Everyone over the age of 30 remembers the TV show Mister Magic. They don’t always agree about what happened on the show—and there’s no way to settle disputes, since no footage from Mister Magic seems to exist anywhere. But they remember how passionately they loved it as children, how they felt like the kids in the show were their friends. And they remember—even if the details are blurry—that it ended thirty years ago in a terrible, violent tragedy.
When Val’s father dies, she feels lost. She’s been living on an isolated ranch since her father brought her here thirty years ago, when she was eight. He’s been paranoid, terrified that something would follow them here, but Val doesn’t know what or why. Then unexpected guests show up at his funeral. Val doesn’t remember anything from before she arrived at the ranch, but these people claim they were her childhood friends and costars on the show Mister Magic. They do seem deeply familiar, and Val is desperate to learn more about her past, so she agrees to leave with them. They’re headed to the remote desert town where the show was filmed, where they will be interviewed for a podcast.
Once they reach the desert town of Bliss, Utah, things just keep getting stranger and more threatening. The entire town is extremely invested in the show Mister Magic. They’re all angry at Val for something she can’t remember. And they want something from Val and her new/old friends—something they’ll do anything to get.
This is a graphic adaptation of Kiersten White’s horror novel Mister Magic. It’s smart and creepy, playing with themes of memory, nostalgia, and trauma, as well as the desire to protect children and how we try to do that. Interspersed through the book are memos, emails, and websites about Mister Magic—including fake pages from real sites like Wikipedia and Reddit—which add to the feeling of the story being real and contemporary. And indeed, some of the book’s horror is inspired by reality. Our protagonists find themselves returning to an isolated community bent on controlling and molding children to fit their narrow, patriarchal ideal. We see how this community shaped the lives of Val’s castmates, pushing heterosexuality, marriage, and parenthood on them regardless of how badly those concepts sometimes fit. The author has confirmed in interviews that this is a reference to conservative religions, particularly the Church of Latter-Day Saints, which White left as an adult because of the church’s increasingly homophobic views.
For most of the book, the visuals are straightforward and realistic. The art is dynamic and natural, and the flashback scenes feature some delightfully nineties-TV aesthetics. Those flashbacks also have a looser, more fanciful style that evokes both the fact that they are childhood memories and the possibility that real magic was involved. As the story progresses and the supernatural elements close in on the protagonists, the more magical style reappears more often.
As far as content, this book includes some swearing, icky sexism, creepiness, and children in danger, but nothing too dire, especially for a horror novel aimed at adults. There are a couple of kisses and a few comments on female characters’ bodies, but no other sexual content. Mister Magic delivers an eerie and fascinating premise, flawed and sympathetic characters, and a pace that makes it easy to keep reading. Hand it to fans of inventively creepy vibes and to readers who like horror in which—spoilers—things mostly turn out okay.
Mister Magic the Graphic Novel By Kiersten White, and Scott Peterson Art by Veronica Fish, and Andy Fish Ten Speed Press, 2026 ISBN: 9781984863355
Once upon a time in ye olde 2013, in the very blue state of Illinois, Chicago Public School (CPS) officials banned the use of Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis in the entire district. 13 years later this feels disgustingly common, a story we’ve learned to tune out, but at the time it shocked the local community and the response was immediate. High school students led a protest, teachers and librarians were up in arms, free speech advocates were taking notice, and it was picked up by news outlets. But information coming from the school district was confusing and inconsistent and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests produced little information or clarity.
Roughly two years later, library graduate student Jarret Dapier, remembering his frustration with the ban and lack of answers, decided to dig deeper for a thesis paper. He interviewed former and current students, teachers, librarians, administrators, and journalists. With little hope of success he sent in his own FOIA request to CPS and was surprised with 42 pages of emails and all the answers he could ask for about the ban and who in the school district was responsible.
Wake Now in the Fire is Dapier’s debut graphic novel and a mingling of those true events with mostly fictional characters based on the students and teachers he interviewed. He follows several high school students (and a few teachers) as they discover the ban and take action. His diverse characters have varied and realistic lives, dealing with all the ups and downs of being a teenager. They struggle with homework, strict parents, and awkward crushes, but also grief, uncertainty, and mental health issues. I really loved that Dapier gave his student characters space to speak and share and develop their, sometimes messy, thoughts in and outside the classroom.
