Before Superman and superheroes came to dominate American comics, there was an age undreamed of. Pulp fiction was gaining in popularity, and it occurred to advertising agent Joseph H. Neebe that there might be a market for comic strips based on action and adventure rather than comedy. He approached Edgar Rice Burroughs (who had just set up shop in what would become Tarzana, California) about licensing his Tarzan character as a comic strip. Burroughs, who was already aiming to make movies based on the Lord of the Jungle agreed, but this still left the question of who would draw the comic.
Enter Harold “Hal” Foster—a Canadian illustrator who had little interest in drawing comics. However, with times being tough (and about to become tougher when The Great Depression hit), Smith got the comic off the ground by drawing the daily strip in 1929. He would later return, reluctantly, to draw a full-color Sunday strip in 1931. And yet, over the next few years, Smith began to believe he could take the comics he crafted and turn them into the high art he’d wanted to create.
However, Foster grew increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of the scripts he was given. He was also unhappy with the increasingly inadequate flat fee he was paid when the writers were given a percentage of the profits. He eventually left Tarzan for a more lucrative deal with King Features, where he was given more money, creative control, and the ability to write and draw his own adventure comic, the equally revolutionary Prince Valiant.
This history is detailed in the introduction to Hal Foster’s Tarzan. The Complete Sunday Comics 1931-1937. However, it understates just how important these comics were to the medium. Legends like Frank Frazetta, Wally Wood, Bernie Wrightson and Jack Kirby all cited Hal Foster as a major influence on their own comics. And without the success of the first Tarzan newspaper comics fueled by Foster’s work, it is possible that the action/adventure comics and the later comic books might never have come about. For that reason alone, this volume is well worth studying on a scholarly level.
Another reason is Foster’s command of anatomy, which was impressive and unlike anything appearing in the funny pages at the time. Foster took his research seriously and lamented that some of the writers he worked with failed to consider things like what kind of trees were likely to line an African river. Alas, his dedication was not appreciated by his employers and one of the chief reasons Burroughs considered Foster the best artist to handle Tarzan was that he was very good at drawing attractive women. (This skill, it might be noted, was honed by Foster’s work as a commercial artist, drawing women in lingerie in catalogs in the days before photography became inexpensive.)
On that note, there is no publisher rating for this collection. The amount of sex and violence within it was shocking for its time, but there’s nothing that would be inappropriate for a teenage audience today. There are a few bare male backsides and one naked boy who comes to Tarzan’s aid in one story, but nothing more overtly sexual than various queens of lost cities informing Tarzan that he is now theirs.
It should also be noted there is some material in these comics that has not aged well. There are multiple instances of the white goddess trope, with superstitious African natives taking in a white woman as their leader. Thankfully, Smith does not present these characters as the offensive caricatures that were commonplace in other comics of the time, but the four-color recreations for this book do feature some Asian characters with dimly yellowed skin.
One final warning. At $200 this volume may be a bit expensive for a library collection. Serious collectors of Tarzan lore and comics history should consider this a must-have. However, unless one’s library has a special collection devoted to Platinum Age comics or something similar, this one may be a bit of a budget breaker.
Hal Foster’s Tarzan: The Complete Sunday Comics 1931-1937 By Dian Hanson Art by Hal Foster TASCHEN, 2026 ISBN: 9783754402641
Related media: Book to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Canadian,
But I’m going to try, because the book deserves it.
Pastimes is a collection of four-panel vignettes by Saguenay-born Pascal Girard about his life as a 40-something man with a family. STICK WITH ME HERE!
The humor is bone-dry, the emotional points land with humor, and the other material… well, if you’re a fan of the works of Larry David, you’re in for a treat. Much of these comics come from Pascal’s every day life as a social worker for a hospital and the family he has at home and, subsequently, he experiences many baffling social interactions that result in confusion, frustration, or uneasiness (or a combination of all three). He’ll say the inside thoughts out loud and face the consequences. Not in a way that’s noble, but in a way that reminds us that our actions have consequences.
Pascal clearly loves his wife Rebecca and five-year-old daughter Lucie, and even though the strips don’t suggest much struggle past what could be expected in parenthood, the comics do a good job of showing that these struggles still exist. His little girl is obsessed with dying, a subject that gives both her and her father anxiety; it’s often a gateway into a larger subject—of the author losing his younger brother when he was also five-years old. Pascal is getting older; he has to put more of an effort in staying in shape, making healthy choices for himself, and going out to those loud, crowded, dive-y venues for the punk and hardcore music he tends to favor late at night is getting more difficult these days (though he doesn’t give it up, even sharing certain aspects of it with his daughter).
