New comic teaching teens about sustainability by Angela Boyle ’16
Angela Boyle ’16 wrote Maker Comics: Live Sustainably, a graphic novel with art by Les McClaine for First Second’s Maker Comics series. Coming in April 2022, eight projects get teens and tweens started down the path of living green. You’ll watch as Isaac learns about sustainability from Aurora at his local community garden. Not only will you learn about what sustainability is and why it’s important, but you will also get step-by-step instructions for projects to help you get started living a greener life: beeswax food wrappers, a bee garden, a worm farm, a cute to-go cutlery pack, and so much more.
A-Okay by Jarad Greene ’17 releases on November 2 from HarperAlley (An imprint of HarperCollins). This vulnerable and heartfelt semi-autobiographical middle-grade graphic novel is about acne, identity, and finding your place. When Jay’s acne goes from bad to worse, he is prescribed a powerful medication but it comes with some serious side effects. It’s no help that all of Jay’s friends are in different classes, he has no one to sit with at lunch, and his best friend is avoiding him. To top it off, Jay doesn’t understand why he doesn’t share the feelings a boy named Mark and a girl named Amy have for him.
“Liberal amounts of comedy interspersed with drama make this an enjoyable read, while the ace/aro protagonist and depiction of a teenage boy’s poor self-image keep the otherwise familiar storyline fresh.” —Kirkus Review
Andy Warner’s ’12 Oddball Histories: Pests and Pets
Did you know that 32 pigeons have received medals for wartime valor? And a dog named Laika was the very first creature to orbit the Earth? Or that a popular anime called Rascal the Racoon may be largely responsible for Japan’s huge raccoon population? Oddball Histories: Pests and Pets by Andy Warner ’12 explores the animals we love, the ones we make use of, and the ones that make use of us. Packed with incredible facts and charming stories like these, this is the perfect book for curious readers. This graphic novel was released in September from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Coming in 2023 from Princeton University Press, Glynnis Fawkes is adapting Eric Cline’s 1177 BC as a graphic novel. Archaeologist Cline’s book traces the downfall of the many interconnected civilizations of the Late Bronze Age. And now Glynnis is bringing it to life: “imagining life in the ancient world, drawing ancient art, and figuring out the tech side of putting this book together.”
In response to the changing comics scene, Sean Knickerbocker ’12 has been putting together Rust Belt Review, a quarterly comics anthology that includes both serialized and short fiction comics. Volume 2, shipping on June 14, features comics from Will Dinski, Andrew Greenstone, Sean Knickerbocker, Asia Bey, Alex Nall, Evan Salazar, and Audra Stang. Volume 1 features Juan Fernandez ’14, M.S. Harkness, and Caleb Orecchio in addition to Andrew Greenstone, Sean Knickerbocker, and Audra Stang. Both comics are 9×12 inches, black and white. Volume 1 is 72 pages and volume 2 is 88 pages.
Turner Family Stories with Robyn Smith ’17 and Lillie Harris ’21
Coming out this summer, the Vermont Folklife Center is publishing Turner Family Stories. The book is a collection of comics drawn from the epic story of the Turner Family as shared by Daisy Turner. The work includes a beautiful cover by Robyn Smith ’17 and a tale from Daisy’s own life drawn by Lillie Harris ’21. Daisy Turner was born in 1883 in Grafton, Vermont, the daughter of formerly enslaved Alec and Sally Turner. In 1983, VFC founder Jane Beck met then 100-year-old Daisy and recorded approximately 60 hours of interviews about her family. These interviews are now being used to create these comics.
The Good Fightby Ted Staunton with art by Josh Rosen released on June 1, 2021. Set in Toronto during the summer of 1933, everyone wants to head to the lake, but a neighborhood association is trying to keep out “undesirables,” and its members patrol wearing silver swastika pins. Sid faces difficult choices as he wrestles with honesty, bigotry, poverty and his role in a gang of pickpockets.
You can join Staunton and Josh in a virtual book launch with The Beguiling on June 24th, 7pm Est, live on Instagram.
Interview with Mannie Murphy ’08 on their graphic novel I Never Promised You A Rose Garden
Mannie Murphy ’08 has released their graphic novel, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, out from Fantagraphics on March 23. A native of Portland, OR, they originally published this graphic nonfiction as a series of zines. The story starts with the life and death of River Pheonix before tackling the history of white supremacy in Portland. They gave the following interview with Angela Boyle ’16.
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FREE COMICS
CARTOONING IN AN ANXIOUS AGE
Cartooning In An Anxious Age (pdf)is a free comic by Cara Bean on the act of drawing, which focuses your attention and intimately connects you with the generative act of creation. It’s an inspiring read.
Let's Talk About It: A Graphic Guide to Mental Health
Using the power of comics to teach teens about the way our government worksThis Is What Democracy Looks Like, A Graphic Guide To Governance is a 32-page comic book created by The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS). This short comic guide helps to bring democracy back to the hands of the people by explaining what democracy actually means and how the whole thing works. This guide will be a great jumping-off point to learn about our government.
THE APPLIED CARTOONING MANIFESTO
Download a free copy of The World is Made of Cheese, The Applied Cartooning Manifesto.