AJ Dungo illustrates Dapier’s narrative with a distinctive and fun graphical style. His clean lines and grayscale color palette are more than able to handle the relatively large cast of characters and complex situations. One detail that I really enjoyed was the use of red only when the book Persepolis is in view in a panel. It’s a nice pop of color that highlights the book’s presence in the lives of the characters.
It feels easy these days to get crushed emotionally by the routine threat of book bans, and I worried a graphic novel focused on it would really bring me down, but Wake Now in the Fire is largely positive. The students are fired up to stand up for their rights to read. The parents, teachers, and librarians are largely supportive. There is visible power in a community that rises against censorship. In his afterword, Dapier draws attention to how things have changed since 2013 with regards to the massive increases in book bans, growing control over marginalized bodies, and the escalating danger of armed government agents. Those comments snapped me back to reality after bathing in some good old fashioned hope during the narrative, but it’s important that our current reality is acknowledged.
The publisher rates this story for ages 14+, which are the ages of the main student characters. There aren’t too many things that would make this difficult for readers under 14, but some issues to be aware of are brief off-screen violence, depictions of mental health struggles in kids and adults, and alcoholism in one of the parents. That parent experiences an on-screen health emergency that his daughter has to respond to in an intense scene. The most stressful parts of the students’ lives are handled well and with grace. This book is a vital addition to a teen, or even an adult collection because it merges history and fiction to tell a compelling story with that crucial element of hope that is so desperately needed right now.
Wake Now in the Fire: A Story of Censorship, Action, Love, and Hope By Jarrett Dapier Art by AJ Dungo Ten Speed Press, 2026 ISBN: 9780593838044
Company Age Rating: 14+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Cocktails. We know them. Many love them. But how many of us know the long and complicated journey through history that brought us the cocktail as we know it today?
From Ten Speed Graphic, renown cocktail historian David Wondrich delivers The Comic Book History of the Cocktail along with art from Dean Kotz, Brad Simpson, and Micah Myers. Opening with some pre-history, this nonfiction journey around the world introduces the earliest known precursors of mixology from civilizations such as Rome and India. From there, the story really begins in the 1600s with the expansion of global trade and the journeying of ingredients, practices, and liquors around the globe. While cocktails are rather a niche subject, their evolution was shaped by many aspects of a changing world. Race and gender dictated who could stand behind a bar. Politics and global warfare led to booms and lulls in alcohol consumption. And social standards drastically changed consumer expectations about what a cocktail could be and where the bars that served them fit within society. With deep historical knowledge and a clear affection for mixed drinks, Wondrich and the creative team offer a detailed and engaging history of drinking which simultaneously takes us across centuries of world history, charting the ebb and flow of society before turning an eye toward the infinite possibilities of the future.
Though deeply researched and factual, this graphic history is written with a clear and engaging style that makes the subject matter entertaining and accessible. The narrative voice that drives much of the book feels quite personal, interjecting commentary on world events and suspect cocktail techniques throughout. There are also frequent interludes from two bartender characters who offer further commentary on topics from the chapters while also sharing recipes and techniques for some of the drinks referenced throughout. Rather than a history text, the book feels like a casual lesson from a friendly group of people passionate about the subject matter. The book is full of information while never feeling bogged down in excessive detail. Even with all that it presents, there is clearly so much more a curious reader could go on to discover with further reading. Indeed, Wondrich closes the books with an extensive index and bibliography of further resources for those curious, highlighting the extensive body of scholarship underlying the information presented here. If the writing has any weakness, it’s the fact that a book of this sort simply doesn’t have the space and time to dive as deep as some of these historical figures and periods deserve. On a pickier note, the dialects and historical accents of some of the historical figures rendered into written text are occasionally distracting—but even these are drawn from historical sources as accurately as possible. As an introduction to the subject which manages to effectively cover a huge span of time and history, Wondrich remarkably makes the subject matter both accessible and fun to read all along the way.
