Manga: Memoirs, true stories and non-fiction

Book SynopsisThe history of wine is the history of civilisation. It is the religious drink par excellence. In Greek mythology, references to wine abound. In the Bible, after the Flood, Noah plants a vineyard. In the Middle Ages, it was in the monasteries and churches that the syrupy drink of antiquity, unpalatable if not diluted, was transformed into the wine we know today. Wine expert Benoist Simmat and artist Daniel Casanave trace the story of wine from its origins in the Mediterranean to the globalised industry of the 21st century. Taking in the innovations that have punctuated wine’s long history, from oak barrel aging to the invention of the bottle, Wine: A Graphic History will leave readers with a fresh view of our own drinking culture.

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Book Synopsis'A beloved genius of storytelling and illustration' ObserverIn his customary pose as the grumpiest of grumpy old men, Raymond Briggs contemplates old age and death... and doesn't like them much. Illustrated with Briggs's inimitable pencil drawings, Time for Lights Out is a collection of short pieces, some funny, some melancholy, some remembering his wife who died young, others about the joy of grandchildren, of walking the dog... He looks back at his schooldays and his time as an evacuee during the war, and remembers his parents and the house in which he grew up. But most, like this one, are about his home in Sussex: Looking round this house, What will they say, The future ghosts? There must have been Some barmy old bloke here, Long-haired, artsy-fartsy type, Did pictures for kiddy books Or some such tripe. You should have seen the stuff He stuck up in that attic! Snowman this and snowman that, Tons and tons of tat.Trade ReviewA mesmerising jumble of jokes, drawings and elderly gripes… All human life – and death – is here in this lucky dip of memories and fears, irritations and idle thoughts… [Time For Lights Out] has black humour galore…and, as always, Briggs’s drawings have a touch of magic about them, conjuring human beings and their foibles out of a few precious lines. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *[Time for Lights Out is] direct and personal…on the tragi-comedy of growing old. [Briggs] looks on ageing with a beady but sympathetic eye…and mordant humour all the way through… there are plenty of excellent jokes in this book. -- Nicholas Tucker * The Times *Many congratulations to The Oldie's Raymond Briggs on his elegiac new book, Time for Lights Out. The great author and illustrator takes a funny, sombre, bittersweet approach to old age, with fond thoughts of his grandchildren, parents, childhood and his partner Liz. The book is illustrated with his characteristic understanding of real life... Bliss. * The Oldie *A beloved genius of storytelling and illustration. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer, *Graphic Novel of the Month* *

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Book SynopsisA transgender teen named Ryuu finds an escape from the expectations and anxieties of his daily life in the world of street fashion. This personal, heartfelt, fictional story from a Japanese transgender manga creator is completely unique, and comes presented in two extra-large, 400-page volumes. High schooler Ryuu knows he's transgender. But he doesn't have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can't tell his best friend, who he's secretly got a crush on, and he can't tell his mom, who's constantly asking why Ryuu is always "dressing like a boy." He certainly can't tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully. The only time Ryuu feels at ease is when he's wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryuu sees an unexpected sight: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class is shopping for the same clothes that Ryuu loves. And Jin offers Ryuu a proposal: to start their own brand and create apparel to help everyone feel comfortable in their skin. At last, Ryuu has someone he can open up to-and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to everyone else.

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Book SynopsisThe firsthand account of a storyboard artist and his intimate experience with acclaimed filmmaker Wim Wenders. With this book, Stéphane Lemardelé traverses uncharted territory, linking the sequential art form with the often overlooked medium of a storyboarder—the two intrinsically tied but the former seen as an end in and of itself, and the latter a means to someone else's end. In this case, that "someone else" is legendary, cult-classic filmmaker Wim Wenders (Paris Texas, Wings of Desire), and the "end" is his 2015 film Everything Will Be Fine (starring Rachel McAdams and Charlotte Gainsbourg). Through this graphic novel, Stéphane captures not only the formation of this film, but moments of artistic reflection from Wim himself: intimate interactions between the two where Wim ponders the trajectory of his career and evolution as an artist, and the meaning of film as a tool with which to examine our own humanity. A collector's item intended for fans of cinema and memoir, featuring actual storyboards from the production. Translated by the award-winning Nanette McGuinness.

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Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE EISNER AWARDS FOR BEST MEMOIR AND BEST WRITER/ARTIST*'A vast and complex tapestry that captures the humanity of people... it shimmers with grace'ALISON BECHDEL, author of FUN HOMEBefore there was Kate Beaton, New York Times bestselling cartoonist of Hark A Vagrant, there was Katie Beaton of the Cape Breton Beatons, a tight-knit seaside community. After university, Katie heads out west to take advantage of Alberta's oil rush, part of the long tradition of East Coast Canadians who seek gainful employment elsewhere when they can't find it in the homeland they love so much. With the singular goal of paying off her student loans, what the journey will actually cost Katie will be far more than she anticipates.Arriving in Fort McMurray, Katie finds work in the lucrative camps owned and operated by the world's largest oil companies. As one of the few women among thousands of men, the culture shock is palpable. It does not hit home until she moves to a spartan, isolated worksite for higher pay. Katie encounters the harsh reality of life in the oil sands where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet never discussed. For young Katie, her wounds may never heal.Beaton's natural cartooning prowess is on full display as she draws colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, Northern Lights, and Rocky Mountains. Her first full length graphic narrative, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on its egalitarian ethos and natural beauty while simultaneously exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people.Trade ReviewWhat a difficult, gorgeous and abidingly humane book. It really does deserve to win all the prizes. * Observer *A magnificent piece of work.... Ducks feels like a book that holds its own alongside the likes of both Guy Delisle (for the travelogue-y aspects of the book) and Joe Sacco (for the more political aspects of the book) whilst, crucially, carving out something of its very own... One of (if not the) standout graphic novels of 2022. * Bookmunch *Beaton delivers a masterpiece graphic memoir * Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review) *A masterpiece, a heartbreak, a nightlight shining in the dark. -- Patricia Lockwood, author of No One Is Talking About ThisDevastating. Despite the brutal toll Beaton suffered personally, she has woven from her experience a vast and complex tapestry that captures the humanity of people doing a kind of "dirty work" in which we are all complicit, and it shimmers with grace. -- Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home

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Book SynopsisA bravely blunt autobiography about confronting the tangled traumas of gender dysphoria and workplace sexual harassment.When they finally feel able to confront him about it, they get an apology but not really the closure they were looking for. It turns out his reason for upending Pesuyama’s life was simple. He just could. Knowing that ugly truth really doesn’t help Pesuyama at all, and so now they begin a new step in their journey as a nonbinary manga artist—therapy! What will Pesuyama discover about gender, society, and loving yourself in this final volume?

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Book SynopsisGet a charge out of Electricity, a new edition to the Science Comics series!Giant monsters are on the warpath, and it's Menlo the mech's job to protect the city! But when this metal marvel is shut down by an unlucky lightning strike, a resourceful engineer and his high-energy niece will have to find a way to plug in and power up to save everyone from certain doom!From simple circuits to giant grids, fossil fuel power plants to wind farms, electricity keeps the world running. In Science Comics: Electricity, you'll discover where electricity comes from, why lightning suddenly strikes, and how we've harnessed it all to turn the lights on in your room. Ready for action? Get energized with electricity!

