#Norroway: Book 1: The Black Bull Of Norroway

[lifeofafemalebibliophile]

Comic Corner Roundup: September

Comic Corner Roundup is a bi-monthly segment that compiles mini-reviews of comics, graphic novels, and manga that I’ve read recently. Here are my reviews for the month of September which include a ghostly sibling, an epic quest, and a tender love story. The Phantom Twin by Lisa Brown (2020) Isabel and Jane are the Extraordinary Peabody Sisters, conjoined twins in a traveling carnival freak…

[nevinslibrary]

Comic Book Saturday

This graphic novel takes the Scottish fairytale of the same name and reimagines it a bit. It starts with Sibylla and her sisters getting their fortunes told by a witch. Sibylla’s sisters want to know who they’ll marry. Sibylla wants to know what adventures she’ll be on, but, also does ask about who she’ll marry. And, finds out that she’ll fated to marry the Black Bull of Norroway. And so starts Sibylla’s adventure, although it never seems to take the path that she thinks it will.

It’s a typical fairy tale in that there are messages that aren’t always straight forward, curses, and the journey is part of the point as well as the destination. I also really liked the art, and, although it took a moment, I did get used to the pace and how the panels were being put together. It was a fun read and I can’t wait to read the second volume.

You may like this book If you Liked: The Witch's Throne by Cedric Caballes, The Last Unicorn by Peter B. Gillis, or The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

Norroway, Vol. 1: The Black Bull of Norroway by Cat Seaton

[ravenya003]

Stuff I Read/Watched in November...

Hansel and Gretal (Isaac Theatre Royal)

The Snowcat Prince by Dina Norlund

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Norroway Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway by Kit and Cat Seaton

Mary Anne and Too Many Boys by Anne M. Martin

Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook by Anne M. Martin

Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets by Dav Pilkey

The Bad Guys: Mission Unpluckable by Aaron Blabey

The Mark of Cain by Lindsey Barraclough

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

The Second Bell by Gabriela Houston

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Coraline (2009)             

About Time (2013)

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

Werewolves Within (2021)

Scream 6 (2023)

Inspector Lynley: Season 2 (2003)

Robin Hood: Season 1 (2006)

Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride (2006)

Elementary: Season 2 (2013 – 2014)

Disenchantment: Season 5 (2023)

More details on blog...

[fairytaleslive]

What are your top 12 favorite fairy tale princesses/heroines?

@ariel-seagull-wings Thank you for this question! <3

I admit that this was harder to narrow down than I thought and I am sure that tommorow I'll remember some childhood favorite that I forgot to mention, but here I go:

1) Kate Crackernuts She is the "less bonny" sister who runs away from home, visits the fairy kingdom like it's nothing, single-handedly saves her sister and saves her Prince. This girl has done it all. I wish there were more adaptations though. The Czech one from 1993 is decent but it focuses more on the love story between Anne and the young king, so Kate doesn't have as much space as I would prefer. And with the book retellings being on the rise in the past years, I am surprised that no-one dared to tackle this story…. (there is a book by Katharine Mary Briggs, I've tried to read it but the language-wise it's a very difficult and frankly, boring read)

2) Allerleirauh I love nearly all variants of this tale, be it German Allerleirauh, English Cap-o'-Rushes, Catskin or Czech Princess With the Golden Star. I definitely prefer versions that go with forced marriage to an evil king, rather than to the Princess's own father and many of my favorite adaptations choose this path as well, be it Russian "Donkeyskin" (1982), Czech "Princess With the Golden Star" (1959) or Czech "You're a Princess, Láďa!" (1979) - which is a more comedic version where the Princess crossdresses as a boy and becomes a kitchen helper.

3) The girl (Bohdanka) from The Seven Ravens I like The Wild Swans and The Six Swans variants just as well, but I very much prefer the Czech version where the siblings are not royal and Bohdanka only becomes a Princess by marrying the young king. I love the 2015 Czech adaptation (Netflix), the 1993 is a bit too dramatic for my taste and takes the spotlight from the heroine which I think is a shame. Märchenperlen's The Six Swans from 2012 was on the other hand very well done, with the story concentrated on the bond between the siblings and the love between the girl and the King, as it should be.

4) Cinderella She was my favorite when I was a child and I always enjoyed Němcová's version* which is actually similar to French "Finette Cendron" and has Cinderella killing ogres before the whole shenanigans with balls and slippers even start. *Božena Němcová (1820–1862) was a Czech collector of folk fairytales I need to talk about my favorite adaptations some other time because this post is already getting way too long :).