Wonderich’s extensive knowledge is made all the more engaging with art from Dean Kotz. There isn’t a great deal of sequential visual story telling here. Rather, Kotz captures an enormous range of historical figures and time periods. Illustrating each era the book covers from those uncertain times of pre-history right up through the covid pandemic and into the modern day. With heavy line work and a mix of style and realism, Kotz details bustling bars, shattered battlefields, horrific plantations, and the men and women who walked through them all. It’s an undertaking to capture chemistry and brewing practices alongside shifting societies around the globe, but every page of this book is made better through Kotz’s illustrations. Particularly of note are the double-page spreads of bars at specific periods of time, showing their evolution from small, focused establishments to the influential social spaces that they are today.
With no recommended age range and no particularly explicit content, this book is relatively safe for any reader to flip through. However, given the explicit focus of the subject matter on drinking and alcohol, it’s a read best aimed at adults, especially given that it takes a rather positive slant on the history of cocktails without more nuanced discussion of the risks drinking also poses. Nearly every page features liquor being made or consumed, and there are also digressions into serious topics such as war and the international slave trade. As such, adults with interests in areas of history and drinking will be the audience best served by this one. Additionally, it does lean more text-heavy than some comics, expecting the reader to be settled in with an attention span to match. As a final note, not only does Wonderich offer a wealth of historical information not regularly covered by more mainstream sources, he also goes out of his way to recognize the contributions of often marginalized figures throughout history. There’s a clear, individual perspective to the history, but the book is always explicit about where there is authorial commentary alongside historical fact. Furthermore, the book is upfront about any place where the historical record is murky or nonexistent. The Comic Book History of the Cocktail would be an excellent addition for any comics collection that leans toward the adult and the historical. It is a strong read on its own, and might also ignite further curiosity in the covered range of topics and intriguing historical figures.
The Comic Book History of the Cocktail Five Centuries of Mixing Drinks and Carrying On By David Wondrich Art by Dean Kotz Ten Speed Press, 2025 ISBN: 9781984860330
Fans of Strange Tales may be familiar with Youtube personality MrBallen (real name John B. Allen). A former Navy SEAL, MrBallen doesn’t tell his stories of people’s actual accounts with the supernatural and fantastical on a set lit with black candles or a coffin sitting in the background. Instead, he wears a signature baseball cap and flannel shirt while sitting before a microphone. He doesn’t need Gothic ambience to pull his fans in; the stories themselves are enough. He, along with contributor Robert Venditti, seems to take that approach with his book MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark, & Mysterious: The Graphic Stories, illustrated by Andrea Mutti.
The nine stories within this book are from around the world. Many of them are typically spooky stories that one would tell around a campfire; hence, the book’s front cover has MrBallen sitting behind a campfire surrounded by skulls (the closest he comes to Gothic trappings) while he locks eyes with the reader as he prepares to tell these stories. His first story involves a stretch of Canada’s Northwest Territories that has made many people disappear over centuries, a story which sets the tone for the rest of the book, while other tales include a man who disappears in an abandoned Spanish village where a witch met her end, a woman who has a very strange and visceral dream while camping, a man encountering a persistent tiger, and an actual giant encountered in the mountains of Khanadar, Afghanistan.
The stories MrBallen and Venditti share are stories that he has researched, stories he’s heard from others (the story of the giant is one he’d heard from a fellow soldier), or ones he’s experienced himself. The stories are presented as nonfiction but MrBallen doesn’t spend time delving into the history of these encounters or trying to prove or disprove their veracity; he’s simply there to tell a story and entertain his audience. The way these stories are presented also bank on another part of MrBallen’s appeal: his approachability. His stories aren’t told with the dry delivery of a folklore scholar, but of someone sharing this story with a friend in a not-too-crowded local bar.
Mutti’s art style also shows a distinct lack of ostentatious ambiance, which benefits the book. Mutti forgoes detailed images of many of these terrors, particularly the supernatural ones, and shows just enough to let the reader’s unsettled mind fill in the blanks. For settings, he only places the bare minimum within a scene to create the proper atmosphere, whether that be fog winding through a dark forest, or the terrified eyes of the people experiencing these stories. Even Mutti’s watercolor style artwork, with pale colors and realistic detail for the non-supernatural elements, complements rather than distracts from the stories’ elements.