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Book Synopsis#1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast's new graphic narrative, exploring the surreal nighttime world inside her mindand untangling one of our most enduring human mysteries: dreams.Ancient Greeks, modern seers, Freud, Jung, neurologists, poets, artists, shamanshumanity has never ceased trying to decipher one of the strangest unexplained phenomena we all experience: dreaming. Now, in her new book, Roz Chast illustrates her own dream world, a place that is sometimes creepy but always hilarious, accompanied by an illustrated tour through Dream-Theory Land guided by insights from poets, philosophers, and psychoanalysts alike. Illuminating, surprising, funny, and often profound, I Must Be Dreaming explores Roz Chast's newest subject of fascinationand promises to make it yours, too.

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Book SynopsisThis is the classic novel brought to life in full colour! 'I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future'. Classical Comics' first Dickens title is probably his best-loved story. Scrooge gets a rude awakening to how his life is, and how it should be. Full of Christmas Spirit(s), this is a book that you'll want to read all year round!Trade ReviewIn 1951, Alastair Simm portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in the classic black and white film and vocally reprised the role in a 1971 30 minute TV animated version. And there have been many other film and TV versions as well as comic adaptions over the decades. I know. I'm old. I've seen them.So,dusting the spiders webs from my head,I sat down to read Classical Comics version because I had seen some artwork back in May but I really wondered whether the full version would work -could the team add a little extra or a twist to make this better than any other version?No.And by A"noA" I mean that there was no need to add a little something extra or twist. This is the original Dickens story that gave us goosebumps when the teacher read it to us all those years ago in school.Mike Collins and David Roach [who I believe used to produce a Small Press mag titled A"HellfireA" back in the 1980s] will be familiar to comic fans. But could they adapt Mr. Dickens' classic?Of course they can! I could imagine receiving this as a Christmas present and sitting down to read it after dark. It's everything you expect from A Christmas Carol and fun to read and look at.Collins and Roach. Fantastic art. And the colourist,James Offredi does a really great job that adds so much more to the art -look at Marley's Ghost. Wonderful.Original Text is great but I think for younger readers it has to be Quick Text. I have to honestly say that I do,for some reason,look for faults or something not quite right. Why I have no idea. The logo A"Classical ComicsA" says it all.As with the other titles there are the list of characters the Dramatis personae,a lot of information on the author,how the book was drawn,lettered and even Teachers Resources notes. Perhaps the government ought to invest money by buying and distributing these books to schools to educate children but it seems they don't have that kind of money [only the kind for bailing out crooked bankers].Reading for fun or otherwise,these books,whether Henry V, MacBeth, Jane Eyre or A Christmas Carol,cannot be faulted and here's to the companies continued success!www.comicbitsonline.comTable of ContentsDramatis Persona 4A Christmas CarolStave OneMarley's Ghost 7Stave TwoThe First of the Three Spirits 42Stave ThreeThe Second of the Three Spirits 69Stave FourThe Last of the Spirits 95Stave FiveThe End of it 127What the Dickens? 144The Dickens Family Tree 149Dickens Timeline 150Hard Times 152A Very Victorian Christmas 154Page Creation 156

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Book Synopsis"Eleven storytellers chronicle their journeys from places all over the world—including Guatemala, Chad, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan—to the United States.Each story compellingly details a variety of experiences the individual immigrant or refugee had, highlighting differences between stories that too often are lumped together or not given an opportunity to be heard. Each storyteller was paired with an illustrator from a similar linguistic and cultural heritage. The thoughtfulness of the matches shines through, as every panel authentically conveys the narrators’ poignant and emotional memories, highlighting the beauty of their homelands and the cultures they still identify with. The narratives show the struggles and triumphs of acclimating to a new language, culture, and worldview as well as dealing with obstacles like racism and microaggressions...Will strongly evoke both thought-provoking insights and empathy."—KIRKUS STARRED REVIEWGreen Card Voices presents a bold and unconventional collection of first-person stories told and illustrated by immigrants and refugees living across the United States. Stanford scientist, deaf student, indigenous activist, Black entrepreneur—all immigrants and refugees—recount journeys from their home countries in ten vibrantly illustrated stories. Faced by unfamiliar vistas, they are welcomed with possibilities, and confronted by challenges and prejudice. Timely, sobering, and insightful, Our Stories Carried Us Here acts as a mirror and a light to connect us all with immigrant and refugee experiences.

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Book SynopsisAfter a mission of vengeance in Helsinki, James Bond returns to London and assumes the workload of a fallen 00 Section agent. His new mission takes him to Berlin, presumably to break up an agile drug-trafficking operation. But Bond has no idea of the forces ranged in secret against him, the full range of an operation that's much scarier and more lethal than he could possibly imagine. Berlin is about to catch fire... and James Bond is trapped inside. Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents VARGR, the debut storyline in the all-new James Bond comic book series, as crafted by masterful writer Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, The Authority) and artist Jason Masters (Batman Incorporated, Guardians of the Galaxy). Reviews: "We are officially spoiled when it comes to the adventures of Agent 007, for casual and diehard fans of the character alike." - Ain't It Cool News "Tense and fast-moving." - Comic Book Resources "This debut from Dynamite Entertainment is everything I could have wanted." - Newsarama "An amazing interpretation of the James Bond characters and his world in a way that feels like it's an ode to both Fleming's writing and the film adaptations." - Multiversity Comics "A slick, action-packed action thriller... Bloody entertaining." - Big Comic Page "The art team of Jason Masters and Guy Majors steals the show." - Geek Tyrant "Strong action pieces... full of pace and movement." - Comic Crusaders "This is classic Bond here. Odd, strong henchmen, brutal fighting, lots of bodies, and a maniacal mastermind leaving Bond in a deathtrap..." - Bleeding Cool "Wonderfully highlight(s) character and motivations for 007 and his foes." - Comic Buzz

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Book SynopsisThis graphic memoir of a lost homeland is a wordless narrative by an author homesick for a home she has never visited.

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Book SynopsisA gripping graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001, in time for the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

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Book SynopsisIn a world where shamans communicate with the dead and call forth the power of legendary spirits to defeat their enemies in both body and soul, Yoh is a teenager with the ultimate ambition: to become the Shaman King, the one and only shaman who may commune with the Great Spirit and help remake the world for the better. But the road to this pinnacle of spiritual power runs through the Shaman Fight, a gauntlet of battles with rival mediums who call forth dizzying powers from the world of the dead in their own bids for the crown. This volume corresponds to volumes 13-15 of the original release, featuring updated translation and lettering.

