The Woods Volumes 1-8 James Tynion IV (writer), Michael Dialynas (artist), Josan Gonzalez (colorist), Ed Dukeshire (letterer) Boom! Studios When I read the first couple volumes of The Woods last year, I felt that the series had promise. James Tynion IV offered up a plot and world that were fun—Bay Point High School is randomly…
Gaysi Zine Vol 5 is an Exploration and Celebration of Queer Desire
The Gaysi Zine Vol 5: All That We Want Editors: Indu Jain and Priya Gangwani Contributors: Aarthi Parthasarathy, Abeer Hoque, Abhishek Chaudhary, Aindri Chakraborty, Akhila Krishnan, Akshay Mahajan, Alaric Moras, Anar-e Sistanem, Balbir Krishan, Benjamin Zachariah, Brian Horton, Dhrubo Jyoti, Jaya Sharma, Kaveri Gopalakrishnan, Kiran Rajagopalan, M.G. Ashley, Michael Giangrasso, Minal Hajratwala, Mira Malhotra, Parvati…
Celebrate Bisexual Visibility Month with Bisexual Anime!
September 23rd is Bisexual Visibility Day, a day that exists because bisexuality is often considered to be invalid. Just in case you’ve been living in a world where bisexuals are so stealth, you’ve never met an out one–hey ho! We’re real, and sometimes we even see ourselves represented on screen. Also, because bisexuals are greedy…
Surreal Classrooms: The Academic Hour
The Academic Hour Keren Katz Secret Acres The Academic Hour, according to the book jacket, is a series of vignettes about the romance between Pothel, an architecture professor now banned from teaching architecture, and his student Liana. I am not convinced of this. The first hint that this comic is not actually a romance appears…
Life, Death and Motherhood: The Legacy of Orphan Black
Three women meet the man who claims to be their creator. The first worships him, accepts him as a father, and becomes his right hand–at least for the moment. The second questions him, searches through his motivations, actions and assertions until she unearths the lies he has told, and the truth of who he is….
Looking Forward by Looking Back: A Retrospective Interview with Anna Selheim
I love to consider how a cartoonist’s work has changed over time. For most practitioners of a craft, the work evolves slowly, but as readers we can swiftly sink our teeth into multiple works and seek out recurring themes, shifts in art style, and general growth. It’s not often that I get to conduct such…
Not My Small Diary #19 Balances Humor with Horror
Not My Small Diary Delaine Derry Green (Editor), John Porcellino (Cover), Carrie McNinch, Peter Conrad, Noel Franklin, David Lasky, Jason Martin, Kelly Froh, Jenny Zervakis, Donna Barr, Max Clotfelter, Andrew Goldfarb, Colleen Frakes, Mark Campos, Rob Kirby, Ben Horak, Joe Decie, Asher Craw, Missy Kulik, Misun Oh, Rachel Scheer, Simon Mackie, Charles Brubaker, Graeme McNee,…
A Tail of Two Cat Lovers: Two Takes on Benji Nate’s Catboy
Catboy Benji Nate Silver Sprocket August 1st, 2017 A review copy was provided in exchange for a fair review.
These Comics Will Make You Queer: Short Reviews from CAKE 2017
It’s been about a month since I attended CAKE 2017, but, as always, the work that I picked up at the expo stays with me. One of the most exciting and intimidating experiences of such an event is meeting dozens of talented artists. It’s impossible to walk out the doors without feeling that you’ve just…
Chronicles of Fortune by Coco Picard is a Powerful Comic about Grief
Chronicles of Fortune Coco Picard Radiator Comics May 2017 Books are like coffee. Just as all the factors related to how coffee beans grow, blossom, and make their way into a tired drinker’s cup can affect taste, each aspect of creation, distribution, and publishing affects the impact of a book. Chronicles of Fortune by Coco…
Ramona Blue: A Sweet Novel about Sexual Fluidity
Ramona Blue Julie Murphy Balzer & Bray/Harperteen May 9, 2017 HarperCollins provided a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have to begin with a confession of bias. I read Julie Murphy’s novel Dumplin’ last year, and I trust her as an author. The synopsis of Ramona Blue dredges up ghosts…
Who Would’ve Thought Zines Are So Personal? Reflections and Reviews from Chicago Zine Fest 2017
It would be unfair to write another piece about Chicago Zine Fest (CZF) without admitting bias. I don’t go to a ton of shows because navigating big crowds wears me out very quickly, and while I love meeting creators, I also get nervous and can turn into an awkward mess. However, CZF – and perhaps…