In the public library nonfiction shelves lurk books about real-life hauntings and stories meant to raise hackles on unsuspecting adult patrons. The patrons who enjoy those books will enjoy MrBallen’s tales; perhaps they are even fans of his Youtube show. If they are not fans, they might discover MrBallen through reading the solidly spooky tales he has collected.
MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious The Graphic Tales By John B. Allen Art by Andrea Mutti Ten Speed Press, 2024 ISBN: 9781984863430
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Callie hates that her father adventures through a magical world while she’s forbidden to set foot outside the village. Worse yet, most of the time she remains in the human realm… as a high school outcast. But on her birthday she she returns home to dim sum, blood stains, and no father. It’s time to break the rules.
Though Callie is soon forms a rescue party, the first volume is truly Callie’s story alone. Her quest to save her father allows her to grow in confidence and realize that she is special. She learns her family secrets, experiences magic, and, perhaps most importantly, makes her first lifelong friends.
Her companions orbit her, obsessed in their own ways. There’s Declan, from the human world, who’s had a crush on her since kindergarten. She’s kidnapped by the flamboyant demon, Lasser, who needs a bride and wonn’t take “no” for an answer. But the naivety under his confidence and Callie’s firm boundary setting eventually find him a place in the group. Finally, there is Radish, literally the spirit of a deceased garnish determined to be the only one allowed to bask in Callie’s glory.
Declan is the focus of the second volume, needing a healer, but the story expands to give each their own character arc. Declan and Callie are finding their balance within a romance and negotiating a future together. Lasser discovers a love for romance novels and a need to connect with others. So far this has poor results as he takes all the wrong lessons from his reading. And Radish probably can only grow so much after death, but they are learning to accept more people into their family. And taking part in some revolutionary tendencies.
This volume has a change of pace, meandering rather than breakneck. This allows for fascinating worldbuilding and character moments. This doesn’t mire the story down at all, though, as humor and energy are always present. A few new characters are introduced and we will definitely want to see more of them in the future.
As a side note, it was gratifying to see that a flirtatious side-joke between Lasser and Declan actually hints at things to come in the next volume rather than being part of a “gay chicken” trope. Also, readers should be aware that while the first volume feels complete, the second ends on a cliffhanger.
Cook’s large eyed characters feel comfortably familiar for web comics and she isn’t afraid to chibi-fy them for a great joke. Her characters always have extremely expressive faces and her style makes excellent use of body language and stances to amplify the emotion. Even without bodies, though, she’s able to give the tiny spirits that flood across her pages plenty of energy and personality.
The main characters of the first volume are predominately lithe and long-limbed but the second includes more body types as Cook seems to stretch her illustration talents. Her artistic style doesn’t change for the second volume, but the world and characters feel richer.
Readers should definitely pay attention to the detailed artwork because the background is full of jokes and pop culture references. Nearly every bit of background text will call out a chuckle, even if a magnifying glass is occasionally required. Cook also loves to play with text in general, often incorporating it into her illustrations in delightful, clever ways. Words may become vined and cursive as they travel through woods or thick and emphatic as something large rumbles towards them. There’s even an amazing set of pages incorporating Scrabble-esque tiles that transcend the panels.
Not that Cook ever feels limited by panels, as most pages include hijinks and commentary in the white spaces. Sometimes entire narratives travel the white space alongside the paneled story.
The characters turn eighteen in the second volume, but it still remains a great teen title that can also be enjoyed by adults. The many pop culture references span decades and may appeal to generations. Librarians may particularly love that books are included, from joke titles to story beats that are reminiscent of anything from The Giving Tree to The Lord of the Rings. Any swearing or off color jokes are just implied.
Nothing Special Through the Elder Woods By Katie Cook Ten Speed Press, 2024 ISBN: 9781984862822
Let’s Make Bread! by Ken Forkish and Sarah Becan is part of the series, Let’s Make!, which also includes Let’s Make Dumplings! and Let’s Make Ramen! Personally, the fusion of graphic novels and cookbooks hits all of my nerd buttons.
Graphic novels are uniquely able to elevate the cookbook format, in a way that traditional photographs are unable. The comic format overlays text and image in a way not easily done with photography. Instead of a block of text instructions with corresponding images nearby, in comic form, each step can be diagrammed and illustrated. Marrying text and image in one.