The strips don’t dabble in mature themes like sex, but death, recreational drug use, aging, and uncomfortable social interaction are explored. Not every page is a winner, but there are definitely a number of belly-laughs for me.
I would first describe the book as “cozy.” No Flying No Tights has reviewed literally thousands of comics that are visually complicated and layered and colorful and perhaps epic works of art and Pastimes… is not any of that. Nor does it need to be. The drawings are simple outlines, there is no color, but the characters are still expressive and the visual components of the punchlines land.
I find the book incredibly endearing. It’s not a deep exploration of things that we might think of as we age – perhaps sacrificed for the sake of humor—but it does suggest that there is more going on. Pastimes is deeper than just 4 panels of funny drawings. It’s a light in a dark hallway. And not just because I am also an aging punk rock adult who sees themself in Pascal’s work and therefore established a deep empathetic connection to his life with the first comic and see it as some sort of signal that everything is going to be okay.
Probably.
Maybe.
But the only way to find out is to pick this one up and read it yourself!
Pastimes By Pascal Girard Pow Pow Press, 2025 ISBN: 9782925114543
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Canadian, Character Representation: Canadian,
Twin sisters Sloane and Ash love to draw. For years, they have dreamed of becoming animators, working on movies like the Disney films they love. Now, at thirteen, they are taking the first step toward making that dream a reality: both girls have been accepted to a prestigious local animation summer program. Sloane is nervous, but she’s always nervous about starting new things and meeting new people. Ash can’t wait to learn from the pros—including the maker of her favorite animated movie, Monstrous.
Despite Sloane’s first-day jitters, both girls make friends at the program right away. But Ash soon finds herself struggling with the challenging animation assignments, and the creator of Monstrous isn’t the encouraging mentor figure she hoped for. Meanwhile, Sloane does well with the assignments, but is starting to question whether a career in animation is really what she wants. While Ash pushes herself hard to try and improve her craft, Sloane worries about how Ash will handle the idea of losing their shared goal.
The summer is teaching the twins a lot: about art skills, about different paths in animation (not all roads lead to Disney!), and about themselves. These discoveries are sometimes stressful, putting pressure on Sloane and Ash’s relationship. But if they listen to each other, their new friends, and an unexpected mentor from the animation program, then this could be a summer of exciting new possibilities.
These characters have a lot going on emotionally. Ash’s enthusiasm helps her connect to people, but can spiral into a stressful kind of overexcitement. Sloane struggles with discovering that art, her passion, feels more like a chore at animation camp. New friend Nisha used to bond with her grandmother over drawing, but is now losing that connection to her grandmother’s dementia. Two of the animation instructors provide an interesting contrast: Douglas Frye is has had exactly the kind of career Ash wants, working at Disney before starting his own studio. Ash is starstruck by him, but eventually comes to realize he’s an unhelpful teacher, a bit self-obsessed, and seems to unfairly favor male students over female ones. Film studies teacher Lisa Sato doesn’t have Frye’s celebrity sparkle, but she offers supportive advice and introduces her students to different styles of animation and career path possibilities.
Like author/illustrator Faith Erin Hicks, Sloane and Ash are aspiring young artists in Canada in what seems to be the 90s. (The exact year is never stated, but the characters watch VHS tapes, the newest film explicitly referenced came out in 1989, and anime is not yet mainstream in North America.) Hicks worked in the animation industry before switching to graphic novels, so she also has that experience to draw on (pun not intended but also not deleted) in creating the animation summer camp and its instructors.
The art style will be familiar to fans of Hicks’ work: a slightly cartoonified realism, expressive and dynamic, rich with detail. Given that animation is art plus movement, it is interesting to read a story centered on it in a medium that does not move. We see lots of drawing exercises from the summer program, like animating a bouncing ball or a person walking. We also see Sloane being introduced to anime, which she finds thrilling and inspiring in a time when she is struggling to reignite her passion for drawing. The book illustrates Ash and Sloane’s experience of spending a summer immersed in art.
Inbetweens shows us a fun, challenging, important summer in the lives of its young protagonists. It doesn’t tie up every little thing, like Ash’s trouble with overexcitement or Sloane’s questions about her future, but it ends in a happy and hopeful place. And after all, these characters are thirteen, so it makes sense that they don’t have everything figured out. Hand Inbetweens to fans of middle grade realistic fiction, especially those who like school stories or film and animation.
