 - 1:50pm by ryanikoglu

The Photographer is an extraordinary Graphic Novel. I could not put it down until I finished it 5 hours later. At least 2 of those hours were spent studying the strings of photos among the illustrated frames of the story. If you are interested in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Doctors Without Borders aka MSF, or photography try this book. If you believe you are not interested in graphic novels, … this book is an unforgettable way to be introduced to the genre. It is also a genuine account of 1989 border strife between tribal cultures, MSF, Taliban, Russian occupation, and “the photographer” Immanuel Guibert. Pictures are worth thousands of words and What a story !

Gorgeous Korean Manhwa Trilogy

Tue, 10/06/2009 - 9:22am by erin

Manhwa is the general term for for comics and print cartoons in Korea. If you're looking for a lushly drawn, and accessible graphic novel to try for the first time, or if you're a seasoned reader looking for something new be sure to try the "Color" trilogy by Dong Hwa Kim. The trilogy starts with The Color of Water and chronicles the lives of a single mother and her daughter in rural Korea in a moving and evocative look at love as seen through the eyes of one feeling it for the first time and another who longs to savor it once more. The story continues with The Color of Earth and concludes with The Color of Heaven. Beautiful illustrations, mother and daughter bonding and romance will capture your heart. The trilogy is published by First Second the premier publishing house for quality, literate graphic novels.

Fluffy

Sun, 10/04/2009 - 10:31am by anned

Fluffy is a baby rabbit being raised by a single man called Michael Pulcino. Fluffy wonders if he will have black hair like Michael's when he grows up and if he can keep the library book that he loves about tractors. He also wonders what his nursery school teacher is doing visiting his apartment late at night. Michael struggles with relationships, a rabbit in denial, and being a single dad. Fluffy is absolutely adorable.

Simone Lia is one half of Cabanon Press.

Mouse Guard

Sat, 09/12/2009 - 3:14pm by celesteh

The mice struggle to live safely and prosper among all of the world’s harsh conditions and predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed…

Mouse Guard tells the tales of mice surviving in the Middle Ages. In the spirit of books such as Watership Down, this comic is far from “cute.” It is a tale of survival – because the life of a mouse can be short and brutal. So it is the aim of the Mouse Guard to protect their fellow mice, traveling from town to town and facing dangers such as crabs, snakes and weasels.

Beautifully illustrated and written by Michigan native David Petersen, Mouse Guard is targeted toward younger children, but can also be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The comic received two 2008 Eisner Awards in the category of “Best Publication for Kids.” There are currently two volumes, each containing six issues: Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Winter 1152, the latter of which has been on the NY Times Best Selling Graphic Books list for the past six weeks.

Alison Bechdel's Bittersweet Biography

Fri, 07/31/2009 - 7:31pm by pkooger

Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel, is one of the most poignant and touching memoirs I have ever read. Her autobiographical graphic novel centers on her relationship to her father, the discovery of his homosexuality (and her own), and his death. The name of the book refers to the family home, a funeral home run by Bechdel’s father, Bruce. Bechdel spent seven years writing and illustrating Fun Home and it's packed with detail, allusions, and pop culture references. The novel pulls off the difficult feat of being simultaneously a quick and easy read and a complexly layered piece of literature. Fun Home was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award, in the Autobiography/Memoir category, and won the 2007 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work.

Alison Bechdel is also the author of the popular comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For.