Even then, I think this book stands above the others. Bread can be made with the barest of ingredients, but the process is filled with chemistry and precise techniques, for which even slight variations can drastically alter results. This book aims to make those techniques accessible for the readers, whether they are new to baking or not. Let’s Make Bread is not necessarily revolutionary as a comic book, but this is a phenomenal cookbook and emblematic of the strength of graphic novels across many genres.
The book is co-authored by Forkish, an owner of an artisan bakery and cookbook author, and Becan, an illustrator. However, they stray from the traditional author-illustrator relationship. Becan follows the technical advice offered by Forkish and illustrates her journey, an apt decision. She is not merely illustrating the techniques as described by Forkish, rather, she is illustrating from her own first-person experience, a new baker experimenting with bread.
They spend the first half of the book exploring and explaining bread-baking basics. It includes a detailed breakdown of the equipment, ingredients, and basic techniques useful for all (or at least most) bread recipes. It also gets into the science behind bread, with spreads that annotate the anatomy of the wheat berry or offer comparisons of natural yeast versus store-bought varieties.
These illustrations are incredibly informative and minutely detailed. For example, when explaining folding techniques, they discuss hand position and direction of pressure. The accompanying illustration makes simple text that for many is difficult to visualize. I have baked many loaves of bread, had a sourdough starter for about 5 years, and even took a 5-part baking course, and yet, this book was more informative than most of my other experiences with exploring bread.
Many home bakers are fascinated (and often frustrated with) sourdough starters. Forkish and Becan carefully lay out the science behind levain (or sourdough) and include a detailed breakdown of how to make a starter from scratch and its required maintenance. Like the rest of the cookbook, this section is informative and accessible, to even the newest bakers.
They also have a page dedicated to baker’s math, the percentages that often accompany bread recipes. I knew in general what these percentages meant, but hadn’t used them for my baking purposes, but their explanation was both concise and informative, encouraging me to pay more attention in the future.
There are recipes in this cookbook, but they are almost an afterthought. The focus is on helping the reader understand bread. The recipes are organized by complexity, with a chart discussing which types of containers are required for the recipe. Each recipe includes not only a breakdown of the total time required but also a suggested schedule. Each step of the recipe is also illustrated, even those that had been explained in previous sections of the book.
The informative nature of this book with many features that aid in ease of use is noteworthy. This will not fit all graphic novel collections. I have some students at the high school interested in baking, so I will likely purchase the title, but the primary (or most appreciative) audience won’t be the ones browsing the graphic novel shelves. I, however, will be purchasing the book for myself and my cookbook collection. It is a noteworthy addition to the emerging genre of comic-illustrated cookbooks.
Let’s Make Bread: A Comic Cookbook By Ken Forkish, Sarah Becan, , Art by Sarah Becan Ten Speed Press, 2024 ISBN: 9781984860873
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, an advocate is one who defends, maintains, or pleads the cause for another. This word functions as both noun and verb—a role that Eddie Ahn plays out unwaveringly in his graphic memoir Advocate. Multifaceted and heroically moving, this debut chronicles the obstacles and episodic milestones that led him towards his present-day role as an environmental justice attorney and policy maker for a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco.
In 2005, Eddie’s story begins while sorting through his grandfather’s family photos and papers. From there, the narrative segues into his humble beginnings at an afterschool program in Oakland’s Chinatown where he taught and mentored youth from immigrant families. His parents emigrated from South Korea to study in the US, settling in Austin, Texas where they ran a retail liquor store. They held high hopes that he would pursue a lucrative career in law. Little did they realize the detours he would undertake after starting law school in San Francisco. From his years as a college student with outstanding loans to his sudden shift in joining a public nonprofit organization (Brightline Defense), coupled by an unexpected turn on San Francisco’s Commission on the Environment where he championed environmental justice causes, Eddie’s primary goal prevailed—to build relationships and foster engagement and solidarity to benefit underrepresented communities.