Inbetweens By Faith Erin Hicks Macmillan First Second, 2026 ISBN: 9781250838742
Gruesome. Dramatic. Utterly wild. And just the beginning. I need more.
James Tynion IV is among the most exciting writers working in comics today. For Exquisite Corpses from Image Comics, he partners with Michael Walsh along with other artists and writers to deliver the first volume in a blood soaked battle royale conducted by the thirteen richest families in America who wield unchecked power from the shadows. To keep the peace between their factions, every five years these families select champions and unleash them within an unsuspecting small town on Halloween night. The last killer standing will claim a reward and another five years of unquestioned power for the family who sponsored them. The other killers will be dead. As for the town—well, it doesn’t look promising. This time, the killers have landed in Oak Valley.
Tynion has already built a reputation for layered, unflinching horror. What helps set his work apart is the thematic depth and character development that emerges amidst the carnage and action and intriguing stories he continues to build. As quickly as the body count starts to rise at the hands of mercenaries and flashy murders alike—we also meet the inhabitants of Oak Valley. A young couple. A young boy and his mother. A gas station attendant. Two EMTs unaware of the horrors that await them in the night. Tynion and the other writers (including Walsh and the acclaimed Pornsak Pichetshote), build a tapestry of character on all sides—townsfolk, ruling families, and the killers themselves. Even among the families and the killers, the story doesn’t shape the characters with only broad strokes. We get glimpses into rivalries, old resentments, and heartfelt loyalty among the shadowy rulers. Among the killers themselves—some are out for blood alone, but others have more complex reasons for stepping onto the killing floor. No side is entirely villainous. No side is only sympathetic. Some of these folks are larger than life while others are just trying to get by. It is these few, the desperate and the hopeful, that take the story beyond an action set-piece and into something that is crafted with flair—but also perhaps more relevant to today than some of us might care to notice.
Walsh’s art also maintains a gritty feel across each issue, blending shadowed realism with flashes of vibrant color. Along with Marianna Ignazzi and Valentine De Landro, the creative team build a small town that feels lived in and real, tucked in some quiet corner of the northeast where—unfortunately for them—help will likely not be arriving in time. This stylized realism balances well with the neons and blood spatter that explode across the page, especially in the presence of the eccentric killers. The visuals create a world of real places and people, telling story through costumes and expressions as much as the written narrative. Visually, the book is a delight—and as the chaos begins to unfurl, this unsuspecting town is only just starting to take notice.
Exquisite Corpses earns a solid mature rating with somewhat graphic violence and some language. It’s a story aimed at adults, though not out of reach of older teens who can handle the content. My only notable complaint about the book is that, at 3 issues, it was over far too quickly. There’s plenty more story to come, and this volume would sit happily in any collection with a focus on horror and crime-thrillers. Fans of titles like The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, and Alice in Borderland as well as Tynion’s other horror titles are sure to find plenty to enjoy within these pages. I highly recommend this one for anyone willing to take a step into the dark, and I look forward to the next installment.
Exquisite Corpses Vol. 01 By James Tynion IV Art by Michael Walsh Image, 2025 ISBN: 9781534331044
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Canadian, Gay, Character Representation: Black, Gay,
Fans of superhero comics and non-superhero comics might be familiar with the name Jeff Lemire. Lemire is a comic book writer and artist who has worked on mainstream superhero books like Superboy, Moon Knight, and Green Arrow. He has also worked on his own creations, including Sweet Tooth, about an antler-headed boy navigating a post-apocalyptic landscape, and Gideon Falls, about people from all walks of life who come into contact with the mysterious, universe-crossing Black Barn. Lemire has consistently demonstrated a writing style that blends both the strangely unreal and the uniquely human, and he has doubled down on that formula in his latest project Fishflies, which he not only writes but illustrates. Canadian Lemire has set this surreal fairy tale in small town Canada. In Belle River, Ontario an armed robbery has left a boy in the hospital fighting for his life and a wounded man who is on the run from the authorities. As the manhunt continues, this fugitive finds the home of young outsider Franny Fox and Franny offers him shelter, but this fugitive is soon transformed by a curse rooted in the town’s history and one that demands blood. Lemire’s story combines the sweetness of Sweet Tooth and the surreal horror of Gideon Falls. Young Franny Fox, an ostracized girl who comes from a broken home, might remind Lemire fans of Sweet Tooth’s Gus. However, Lemire has filled Belle River with other endearing, three-dimensional characters like officer Daniel Laroque, a cop who wants to do the right thing and follows his heart when logic stops working, along with Helen Dupuis, the single mother of the boy who was shot and who is receiving little support from a town that considers her strange. Lemire’s story also hints at body horror, folk horror, and surreality that makes the book feel like a modern fairy tale. Lemire’s art style also makes the book feel like a children’s book illustrated for an adult audience. While many of Lemire’s own books have been drawn by other artists who have included a variety of styles, Lemire’s own style looks like a film animated by the same people who animated the stop-motion modern fantasy Coraline, with facial features exaggerated just enough to clearly show the beautiful imperfection of humanity, asymmetrical faces and thick, dark worry lines, while allowing for a range of expressions. The use of cooler colors also makes the book feel like a darker but ultimately uplifting bedtime story. Librarians responsible for adult graphic novel collections might already have some Jeff Lemire-penned books in their collection and this one would make a great addition. Its story and art style might remind Lemire fans of Sweet Tooth, but with its center in small town Canada, it illustrates the trauma experienced not by living in an apocalypse but the trauma of living in a world where society keeps rolling even as it threatens to roll its people over.
