Manga: Memoirs, true stories and non-fiction

Book SynopsisA stunning graphic novel biography of the famous samurai warrior who wrote the classic text on Japanese martial arts, The Book of Five Rings   Miyamoto Musashi, the legendary samurai, is known throughout the world as a master swordsman, a spiritual seeker, and the author of the classic Book of Five Rings. This graphic novel treatment of his amazing life is both a vivid account of a fascinating period in feudal Japan and a portrait of courageous, iconoclastic samurai who wrestled with philosophical and spiritual ideas that are as relevant today as they were in his time. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was about mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess.   Over 350 years after his death, Musashi still intrigues us—and his Book of Five Rings is essential reading for students of all martial arts and those interested in cultivating strategic mind.

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Book SynopsisTraveling with your partner brings out the best (and maybe sometimes the worst) in your relationship! Whether it's using them as an airplane pillow, melting together in the sun at Disneyland, or bonding over beers cooled in the hotel sink, some of the best adventures are made while abroad! In this Our Super Adventure Travelogue book, Sarah and Stef leave England to find the sweaty magic of L.A, the secret celebrities of San Diego Comic-Con, and the soaring heights of NYC! Plus, bonus photos from their trip!

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Book SynopsisAn internationally-renowned cartoonist and reluctant war vet details Japan's involvement in World War II. Showa 1939-1944: A History of Japan continues Eisner award-winning author Shigeru Mizuki's historical and autobiographical account of Japanese life in the twentieth century. This volume covers the devastation of the Sino-Japanese War and the first few years of the Pacific War a chilling reminder of just how harsh life in Japan was during this hostile era. Pivotal events like the attack on Pearl Harbor are reframed as part of a larger context detailing the country's brutal military expansion into Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Its effects on the otherwise unseen Japanese populace similarly come to the fore. On a personal level, these years mark a dramatic transformation in Mizuki's life too. His idyllic youth in the countryside comes to an abrupt halt when he is conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army against his will. On the tiny island of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, a constant struggle for survival ensues. Not only must he fend off attacks from Allied forces, but from the harsh discipline of his own commanding officers too. It is here that Mizuki comes to understand the misery and beauty of the island itself, a place that will permanently mark and haunt him for the rest of his life.

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Book SynopsisThe final, Eisner Award-winning chapter of a legendary cartoonist s history of Japan. Showa 1953-1989: A History of Japan concludes award-winning author Shigeru Mizuki's stunning historical and autobiographical series about Japanese life in the twentieth century. The final volume picks up in the wake of utter defeat in World War II, covering the United States shift from enemy to ally. Jobs, money, and opportunity are funneled along in a bid to establish the country as a bulwark against Communist expansion. Japan thus reinvents itself, emerging as an economic powerhouse. Events like the Tokyo Olympiad and the World's Fair reintroduce the world to a much friendlier Japan, but this period of peace and plenty conceals a populace still struggling to come to terms with the devastation of their all-too-recent past. Mizuki's own struggles mirror those of the nation during this period of recovery and reconciliation. He fights his way back from poverty, rising to the rank of cartoon celebrity beloved by millions of manga-reading children. However, prosperity cannot bring the happiness Mizuki craves, as he struggles to find meaning in the sacrifices made during the war. This visionary series, told by a true man of his time, is a magnum opus fully representative of the graphic novel as world literature.

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Book SynopsisAward-winning manga artist Sonia Leong, with the help of other acclaimed manga creators and educators, gives you all the tips, tricks and tools you will need to get your ideas onto the page.- Discover how to get started, build your confidence, and boost your skills, beginning from first principles.- Learn how to draw faces, bodies, hands, feet, and create unique characters with their own styles.- Get the most out of your drawing materials, from traditional pens and pencils to digital software, and discover how best to use them to work up your own manga stories and comics.- Benefit from advice on pacing, layout, composition and lettering.

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Book Synopsis'Funny and sad and relatable and wise - Rachael Smith's Quarantine Comix are like the hug from a friend you didn't know you needed.' Chris Addison 'In a period where every day seemed the same, Rachael found a way to make every day different. A tiny, comforting light of understanding, humour and hope in a dark time.' Kieron Gillen, author and creator of The Wicked + The DivineAn award-winning graphic memoir of lockdown life, Quarantine Comix is a funny, tender, heartfelt and insightful look at isolation.Written and drawn every day during the 2020 lockdown and shared online with #QuarantineComix, 2020 Comedy Women in Print-shortlisted Rachael Smith's delightful comics helped people who were isolated all over the world to feel connected.At times laugh-out-loud funny, at others bitter-sweet, philosophical or downright silly, this collection of 200 drawings tells the story of one woman overcoming loneliness and self-doubt with exquisite, wry humour and raw honesty.During a time when many feel anxious and apart from loved ones, Quarantine Comix offers relief in shared experiences.Praise for Stand in Your Power, shortlisted for the 2020 Comedy Women in Print prize:'Funny, fierce, poignant and reaches the lonely inside us all' Helen Lederer'Rachael uses humour to address her mental health and she does that successfully.' Jen Brister, author of The Other Mother'The tone is self-deprecating - she takes a sad situation and creates an invitation to laugh at it.' Hannah Berry, UK Comics Laureate 2019-21'The execution is one to admire' Janet Ellis'An important subject turned into pages of visual pathos' Nicola Streeton, LDComicTrade ReviewRachael Smith's trademark bittersweet, funny and very personal comics make for the perfect chronicle of the weird times we've been living through. They are funny and sad and relatable and wise. -- Chris AddisonIn a period where every day seemed the same, Rachael found a way to make every day different. A tiny, comforting light of understanding, humour and hope in a dark time. -- Kieron Gillen, author and creator of The Wicked + The DivineAt a time of unthinkable separation ... what Rachael was feeling and what she was thinking was never held at arm's length, but given generously, as her work always is. -- Kate Beaton, author of Hark! A Vagrant and King BabyAchingly honest thoughts, feelings, and anecdotes to remind us that we are not alone. -- The BeatThese comics were a lifeline to so many of us. A ridiculous, humane insightful, pointed lifeline. -- Paul Cornell, author of London Falling and the Witches of Lynchford seriesOne of the best things to come out of lockdown. -- Lew Stringer, comic artistHarrowing! Heartfelt! Hilarious! Cartoonist Rachael Smith's Quarantine Comix are a brutally honest assessment of our internal strife, with more vim and vigour than a Yorkie bar and wine chaser. -- Shelly Bond, creator/editor of Black CrownQuarantine Comix has that rare opportunity for a comic series to resonate with the majority of the population ... Relatable, amusing and heart wrenching. -- Comic Scene

