It’s the time of year when many people are making New Years Resolutions. For myself, I like to give myself hopes and goals for the year because as soon as I call something a “resolution” it tends to never happen. Instead of sharing my personal resolutions-that-are-really-hopes, I thought I’d make some for Young Adult literature….
Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
At four a.m. on Friday morning I sat in the quietest theater I’d ever experienced. The family of loudly obnoxious chewers next to me had all put down their popcorn, the small children a few rows ahead of me were statuesque, and I was acutely aware of my own breathing volume. Then that familiar music…
Winter Break Stretches On: How to Game with Your Family
Last year I introduced my mother to the wonders of modern board games and it was amazing. Rather than loll about on the couch after consuming way too much turkey, we worked together to stop some diseases threatening to wipe out civilization. And while I haven’t converted her into a full-fledged gamer, you too can…
Zine Review: Sporgo No. 1
Sporgo No. 1 Lara Pallmall Laura Pallmall is a relatively new comic creator, with only a couple years of zine-making under her belt. Like many artists working in the punk scene, she started out by illustrating album covers, posters and t-shirts. “My drawings would go on flyers and band merch and then just kind of…
Knit Your Comics: BB-8 Ornament and Chart
On the 12th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me … a BB-8 ornament on a Christmas tree!
So You Wrote a Racist Book…
Back in June, WWAC staff writer Angel reviewed Katie M. Stout’s debut young adult novel Hello, I Love You and said, “The generalizations and stereotypes packed into this novel are simply astounding.” She wasn’t the only one with issues on how the book tackled race and when the pressure mounted for Stout online (and with some people attacking…
Cook Your Comics: Wookiee Life Day Cookiees
The holidays are here again, and this year, we have Star Wars in the mix. The big holiday in the Star Wars universe is Wookiee Life Day, as first depicted in 1978’s so-bad-it’s-not-remotely-good The Star Wars Holiday Special. Despite LucasFilm’s best efforts to erase it from the world’s collective memory, the legacy of The Star…
It’s Hard To Be A Girl: Self Image, or Selling Image?
It’s Hard To Be A Girl Bach (creator), Nora Goldberg (translator) Soaring Penguin Press October 2015 I went to the launch for It’s Hard To Be A Girl in late October. The event was, in a word, delightful. Soaring Press organized a very nice evening, held at the Québec Government Office in London. It featured…
Merry Scary Christmas: The Wolfman and The Wolf Man
“Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers at night, may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.” — original poem written for The Wolf Man In 2010, when I watched The Wolfman in the theater, I’d never seen the 1941 original The Wolf Man….
Get your Optimistic Sci Fi Fix with The Immortal Nerd
I first encountered H-P Lehkonen’s comics when their activism group, Femicomix Finland, visited Chicago and teamed up with local comics activists The LadyDrawers to discuss their work. Lehkonen radiates positivity; whether its with stories that look to the future or biographical works that look to the past, they always seem to celebrate the brighter, more…
Incredible Indie Tuesday: Which Would You Be, Power Ranger or Princess?
Loyal readers, in a perfect world, you would get this delightful weekly column without fail every Tuesday. But in that perfect world, no one’s co-workers get unexpectedly fired right before the holidays, and therefore your devoted columnist has time to write instead of spending hours trying to negotiate a settlement package to make sudden unemployment at…
Last Minute Gift Guide: Books for Adults
Earlier this week we shared our last minute gift guide for the young readers on your list. Now we’re continuing our recommending spree for the adult readers you’re still planning on buying for. Whether they like fantasy, horror, or are looking to join the adult colouring book craze, WWAC has you covered.