Fishflies By Jeff Lemire Image, 2025 ISBN: 9781534395176
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Canadian,
To fully appreciate the 2025 Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 1, a little history must be known.
The first revisions of the Comics Code Authority (CCA) in 1971 paved the way for a Renaissance in the American comic industry. Whole genres once made unviable by the CCA regulations, like fantasy and horror, were once again fair game. Hither came Conan, the most popular of the creations of pulp writer Robert E. Howard, who gained a solo series at Marvel Comics. This Conan the Barbarian title swiftly became one of their best-selling books.
Yet even the new CCA rules did not allow for wholly accurate adaptations of Howard’s stories, or pastiches in the same spirit. Thankfully, the CCA rules did not apply to magazines. So, it was in 1974 that Marvel launched The Savage Sword of Conan; a comic magazine which told adult tales of Conan the Barbarian and other Howard heroes.
Titan Comics acquired the Conan license in 2023 and launched a new Savage Sword of Conan magazine in 2024. This volume collects the first three issues of the magazine, which adheres to the aesthetics of the classic Savage Sword of Conan magazine. Beyond being published in a magazine size, the artwork is all monochromatic and the stories far more visceral. It is also an anthology, featuring stories by a variety of artists and writers. Also, while the lion’s share of stories center around Conan, there are other tales featuring Robert E. Howard’s other creations.
“Conan and the Dragon Horde” by John Arcudi and Max von Fafner tells the tale of an older Conan, not yet a king but a general in command of a cavalry company. He and his men follow a would-be usurper, who promises them wealth in plenty once he takes his rival’s palace. However, the city turns out to be guarded by reptilian beasts.
“Master of the Hunt” by writer/artist Patrick Zircher is a three-part story starring the Puritan Solomon Kane. The witch-hunter is traveling through Wales, when he hears tale of an ungodly beast in need of smiting. This quest turns into a mission of mercy, when a young boy disappears seeking his father, who also vanished hunting the monster.
“Conan: Leaving the Garden” by Jim Zub and Richard Pace is a more horrific tale, which opens with Conan digging himself out of a shallow grave. Wounded and weakened, he nurses his wounds with the aid of a young boy. Unfortunately, the boy’s village hides the same evil that sought to kill and corrupt Conan.
“Conan: Wolves of the Tundra” by Frank Tieri and Cary Nord is another story the leans heavier into horror than fantasy. This time, Conan himself is the monster, cursed with lycanthropy. This leads him on a hunt to find the leader of the pack, whose death is the only thing that might save his soul.
“Conan: Lure of the Pit Creature” by writer/artist Alah Quah is a short, silent story. It finds Conan falling into a pit and chasing after a pretty girl. However, as the title implies, this is bait for a trap.
All these stories and the art that defines them are fine work. The anthology format emulates the pulps of old. Even with the focus on Conan, there is variety. Many of these stories will hold appeal to fans of horror rather than fantasy in general and sword and sorcery in particular. I dare say some manga readers might appreciate the black-and-white artwork.
Titan Comics rates this volume as appropriate for readers 15 and up. I generally agree with the assessment but would advise that the British standards are somewhat looser than those of American publishers. There is considerable violence, on par with an OT manga. This is also some nudity and implied sexual content, with Conan enjoying the affections of a female engineer in “Conan and the Dragon Horde.” Bare breasts and buttocks are visible as they lounge in the afterglow, though the actual act is not shown. To that end, I would suggest librarians shelve this one in the adult collection, lest you face a savage book banner.
The Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 1 By John Arcudi, Patch Zircher, Jim Zub, and Frank Tieri Art by Max von Fafner, Alan Quah, Richard Pace, and Cary Nord Titan, 2025 ISBN: 9781787744318
Company Age Rating: 15+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Canadian, Malaysian,
Odette has a jellyfish in their eye. The doctors don’t have an answer. It’s a mild inconvenience until the day a second one appears.
A college dropout trying to navigate family pressures and an uncertain future, Odette works at a local bookstore, keeps their pet rabbit, and develops a crush on a woman named Naina which may turn into something more. Dodging uncomfortable interactions with their mother, going out to awkward parties with their best friend and his girlfriend—Odettte’s life is small enough, but it’s comfortable. It’s the jellyfish that are the problem. No one has an answer and no one seems particularly concerned about what it might mean. But as the jellyfish continue to multiply, Odette must decide who they will trust, who they will allow to get close, and how they will navigate a future that is not at all the one they expected to be facing as an increasing number of jellyfish begin to block out the things they once were able to see.
Pow Pow Press delivers The Jellyfish, written and illustrated by Canadian graphic novelist Boum and translated now to English. The initial premise has an absurdity to it that injects quiet humor into the writing. “You do indeed seem to have a jellyfish in your left eye,” is the first line delivered in the story. However, this declaration takes on unexpected weight across each section of this book, broken out across the changing of the seasons. Interwoven with snippets of headlines and online quizzes, this graphic novel is rooted in the deep tensions and trivialities of the perpetually online and interconnected existence of young adults in the modern age. From the opening sequence of Odette working in the bookstore to returning home to a nearly empty apartment, Boun captures mundane details that are familiar, engaging, and sometimes all too real, filling Odette with recognizable life in a very short span of time. From awkward parties full of strangers to the heightened emotions of new love, Boun’s portrayal of Odette is richly detailed and empathetic—and this subtle capturing of deep, complex emotion only becomes more recognizable as Odette finds themself facing increasingly dire challenges.
I’m dodging around too many specific plot details because the story is best experienced alongside Odette and those closest to them. Bringing each panel of the story to life, Boum’s delightful art is simple enough in clear shades of black, white, and gray. Emotions shift from humor to sorrow with a deft hand, spotlighting exactly the elements the reader should notice, while building out a richly detailed world with sometimes the simplest brush strokes. Forming a core element of the story, the titular jellyfish are never far from the panels, drifting across the visuals in the same way they drift across Odette’s vision. Entire sequences play out without dialog and the way each panel leads into the next remarkably captures the emotional state of Odette and those around them, each of whom has their own triumphs and tragedies to navigate in search of what it means to live in a complicated world. It’s a remarkable fusion of storytelling and art which quickly draws the reader into Odette’s life and expertly captures the highs and lows of their narrative and emotional experience.
Pow Pow Press does not assign The Jellyfish an age rating, but it’s best suited for older teens and adults due to some naturally-presented nudity, strong language, and overall thematic elements. The content isn’t particularly troubling, but it is a story aimed at older readers and the deep emotional themes pack quite a punch in the later portion of the story. Younger readers and anyone sensitive to narratives centered around degenerative disease should be mindful before diving into this one.
The Jellyfish is one of those stories where it is difficult to explain the experience of reading it in words. I don’t want to give away too much and waving a book around saying “read this” is either effective or it’s not. Visually and in writing, Boum has created a story full of diversity and rich in humanity. It’s crafted with immense care and talent, and in a relatively short span of pages, manages to take the reader on a deeply emotional journey that is absolutely worth the time it takes to experience. In the end, my review on this book is simply “read it.” You won’t be disappointed.
The Jellyfish By Boum Pow Pow Studios, 2024 ISBN: 9782925114307
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Canadian Character Representation: Queer, Nonbinary, Disability
When most people think of horror anthologies in the comic medium, they might think of EC Comic’s Tales from the Crypt or The Vault of Fear. They might also think of Creepshow, a series of movies and television shows that were an homage to comics like Tales from the Crypt. Very few might think of, or even remember, Harvey Comics, creators of Casper the Friendly Ghost and Wendy the Good Little Witch. Writer and artist Jay Stephens seems to have been thinking of both when he created Dwellings, a more grown-up horror anthology that utilizes Harvey Comics’ artistic style.