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Book Synopsis‘The blessing of an inherently interpretive medium like comics is that it hasn't allowed me to . . . make a virtue of dispassion. For good or for ill, the comics medium is adamant, and it has forced me to make choices. In my view, that is part of its message’ – from the preface by Joe SaccoOver the past decade, Joe Sacco has increasingly turned to short-form com­ics journalism to report from conflict zones around the world. Collected here for the first time, Sacco's darkly funny, revealing reportage confirms his standing as one of the foremost international correspondents working today. Journalism takes readers from the smuggling tunnels of Gaza to war crimes trials in The Hague, from the lives of India's 'untouchables' to the ordeal of sub-Saharan refugees washed up on the shores of Malta. Sacco also confronts the misery and absurdity of the war in Iraq, including the darkest chapter in recent American history – the torture of detainees.Vividly depicting Sacco's own interactions with the people he meets, the stories in this remarkable collection argue for the essential truth in comics reportage, an inevitably subjective journalistic endeavour. Among Sacco's most mature and accomplished work, Journalism demonstrates the power of a great comics artist to chronicle lived experience with a force that often eludes other media.Trade ReviewIt is clear that Sacco is one of the masters of his craft. -- Alex Hern * New Statesman *One of the most original cartoonists of the past two decades. * Guardian *Sacco is formidably talented. A meticulous reporter…and a gifted artist whose richly nuanced drawings tread a delicate path between cartoonishness and naturalism. * Independent *Joe Sacco's brilliant, excruciating books of war reportage are potent territory... He shows how much that is crucial to our lives a book can hold. * New York Times Book Review *Moving and informative. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *

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Book SynopsisSaudi Arabia offers few prospects for the bright young Mohammed El-Gharani. With roots in Chad, Mohammed is treated like a second-class citizen. His access to healthcare and education are restricted; nor can he make the most of his entrepreneurial spirit. At the age of 14, having scraped together some money as a street trader, Mohammed seizes an opportunity to study in Pakistan. One Friday in Karachi, Mohammed is detained during a raid on his local mosque. After being beaten and interrogated, he is sold to the American government by the Pakistani forces as a member of Al-Qaida with links to Osama Bin Laden, but Mohammed has heard of neither. The Americans fly him first to Kandahar and then to Guantánamo Bay. In Guantánamo Kid, Jérôme Tubiana and Alexandre Franc tell the eye-opening, heart-wrenching story of one of Guantánamo’s youngest detainees. Trade Review“This is an astounding account of human endurance and faith against overwhelming odds and terrible injustice.” -- Publishers Weekly"With the Trump administration signing an executive order to keep the prison open indefinitely in 2018, it is more important than ever to read stories like Guantánamo Kid" -- Amnesty International UK"Mohammed El-Gharani knows all about the horrors of Guantánamo, as a child subjected to torture by the US authorities and held in the prison for eight years. And yet far too many people still don’t know about Guantánamo’s long and abusive history, and one main reason is that no footage or photos of any of the torture and abuse has ever surfaced. Overcoming this critical lack of images, Jérôme Tubiana, a journalist who spent time with Mohammed after his release in 2010, hearing his story, has worked with the talented comic artist Alexandre Franc to bring his ordeal to life in a graphic novel that deserves to be read as widely as possible, as, in page after page of harrowing memories, Mohammed tells his story with wit, endurance and unbreakable spirit." -- Andy Worthington (campaigner, journalist and author of The Guantánamo Files)"Mohammed El-Gharani was just 14 when he was kidnapped and rendered to Guantánamo Bay, the location of some of the worst human rights abuses of our age. There, he was detained without charge or trial, facing brutal torture, isolation and mistreatment. The US accused him of having been an Al-Qaeda mastermind at the tender age of 6 in a country he had never visited, and his story exposes the cruel absurdity of the US' Guantánamo project and the faulty ‘intelligence’ it was built on. Yet, despite all this, his is a story of survival in even the darkest of times. Guantánamo Kid is a book everyone should read – an innovative, visually stunning way of telling an important story. And a powerful way to remind us that the Guantánamo story is one that is still being played out to this day as 40 men continue to languish in the prison, watching the months and years pass by with no access to justice and very little hope for freedom." -- Clive Stafford Smith, founder of Reprieve and Mohammed El-Gharani's lawyer

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Book SynopsisBuñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles depicts a decisive moment in the life of the great Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel: the moment when he doubted surrealism and contemplated embracing a more social type of cinema. At this crucial turning point in his career, he wanted to change the world by showing the hidden heart of reality. Buñuel was deeply affected by the harshness of Las Hurdes and the extreme misery of the people who live in this remote region, so with his friend, the movie producer Ramón Acín, he began work on the pseudo-documentary Land Without Bread. But in the mind of the great surrealist, reality inevitably clashed with dreams and childhood memories, threatening both the film and his friendship with Acín. It is at this moment that the Buñuel of the future was born.