5) The heroine from East of the Sun and West of the Moon As with Allerleirauh, I like all the variants of this tale I've read so far, I love how it gender reverses the usual trope and it's the heroine who sets off to save her lover who is, for the most part, more of a passive character (ok, special shout out to Black Bull of Norroway, who literally slays a devil/dragon)

6) The Princess from "Fearless Mikesh" Doesn't matter if we're speaking of the written tale by Němcová or one of its film adaptations, such as The Brave Blacksmith (1983) or Fearless (1988), the core story is the same: a young man sets off to learn how to fear and decides to find a kidnapped and/or enchanted princess that disappeared from her kingdom. The princess secretly helps him on his way, often in different forms (as a fox dwarf or an old hag), to test his skills and to lead him to the magician who cursed her. (cool girl, shapeshifting powers probably borrowed from the evil wizard who kidnapped her, helps the hero to save the day)

7) Růženka (Rose) from "The speaking bird, the water of life and the three golden apples" by Božena Němcová (gets magical objects, saves her brothers, resurrects her mother, reunites her parents and calls it a day) Recently a variant of this tale was adapted by Sechs auf einen Streich series: Three Royal Children/Die drei Königskinder from 2019.

8) The Peasant's Wise Daughter from the fairytale of the same name (outwits the king, fights for justice for the lower class)

9) The Princess from The King of Seven Veils ("Il Re dei Sette Veli", collected by Antonio de Nino) It's kinda like gender swapped King Thrushbeard or Němcová's Punished Pride: instead of a proud princess refusing a perfectly nice king, here we have a beautiful but vain king who refuses a lovely princess. And she does what any other girl in her position would do: sets off to the world with a regiment of soldiers (they always come in handy), in one kingdom she saves a princess, in another she saves a queen, before finally arriving the the land of the King of Seven Veils. He falls in love with her and she embroiders his veils with a picture of a monk and a nun (because he said he won't marry her unless he becomes a monk and she becomes a nun), but he doesn't take a hint, so she leaves him an actual written note and returns to her kingdom, so he can pursue her :D. I just had to include at least one Italian fairytale, I love how active the heroines in Italian fairytales are, many of them just literally go around the world and save random people before returning home/finding true love for themselves. And I love this one especially because it was loosely adapted as a Czech 1999 TV fairytale film "The Princess of Rimini" which I adore to bits <3

10) The Frog Princess/Vasilisa the Wise While the Princess from Fearless has magic because of her curse, Vasilisa seems to have magic independent of Koschei's powers. And I am always here for witch-princesses, we need more of them in our fairytales. Shout out to Mila Sivatskaya as Vasilisa the Wise in The Last Warrior (2017) who is literally a kick-ass apprentice of Baba Yaga in this adaptation.

11) Beauty from Beauty and the Beast No, it wouldn't be fair to omit "Belle" whom I loved from Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's version even before I've seen the timeless Disney movie.

12) Princess Desirée from The White Doe/The Doe in the Woods by Madame d'Aulnoy She is not a particularly active character which might make her a strange choice among the others I named, but I was always fascinated by her curiosity of the outside world and later by her free life in the woods where she's a doe during the day and a human by night. As a child, I thought it was a cool deal and I was disappointed when she got "saved" by the Prince and left the woods where she's been so happy.

Honorable mentions: Fanta-Ghirò the Beautiful, Molly Whuppie, Sorfarina, Janet from Tamlin, youngest princess from Salt Above Gold, Tatterhood…

[smashpages]

Winners announced for the 2019 Eisner Awards

The winners were announced last night for the 2019 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards.

Tom King and Mitch Gerads, partners on the Mister Miracle series from DC, took home five awards between them. John Allison’s Giant Days and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang also took home multiple awards.

The Eisner Awards also inducted 10 people into the Hall of Fame last night: the judges chose Jim Aparo, June Tarpé Mills, Dave Stevens and Morrie Turner, while voters chose José Luis García-López, Jenette Kahn, Paul Levitz, Wendy and Richard Pini, and Bill Sienkiewicz to join the class of 2019.

Other awards given out last night included the The Bill Finger Excellence In Comic Book Writing Award, which was presented to Mike Friedrich and the late E. Nelson Bridwell, and the Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award, which went to Lorena Alvarez.

The 2019 recipients of the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award were Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, for his work on Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico, and comic artist Tula Lotay, AKA Lisa Wood, for creating the UK-based Thought Bubble Festival. And La Revisteria Comics in Argentina won the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award.

You can see all the Eisner winners below, in bold.