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Book SynopsisIllustrated by leading UK manga artists, this series feeds into the growing popularity of manga worldwide, and presents Shakespeare''s classic works in a highly visual and dynamic form.Shakespeare''s tale of fantasy has fascinated audiences for centuries. The perfect platform for a new generation to fall in love with Shakespeare''s genius. Prospero, robbed of his dukedom, is marooned on a wild island with his daughter Miranda. He uses his magic skills to shipwreck his usurping brother and those who exiled him. Prospero calls forth the spirit Ariel to torment the castaways, but it is the greater power of love that triumphs.

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Book SynopsisThe Most Important Comic Book On Earth is a global collaboration for planetary change, bringing together a diverse team of 300 leading environmentalists, artists, authors, actors, filmmakers, musicians, and more to present over 120 stories to save the world. Whether it''s inspirational tales from celebrity names such as Cara Delevingne and Andy Serkis, hilarious webcomics from War and Peas and Ricky Gervais, artworks by leading illustrators David Mack and Tula Lotay, calls to action from activists George Monbiot and Jane Goodall, or powerful stories by Brian Azzarello and Amy Chu, each of the comics in this anthology will support projects and organizations fighting to save the planet and Rewrite Extinction.

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Book SynopsisFear, corruption and treachery abound in this political satire set in the aftermath of Stalin's death in the Soviet Union in 1953. When the leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, has a stroke - the political gears begin to turn, plunging the super-state into darkness, uncertainty and near civil war. The struggle for supreme power will determine the fate of the nation and of the world. And it all really happened.Trade Review"Within minutes of starting to read the graphic novel, I knew I wanted to make the movie version." - Armando Iannucci, writer/director (The Death of Stalin, Veep, In The Loop, The Thick of It) "Read the Death of Stalin and just loved it. I started laughing the moment he died!" - David Mandel, showrunner of HBO's Veep, writer of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, and SNL "Oozing with sleazy, appalling chicanery, the narrative by writer Nury (I Am Legion) and artist Robin (Death to the Tsar) captures a turbulent and disturbing period with solid visual storytelling. Robin depicts the sordid goings-on with elegant caricatures that give a clear view of the complete and utter awfulness of the cast, adding enough historical flair to nail down the era. It's proof of the theory that tragedy plus time equals (very dark) comedy." - Publishers Weekly "Juicy and engrossing, this story speaks of a style in political machinations going back centuries and inspiring both revulsion and twisted admiration." - Library Journal "It's a fun take on history that'll have you researching what's true and what's close to the truth. But the key is, through all the weird, the story is beyond entertaining. 9 out of 10" - Graphic Policy "One of the better political comedies to grace the comics page in recent years... expertly handled by writer Fabien Nury and artists Theirry Robin and Lorien Aureyre" - Vulture "If you like scathing black comedy with a lot on its mind, you can't do better than The Death of Stalin. 9 out of 10" - Capeless Crusader It doesn't matter if you're into historical events, everyone needs to pick this novel up." - Yelling About Comics "An entertaining novel" - Flickering Myth "A wonderful political thriller with some insight to the state of the USSR at the time of Stalin's death" - Rogues Portal "A fascinating examination of insanity and treachery" - Multiversity Comics "The book is visually striking and unexpectedly cinematic" - Shelf Abuse "A fantastic, satirical take on the course of events." - Grovel

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Book SynopsisThis is the classic work from Gaiman and McKean, offered in hardcover with an expanded art section and introductions by Alan Moore, Paul Gravett, and Neil Gaiman! A narrator remembers his childhood encounters with an old osteopath who claims to have treated Al Capone. Gradually, England of the 1960s and Chicago of the 1920s merge into a haunting and beautifully drawn tale...

