Tag: Comics Are For Everybody
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In the Blog
JAMILTI AND OTHER STORIES
Rutu Modan is a magnificent Isreali graphic novelist whose book, Exit Wounds, was one of my favourites last year. Modan’s new book, Jamilti, is a collection of her older short stories, published by Drawn and Quarterly. Jamilti has a gothic feel, with Alice Munro-style haunting and grotesque stories about human relationships. Modan’s comics remind me of folk tales, or urban legends–stories that you’d read in a tabloid, or would be told to you by a co-worker … READ MORE
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In the Blog
THE WAR AT ELLSMERE BOOK LAUNCH!
Hey Shameless folks! I’m back from tour with my band, and bringing you lots more female-focused comic-y goodness. Faith Erin Hicks, the Halifax-based graphic novelist who made Zombies Calling, has a new book out this week. The War At Ellsmere is the story of a brainy girl, Jun, who ends up at a prestigious private school on scholarship. She is immediately singled out by the snottiest girls in school, and what ensues is the kind of … READ MORE
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In the Blog
The Governor General needs to read “Understanding Comics”
According to today’s Globe and Mail, Skim, one of my favorite comics of the year is up for Governor General’s award. Exciting and wonderful as that is, there is a problem in that the book’s text-author Mariko Tamaki was nominated in the text category, but not the book’s other author and illustrator Jillian Tamaki. The independent comics community has rallied in support of the Tamakis, writing an open letter to the Governor General, which explains … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Cheap Comics!
I’m headed off on tour with my band for a couple of months, so this column will go on hiatus for a wee bit. But I’ll be back in the late fall with more comics! In the meantime, I wanted to mention some options for how to get your hands on comics. There are tonnes of amazing comics out there, but buying them new can be really expensive. Here are some more affordable options. Comic Shops Your local … READ MORE
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In the Blog
The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom
There’s been a lot of talk about teenage pregnancy in the news and in films, lately. But what’s often left out is how marginalized teenage mothers are, and how institutions often discriminate against these women, rather than support them. Katherine Arnoldi’s graphic novel, The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom, beautifully tells the story of her struggle as a young mother. Arnoldi got pregnant at 17, and with little support from her family, she … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Making comics!
Recently, after a stint of reading a bunch of great comics, I got inspired, and thought, “I’ll make comics!” Or maybe I had just read a bunch of sexist comics not fit to use as kitty litter and thought, “God, I could make a way better comic than that.” I quickly discovered a difficult truth: making comics is hard! I can’t draw! Characters’ facial expressions are impossible to capture and drawing hands, wtf? Also, combining words and … READ MORE
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In the Blog
I am obsessed with Colleen Coover.
How can one person draw so many perfect pictures? Every one of them beautiful, silly, sexy and adorable! And, many of them are pornographic. Colleen Coover, a Portland, Oregon based artist is best known for her series Small Favors, which is porn. But it’s the kind of porn anyone can get behind (pun intended?), because it’s hot, but also super cute and funny. Coover designed the book to “celebrate sex and the pretty girls who enjoy … READ MORE
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In the Blog
The Physics of Superheroes
Comics are great for using weird, pseudo-science to explain fantastical characters and plots. The Scarecrow is dosing all of Gotham with a poisonous gas that causes scary, psychedelic trip-outs and makes everyone kill each other? Buh? What? Well, he’s poured it all into the water system and now he’s using a giant microwave which vaporizes the water and make the air poisonous. Oh, okay. That totally makes sense. Dr. James Kakalios, a Physics professor and comics … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Blog About It
Your average comic blog is easy to find in this crazy world called the internet. Just google “Final Crisis,” and you’ll find pages and pages of boys talking about comics. But there’s one that outblogs all the other blogs ever blogged. Living Between Wednesdays is the best, most hilarious, funnest comics blog out there. It’s written by my co-worker/band-mate/BFF, Rachelle Goguen, but personal bias aside, it totally rules. Rachelle has a deep, undying love of comics, coupled … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Catwoman’s cancelled and I’m taking it personally!
A few weeks ago, DC comics announced that they’d be cancelling the monthly Catwoman comic series. The next issue of Catwoman will be the last. It’s one of those times where I wonder if DC stands for Douchebag Comics. DC has like, thirty super-hero titles starring men, and maybe five that are about women. (And sorry, but most of those suck. Birds of Prey is consistently good, and Wonder Woman sometimes, but, like, Supergirl is just … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Making Buffy Beautiful
I just got home from a week of touring with my band, and let me tell you, St. John’s, Newfoundland is a totally rad place. While we were there, my guitar player mentioned on stage that it was Slayer Day, a day to celebrate the metal band. But several audience members immediately thought of that other Slayer, and called out “Buffy!!!” I love that Buffy has permeated people’s consciousness so much. Buffy was the slippery slope … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Coco Wang’s China 5.12 earthquake comic strips
This on line comic strip was brought to my attention by Cate, Shameless’ awesome new web editor. Coco Wang is creating these amazing online comic strips based on news stories about the earthquake in China. They are the personal stories of the people affected, the stories that are missing in our CBC media coverage. The comics are moving, funny, inspiring and completely devastating. I found this one particularly moving. Read all of Wang’s comic series here. … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Faith Erin Hicks totally rules!
I am so pumped about women and comics lately. Not only are there some amazing ladies making comics, there are amazing ladies who make funny, cute, smart comics, live in my town, and are totally cool people in real life! Well, there’s one anyway. Faith Erin Hicks is an awesome cartoonist who happens to live in Halifax. Faith is best know for her book Zombies Calling, which came out last year and was released by SLG … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Dead People, Dads and Daedalus: Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home
One of my favourite things about working in a comic store is when someone comes in with a look of complete fear and confusion. Usually these are the people who have never read a comic before, or haven’t read a comic in decades or who just found out that comics aren’t always about Superman. Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home is one of my favourite books to recommend to a non-comic reader (or I should say, new comic … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Run, Run, Run, Run, Runaways!
Ever thought your parents were evil? Ever feel like you were raised by super villains? Playing on suspicions we all might’ve had about our families at some point, the kids in Runaways discover that their parents are part of an association of the most powerful super villains in LA. They band together against their parents (and other bad guys) and run away to make up for the destruction their parents have caused. Runaways is a monthly series … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Comics are for everybody!
Comics are totally rad! But the world of comics can be hard to navigate, and a little off-putting for radical minded folks. I love comics. But when I read some of them, I’m sometimes forcing myself to look past the sexist, racist, ableist, classist and heteronormative aspects of the writing and art. In comics, you don’t always see representations of people who are not white, middle class, able-bodied straight men. When you picture a super-heroine, what … READ MORE
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In the Blog
welcome tiina johns!
We’re thrilled to announce that we have another new blogger! Tiina Johns is going to be writing Comics Are For Everybody, our new Monday comics column and we’re super excited. A little bit about Tiina: Tiina Johns lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she plays music with the Stolen Minks and sells comic books at Strange Adventures Comic Shop. She has given talks about ladies, queer folks and comics at the Anchor Archive Zine Library, on Halifax’s … READ MORE