Best Short Story

“Get Naked in Barcelona,” by Steven T. Seagle and Emei Olivia Burrell, in Get Naked (Image)

“The Ghastlygun Tinies,” by Matt Cohen and Marc Palm, in MAD magazine #4 (DC)

“Here I Am,” by Shaun Tan, in I Feel Machine (SelfMadeHero)

“Life During Interesting Times,” by Mike Dawson (The Nib), https://thenib.com/greatest-generation-interesting-times

“Supply Chains,” by Peter and Maria Hoey, in Coin-Op #7 (Coin-Op Books)

“The Talk of the Saints,” by Tom King and Jason Fabok, in Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

Beneath the Dead Oak Tree, by Emily Carroll (ShortBox)

Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise, by Jeff Lemire and Emi Lenox (Dark Horse)

No Better Words, by Carolyn Nowak (Silver Sprocket)

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310, by Chip Zdarsky (Marvel)

The Terrible Elisabeth Dumn Against the Devils In Suits, by Arabson, translated by James Robinson (IHQ Studio/ Image)

Best Continuing Series

Batman, by Tom King et al. (DC)

Black Hammer: Age of Doom, by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and Rich Tommaso (Dark Horse)

Gasolina, by Sean Mackiewicz and Niko Walter (Skybound/Image)

Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julaa Madrigal (BOOM! Box)

The Immortal Hulk, by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, and Ruy José (Marvel)

Runaways, by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka (Marvel)

Best Limited Series

Batman: White Knight, by Sean Murphy (DC)

Eternity Girl, by Magdalene Visaggio and Sonny Liew (Vertigo/DC)

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, by Mark Russell, Mike Feehan, and Mark Morales (DC)

Mister Miracle, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC)

X-Men: Grand Design: Second Genesis, by Ed Piskor (Marvel)

Best New Series

Bitter Root, by David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Green (Image)

Crowded, by Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt (Image)

Gideon Falls, by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Image)

Isola, by Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl (Image)

Man-Eaters, by Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk (Image)

Skyward, by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

Johnny Boo and the Ice Cream Computer, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf/IDW)

Petals, by Gustavo Borges (KaBOOM!)

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths, by Graham Annable (First Second)

This Is a Taco! By Andrew Cangelose and Josh Shipley (CubHouse/Lion Forge)

Tiger Vs. Nightmare, by Emily Tetri (First Second)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9–12)

Aquicorn Cove, by Katie O’Neill (Oni)

Be Prepared, by Vera Brosgol (First Second)

The Cardboard Kingdom, by Chad Sell (Knopf/Random House Children’s Books)

Crush, by Svetlana Chmakova (JY/Yen Press)

The Divided Earth, by Faith Erin Hicks (First Second)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13–17)

All Summer Long, by Hope Larson (Farrar Straus Giroux)

Gumballs, by Erin Nations (Top Shelf/IDW)

Middlewest, by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona (Image)

Norroway, Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway, by Cat Seaton and Kit Seaton (Image)

The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (First Second)

Watersnakes, by Tony Sandoval, translated by Lucas Marangon (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best Humor Publication

Get Naked, by Steven T. Seagle et al. (Image)

Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julia Madrigal (BOOM! Box)

MAD magazine, edited by Bill Morrison (DC)

A Perfect Failure: Fanta Bukowski 3, by Noah Van Sciver (Fantagraphics)

Woman World, by Aminder Dhaliwal (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Anthology

Femme Magnifique: 50 Magnificent Women Who Changed the World, edited by Shelly Bond (Black Crown/IDW)

Puerto Rico Strong, edited by Marco Lopez, Desiree Rodriguez, Hazel Newlevant, Derek Ruiz, and Neil Schwartz (Lion Forge)

Twisted Romance, edited by Alex de Campi (Image)

Where We Live: A Benefit for the Survivors in Las Vegas, edited by Will Dennis, curated by J. H. Williams III and Wendy Wright-Williams (Image)

Best Reality-Based Work

All the Answers: A Graphic Memoir, by Michael Kupperman (Gallery 13)

All the Sad Songs, by Summer Pierre (Retrofit/Big Planet)

Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, by Box Brown (First Second)

Monk! by Youssef Daoudi (First Second)

One Dirty Tree, by Noah Van Sciver (Uncivilized Books)

Best Graphic Album—New

Bad Girls, by Alex de Campi and Victor Santos (Gallery 13)

Come Again, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)

Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 1, by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman (DC)

Homunculus, by Joe Sparrow (ShortBox)

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)

Sabrina, by Nick Drnaso (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

Berlin, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)

Girl Town, by Carolyn Nowak (Top Shelf/IDW)

Upgrade Soul, by Ezra Claytan Daniels (Lion Forge)

The Vision hardcover, by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Michael Walsh (Marvel)

Young Frances, by Hartley Lin (AdHouse Books)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Ari Folman and David Polonsky (Pantheon)

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, in Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection, adapted by Junji Ito, translated by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)

Out in the Open by Jesús Carraso, adapted by Javi Rey, translated by Lawrence Schimel (SelfMadeHero)

Speak: The Graphic Novel, by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll (Farrar Straus Giroux)

To Build a Fire: Based on Jack London’s Classic Story, by Chabouté (Gallery 13)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

About Betty’s Boob, by Vero Cazot and Julie Rocheleau, translated by Edward Gauvin (Archaia/BOOM!)