Each phase of his career and life transitions, captured in varying shades of muted emerald green, light pink, and sea blue, document his steadfast service to the community. Whether serving on a commission in city government, meeting community leaders in underserved districts, or installing air quality sensors in low-income neighborhoods, he strove to enact policies and legal change to tackle racial and economic inequality. He even found time to showcase his artwork on outdoor utility boxes throughout the city’s Richmond district. His earnest narrative voice propels readers through the challenges of upholding environmental justice and community service at the expense of burnout, as well as grappling with microaggressive bouts of anti-Asian hate at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Drawing upon his skills as a cartoonist, he illustrates local communities with fine precision and detail, depicting familiar icons around the San Francisco bay area including local eateries, the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) public transit system, City Hall, and residential neighborhoods.
In episodic bildungsroman fashion, Advocate presents an intersectional trajectory of Eddie’s life as a dutiful son, inspirational youth mentor, diligent law student, intrepid environmental justice attorney, public advocate, self-taught comic book artist, and more. Additional front and back matter highlight sketches of scenic locations, photos, and insights that inspired the creation of this stunningly crafted graphic memoir, transforming it into a literary and visual gem for adult biographical collections. Overall, this enduring multilayered story delivers a message of relentless hope and commitment marked by excellence through connecting with others in the spirit of community building and service to the world at large.
Advocate: A Graphic Memoir of Family, Community, and the Fight for Environmental Justice By Eddie Ahn Ten Speed Press, 2024 ISBN: 9781984862495
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Korean-American, Character Representation: Korean-American,
Let me start with the full disclosure that I have never read Kiersten White’s 2022 novel, Hide, which this is based on, nor have I read any of White’s other books. I came into this graphic adaptation fresh but ready to be scared.
Hide revolves around multiple characters, but the key character is the enigmatic Mack, who finds herself among 14 strangers brought to a remote amusement park as part of a contest for $50,000. They’re told it will be a reality show in which they will all hide during the day—if they are caught, they are out. Mack knows she is good at hiding and believes that winning the competition and the prize money will allow her to start a new life far away from her troubled past. Among the other contestants are two women named Ava, one of whom Mack develops feelings for, as well as the lonely Brandon, conniving Jaden, ex-communicated Legrand, and several others with intriguing backstories that unfortunately fade into the background. Upon the contestants’ arrival, however, something feels off. There don’t seem to be any cameras, their phones can’t maintain a signal, and they have no details about what exactly they are hiding from. . . or more importantly, who—or what—is hunting them.
One aspect of Hide that truly stands out is its vibrant and distinctive illustrations. The artwork beautifully captures the menacing setting of a neglected amusement park. The setting itself plays an integral role in creating tension within the story, its strange design and remote location adding an extra layer of creepiness, isolating our contestants in a Wi-Fi desert with no contact with the outside world.
Despite strong artwork and a well-paced story, Hide does have its flaws. First, there’s the overwhelming introduction of too many characters. It takes a lot of time for any of these characters to shine individually due to their number and makes it hard to feel attached to any of them. As the story progresses some characters meet their demise and the audience is eventually able to gain a more in-depth understanding of those remaining, but it doesn’t fully make up for the clunky opening.
Additionally, while the illustrations are stunning, there are instances where whole pages of text delve into backstory exposition. These sections attempt to shed light on why these specific individuals were chosen, but end up creating a somewhat convoluted narrative. There are also yellow boxes of text throughout that are meant to represent characters’ inner thoughts, but become confusing due to the shifting perspectives. For me, this sometimes disrupted the flow of the story and required a bit of backtracking for clarity.
Finally, the resolution provided in Hide offers little hope for the survivors. While this may be realistic given the circumstances of the story, it might leave readers feeling unsatisfied after investing time and emotional energy into these characters’ stories.
Hide is an adult graphic novel with mature content, containing elements of violence, gore, and death throughout its pages (this includes a scene involving the death of a child). However, older teens who enjoy horror might be drawn to this one. Despite its flaws, Hide remains a fast-paced and complex graphic novel that successfully held my attention throughout. Fans of The Walking Dead and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will undoubtedly appreciate the dark, gory tale; readers familiar with Kiersten White’s original novel will likely enjoy experiencing her story through the visual medium, too.