The town of Elwich, at first glance, doesn’t appear too different from other small towns in Canada, except that it is cursed. Many of Elwich’s inhabitants have had encounters with ghosts, monsters, demons, and things that go bump (and worse) in the night, and their stories are told in this anthology. But be warned that the ghosts in this book are definitely not friendly nor are the witches (and warlocks) here in any way good.
While it is tempting to dismiss this book as a gimmick, relying on the shock value of seeing characters that could have leaped out of the ‘50s funny pages bleed and be dismembered, Stephens does tell some solid scary stories. Standout tales in this book feature a woman who is searching for her grandmother in a forest along with her hand puppet companion and a tale about a haunted attraction that wreaks havoc on its customers. Those familiar with Creepshow and Tales format (or the format of many horror short stories) will recognize the twist endings that come at the end of these stories while reaching for the readers’ collective throat.
The dichotomy of mature and violent stories told through a cutesy art style might initially draw in the curious, but Stephens shows a commitment that goes beyond merely drawing a few cutesy characters dying horrifically. Those who actually remember when comic books were not only under a dollar but had ads for x-ray specs and exploding gum will marvel at the attention to detail Stephens’ ads add to the book’s overall tone while also hinting at the stories that are contained within.
One particular highlight that strengthens the illusion of this book time-traveling from the fifties is the six panel black-and-white comic “Aw Hell.” When all of “Aw Hell” is read, it eventually reveals the humorous story of how a scoundrel named Jack tricked the devil and later birthed the Jack O’Lantern. Dwellings is full of moments like this that immerse the reader in a universe where it could be bought at the local drug store for pocket change.
This book is specifically geared toward more adult horror fans, but teens (or teen librarians) who aren’t too squeamish might like to give Dwellings a home. Though it might seem like the book is targeting a small niche group of horror fans who also love Casper and Wendy, fans of punchy horror stories, particularly those fans with a sense of humor, should like how Stephens homages horror comics.
Dwellings By Jay Stephens Oni Press, 2024 ISBN: 9781637152911
Publisher Age Rating: 12 and up
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Canadian,
This collection of seven stories honoring the northern regions of Canada and the Indigenous residents has been reprinted from the three-anthology series, Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection, featuring these three authors with strong ties to the region and the people. Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley is of Inuit-Cree ancestry from Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. She is an Inuit scholar who studies world religions and cultures. Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, of Scottish-Mohawk ancestry, was born in southern Ontario, Canada and is a folklorist and fantasist specializing in magic, mythology, and Inuit lore. Richard Van Camp is a member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation from Fort Smith, NWT. Tlicho are Dene First Nation people living in the Northwest Territories. He currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta not far from this reviewer and is a well-known storyteller, author, and educator.
Each of the entries in this new collection include new splash pages as an introduction to the stories but do not include the prefaces that accompanied the stories in their original publications. For this reason, I am offering some of the material included in the Moonshot anthologies for additional context.
All three awarding winning authors have shared their knowledge of traditional teachings, the history of Arctic shamanism and cosmology, and the joy of storytelling, and the awareness of the solid intersections of their rich backgrounds with the wider contemporary culture. The stories in this collection continue this practice, bringing awareness of non-Indigenous as well as Indigenous readers to the magic of the Canadian far northern regions. The various illustrators for the individual stories are not from the region but are well versed in the geography and culture of the people they are bringing to vivid life. The collection was published separately in two languages, English and Inuktitut. I will be discussing the English collection.
Burning Cold opens with prefaces explaining the authors’ objectives in writing these tales. Rachel and Sean explain that while much of what they create is based on traditional tales and figures, their stories are fiction immersed in traditional lore. However, they do not tend to offer the reader clues to which is which and, as they write, “You’ll just have to make a game at guessing which parts are exactly that [traditional lore], as opposed to flights of our fancy. In this sense, with a smile, but no joke, we are actually being quite traditional” (4). Richard, in his preface, contends that “comics and illustrated literature are the perfect ways to welcome readers of all ages into the grace, dignity, stories, and medicines of our culture” (6).