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Book SynopsisVOLUME 1 IN THE UNFORGETTABLE STORY OF AN EXTRAORDINARY CHILDHOODThe Arab of the Future tells the unforgettable story of Riad Sattouf''s childhood, spent in the shadows of three dictators - Muammar Gaddafi, Hafez al-Assad, and his father.A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR AN OBSERVER GRAPHIC BOOK OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS'' TOP BOOK OF THE YEAR''I tore through it... The most enjoyable graphic novel I''ve read in a while'' Zadie Smith''I joyously recommend this book to you'' Mark Haddon''Riad Sattouf is one of the great creators of our time'' Alain De Botton''Beautifully-written and drawn, witty, sad, fascinating... Brilliant'' Simon Sebag MontefioreIn a striking, virtuoso graphic style that captures both the immediacy of childhood and the fervour of political idealism, Riad Sattouf recounts his nomadic childhood growing up in rural FrancTrade ReviewI tore through two volumes of The Arab of the Future, by Riad Sattouf - it's the most enjoyable graphic novel I've read in a while * Zadie Smith *This is a masterpiece that deserves the widest readership. The Arab Of The Future reminds us that, in talented hands, graphic novels are capable of carrying the weightiest themes, making us think, and touching our hearts while also keeping us hugely entertained. Riad Sattouf is one of the great creators of our time' * Alain De Botton *The Arab of the Future is wonderfully observed, funny, grim, sharp and sad. Riad Sattouf, with his ear for anecdote, his nimble drawing and his understanding of human frailty, has created a masterpiece. * Posy Simmonds *I joyously recommend this book to you. You will be moved, entertained and edified. Often simultaneously * Mark Haddon *Beautifully-written and drawn, witty, sad, fascinating... Brilliant * Simon Sebag Montefiore *Riad Sattouf's poignant memoir is the record of a single, unique life, but it's one of those 'single windows' through which the world is made newly visible. It's worth a shelf full of books about identity politics, history or political science. * Hari Kunzru *Sattouf experienced both Gaddafi's Libya and Hafez al-Assad's Syria while still a small boy. Kids don't spend a lot of time reflecting on totalitarianism, but they do form strong impressions. His simple depictions of living in an almost-abandoned building for expatriates in Libya, or of watching Assad praying on TV are the kind of banal micro-details that would lose their significance in written prose. Captured in the panels of a cartoon strip, however, they attain a luminous resonance that lingers long after you've finished the book. * Guardian *Not since Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir of revolutionary Iran, has a comic book seemed so important, or been so acclaimed... There is a feeling that the book throws some light both on the roots of the Arab spring, and what has happened since. In a country - and beyond it, a world - in which bewilderment and anxiety at recent events polarises communities as often as it unites them, it has an authenticity with which no expert or talking head could ever hope to compete. * Observer *Excellent... The graphic novel has proved itself again and again. It already has its canon: Art Spiegelman on the Holocaust, Marjane Satrapi on girlhood in Islamist Iran, and, perhaps most accomplished of all, Joe Sacco's Footnotes in Gaza, a work of detailed and self-reflexive history. Edging towards this company comes Riad Sattouf's childhood memoir of tyranny... It's this sort of detail, drawn with the cartoon clarity of childhood perception, that makes the book such a success... The Arab of the Future is an authentic, emotionally honest memoir, and much more useful background reading for present events than a romanticised account of cosmopolitan, bourgeois Damascus would be. * Guardian *Marvellous... Sattouf records it all in an endearing cartoony style, his clean lines enhanced by discreet colour shading to indicate which country they're living in at the time. His comic timing is immaculate, but there's always an edge to his humour. Packing a host of unforgettable scenes, The Arab of the Future begs to be read in one long sitting. * Herald (Paperback of the Week) *Riad Sattouf's shockingly blunt The Arab of the Future, which tells the story of the French cartoonist's itinerant childhood in the Middle East, is a must for anyone who wants to understand more about the failure of the pan-Arab dream, with all the consequences this has had for the situation in which we now find ourselves. It's also a page-turner, dissecting as it does the psychology of a man (Riad's Syrian father) whose increasingly deluded idealism results in a form of tyranny when it comes to his own family. * Guardian (Best Graphic Books of 2015) *Captivating, compelling, informative and an amazing read... Using his voice as a child, Saffouf deals with the topics such as Arabs v Jews, America and the Western Influences, the madness of Gaddafi, racism in France and the general treatment of women. With these topics one might think it's a heavy read but by telling his life in graphic format is ingenious and powerful... An important book. I will be recommending this to all our customers, a must read. * Sheila O'Reilly, Dulwich Books *Drawn with remarkable flair and a winning visual style, Sattouf's memoir is an incredible achievement. The Arab of the Future took me to places that, until now, I only really knew through headlines. Vital, funny and poignant, it's Sattouf's focus on the common aspects of childhood that gives this book so much punch * Gary Perry, Foyles Staff Pick *Fascinating... A really moving and at times quite melancholy story of an odd childhood. I'm really looking forward to reading Volume 2 in September * Anna James, A Case for Books *Epic... Told with childlike wonder and the merest hint of mature understanding, it's a wide-eyed and unforgettable tour of the early days of Muammar Gaddafi's Libya and Hafez al-Assad's Syria (via rural Brittany), as Sattouf's professor father pursues an unbridled ambition to help build a proud Arab nation through the power of education. * Bookanista *Exquisitely illustrated, and filled with experiences of misfortune bordering on the farcical, Mr. Sattouf's book is a disquieting yet essential read * New York Times *Sattouf's work is laced with astute observations of human beings. His memoirs often dwell on their failings: hypocrisy, cowardice, bullying. Yet there's humour too - mainly because his humans are so helplessly absurd * Guardian *Engrossing . . . Sattouf writes in a fluid prose, beautifully translated by Sam Taylor * New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice) *The Arab of the Future has become that rare thing in France's polarized intellectual climate: an object of consensual rapture, hailed as a masterpiece in the leading journals of both the left and the right. . . . it has, in effect, made Sattouf the Arab of the present in France * New Yorker *Absolutely mesmerising...The Arab of the Future is a tremendously engaging story of family life. It's also a fascinating personal insight into differing cultural attitudes, the physical reality of living under two distinct Arab leaders and how national/social/religious ideologies filter through the consciousness of a wide-eyed adolescent. It's a heartfelt, refreshing take on growing up in unique circumstances. * Lonesome Reader *The Arab of the Future confirms Riad Sattouf's place among the greatest cartoonists of his generation * Le Monde (France) *As the very young Riad Sattouf navigates life in Libya, France, and Syria, he gets a serious education in the mysterious vectors of power that shape not just the political world, but the intimate sphere of his own family. With charming yet powerful drawings and vivid sensory details, Sattouf delivers a child's-eye view of the baffling adult world in all its complexity, corruption, and delusion. This is a beautiful, funny, and important graphic memoir * Alison Bechdel, author of FUN HOME *Sattouf's book takes us from place to place and culture to culture, and in the emphasis of differences there is also the unveiling of similarities... Sattouf retells, with words and images, the heartbreaking realisation of the non-place in which many immigrants are forced to exist... Sattouf's book is challenging amongst other reasons because it deals with the most demonised, othered identity in Europe. Because the narrative takes the characters from country to country, language to language and culture to culture, the narrative perspective is necessarily comparative, and because things are never black and white, either/or, often the conclusions are contradictory... There is a loneliness in all of Sattouf's characters, who, often, do not really talk to each other, but to themselves, or keep a repressed/repressive silence. In the constant coming and going of the trial and error from country to country, the immigrant's story is, in spite of the presence of family, one of solitude, but moved forward by hope... In this sense The Arab of the Future is a profoundly political and timely book... The present historical moment in Europe calls more than ever for exercises of solidarity and empathy: in retelling his past Sattouf is not merely retreating into himself, but telling us very important things about the historical past, present and possible futures of us all. * Comics Grid *Riven with flashes of dark humour... The penmanship is simple and witty, oddly it reminded me of Matt in the Telegraph. Despite writing for Charlie Hebdo, Sattouf had never been an overtly political cartoonist and yet in The Arab of The Future he has said more about the problems of the Arab world than a hundred newspaper articles. The story ends in 1984 with the family about to return to Syria. The sequel is already out in France with an English edition to come in September. I can't wait. * CapX *Engaging and lovely to look at . . . Sattouf has an eye for grimly funny details . . . and milks the disjunction between how he experienced his political environment at the time and how he understands it now for all it's worth * Los Angeles Times (Best Books of the Year 2015) *Sattouf's timely graphic memoir - a bestseller in France, where he lives - recounts his upbringing in Syria and Libya. Despite the starkness of much of his story, Sattouf maintains a playful touch in all his panels * San Francisco Chronicle (Best of 2015) *With a judicious eye for an anecdote, and even more judicious doses of commentary, Sattouf - a former contributor to the French humor magazine Charlie Hebdo - delivers a vicious denunciation of pan-Arabism and Islamic politics. It might seem impossible to depict the recent history of the Middle East using Sattouf's zany drawing style... But Sattouf uses this style to establish a subtle and contradictory relationship with his reader. He simultaneously disclaims the reader's attention - No, nothing important going on here - and challenges the discerning few to look closer * NPR *The hundred-and-fifty-odd pages of Riad Sattouf's internationally bestselling graphic memoir . . . move with an irrepressible comic velocity. The book is told Candide-style . . . an indictment of the adult world and its insidious methods of diminishment we all have either faced or been fortunate enough to escape. * New Republic *The book, whose title pokes fun at Abdel-Razak's pan-Arabist obsessions, shows the hypocrisy behind one man's understanding of that failed political ideology, makes tangible the absurdity of living under propaganda-mad dictators, and it humanizes, for better or worse, certain segments of very poor Muslim populations in two specific parts of the Middle East. * Vice *The Arab of the Future maintains a balance of comedy and commentary and ...is carried by excellent drawings. Riad Sattouf's work takes its place alongside other classic animated retrospective memoirs from the region, Persepolis . . . and Waltz with Bashir * New York Journal of Books *The book's highest achievement is the ability to portray the tacit power structures that govern family and nation through the eyes of a child, with all of a child's parental worship and bafflement... The Arab of the Future begs for a more complex and compassionate understanding of an area of the world that's all too often the target of misunderstanding and fear. * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *The Arab of the Future is already being compared to biographical classics like Maus and Persepolis, and the modern relevance of the countries in which it is set is sure to make this a widely talked about book this year * Mentalfloss.com *In his comics, Sattouf deftly weaves the political background with the everyday. He tells a personal story but also observes the society and country around him, and his great sense of humor makes reading the book thoroughly enjoyable. It'll have you laughing to the point of tears. * Haaretz (Israel) *Rarely I've encountered a more convincing combination of wit and depth * Frankfurter Allgemeine (Germany) *Brilliant, sharp and surprising * Repubblica (Italy) *touching, chilling and very instructive * El Mundo (Spain) *Sattouf presents timely, candid insights into life behind the curtain in news-making nations - namely, in this case, Libya and Syria... he nails the inexplicable dizziness of being a child * Globe and Mail *Sattouf's account of his childhood is a deeply personal recollection of a peripatetic youth that can resonate with audiences across the world. It also paints an incisive picture of the Arab world in the late 1970s and early 1980s that sets the stage for the revolutionary changes that would grip and roil the region decades later. * Foreign Policy *Wide-eyed, yet perceptive, the book documents the wanderings of [Sattouf's] mismatched parents? His bookish French mother and pan-Arabist father, Abdel-Razak Sattouf . . . often disquieting, but always honest * France 24 *An important introduction to the Middle East... This recently-published graphic memoir proves that the medium can be just as important - and informative - as traditional non-fiction for those looking to understand a complex region... At once touching and humorous...Whether you're looking for a diverting read or a first-person account of modern history, The Arab of the Future is a must-read. * The Culture Trip *Very funny and very sad . . . the social commentary here is more wistful and melancholy than sharp-edged . . . subtly written and deftly illustrated, with psychological incisiveness and humor * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *Despite his father's determination to integrate his son into Arab society, little Sattouf - with his long blond hair - never fully fits in, and this report reads like the curious pondering of an alien from another world. Caught between his parents, Sattouf makes the best of his situation by becoming a master observer and interpreter, his clean, cartoonish art making a social and personal document of wit and understanding. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Absorbing ... rich in detail and character ... a remarkable and engrossing book * The Slings and Arrows *

