The great thing about writing here whilst also working in a school and setting up a graphic novel library in our school library is that I get to share some great comics that the children would never normally see. Sure, they may read Tintin, Asterix, Beano and Dandy annuals, might pick up DFC library volumes [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Zig and Wikki in The Cow By Nadja Spiegelman and Trade Loeffler Toon Books “When alien pals Zig and Wikki lose their spaceship on Earth, their friendship is definitely in trouble. In order to get home, they must travel through a farm and into a cow, picking up fun facts about ecology (and picking fights) along [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Halcyon And Tenderfoot Issue 1 By Daniel Clifford and Lee Robinson We reviewed the preview issue, and previewed this issue in March, but now Daniel Clifford and Lee Robinson have released the first issue of their all-ages superhero comic. And no surprise, it carries on all the fun of the preview issue. I loved the [...]
Continue reading...Monday, April 16, 2012
Chick & Chickie Play All Day By Claude Ponti Toon Books We’ve reviewed a fair number of these gorgeous Toon Books graphic novels for younger readers here at the FPI Blog. They’re magnificent little things, well thought out, beautiful artwork, perfect stories for the youngest of readers, and a great introduction to comics. This is one [...]
Continue reading...Monday, April 2, 2012
The Shark King By R. Kikou Johnson Toon Books Francoise Mouly’s Toon Books have only been in existence a few yars but they’ve really set a high standard for producing quite magnificent comics for children. We have a set in the school library and they’re invaluable, a wonderful source of fun and a great way [...]
Continue reading...Sunday, April 1, 2012
Okay, we’re up to issue 13 of the Phoenix and I’m pleased that it’s got a Neill Cameron Pirates Of Pangaea cover, as it’s been an absolute highlight of The Phoenix so far. Daniel Hartwell’s story and script hits the perfect balance of exposition, dialogue and action, and Neill Cameron’s art just works so well [...]
Continue reading...Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Gum Girl Volume 1 – Catastrophe Calling By Andi Watson Walker Books I did my review of Andi Watson’s great new Gum Girl series a few days ago, but I’m not who the book is aimed at, not by many years! So Walker Books and Andi were kind enough to donate some copies to the [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Toon Books regularly put out some really lovely books for younger readers, and they’ve proved a real hit in the school graphic novel library. Coming in April is a truly gorgeous looking book by R. Kikou Johnson – The Shark King. You may know Johnson’s previous work Night Fisher from Fantagraphics, but this is his first work [...]
Continue reading...Monday, March 19, 2012
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Gum Girl Volume 1 – Catastrophe Calling By Andi Watson Walker Books It’s been nearly two years since Andi Watson’s last four volume series for Walker Books finished. That was Glister, and it was as sweet, sentimental, full of a melancholy wistfulness as you could wish for, a perfect little comic for adults AND children, [...]
Continue reading...Sunday, March 18, 2012
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Toxic Comic celebrated 200 issues the other week, as pointed out by Lew Stringer on his excellent Blimey! blog. Now I’ve got to admit that Toxic has pretty much passed me by over the years, and as it’s always been more of a boy’s comic, Molly’s never expressed an interest either, but that doesn’t mean [...]
Continue reading...Friday, March 16, 2012
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A Charlie And Bandit Adventure: A Roman Rescue and An Egyptian Escape By K.A. Gerrard and Emma Dodd Templar Publishing You know what these reminded me of? Jamie & The Magic Torch meets Biff & Kipper as an educational graphic novel. Jamie & The Magic Torch many of you know (if not, head to You Tube) [...]
Continue reading...Sunday, March 11, 2012
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Ooops, I’m a little behind in reviewing these… so here’s a month of The Phoenix; The Weekly Story Comic – Issues 7 to 10. Right, four issues worth of regular strips and four issues worth of one off strips…. let’s go with the one off strips first of all, as they tend to be really [...]
Continue reading...Saturday, February 25, 2012
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Raina Telgeimeier‘s Smile was, and still is a massive hit in the US. And thanks to some Internet buying on my part, it’s also hugely successful in this little bit of the UK. I wanted it for the school library, but had to go online to get copies. Multiple copies. One for Molly for a [...]
Continue reading...Sunday, February 19, 2012
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The latest in our series of author interviews by the children in the school I work at, where graphic novels are an integral part of the school library. Our intrepid reporters in Year 6 have already asked some brilliant questions in their interviews with John & Patrice Aggs (The Boss interview), James Turner (Super Animal [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, February 14, 2012
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Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity By Dave Roman First Second Hakata Soy’s past life as the leader of a futuristic super team won¹t stay in the past! The former space hero is doing his best to keep his head down at Astronaut Academy. Things aren¹t going so great, though. The most popular girl in school has [...]
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Saturday, April 28, 2012
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