Hide: The Graphic Novel By Kiersten White, Scott Peterson Art by Veronica Fish, Andy Fish Ten Speed Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781984861054
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Character Representation: Queer
Typically, biographical works aren’t about the entirety of the subject’s life but rather the moments in that life that are most significant. For biographies involving artists, those significant moments are ones that define and shape that artist’s creative vision. An autobiographical work from an artist has the added benefit of the artist illustrating their own vision of how they see the world that may or may not come through in critical interpretations of their work. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei decided to literally illustrate his life story, with the illustrations provided by Italian cartoonist Gianluca Constantini, in the book Zodiac: A Graphic Memior.
Weiwei might not have the name recognition of Banksy or Pollock, but his contributions are wide-ranging. A well-known artist and activist in his native China, Weiwei’s artwork often speaks to China’s stances on human rights and democracy. He was the son of Chinese poet Ai Qing, whose own views led the Weiwei family to live in exile for nearly 16 years. Eventually making his way to America, Weiwei studied animation and became acquainted with Beat poet Allen Ginsburg. In 1993, he returned to China to take care of his ailing father where he continues to influence the art scene in China as well as demonstrating how art can be used as a method of protest.
The path Weiwei takes to tell the story of his life isn’t a straightforward progression through the various milestones. As the title of the book suggests, the book’s chapters are divided up according to the Chinese Zodiac, the animals of the Zodiac representing different personality aspects and, in this case, different moments in Weiwei’s life. Along with the Zodiac, Weiwei weaves in poetry, bits of Chinese folklore, and conversations with his young son that allow a unique reflection of Weiwei’s life and how he creates. Indeed, as much as Weiwei’s book is a biography, it’s also a manifesto as to how art, protest, and living intersect.
For a work that talks so much about the power of art, Constantini’s artwork offers a surprisingly minimalist style. The pages are largely white with black lines and very little color. However, the images drawn by Constantini are very realistic, even in the moments of the book that veer into folklore. This minimalist approach, however, does benefit when it’s Weiwei himself that tells his story. Weiwei’s face as rendered by Constantini shows lines etched in his face that Weiwei has truly earned by being a political prisoner and relying on his art as both an escape and a voice.
While the images of this book might not pop as much as other graphic novels, it does fit into the trend of biographies eschewing bright colors and dynamic angles. Rather, it tells Weiwei’s story without a lot of graphical distractions. This book would be a solid addition to any adult graphic novel collection, or even a biography section, but it also serves as a great discussion of how art influences society and vice versa.
Zodiac A Graphic Memoir By Ai Weiwei Art by Gianluca Constantini Ten Speed Press, 2024 ISBN: 9781984863003
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Chinese, Character Representation: Chinese,
For many in the United States, there are huge portions of national history that remain obscure, if not forgotten entirely. Thankfully, there are educators and creators working to fix that problem.
Ten Speed Graphic brings us Sí, Se Puede: The Latino Heroes Who Changed the United States. The comic opens with a set of guests arriving at an immersive museum experience dedicated to preserving Latino history. They are immediately welcomed by Camilo, who serves as guide to these characters and the reader through centuries of Latino history. From the early Aztec and Mayan empires right up until the modern day, the book covers politics, sports, entertainment, science, social movements—a whole range of places in society where Latinos have left their mark. Along this journey, the immersive nature of the museum drops the characters into vibrant recreations of key moments with a readily accessible mix of factual information and natural dialogue about the process of learning a history so often overlooked.
Written by Julio Anta, the book is upfront that its primary purpose is one of celebration. From broad cultural achievements to specific individuals who have shaped the nation, the book is brimming with cultural pride for the rich heritage it describes. Even with its primary focus being educational, the text never feels like a dry recitation of facts. The information is direct, but its delivery is bursting with energy befitting a celebration of Latino culture. In broad strokes, it’s a familiar style for other educational materials aimed at youth, though never so juvenile in tone that older teens or adults will be put off.
The book touches lightly on some of the terrible hardships and atrocities faced by Latino communities of the past and present, but these are not dwelled on, as Anta keeps the primary focus on the success and endurance of these historical figures. It’s a complex topic to distill down to a single volume. The text does touch on useful and sometimes uncomfortable considerations when discussing such a broad group of people—debates about terminology, colonialism, colorism, and often conflicting worldviews that have complicated the Latino journey throughout time. The book is not a complex examination of the figures it highlights, nor does it claim to be. It is not intended to be the final word on any of the subject matter it illuminates. Rather, it feels as though Anta positions the text as a first step, to ignite pride in Latino history and encourage the curiosity to dive deeper.