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Book SynopsisAssigned female at birth, Nathan spends his formative years facing questions without answers. As puberty hits and begins to change his body, it all just feels wrong, and something needs to change for it to feel right. He finds himself at a crucial crossroads. Becoming oneself is the work of a lifetime, no matter our gender, sexuality, or refusal to be limited by such categorizations. For Nathan, his courageous first steps towards discovering his true self happen through transition. Based on a true story, Catherine Castro and Quentin Zuttion explore the tenacity and bravery that such a journey entails while society continues to wrestle with the meaning of identity. Call Me Nathan issues a moving call for understanding, a powerful denunciation of prejudice, and a celebration of everything it means to love.

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Book SynopsisMiles Davis and the Search for the Sound is a synesthesia-inducing graphic novel that follows the many lives of music legend Miles Davis. With narration adapted from Davis’ own words and an innovative visual style that shifts to reflect Davis’ constant musical changes, this 150-page graphic novel follows Davis through four decades of musical innovation, all centered around his quest to find a mysterious sound he heard on a moonlit country road as a child. Meticulously researched and expertly crafted by writer/artist Dave Chisholm—a doctorate holder in jazz trumpet from the Eastman School of Music—Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound deftly explores the often volatile journey of Miles Davis and his world-renowned music.Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound is a graphic novel you’ll have to hear to believe–it’ll make you SEE music in a whole new light.

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Book SynopsisAs young girls in Cairo, Anna and Layla strike up an unlikely friendship that crosses class, cultural, and religious divides. Years later, Anna learns that she may carry the hereditary cancer gene responsible for her mother's death. Meanwhile, Layla's family is faced with a difficult decision about kidney transplantation. Their friendship is put to the test when these medical crises reveal stark differences in their perspectives...until revolutionary unrest in Egypt changes their lives forever.The first book in a new series, Lissa brings anthropological research to life in comic form, combining scholarly insights and accessible, visually-rich storytelling to foster greater understanding of global politics, inequalities, and solidarity.Trade Review"Revolution is as intimate as family and as mammoth as regime change in this graphic novel focused on the 2011 Tahrir Square demonstrations. This is the book's greatest strength: its belief in decency, even amidst violence and trauma. Its hopeful mood is mirrored by the book's rounded, flowing visuals: Bandages flutter like hair ribbons, water sluices down Anna's surgical scars, and Layla's eyes are wide as she tends to the grievously wounded. This is a chronicle of conflict, to be sure, but it is also a tribute to persistence of friendship and the power of a people united." -- Publishers Weekly"Whether you read Lissa to educate yourself about health issues or research methods, or you just want to find out what happens to Layla and Anna, this graphic novel shows the huge and still untapped potential of comics for use in medicine and global health." -- The Lancet"In Lissa, Hamdy, Nye, their artists Bao, Brewer, and Parenteau show us how we can collaboratively transform anthropology’s ways of seeing and communicating depth and nuance in our ethnographies. As the first publication in the new ethnoGRAPHIC series from University of Toronto Press, Lissa sets a high bar and positive tone for what we can expect from this series. Like most great books, Lissa allows the reader to bring different meanings and needs to the book, engaging them in multiple conversations that explore the ways in which we are connected." -- Somatosphere"The complexity of the various ethical and medical dilemmas gives the work depth and pathos without making the arguments appear didactic. It is indeed the ethnographic research—the minor characters and their voices—that give the book its special strength." -- Parismita Singh, graphic novelist, Medical Anthropology Quarterly"With the University of Toronto’s imprimatur and its ethnoGRAPHIC series, surely there are no more excuses not to expand what counts as professional, promotion-worthy ethnography. And Lissa offers a fantastic model of how to proceed. Congratulations to its visionary authors and editors." -- Lochlann Jain, Medical Anthropology Quarterly"…offers slices of contrasting Egyptian and American biomedicines and uses the characters’ dilemmas to pry open the contradictions within and between these medical systems." -- Stacy Leigh Pigg, Medical Anthropology QuarterlyLissa is an eminently teachable text, and it was clearly designed with the classroom in mind. -- Christine Sargent, Anthropology Book Forum"The storytelling in LISSA is innovative in the sense that it shows people’s lives without resorting to broad stroke generalizations. The novel also nicely covers key aspects of cyber-activism, social media and texting - tools that were instrumental in communicating during the revolution." -- Eduard Cousin"Through its story of intercultural friendship and its backstory of international and interdisciplinary collaboration, Lissa invites us to take an unusual – fictional, graphic- and highly original path to the heart of the ethnographic encounter. It is a journey I am excited to take with my students, and I look forward to seeing the next titles in the ethnographic series." -- Martha Radice, Dalhousie University * Anthropologica 60, 2018 *"As the debut of a new editorial series (ethnoGRAPHIC) that aims at promoting long-form ethnographic accounts into comic form, Lissa is without a doubt an editorial break-through that helps to bring balance to an otherwise dominantly textual field." -- Kim Tondeur * Anthropos *“Lissa intertwines academic knowledge and storytelling, Egypt and the United States, as well as the private sphere in which individuals/families make medical decisions and the public sphere in which health care systems operate, governments govern (or fail to do so), and citizens rebel against governments. The outcome, as academic and non-academic reviewers unanimously attest, is a highly informative yet readable and engrossing book.” -- Dominika Ferens, University of Wroclaw * Lublin Studies in Modern Languages and Literature *"I have nothing but admiration for this book. The story is compelling—even a page turner. Moreover, it is informative, historically and culturally situated and uplifting—or, at least, it ends on a hopeful note—teaching hard truths, or glimpses of them, in an accessible and digestible way." -- Shelly Errington, Anthropology NowTable of ContentsForeword: Lissa: A Still Life in Motion by Paul Karasik Lissa: A Story about Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution Afterword: Comics and Ethnography by George Marcus Appendix 1: Timeline of the Egyptian Revolution Appendix 2: Teaching Lissa: Reading Guide and Theoretical Context Appendix 3: Making Lissa: ethnoGRAPHIC Fieldnotes