The first story, “Tlicho Naowa” by Van Camp, indicates a contemporary family blending the traditional ceremony with the trick and treat ceremony that both occur on October 31. The Dene ritual expresses love and respect to family members who are no longer alive as well as imploring the spirits of the Caribou people for a safe and plentiful upcoming hunting season. This is the significant time of year for Caribou herds and their migration in the area. Nicholas Burns’ colourful illustrations effectively illuminate the modern home and customs of the family, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, placing the reader warmly inside the family. The dialogue also highlights the Indigenous language of the area. The following story, also from the first volume of Moonshot, is an illustrated tale written by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley and illustrated by menton3. The story evokes the danger presented by the traditional Qallupilik to the people, especially young children who wander too close to the edge of ice floes. The Qallupilik, at times formless, are known shapeshifters and child-snatchers and in this tale, it assumes the shape of a human female to collect a young female who taunted them, perhaps unknowingly. The white text is presented on black pages alternating with full page coloured atmospheric and striking illustrations.
The next three stories are from the second volume of Moonshot. Richard Van Camp’s ‘Water Spirits” continues the theme of the contemporary infused with traditional belief systems. The school field trip to the gold mine offers accurate information about the history of the mine as well as the implications of the poisoning of the waters that led to its demise. Within the tale, told by a fictional guide, is knowledge rarely shared outside of the culture. “The tradition of respecting the Spirits and never placing drinking cups directly on the ground as described in the story is typically told by Elders to youth, only in the spoken word, making this story a unique experience”. The Arctic fantasy tale “Winter’s Shell”, by the Qitsualik-Tinsleys, is told through the comic format with illustrations by Alexandria Neonakis. Several Inuit shamanic symbols are adapted in order to share teachings and world understanding not usually discussed openly in the culture but instead are shared through art, story, and aangakkuuniq (shamanism). The story and art evoke a feeling of mysticism and mystery and does not offer any immediate answers for the reader. This feeling of unexplained magic and wonder continues in Van Camp’s “Magic of Wolverines”. The Wolverine is a trickster spirit and to the Tlicho Dene, it represents an unending source of strength, beauty, and respect, the most important facets of life. This concise tale explains the authority of wolverines through narration boxes and the powerful illustrations by Scott Henderson.
The final two stories, from the third volume of Moonshot, demonstrate the power of belief and living and environmental knowledge of the people of the far north. “Waterward”, told in prose by the Qitsualik-Tinsleys in white text on a black background, is a dark, disturbing, and ominous tale that is effectively accompanied by the haunting full-page illustrations of Sadekaronhes Esquivel. The final tale by Van Camp is filled with colour and hope, bringing the collection of tales full circle with the distribution of meat from a successful caribou hunt. The hunt was apparently a success due to the Sky People, whose lights danced in the night sky. For readers who are familiar with Van Camp’s previous stories about Benny and his hometown of Fort Smith will recognize some of the main characters in the story creatively illustrated by Kyle Charles, a Cree illustrator now living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Although these stories are reprinted with additional splash pages instead of the introductory material of the original, the fact that they are presented as a united whole provides the reader with a more intense reading experience and understanding of the environment, mystic, power, people, and the culture of the Canadian far North. Highly recommended for library collections of Indigenous materials, Canadian materials, and world views.
i. Moonshot, Vol. 1, page 122. ii. Moonshot, Vol. 2, page 95. iii. Moonshot, Vol 2, page 78.
Burning Cold An Inuit and Dene Comics Collection Vol. By Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, and Richard Van Camp, Art by Various Arvaaq Press, 2024 ISBN: 9781774506547
Publisher Age Rating: 12-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Canadian, Dogrib Dene, Inuit, Character Representation: Canadian, Dene, First Nations or Indigenous, Inuit,
Best friends Gabby, Mindy, and Priya are very different, but they have the same problem: all three girls love animals, and none of them are allowed to have pets. Determined to get quality cuddle time with some critters, they try out several schemes before creating a dog-walking business, which they name PAWS (an acronym—sort of—for Pretty Awesome WalkerS).
Several clients sign up immediately, and suddenly the girls have all the dogs they can handle—maybe even more than they can handle. Conflict bubbles up: Priya plays lots of sports, so the other two keep having to walk extra dogs when she has practices or games. Mindy can really use the dog-walking money, so she’s keen to take on more dogs even when the trio is already struggling. Gabby is the youngest, and sometimes feels that the other two don’t listen to her.
When the girls finally solve these issues, more trouble pops up: Mindy’s mom starts dating, which makes Mindy feel insecure and afraid of change just as the other two girls want to ask a new friend to join PAWS. Then Priya’s family moves across town, and her parents want her to switch schools. How will the girls of PAWS keep their business—and their friendship—going strong?