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Book SynopsisA love story between an openly gay novelist and a young man coping with grief that was recently turned into an anime film!Ever since his parents disowned him for being gay, Shun has been living with his aunt on a small island near Okinawa. One day, he meets Mio, a high school student who recently lost his own parents and now spends his days sitting by the sea. The two young men begin to open up to each other...until Mio reveals that he's leaving. Three years later, an adult Mio returns to the island to confess his true feelings, but is Shun ready for a relationship?

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Book SynopsisHarriet Tubman leads a daring Civil War raid in the latest in the Hazardous Tales series!Trade ReviewA first-choice selection for any children’s library and a fresh addition to Black History Month and Women’s History Month book lists. * School Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisFor first-time visitors and seasoned gourmets alike, Japan Eats! is an entertaining guide to the pleasures and pitfalls of dining in Japan—with hilarious insights and tips not found in other books. Whether it's the proper technique for holding chopsticks or the etiquette of slurping soup, author Betty Reynolds reassures the bewildered and includes mini-lessons on how to read the curtains at the entrance, the menus on the wall, and even the signs on the bathroom doors!What are uni sea urchins and how do you eat them? What are "dancing shrimp"? What is the difference between tonkatsu and takoyaki? Do you pick them up with your fingers? Which sauce to use? And just what is in that sauce? From world-famous sushi to fatally attractive fugu, it's all explained clearly and humorously in this sketchbook filled with charming full-color illustrations and insightful texts.So don't be intimidated—dive in! You are bound to have endless food adventures in Japan. This book shows you how.Trade Review"Giving a virtual tour of Japan, Betty Reynolds' Japan Eats! is a picture book that beautifully and humorously illustrates typical Japanese menus…A good guide for first-time visitors, as well as gourmet travelers to Japan." --Kyoto Journal

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Book SynopsisOn December 9, 2014, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a 576-page report that strongly condemned the CIA for its secret and brutal use of torture in the treatment of prisoners during the George W. Bush Administration after 9/11. This deeply researched and fully documented investigation caused monumental controversy, interest, and concern, yet much of the American public found the report to be dense and inaccessible to the general reader. Using their tried, tested, and celebrated graphic storytelling method, Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón have summarized, illustrated, and made accessible the damning torture report. Jacobson's text highlights the key lessons learned from the Report-that the CIA lied about the brutality of the techniques used, about their effectiveness, about how many people they detained and subjected to these techniques, and that they routinely dismissed the concerns expressed by interrogators in the field. Colón's unmistakable talent as an illustrator adds power and poignancy to the facts, infusing them with a sense of immediacy and humanity that is unforgettable. With its unique format, The Torture Report will finally allow Americans to lift the veil and fully understand the crimes committed by the CIA.

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Book SynopsisA gorgeous, collectible hardcover edition of Will Eisner’s pioneering graphic novel to celebrate the author’s 100th birthday.

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Book Synopsis'The best book - in any medium - I have read about our current moment ... A MASTERPIECE' Zadie Smith 'A masterpiece for our times' Observer WHERE IS SABRINA? The answer is hidden on a videotape, a tape which is en route to several news outlets, and about to go viral. A landmark graphic novel, already hailed as one of the most exciting and moving stories of recent years, Sabrina is a tale of modern mystery, anxiety, fringe paranoia and mainstream misinformation -- a book that tells the story of those left behind in the wake of tragedy, has important things to say about how we live now, and possesses the rare power to leave readers pulverised.

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Book SynopsisThis manga recreation of Shakespeare''s text transfers the action from Ancient Rome to a future Iraq, once again facing dictatorship after its prolonged struggles to establish a democracy. Part of the successful Manga Shakespeare series, a fusion of classic Shakespeare with manga visuals.