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Book SynopsisFollow The Way of the Househusband and conquer the challenge of housekeeping with this essential guide!Everyone, from busy office workers and aspiring homemakers to the fiercest members of the yakuza, can gain important life skills from The Way of the Househusband: The Gangster’s Guide to Housekeeping! Learn the housekeeping secrets of the legendary gangster, Tatsu, with this practical and humorous book inspired by the popular manga series The Way of the Househusband. This detailed guide includes cleaning tricks to leave your home sparkling, secrets for finding cutthroat deals, schemes for mastering your territory, keys to caring for your gang, and much more. Within these pages you will also find 25 delicious recipes that will satisfy any voracious gangster. Follow these tips and apply the determination of the Immortal Dragon to cooking, cleaning, shopping, and crafting to discover the path to housekeeping success!

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Book SynopsisObsessed with revisiting the sunset city of his dreams, Randolph Carter leaves the humdrum confines of reality behind, traveling into a vivid dreamworld where anything is possible. But while Carter draws closer to his goal—the mysterious Kadath, home to the gods themselves—another force, dark and brooding, is watching with plans of its own. An epic fantasy mixing adventure, peril, and wonder in equal parts, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (newly reissued in a smaller format, with a foreword by Jeff Lemire and a new cover) explores themes of memory and forbidden knowledge through the prism of H.P. Lovecraft’s boundless imagination. “There is no denying that Culbard makes this story sing.” - Digital Spy

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Book SynopsisIn Moscow, 1904, political tension is at a high. The Russian Empire is failing and the effects are falling on its people. Hungry and deeply impoverished, the living standards for the citizens is falling daily. They protest, calling on their Governor for help. Suddenly, the Governor's soldiers launch an attack. People are murdered in the forecourt of the palace. Was this Governor Alexandrovitch's plan or the result of a tragic miscommunication? The answer seems clear to the Russian people, with whispers of revolution in the streets.Trade Review"meticulously researched...this Russian tragicomedy plays out an exciting plot against a stunningly beautiful backdrop" - Publishers Weekly"The artwork is excellent, and the story even more so. This is another must read from Nury and Robin." - Flickering Myth"A riveting great story from cover to cover...visually augmented on every page." -- Midwest Book Review"An intriguing and worthwhile expose of an important event leading to the Revolution." - San Francisco Book Review

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Book SynopsisReigning king of horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hiss-terical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his financée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow-Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purr-suaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends. This comedic graphic memoir about becoming a cat owner is reissued in a deluxe hardcover featuring an exclusive interview with Ito and a new cover illustration by the author that glows in the dark!

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Book SynopsisThe Morrison Hotel anthology written by Leah Moore, in collaboration with the surviving members of the legendary rock band and drawn by artists from around the comic book world, will weave the band’s influence into some of the lore that led to their status as the architects of counterculture, influencing artists, poets, and outsiders for generations to come, set against the backdrop of the close of the free spirit of the 1960s into the tumultuous 1970s. A decade in which women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays, lesbians and other marginalized people continued their fight for equality, and many Americans joined the protest against the ongoing war in Vietnam.

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Book SynopsisThe second in the new ‘War Picture Library’ series showcasing the finest combat comics illustrated by legendary and iconic artists. Two true stories of aviation heroism and derring-do - ‘Never Say Die’ and ‘Steel Bats’ - set during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and drawn by comics legend Ian Kennedy! A talented pilot who never loses his determination to defend his country against immense obstacles both technical and personal. A squadron undertakes heart-stopping missions to combat the intense night-time assaults of the Axis air force. Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Britain comes an enthralling collection of aviation and heroism featuring daredevil pilots and the lengths they go to stop the German Luftwaffe attacking Britain.

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Book SynopsisThe classic Persian poem of romance and tragedy captured as a sumptuous and richly colourful graphic novel, inspired by traditional art of the region. It is a story known around the world. Born of an Arabic tale, it has been interpreted hundreds of times in Persian, Turkish, and Indian languages. It has influenced playwrights, composers, filmmakers, scholars, modern popular language, the first opera of Islamic origin, and individuals as varied as Aleister Crowley and Eric Clapton. The tragic tale of love unfulfilled - Majnun and Layla. Qais and Layla were madly in love. So in love, it has been said, that the young man could not contain his passion for his beloved, singing to the winds with such fervour he was given the nickname “Majnun” — The Madman. But their love could not be, as the lovers were separated by fate and man, leading to a tragic end for these star-crossed souls. Experience the classic Persian poem as painted in the lush palette of artist Yann Damezin. Through his brush, we see a decadent and sensorial world, one as raw and vulnerable as the love between the Majnun and his Layla.Trade Review"Through a vibrant visual tapestry, French cartoonist and Angouleme’s Prix Orange debut comics winner Damezin reimagines a centuries-old Persian love poem." * Starred Publishers Weekly Review *Yann Damezin gives beautiful colors to this poetic story but above all gives it a modernity, already approached by the poet Nezâmi (12th century), by giving the female character as much space as the male! -- Benoit Gaboriaud (translated) * L'essentiART *...a brilliantly accomplished exercise in style, a hymn to tender, beautiful, subtle and luminous love. -- Jean-Charles Andrieu de Levis (translated) * ActuaLitté *...an undeniable success, both graphically and literary: all the pages of [Majnun and Layla: Songs from Beyond the Grave] seduce by their graphic inventiveness. -- Nicholas Michael (translated) * Jeune Afrique *With [Majnun and Layla: Songs from Beyond the Grave], whose very rich graphic work competes with a text of rare quality, Damezin offers an opus as surprising as it is exceptional in the field of contemporary comics. -- Lea Polverini (translated) * Middle East Eye edition francaise *