Yasmín Flores Montañez provides the illustrations throughout the volume, and each page of art captures a colorful palate of diverse people and rich history. Balancing moments of triumph with the multitude hardships Latinos have had to overcome, the visuals keep pace with the shifting tone of the writing, propelling the reader along with the museum guide and guests. Emotions and action are clear, the art is a pleasure to look over, and the representations of individuals across the pages show a full spectrum of skin colors, body types, ages, and genders. Through each chapter, Montañez matches the pride and energy of the writing, bringing these chapters of history to life in dramatic fashion.
Whether Latino or not, any reader seeking more familiarity with Latino heritage or forgotten moments of history will find plenty to enjoy here. The cultural pride is evident as each new story unfolds and it is both enlightening and emotional to gain insight into this wide range of figures who have changed modern life in sometimes subtle and sometimes dramatic ways—figures whose names are unknown by far too many. There is plenty more depth that could be provided about the information presented here, but Anta and Montañez succeed in their primary goal: to celebrate the tapestry of Latino history and welcome readers into a better understanding of the threads that make up the whole. The volume ends with an index of topics and a list of additional resources for anyone wishing to dive deeper, while the finale of the narrative seeks to empower Latino readers to embrace the strength of their own heritage.
As an entry point into the subject, as a work of graphic nonfiction, and as a celebration of the proud history of a rich ethnic heritage, Sí, Se Puede is a work well worth adding to any collection and can hopefully serve as a jumping-off point for further conversation, learning, and celebration of the vital diversity that has shaped the United States since its founding.
Sí, Se Puede: The Latino Heroes Who Changed the United States By Julio Anta Art by Yasmín Flores Montañez Ten Speed Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781984860910
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Colombian, Cuban, Puerto Rican Character Representation: Black, Latinx, Queer, Genderqueer, Trans
agree about what happened on the show—and there’s no way to settle disputes, since no footage from Mister Magic seems to exist anywhere. But they remember how passionately they loved it as children, how they felt like the kids in the show were their friends. And they remember—even if the details are blurry—that it ended thirty years ago in a terrible, violent tragedy.
Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis in the entire district. 13 years later this feels disgustingly common, a story we’ve learned to tune out, but at the time it shocked the local community and the response was immediate. High school students led a protest, teachers and librarians were up in arms, free speech advocates were taking notice, and it was picked up by news outlets. But information coming from the school district was confusing and inconsistent and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests produced little information or clarity.
Cocktails. We know them. Many love them. But how many of us know the long and complicated journey through history that brought us the cocktail as we know it today?
tell his stories of people’s actual accounts with the supernatural and fantastical on a set lit with black candles or a coffin sitting in the background. Instead, he wears a signature baseball cap and flannel shirt while sitting before a microphone. He doesn’t need Gothic ambience to pull his fans in; the stories themselves are enough. He, along with contributor Robert Venditti, seems to take that approach with his book MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark, & Mysterious: The Graphic Stories, illustrated by Andrea Mutti.
Worse yet, most of the time she remains in the human realm… as a high school outcast. But on her birthday she she returns home to dim sum, blood stains, and no father. It’s time to break the rules.
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word functions as both noun and verb—a role that Eddie Ahn plays out unwaveringly in his graphic memoir Advocate. Multifaceted and heroically moving, this debut chronicles the obstacles and episodic milestones that led him towards his present-day role as an environmental justice attorney and policy maker for a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco.
Let me start with the full disclosure that I have never read Kiersten White’s 2022 novel, Hide, which this is based on, nor have I read any of White’s other books. I came into this graphic adaptation fresh but ready to be scared.
significant. For biographies involving artists, those significant moments are ones that define and shape that artist’s creative vision. An autobiographical work from an artist has the added benefit of the artist illustrating their own vision of how they see the world that may or may not come through in critical interpretations of their work. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei decided to literally illustrate his life story, with the illustrations provided by Italian cartoonist Gianluca Constantini, in the book Zodiac: A Graphic Memior.
For many in the United States, there are huge portions of national history that remain obscure, if not forgotten entirely. Thankfully, there are educators and creators working to fix that problem.