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Book SynopsisAnswering questions such as 'how can I change my pain experience?', 'what is pain?', and 'how do nerves work?', this short research-based graphic book reveals just how strange pain is and explains how understanding it is often the key to relieving its effects. Studies show that understanding how pain is created and maintained by the nervous system can significantly lessen the pain you experience. The narrator in this original, gently humorous book explains pain in an easy-to-understand, engaging graphic format and reveals how to change the mind's habits to transform pain.Trade ReviewThis seemingly innocuous picture book on pain is so much more. Steve Haines has compiled a brilliant little volume of insights. Its colorful images invoke a playful approach to unlearning old patterns. Its rich scientific information helps disassemble, piece by piece, the way we've come to think about pain as a culture. Haines takes the next step, too; he doesn't leave us wondering what to do next, but offers practical tools we can use to rewire our mind-body response to pain. This tiny book packs a powerful punch! -- Bo Forbes, Psy.D., psychologist, yoga teacher, and author of 'Yoga for Emotional Balance'With this straightforward, smart, and visually rich book, Steve Haines has done a huge service to people by helping them to better map their bodies, resolve fear of movement, and to find their way out of pain. This book is incredibly easy to follow, but doesn't dumb down pain science in the least. Understanding what pain is is a crucial part of healing, and this succinct and wonderfully illustrated book is the perfect resource for educating people about why they experience pain, and how they can "unlearn" it. I can't wait to give this book to all of my clients and to recommend it to all of my listeners. Whether you are a person suffering with chronic pain, or a teacher or practitioner who wants to better understand pain in the context of your work, read this book. It is a tremendous resource. -- Brooke Thomas, Certified Rolfer, movement educator, and creator of the Liberated Body PodcastSteve and Sophie have done an extraordinary thing: they have managed to make pain beautiful and interesting. If you want to really understand your relationship with pain and be thoroughly entertained at the same time then this is the book for you. -- Fred Deakin, Professor of Interactive Digital Arts at University of the Arts London, half of the band Lemon Jelly, and founder and director of Airside design agencyThe wisdom and knowledge in this seemingly simple book sneaks up on the reader. Initially one would not think that such a depth of insight could be infused in a picture book. However, it can be likened to a printed version of a TED Talk. It engages the reader more and more with each page until in the end the reader realizes they want to read it again because it contains so much useful information in such an easily accessible manner. -- David Berceli, Ph.D., Creator of Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)Pain Is Really Strange is a revelation. I have been actively managing multiple health conditions for over 20 years. In his book, Steve unpacks information about our brains, nerves, and body memories, sketching out a framework, which has presented me with a new, insightful perspective on my pain/health/medical issues. He differentiates different types of pain and eloquently articulates bits of information I have encountered over the years but have not been able to join up. I shall re-read it often as a touchstone. Brilliant! -- Craig Givens, someone who manages more pain that he would likeExplaining your chronic pain to your friends, family or boss can be difficult. But what if there were a tool, which could not only help your support network better understand your suffering, it could also help relieve your pain? The research-based graphic novel Pain is Really Strange by body worker Steve Haines and illustrator Sophie Standing might be able to accomplish both. ...So take 30 minutes and read this book - not only will it give you an informative, entertaining method of translating pain to your support network, research shows that it could also relieve your pain. -- Pain Pathways MagazineA beautifully illustrated book that provides a fun yet informative narration of the science of pain. -- Kay Mitchell, MFHT * International Therapist *...Sophie Standing's artwork is instrumental to the success of this volume. She has a distinctive and engaging style that brings to life text that could be dull or overly technical without this visual element. This is a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in biology or medicine and it works extremely well in the graphic novel format. -- The Hub: Your Connection to Teen Collections YALSAThis book is not for all people with chronic pain - but I would highly recommend it for people living with pain who have the emotional intelligence to look within and for whom visualisation, meditation and self-awareness might provide 'creative responses'. It is a great buy for the right person. -- Felicia Cox * The Association for Perioperative Practice *Table of Contents1. Introduction. Pain is really strange. Acute versus chronic pain, definitions and some history of pain. Your brain's assessment of danger is essential to the pain experience. 2. Pain is Complex. Your brain often makes mistakes, chronic pain is a fault in the alarm system. 3. It Is Not About The Tissues. Sensitisation in the nervous and immune systems and how tissues heal in a few months. 4. How Do Nerves Work? Knowing how nerves work helps understand chronic pain. 5. There Is Something You Can Do To Change Your Pain Experience. Creativity, visualisation, movement, body awareness, and skillfull language are tools to change pain. 6. References are in footnotes in the book and in more detail on www.painisreallystrange.com.

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Book SynopsisThe port of Tianjin is where the ancient Chinese empire met the sea. The turn of the 20th century was a tumultuous time for the city, with the Qing dynasty on its last legs and the Boxers unleashing their ill-fated rebellion against the European trading concessions that had colonised its streets.For Tianjin’s inhabitants, daily life carried on. These hardy people were shaped by the bitter earth from which they sprang, and every once in a while, there would emerge someone so remarkable that a new name would be inducted into Tianjin’s hall of fame.From a miracle doctor to an ill-mannered mynah bird, they came from every walk of life and in all shapes and sizes. Together, their stories make up the rich tapestry of a city that the modern world has washed away...

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Book Synopsis“It is fantastic! Not only is Eric Powell's art on point, but Harold Schechter introduces some new ideas about Ed Gein that have never been heard.” - THE LAST PODCAST ON THE LEFT“A natural choice for true-crime fans.”―BOOKLIST“As extensively researched as the Alan Moore/Eddie Campbell Jack the Ripper graphic novel From Hell, ”Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?” is a masterpiece of the form, standing as the best possible dramatization of Ed Gein's tale in any medium.”―BLOODY DISGUSTING“This is a new true crime comics essential.”―SYFY WIREOne of the greats in the field of true crime literature, Harold Schechter (Deviant, The Serial Killer Files, Hell's Princess), teams with five-time Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist Eric Powell (The Goon, Big Man Plans, Hillbilly) to bring you the tale of one of the most notoriously deranged serial killers in American history, Ed Gein.Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? is an in-depth exploration of the Gein family and what led to the creation of the necrophile who haunted the dreams of 1950s America and inspired such films as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs.Painstakingly researched and illustrated, Schechter and Powell's true crime graphic novel takes the Gein story out of the realms of exploitation and gives the reader a fact-based dramatization of these tragic, psychotic and heartbreaking events. Because, in this case, the truth needs no embellishment to be horrifying.

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Book SynopsisThe wife of Japan s most lauded manga-ka documents a year in their lives with her own artistry. In 1981, Fujiwara Maki began a picture diary about daily life with her son and husband, the legendary manga author Tsuge Yoshiharu. Publishing was not her original intention. I wanted to record our family s daily life while our son, Shosuke, was small. But as 8mm cameras were too expensive and we were poor, I decided on the picture diary format instead. I figured Shosuke would enjoy reading it when he got older. Drawn in a simple, personable style, and covering the same years fictionalized in Tsuge s final masterpiece The Man Without Talent, Fujiwara s journal focuses on the joys of daily life amidst the stresses of childrearing, housekeeping, and managing a depressed husband. A touching and inspiring testimony of one Japanese woman's resilience, My Picture Diary is also an important glimpse of the enigma that is Tsuge. Fujiwara s diary is unsparing. It provides a stark picture of the gender divide in their household: Tsuge sleeps until noon and does practically nothing. He never compliments her cooking, and dictates how money is spent. Not once is he shown drawing. And yet Fujiwara remains surprisingly empathetic toward her mercurial husband. Translated by Ryan Holmberg, this edition sheds light on Fujiwara's life, her own career in art, writing, and underground theater, and her extensive influence upon her husband's celebrated manga.