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Book Synopsis''A beautiful retelling ... which captures the great man''s spirit.'' UNCUTFrom ''Crossroads Blues'' to ''Sweet Home Chicago'', ''Hellhound on My Trail'' to ''Come On In My Kitchen'', Robert Johnson wrote some of the most enduring and formative songs of the original blues era, songs that would go on to help shape the birth of rock''n''roll in the 1960s. Beloved of Clapton, Dylan and the Stones, Robert Johnson remains one of the most iconic and mythologised figures in popular music (and the first of many to die at the age of 27). Exploring the stories and legends that surround his life and death - his childhood, his womanising, his pact with the devil at the crossroads - Mezzo and DuPont have produced a fittingly creative and beautiful depiction of this most extraordinary life.

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Book SynopsisOverlooked, sidelined, excluded, discredited: key figures in scientific discovery come and take their bow in an alternative Nobel prize gallery.

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Book SynopsisThe Lady Doctor is the follow-up companion volume to the critically acclaimed debut, The Bad Doctor (Myriad, 2011).

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Book SynopsisWashington Post''s Top 10 Graphic Novels 2012''An unflinching and frequently unforgiving narrative of what it means to have bipolar disorder'' - John Crace, Guardian''Marbles isn''t just a great story; it''s proof that artists don''t have to be tortured to be brilliant.'' - Entertainment WeeklyShortly before her thirtieth birthday, Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Suffering from (but enjoying) extreme mania, and terrified that medication would cause her to lose creativity, she began a long struggle over many years to find mental stability while retaining her creativity. Searching to make sense of the popular idea of the ''crazy artist'', she finds inspiration from the lives and work of other artists and writers who suffered from mood disorders, including Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O''Keeffe, William Styron, and Sylvia Plath. She also researches the clinical aspects of bipolar disorder, incluTrade ReviewNot only does her conversational intimacy draw readers in, but her drawings perfectly capture the exhilarating frenzy of mania and the dark void of depression...Forney's story should resonate with those grappling with similar issues, while her artistry should appeal to a wide readership. Kirkus (Starred Review) Ellen Forney's memoir of her bipolar diagnosis and long pharmacopic trek toward balance is painfully honest and joyously exuberant. Her drawings evoke the neuron-crackling high of mania and the schematic bleakness of depression with deft immediacy. Forney is at the height of her powers as she explores the tenuous line between mood disorders and creativity itself. -- Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home. Forney's exhilarating and enlightening autobiographical portrait of her bipolar disorder (otherwise known as manic depression), takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster, an authentic evocation of the author's journey. Her clear and thoughtful art provides a powerful, effective and brilliant illumination of this unforgettable adventure. Miami Herald Marbles isn't just a great story; it's proof that artists don't have to be tortured to be brilliant. Entertainment Weekly Dense with intellectual and emotional power, Forney's book is a treasure--as a memoir, as an artwork, and as a beautifully conceived and executed commentary on both mental experience and the creative life. With wit, humor, a wicked sense of the absurd, and eloquent insight into the beauty that shines through the mercurial life of the mind, this graphic memoir explores its subject with a particular precision and power. Forney should be read. -- Marya Hornbacher, bestselling author of Madness: A Bipolar Life

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Book SynopsisENJOY THE ECSTASY OF AGONY. Amy and Jordan are just like us: hoping for the best, even when things go from bad to worse. They are menaced by bears, beheaded by ghosts,  and hunted by the cops, but still they struggle on, bickering and reconciling, scraping together the rent and trying to find a decent movie. It’s the perfect solace for anxious modern minds, courtesy of one of the great innovators of American comics. Now if only Amy’s skin would grow back ... This NYRC edition features a recreation of the original, pocket-size, slipcovered paperback, designed by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly.

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Book SynopsisA graphic novel retelling of the classic martial arts manifesto on swordsmanship, strategy, and winning—by the legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi   This graphic novel version of The Book of Five Rings, the iconic book of confrontation and victory by the famed seventeenth-century duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi, illuminates this brilliant manifesto, which has long inspired martial artists and anyone interested in cultivating a strategic mind.   With evocative drawings and a distilled but faithful text adapted by acclaimed manga writer Sean Michael Wilson, The Book of Five Rings comes alive both as a guide to swordsmanship and strategy, and as a view into Musashi’s world.

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Book SynopsisGo back to where it all began! At long last, the one-volume story that birthed the global BL anime and manga phenomenon Hitorijime My Hero arrives in English in print! Before Masahiro and Kousuke's whirlwind romance in Hitorijime My Hero, there was Hitorijime Boyfriend-and now, the origin story of one of BL/yaoi's biggest franchises can finally be told! Back in sixth grade, Kensuke had a falling out with his best friend Hasekura that still hurts three years later. Then, one day, Hasekura's suddenly back in Kensuke's life like nothing happened. What, exactly, is going on? And what will Kensuke do when Hasekura wants to take things to a whole other level?