This fun series will inevitably draw comparisons to the Baby-Sitters Club, another series in which tween girls form a business together and deal with professional and personal issues. Both feature characters who are very different in personality and background but are close friends: Gabby comes from a secure, well-to-do family and is a little sheltered; Mindy is a stylish, chronically-online latchkey kid with a single mom; Priya is an athlete and the child of immigrants. Hazel, who joins PAWS in the second book, is new in town and uses a wheelchair. Each book focuses on the character whose name is in the title, with occasional sections following one of the others. Like the girls of the Baby-Sitters Club, these kids work through the practical details of how pre-teens might realistically organize and run a business.
PAWS is set in Vancouver, Canada, and feels very much of the present day. The girls use some current slang, especially when they squeal over animals, calling them “pupper,” “floof boi,” “lad,” “fren,” and “king,” and exclaiming “I would boop that nose so hard!” Phones and social media also feature frequently. All of this feels natural, and while the language may eventually seem a little quirky to future readers, the storylines and themes of friendship, accepting change, and taking care of yourself are timeless.
The art is a colorful, lightly cartoonified version of reality. The characters are expressive, sometimes becoming comically exaggerated to show extreme emotions. They are distinct and easy to tell apart, and each has an individual style, including plenty of different outfits. The animals have a lot of personality, too. While the focus is on the characters, the backgrounds are detailed enough to keep the settings—mostly parks, school, and the kids’ homes—clear and present. There are also a couple of illustrated recipes: Mindy narrates how to make gamja bokkeum, a Korean dish, and her mom’s boyfriend Mike explains how to make a kind of breakfast casserole.
There is no violence, no swearing (unless you count an embarrassed character mumbling “Oh God”), and no romantic content other than Mindy’s mom innocently hanging out with her new boyfriend. The stakes are emotional and logistical, not physical danger, except for one instance when Priya falls and hurts her leg.
These funny, relatable characters learn problem-solving and other life lessons through engaging stories. Definitely hand this series to fans of the Baby-Sitters Club, as well as to readers of other middle-grade realistic fiction, like the work of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale.
PAWS By Nathan Fairbairn Art by Michele Assarasakorn Penguin Random House Razorbill, 2022 ISBN: 9780593351864
Volume
ISBN
2
9780593351932
3
9780593351963
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Canadian, Thai, , Character Representation: Black, Indian, Korean, Wheelchair User, Hindu ,
films they love. Now, at thirteen, they are taking the first step toward making that dream a reality: both girls have been accepted to a prestigious local animation summer program. Sloane is nervous, but she’s always nervous about starting new things and meeting new people. Ash can’t wait to learn from the pros—including the maker of her favorite animated movie, Monstrous.
artist who has worked on mainstream superhero books like Superboy, Moon Knight, and Green Arrow. He has also worked on his own creations, including Sweet Tooth, about an antler-headed boy navigating a post-apocalyptic landscape, and Gideon Falls, about people from all walks of life who come into contact with the mysterious, universe-crossing Black Barn. Lemire has consistently demonstrated a writing style that blends both the strangely unreal and the uniquely human, and he has doubled down on that formula in his latest project Fishflies, which he not only writes but illustrates.
To fully appreciate the 2025 Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 1, a little history must be known.
Odette has a jellyfish in their eye. The doctors don’t have an answer. It’s a mild inconvenience until the day a second one appears.
Vault of Fear. They might also think of Creepshow, a series of movies and television shows that were an homage to comics like Tales from the Crypt. Very few might think of, or even remember, Harvey Comics, creators of Casper the Friendly Ghost and Wendy the Good Little Witch. Writer and artist Jay Stephens seems to have been thinking of both when he created Dwellings, a more grown-up horror anthology that utilizes Harvey Comics’ artistic style.
from the three-anthology series, Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection, featuring these three authors with strong ties to the region and the people. Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley is of Inuit-Cree ancestry from Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. She is an Inuit scholar who studies world religions and cultures. Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, of Scottish-Mohawk ancestry, was born in southern Ontario, Canada and is a folklorist and fantasist specializing in magic, mythology, and Inuit lore. Richard Van Camp is a member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation from Fort Smith, NWT. Tlicho are Dene First Nation people living in the Northwest Territories. He currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta not far from this reviewer and is a well-known storyteller, author, and educator.
of them are allowed to have pets. Determined to get quality cuddle time with some critters, they try out several schemes before creating a dog-walking business, which they name PAWS (an acronym—sort of—for Pretty Awesome WalkerS).