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Book Synopsis'We are living in a golden age of graphic novels and memoirs, and MEXIKID is one of the best I've ever read' - New York Times'Beautiful ... An important human story wrapped up in a stunning visual tale' – Chris Mould____________________Pedro is a Mexikid, a kid born in America to parents from Mexico: a kid who doesn't quite belong in either place. So he's not sure what to expect when his dad announces that the whole family (all 11 of them!) will be piling into their Winnebago to drive to Mexico with one mission: to bring home their abuelito, their legendary crime-fighting grandfather, who was once part of the Mexican revolution. Allegedly. But their grandfather has a mission of his own and he won't leave Mexico until it's complete. This deeply personal and hilarious graphic memoir captures an unforgettable journey filled with cousins, comics, heartbreak and family history ... The road trip of a lifetime!Trade ReviewHilarious, wide-ranging and unforgettably evocative * Guardian *We are living in a golden age of graphic novels and memoirs, and MEXIKID is one of the best I've ever read. There are genuine laugh-out-loud moments throughout, but there's an equal amount of poignancy. * New York Times *A stunning visual tale... The graphic novel was invented for important human stories like this * Chris Mould *Full of humour, heart, and a decent amount of gross-out moments, Martín’s coming-of-age memoir hits all the right notes. The vibrant, action-packed panels offer plentiful details for readers to pore over, from scenes of crowded family chaos to the sights of Mexico. A retro yet timeless story of family and identity. * Kirkus, starred review *A delight of perfectly-pitched, multi-layered wisdom, fun and energy, Mexikid is incredibly rewarding to re-read, to uncover more jokes, more heart, and more meaning. Sumptuously characterful, super-colourful, and luminously quirky, I loved it. * Lovereading Star Book *Mexikid is a vibrant, entertaining and moving coming-of-age story A visually enticing book which is one of the most beautifully produced graphic novels for children I have seen...with universal themes of family, growing up and belonging. * Just Imagine *Poignant, laugh-out-loud funny, and masterfully weaves road trip misadventures with history and family legacies. This is one of those books that kids will pass to their friends as soon as they have finished it. * Victoria Jamieson, creator of National Book Award Finalist When Stars Are Scattered *This is really a life-is-stranger-than-fiction book filled with adventure, discovery, unforgettable people, hijinks, crazy haircuts, and real-life superheroes. A wonderful summer read for kids (and adults!) of all ages. * Nicole Miller, Barbara’s Books bookseller *There’s much to savor here, from the thoughtful exploration of bicultural identity to the good-natured snarky teasing of siblings to pivotal moments of growth amid guileless kidhood. It's a tightrope balancing act of antic humor and genuine pathos, and Martín pulls it off with tremendous flair. * Booklist, starred review *Equal parts hilarious and tear-jerking moments abound, rendered in a cartoon style with vibrant color palates that shift depending on the sequence’s tone. This artistically inventive read, which teems with lively characters and emotion, is a joy to behold. * Publishers Weekly, starred review *…filled with adventure, discovery, unforgettable people, hijinks, crazy haircuts, and real-life superheroes. A wonderful summer read… * Nicole Miller, Barbara’s Books bookseller (and on Goodreads) *Mexikid is a delightful story packed with family history, culture, closeness… and a Winnebago full of laughs. * Terri Libenson, New York Times, bestselling author of Emmie & Friends series *Soaked in a reality that few can master on the page as well, Mexikid may be one of the best comics I’ve ever read for this age range. One of the most enjoyable books you’ll encounter out there. A true modern day classic. * School Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisA biographical tale that follows Hollywood revolutionary Rod Serling's rise to fame in the Golden Age of Television, and his descent into his own personal Twilight Zone. We recognise him as our sharply dressed, cigarette-smoking tour guide of The Twilight Zone, but the entertainment business once regarded him as the “Angry Young Man” of Television. Before he became the revered master of science fiction, Rod Serling was just a writer who had to fight to make his voice heard. He vehemently challenged the networks and viewership alike to expand their minds and standards—rejecting notions of censorship, racism and war. But it wasn’t until he began to write about real world enemies in the guise of aliens and monsters that people lent their ears. In doing so, he pushed the television industry to the edge of glory, and himself to the edge of sanity. Rod operated in a dimension beyond that of contemporary society, making him both a revolutionary and an outsider.

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Book SynopsisWelcome to Neurocomic, a visually captivating adventure through the brain. Neurocomic is populated by quirky creatures, bizarre landscapes and famous neuroscientists. Our nameless protagonist evades vindictive colossal squid, negotiates mysterious trap doors, battles Boschean narcotic demons and navigates forests of neurons to take you on a rapturous journey through the most complex organic structure in the universe. Neurocomic makes a baffling, mysterious subject approachable for the layman but it's also a wonderful object in its own right, one that cries out to be picked up and read. Produced in association with the Wellcome Trust, the largest medical charity in the world, Neurocomic is a wonderful introduction to the complexities of the brain.Trade ReviewThis is a book for laymen and beginner students, not experts, but if you're interested in taking a surreal but simple trip through the incredibly complicated landscape inside your skull, this might be the rabbit hole you're looking for. * WIRED Magazine *This remarkable collaboration between Dr. Hana Ros (and dog knows I love few things more than a female neuroscientist) and neuroscience-PhD-turned-illustrator Dr. Matteo Farinella, with support from the Wellcome Trust, explains the inner workings of the brain in delightful and illuminating black-and-white illustrations, covering everything from perception and hallucinations to memory and emotional recall to consciousness and the difference between the mind and the brain. * The Marginalian *Really interesting * @comicsvstheworld on Instagram *

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Book SynopsisCousin Joseph introduces Detective Sam Hannigan, head of the Bay City’s Red Squad and patriarch of the Hannigan family featured in Kill My Mother. Our story opens in the Great Depression when Big Sam sees himself as a truth-seeking patriot defending the American way against left-wing unionism. At the same time, he makes secret trips on behalf of Cousin Joseph, a man he has never laid eyes on, to pay off Hollywood producers to ensure that they make only upbeat films. Step by step, the secret of his unseen mentor’s duplicity is revealed to him. Feiffer builds on his conversion to cinematic noir, bowing to heroes Will Eisner and Milton Caniff but creating a masterpiece that illuminates Hollywood and its role in producing the bipolar nation America has become.Trade Review"... there’s a joy to be found in Feiffer’s rough, raucous line work." -- The Herald

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Book SynopsisFEATURED ON MORE THAN TWENTY BEST-OF LISTS, INCLUDING TIME, AMAZON, E! AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY!Hark! A Vagrant is an uproarious romp through history and literature seen through the sharp, contemporary lens of New Yorker cartoonist and comics sensation Kate Beaton. No era or tome emerges unscathed as Beaton rightly skewers the Western world''s revolutionaries, leaders, sycophants, and suffragists while equally honing her wit on the hapless heroes, heroines, and villains of the best-loved fiction.She deftly points out what really happened when Brahms fell asleep listening to Liszt, that the world''s first hipsters were obviously the Incroyables and the Merveilleuses from eighteenth-century France, that Susan B. Anthony is, of course, a "Samantha," and that the polite banality of Canadian culture never gets old. Hark! A Vagrant features sexy Batman, the true stories behind classic Nancy Drew covers, and Queen Elizabeth doing the albatross. As the 500,000 unique monthly visitors to harkavagrant.com already know, no one turns the ironic absurdities of history and literature into comedic fodder as hilariously as Beaton.

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Book SynopsisBrings classic literatures of the world together with legendary graphic artists and illustrators. Volume 3 showcases literature of the end of the 20th century and the start of the 21st.