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Book SynopsisOn the seventh day, God rested. But it turns out He started getting tired long before... In fact, when it came time to design the animals, God contracted the whole thing out to an agency: Heaven's Design Team! They love their work-the giraffe, the koala, the ping-pong tree sponge(?!)-but their divine client's demands are often vague, and the results are sometimes wild in more ways than one!

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Book SynopsisThe legendary cartoonist aims his pen and paper toward his high school summer jobFor three summers beginning when he was 16, cartoonist Guy Delisle worked at a pulp and paper factory in Quebec City. Factory Summers chronicles the daily rhythms of life in the mill, and the twelve hour shifts he spent in a hot, noisy building filled with arcane machinery. Delisle takes his noted outsider perspective and applies it domestically, this time as a boy amongst men through the universal rite of passage of the summer job. Even as a teenager, Delisle?s keen eye for hypocrisy highlights the tensions of class and the rampant sexism an all-male workplace permits.Guy works the floor doing physically strenuous tasks. He is one of the few young people on site, and furthermore gets the job through his father?s connections, a fact which rightfully earns him disdain from the lifers. Guy?s dad spends his whole career in the white collar offices, working 9 to 5 instead of the rigorous 12-hour shifts of the unionized labor. Guy and his dad aren?t close, and Factory Summers leaves Delisle reconciling whether the job led to his dad?s aloofness and unhappiness.On his days off, Guy finds refuge in art, a world far beyond the factory floor. Delisle shows himself rediscovering comics at the public library, and preparing for animation school?only to be told on the first day, ?There are no jobs in animation.? Eager to pursue a job he enjoys, Guy throws caution to the wind.

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Book SynopsisUnvarnished. Punk. The New York Times. King-Cat Classix collects material from the first fifty issues of John Porcellino s King-Cat Comics as they appeared in self-published, handmade zines throughout the 1990s. These strips span Porcellino s dynamic evolution from saturated, punk drawings to his characteristic refined minimalism, revealing his work as nothing short of a catalyst that has inspired artists like Chris Ware in the emerging literary comics scene. In the inky drawings featuring beloved pets, awkward teenage one-night-stands, and everyday blunders, we see a nascent style steeped in truth and transparency one that continues to ring true today. Porcellino s mind is spread out on the page, with an uninhibited id running wildly about dreams and sexual fantasies, not unlike the gritty, stabbing pen strokes of Julie Doucet. He sketches fragmented moments and glimpses of interaction that seem to reflect the very manner in which we process memory: we are made up of a stream of consciousness, captured in fleeting mental images, and Porcellino externalizes that messy internal reality. Follow along the path of Porcellino s dynamic evolution and relish in the inspirational power of this groundbreaking collection.Trade ReviewPorcellino is a master at miniature poignance. Entertainment Weekly. With Porcellino, there's no mistaking his style: minimalist, simple, sparse, and painfully honest. Bookgasm

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Book SynopsisA laugh out loud funny parable for the digital age. There once was a lady who was very creepy. She moved about the world in seemingly normal ways, except for one tremendously bizarre tic. First she sought out kids transfixed by their screens, staring blindly and blank-faced at nearly any device, and then she would snatch something precious from them. In this picture book for grown-ups, sibling duo Keiler Roberts and Lee Sensenbrenner render a compelling and downright creepy modern fable about kids who are hooked on their digital devices. Creepy is the contemporary answer to the shocking tales of the Brothers Grimm and bedtime moral stories like the boy who cried wolf or the princess and the pea: in it, Roberts and Sensenbrenner provide a shrewd and comical commentary on the increasing digitization of childhood. Known for her award-winning autobiographical comics, Roberts s signature deadpan humour is on full display in these vibrantly painted pages. It s safe to say that no one tackles the peril of screen time as vividly or absurdly as this pair.Trade ReviewKeiler Roberts is my new hero. Chicago Tribune. Candid and funny, My Begging Chart finds whimsy in the minutiae of everyday life. Shelf Awareness. Thoroughly entertaining... Roberts s slightly warped perspective hilariously and poignantly reflects the transient absurdity of domestic life. Publishers Weekly, Starred Review.

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Book SynopsisEvery week, the comic book artist Riad Sattouf has a chat with his friend's daughter, Esther. She tells him about her life, about school, her friends, her hopes, dreams and fears, and then he works it up into a comic strip. This book consists of 52 of those strips, telling between them the story of a year in the life of this sharp, spirited and funny child. The result is a moving, insightful and utterly addictive glimpse into the real lives of children growing up in today's world.Trade Review'Riad Sattouf is one of the great creators of our time' - Alain de Botton'The portrait of an era, drawn with a smile' - L'Express

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Book SynopsisSociology is interested in the ways people shape the society they live in, and the ways society shapes them. Simply, it is the study of what modern society is and how it functions. In the series' inimitable style, Introducing Sociology traces the origins of sociology from industrialization, revolution and the Enlightenment through to globalization, neoliberalism and the fear of nationalism - introducing you to key thinkers, movements and concepts along the way. You will develop insight into the world around you, as you engage your 'sociological imagination' and explore studies of the city, theories of power and knowledge, concepts of national, racial and sexual identity, and much more.

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Book SynopsisWhat do we mean by social class in the 21st century?University of Brighton sociologists Laura Harvey and Sarah Leaney and award-winning comics creator Danny Noble present an utterly unique, illustrated journey through the history, sociology and lived experience of class.What can class tell us about gentrification, precarious work, the role of elites in society, or access to education? How have thinkers explored class in the past, and how does it affect us today? How does class inform activism and change?Class: A Graphic Guide challenges simplistic and stigmatising ideas about working-class people, discusses colonialist roots of class systems, and looks at how class intersects with race, sexuality, gender, disability and age. From the publishers of the bestselling Queer: A Graphic History, this is a vibrant, enjoyable introduction for students, community workers, activists and anyone who wants to understand how class functions in their own lives.

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Book SynopsisThe end of slavery started in what was then San Domingo. In 1791, the enslaved people of the most prized French sugar plantation colony revolted against their masters. For over twelve years, against a backdrop of the French Revolution, they fought an epic black liberation struggle for control of the island. Theirs was the first and only successful slave revolution. It was the creation of Haiti as a nation, the first independent black republic outside of Africa, and an international inspiration to the persecuted and enslaved. This is the impassioned and beautifully drawn story of the Haitian Revolution and its incredible leader: Toussaint Louverture. The text of this graphic novel is a play by C. L. R. James that opened in London in 1936 with Paul Robeson in the title role. For the first time, black actors appeared on the British stage in a work by a black playwright. The script had been lost for almost seventy years when a draft copy was discovered among James's archives. Now this extraordinary drama has been reimagined by artists Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee.Trade ReviewOne of the year's top works of nonfiction. -- Rob Salkowitz, Best Graphic Novels Of 2023 * Forbes *A very intense treatment of the uprising in Haiti that paralleled and deeply involved the French Revolution. -- Best Books of 2023 * Comics Grinder *The adaptation is exciting, educational, and the perfect gift for the lefties in your life. -- Hank Kennedy, The Best of 2023 * The Comics Journal *The drawings are fantastic and the energy palpable on every page. -- Joe Sacco, journalist and comic book artist, author of PalestineA marvellous adaptation of one of the most important black history and slave history books ever written. C.L.R. James would be delighted. -- Paul Buhle, authorized biographer of C. L. R. James and editor of more than twenty radical history graphic novelsAn epic work of graphic history - a compelling, dramatic, detailed, delicate, and human rendition of this incredible tale of resistance -- Kate Evans, author of Red Rosa: The Graphic Biography of Rosa LuxemburgThe inspiring spirit of the men, women and children who made the Haitian Revolution has been beautifully and vividly brought to life as never before. This extraordinary work is a wonderful tribute to not only C. L. R. James but also to the greatest ever movement to demand Black Lives Matter. -- Christian Høgsbjerg, co-author of Toussaint Louverture: A Black Jacobin in the Age of RevolutionsA historically important story, cinematic drawings, a powerful work. -- Charles Johnson, author of Middle PassageThe basis for this graphic novel is C. L. R. James' 1934 play, adapted by Watts and Karimjee; readers who don't know what to expect from the graphic-novel adaptation of a play will be pleased with the result...An important piece of history that shouldn't be forgotten. * Booklist *Adapting C.L.R. James's 1934 play, Karimjee and Watts's evocative black-and-white drawings channel the rebellious spirit of the Haitian Revolution in its fight for Black liberation. * The New York Times Book Review *This fiery primer offers education and insights into Haiti's fight for independence. * Publishers Weekly *This is the impassioned and beautifully drawn story of the Haitian Revolution and its incredible leader: Toussaint Louverture * Comics Beat *Their illustrations do justice to the original work, beautifully rendered and depicting dynamic characters and exciting drama. * Keith Harris History *The comic book format, constantly zooming out to the big picture and in on the details, proves immensely suited to the complex parallels between personal and universal struggles around which James's play revolves. -- Mark Rappolt * Art Review *This is quite a comic! A very intense treatment of the uprising in Haiti that paralleled and deeply involved the French Revolution and yet was treated for centuries as a mere sidebar to world events. Readers will need to think hard, even now, about the reasons why. -- Paul Buhle * Comics Grinder *The caricaturing at work in Toussaint Louverture is impressive. Each character has a distinct, stylized, expressive face ... While the aim of this volume is educational, entertainment is not forgotten. * The Comics Journal *Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee's brilliant graphic novelisation of CLR James own stage adaptation of his book The Black Jacobins will both inspire and convince that, whatever the circumstances, change is possible. * Philosophy Football *