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Book SynopsisHere is the fascinating and equally unforgettable sequel to Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi''s memoir-in-comic strips of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Persepolis ended on a cliffhanger in 1984, just as fourteen-year-old Marjane was leaving behind her home in Tehran, escaping fundamentalism and the war with Iraq to begin a new life in the West. Here we follow our young, intrepid heroine through the next eight years of her life: an eye-opening and sometimes lonely four years of high school in Vienna, followed by a supremely educational and heartwrenching four years back home in Iran. Just as funny and heartbreaking as its predecessor - with perhaps an even greater sense of the ridiculous inspired by life in a fundamentalist state - Persepolis 2 is also as clear-eyed and searing in its condemnation of fundamentalism and its cost to the human spirit. In its depiction of the universal trials of adolescent life and growing into adulthood - hereTrade ReviewIn an industry in which female artists can still be counted on the fingers of a yakuza's hand, her deceptively simple and acutely observed black and white memoirs deserve a wide audience -- Dominic Wells * The Times *Like Maus, Persepolis is one of those comic books capable of seducing even those most allergic to the genre... The author's masterstroke is to allow us to experience history from within her family, with irony and tenderness. * Liberation *I cannot praise enough Marjane Satrapi's moving account of growing up as a spirited young girl in revolutionary and war-time Iran. Persepolis is disarming and often humorous but ultimately it is shattering. -- Joe Sacco

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Book SynopsisWinner, CODE’s 2016 Burt Award for First Nation, Inuit and Métis Literature In this important graphic novel, two brothers surrounded by poverty, drug abuse, and gang violence, try to overcome centuries of historic trauma in very different ways to bring about positive change in their lives.Pete, a young Indigenous man wrapped up in gang violence, lives with his younger brother, Joey, and his mother who is a heroin addict. One night, Pete and his mother’s boyfriend, Dennis, get into a big fight, which sends Dennis to the morgue and Pete to jail. Initially, Pete keeps up ties to his crew, until a jail brawl forces him to realize the negative influence he has become on Joey, which encourages him to begin a process of rehabilitation that includes traditional Indigenous healing circles and ceremonies. Powerful, courageous, and deeply moving, The Outside Circle is drawn from the author’s twenty years of work and research on healing and reconciliation of gang-affiliated or incarcerated Indigenous men.Trade ReviewI’m in awe of what you are holding in your hands. This is more than a graphic novel. It’s a teaching; it’s a reminder; and it’s a textbook of hard-won wisdom. It’s also a wish. * Richard Van Camp, author of The Lesser Blessed *[W]ith the Outside Circle, Patti LaBoucane-Benson and Kelly Mellings have brought Canada’s colonial history and its effects on Aboriginal people today to life in a powerful story. -- David J. Fuller * Prairie Books Now *As brutal as Pete’s family’s story is, LaBoucane-Benson and Mellings’ sensitive, careful, honest presentation reveals a narrative that must be told, acknowledged, remembered, confronted, fixed. * Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Centre *LaBoucane-Benson’s long career working with young people in Pete’s circumstances gives the story a strong emotional resonance and a solid historical and educational framework. * Library Journal *. . . the story becomes one of hope, not only for Pete, but for all aboriginal people healing from the intergenerational wounds of Canadian colonialism. * Publishers Weekly *A beautifully and powerfully told story. * School Library Journal *

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Book Synopsis'Queer: A Graphic History Could Totally Change the Way You Think About Sex and Gender' ViceActivist-academic Meg-John Barker and cartoonist Jules Scheele illuminate the histories of queer thought and LGBTQ+ action in this groundbreaking non-fiction graphic novel.From identity politics and gender roles to privilege and exclusion, Queer explores how we came to view sex, gender and sexuality in the ways that we do; how these ideas get tangled up with our culture and our understanding of biology, psychology and sexology; and how these views have been disputed and challenged.Along the way we look at key landmarks which shift our perspective of what's 'normal' - Alfred Kinsey's view of sexuality as a spectrum, Judith Butler's view of gendered behaviour as a performance, the play Wicked, or moments in Casino Royale when we're invited to view James Bond with the kind of desiring gaze usually directed at female bodies in mainstream media.Presented in a brilliantly engaging and witty style, this is a unique portrait of the universe of queer thinking.Trade ReviewCould totally change the way you think about sex and gender ... an utterly un-dusty tome that questions everything from the way we categorise our sexual desire to the foundations of happiness. -- VICEThis hopeful and welcoming attitude should encourage readers to queer their own lives in whatever ways feel right. -- Publishers WeeklyYanks the jargon of Foucault, Butler and a who's who of philosophers down from the clouds and into simple, clear messages -- Sydney Morning HeraldA concise, precise and beautifully illustrated introduction. -- Kieron GillenA playful, graphic analysis of the paradox that is queer theory - opens our hearts as much as it engages our minds. -- Kate BornsteinWith their inspired synthesis of words and imagery, MJ Barker and Jules Scheele take us beyond binaries to show us the richness of queer as a critique, as a verb and as an approach to life itself. -- Jane Czyzselska, DIVAExceptionally informative ... an invaluable and illuminating resource -- The BeatSucceeds in opening its rarefied subject matter to non-academic audiences and disrupting assumptions and preconceptions about gender and sexuality, not to mention race, class, and the idea of "normal." -- Library JournalUnexpected, extraordinary wit and erudition ... Aha moments come one right after another. One small step for queer theory, this project will leap the layman far down the path of tolerance and understanding. -- Foreword ReviewOne of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is the charm of Jules Scheele's understated, accessible illustrations ... The book holds a great amount of respect for this pantheon of theorists, even when problematizing some of their views, and the art communicates that respect effectively. -- Rain TaxiFresh interpretations and clever illustrations help bring new life to academic constructs and an understanding of the intersection of biology, psychology, and modern culture. -- Washington BladeStudents everywhere rejoice! For we have an explanation of queer theory that is simple, comprehensive, critical and inclusive ... as well as having popular culture references to make the ideas stick. -- Katherine Hubbard, University of Surrey

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary and inventive graphic biography, Steffen Kverneland’s Munch explores the relationships and obsessions that drove the artist behind ‘The Scream’. Using text drawn from the writings of Edvard Munch and his contemporaries, this extensively researched and beautifully drawn graphic novel debunks the familiar myth of the half-mad expressionist painter – anguished, starving and ill-treated – to reveal the artist’s neglected sense of humour and optimism. Born out of a life-long fascination with all things Munch, Kverneland’s award-winning seven-year project is the funniest and most entertaining portrait yet of a complex man and a pioneering artist. “Munch is a dazzling use of sequential storytelling… Rarely have I read a more entertaining biography.” The Comics Journal

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Book SynopsisFollow the entire painting career of Rembrandt, one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. This is the story about one man’s artistic vocation and the work it demands, about life and death, love and bereavement, fame and loss. This graphic novel aims at authenticity, and where there is an absence of facts, the author has drawn inspiration from the wealth of the anecdotes about Rembrandt’s life. This unique collaborative enterprise between the author, Typex, The Netherlands foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture and the Rijk museum, home of the world’s largest and most important Rembrandt collection, guarantees a spectacular result – a stunning and surprising graphic novel on Rembrandt’s life.

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