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Book SynopsisProphet against Slavery is an action-packed chronicle of a remarkable and radical individual. It is based on the award-winning biography by Marcus Rediker, which prompted the Quaker community that once disowned Lay to embrace him again after 280 years. Graphic novelist David Lester brings the full scope of Lay's activism and ideas to life.Born in 1682 to a humble Quaker family in Essex, England, Lay was a forceful and prescient visionary. Understanding the fundamental evil that slavery represented, he employed guerrilla theatre tactics and direct action to shame slave owners and traders. The prejudice Lay suffered as a dwarf and a hunchback, as well as his devout faith, informed his passion for human and animal liberation. Exhibiting stamina, fortitude, and integrity in the face of the cruelties practiced against his 'fellow creatures', he was frequently a solitary voice speaking truth to power.Lester's beautiful imagery and storytelling, accompanied by afterwords from Rediker and Paul Buhle, capture the radicalism, the humour, and the humanity of this uncannily modern figure. A testament to the impact each of us can make, Prophet against Slavery brings Lay'' prophetic vision to a new generation of young activists who today echo his call of 300 years ago: 'No justice, no peace!'Trade ReviewPraise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:Admirers of Marcus Rediker's splendid The Slave Ship will be delighted by this historian's new book. Sailor, pioneer of guerrilla theater, and a man who would stop at nothing to make his fellow human beings share his passionate outrage against slavery, Benjamin Lay has long needed a modern biographer worthy of him, and now he has one. -- Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold’s GhostPraise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:A modern biography of the radical abolitionist Benjamin Lay has long been overdue. With the sure hand of an eminent historian of the disfranchised, Marcus Rediker has brought to life the wide-ranging activism of this extraordinary Quaker, vegetarian dwarf in a richly crafted book. In fully recovering Lay's revolutionary abolitionist vision, Rediker reveals its ongoing significance for our world. -- Manisha Sinha, author of The Slave’s Cause: A History of AbolitionPraise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:The unswerving eighteenth-century abolitionist Benjamin Lay, maligned when not ignored for many generations, has at last found his sympathetic biographer. In this captivating must-read book, Marcus Rediker shows that Lay's disfigured body contained a mind of steel and a heart overflowing with compassion for victims of the Atlantic slave trade. Lay's place in the annals of American reform is now secure. -- Gary Nash, author of Warner Mifflin: Unflinching Quaker AbolitionistPraise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:Lay's antinomian radicalism has been wonderfully excavated by Marcus Rediker in this eloquent testament. -- Catherine Hall, author of Legacies of British Slave-OwnershipPraise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:This turbulent life of a seafarer, glove maker, and preacher is the stuff of legend, recovered with panache by Rediker. -- John Rees, author of The Leveller RevolutionPraise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:In this vivid life, Rediker explains how Benjamin Lay, the dwarf, became an iconic prophet of abolitionism. Lay lived in the utmost simplicity in a cave, eating no meat, and wearing only clothes he had made himself. Rediker shows how Lay, despite his modesty, used spectacle to dramatise the cruelty of slavery, and explains why, despite clashes with the wealthy, Lay died at seventy-seven with an estate worth over £500, which he bequeathed to the poor. The Fearless Benjamin Lay offers a master class in eighteenth-century radical micro-history, showing how much is revealed by the scattered details of one man's life, a short man but a political and moral giant. -- Robin Blackburn, author of The American CruciblePraise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:Like most satisfying biographies, Rediker's is part group biography, offering sketches of the lives with which Lay's intersected. * Times Literary Supplement *Praise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:It is a pretty safe bet that for every 1,000 people who know of William Wilberforce, no more than the odd one might have heard of Benjamin Lay. But if anyone deserves to muscle in on the mildly self-congratulatory and largely middle-class pantheon of Abolitionist Saints, it is the gloriously improbable and largely forgotten Quaker throwback and hero of Marcus Rediker's generous and absorbing act-his own phrase-of 'retrospective justice'. -- David Crane * Spectator *Praise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:Rediker has done a valuable service in rescuing Lay from obscurity ... I suspect there will be few readers who won't want to boil a celebratory turnip to salute what Benjamin Lay achieved in the course of his long and remarkable life. -- John Preston * Daily Mail *Praise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:This is micro-history at its best, a careful concentration on one small man's activities as a way of testing out the limits of what could be thought, known and felt in the hive-mind of early modern America. -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian (Best biographies of the year 2017) *Praise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:It is a pretty safe bet that people reading this excellent biography of the Quaker radical Benjamin Lay will not have heard of him or his exploits. Hopefully because of Marcus Rediker's hard work and perseverance more people will now know of this extraordinary figure. -- Keith Livesy * A Trumpet of Sedition *Praise for The Fearless Benjamin Lay:Historian Marcus Rediker's excellent book . illuminates the life of this extraordinary man. -- Eugene Grant * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisForty-something Louise is married to Peter, with whom she has four children. They live in a big house, and on paper everything looks fantastic. But Louise has a secret that she barely dares to admit to herself: a burning desire for women. When I Came Out is the story of a woman who has met society’s expectations throughout her life but finally realizes that she has not been true to herself. From first-time creator Anne Mette Kærulf Lorentzen, this bold and elaborate piece of autobiographical work addresses personal anxieties about coming out later in life and documents her jump from a safe, well-established, heteronormative, middle-class life to living openly as a lesbian. With beautiful drawings using anthropomorphic characters, Anne Mette Kærulf Lorentzen tells her coming out story with charming sensitivity and a loving humour.

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Book Synopsisflic(French noun, slang)cop; police officerFlic(noun)The gripping and groundbreaking work of French comics journalism. What happens behind the walls of a police station? What kind of living does a cop make? And how does a culture of racism and violence become entrenched? Valentin Gendrot went undercover in Paris to find the answers revelations that rocked France and led to a series of investigations, including an internal affairs case on Gendrot himself. Flic is an exposé of a world never before seen by outsiders, an urgent story for our times, powerfully illustrated by the talented Thierry Chavant.

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Book SynopsisFew artists’ lives are as inspiring as that of Niki de Saint Phalle. While she started her career as a fashion model, a subsequent breakdown led to her taking up painting as therapy. Entirely self-taught, Niki spent the rest of her years devoted to art that was based in emotional truth and a feminist point of view. This graphic novel follows Niki’s extraordinary career, from her early “shooting pictures,” in which she fired bullets at bags of paint, to the creation of the exuberantly formed life-sized dolls she called “Nanas,” which established her as an international success. The book also looks at her close collaborations with her husband and fellow artist Jean Tinquely; her painting, drawing, assemblage, performance art, and large-scale installations; and her work in film, theater, and architecture. The texts explore how Niki tackled social and political issues and institutions— and shows why her work remains as eloquent and powerful today as when it was first created. Looking beyond her brightly colored sculptures, this book tells the story of a woman who fought for a fairer world; a headstrong outsider, who made a name for herself in the male-dominated art world of the day; and an autodidact, who became one of the greatest artists of her time.

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Book SynopsisIn this new autobiographical manga following My Wandering Warrior Existence, Nagata Kabi has quit drinking in an attempt to get healthier - or she’s trying to, anyway. Her former struggles with alcohol led to pancreatitis and a serious hospitalisation, and now she has no choice but to give it up. Follow the author as she details the quest to improve her health during a global pandemic.

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