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, by Pénélope Bagieu (First Second)

Herakles Book 1, by Edouard Cour, translated by Jeremy Melloul (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Niourk, by Stefan Wul and Olivier Vatine, translated by Brandon Kander and Diana Schutz (Dark Horse)

A Sea of Love, by Wilfrid Lupano and Grégory Panaccione (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

Abara: Complete Deluxe Edition, by Tsutomu Nihei, translated by Sheldon Drzka (VIZ Media)

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, by Inio Asano, translated by John Werry (VIZ Media)

Laid-Back Camp, by Afro, translated by Amber Tamosaitis (Yen Press)

My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder, by Nie Jun, translated by Edward Gauvin (Graphic Universe/Lerner)

Tokyo Tarareba Girls, by Akiko Higashimura (Kodansha)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

Pogo, vol. 5: Out of This World At Home, by Walt Kelly, edited by Mark Evanier and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)

Sky Masters of the Space Force: The Complete Sunday Strips in Color (1959–1960), by Jack Kirby, Wally Wood et al., edited by Ferran Delgado (Amigo Comics)

Star Wars: Classic Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson, edited by Dean Mullaney (Library of American Comics/IDW)

The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Words and Worlds of Herbert Crowley, by Justin Duerr (Beehive Books

Thimble Theatre and the Pre-Popeye Comics of E. C. Segar, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman Deluxe Edition, edited by Paul Levitz (DC)

Bill Sienkiewicz’s Mutants and Moon Knights… And Assassins… Artifact Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Dirty Plotte: The Complete Julie Doucet (Drawn & Quarterly)

Madman Quarter Century Shindig, by Mike Allred, edited by Chris Ryall (IDW)

Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition, edited by Joseph Melchior and Bob Chapman (Abstract Studio/Graphitti Designs)

Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, edited by John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)

Best Writer

Alex de Campi, Bad Girls (Gallery 13); Twisted Romance (Image)

Tom King, Batman, Mister Miracle, Heroes in Crisis, Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Jeff Lemire, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Doctor Star & the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows, Quantum Age (Dark Horse); Descender, Gideon Falls, Royal City (Image)

Mark Russell, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound, Lex Luthor/Porky Pig (DC); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)

Kelly Thompson, Nancy Drew (Dynamite); Hawkeye, Jessica Jones, Mr. & Mrs. X, Rogue & Gambit, Uncanny X-Men, West Coast Avengers (Marvel)

Chip Zdarsky, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Two-in-One (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist

Sophie Campbell, Wet Moon (Oni)

Nick Drnaso, Sabrina (Drawn & Quarterly)

David Lapham, Lodger (Black Crown/IDW); Stray Bullets (Image)

Nate Powell, Come Again (Top Shelf/IDW)

Tony Sandoval, Watersnakes (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Jen Wang, The Prince and the Dressmaker (First Second)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Matías Bergara, Coda (BOOM!)

Mitch Gerads, Mister Miracle (DC)

Karl Kerschl, Isola (Image)

Sonny Liew, Eternity Girl (Vertigo/DC)

Sean Phillips, Kill or Be Killed, My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies (Image)

Yanick Paquette, Wonder Woman Earth One, vol. 2 (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Lee Bermejo, Batman: Damned (DC)

Carita Lupatelli, Izuna Book 2 (Humanoids)

Dustin Nguyen, Descender (Image)

Gregory Panaccione, A Sea of Love (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Tony Sandoval, Watersnakes (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers)

Jen Bartel, Blackbird (Image); Submerged (Vault)

Nick Derington, Mister Miracle (DC)

Karl Kerschl, Isola (Image)

Joshua Middleton, Batgirl and Aquaman variants (DC)

Julian Tedesco, Hawkeye, Life of Captain Marvel (Marvel)

Best Coloring

Jordie Bellaire, Batgirl, Batman (DC); The Divided Earth (First Second); Days of Hate, Dead Hand, Head Lopper, Redlands (Image); Shuri, Doctor Strange (Marvel)

Tamra Bonvillain, Alien 3 (Dark Horse); Batman, Doom Patrol (DC); Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Multiple Man (Marvel)

Nathan Fairbairn, Batman, Batgirl, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman Earth One, vol. 2 (DC); Die!Die!Die! (Image)

Matt Hollingsworth, Batman: White Knight (DC): Seven to Eternity, Wytches (Image)

Matt Wilson, Black Cloud, Paper Girls, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); The Mighty Thor, Runaways (Marvel)

Best Lettering

David Aja, Seeds (Berger Books/Dark Horse)

Jim Campbell, Breathless, Calexit, Gravetrancers, Snap Flash Hustle, Survival Fetish, The Wilds (Black Mask); Abbott, Alice: Dream to Dream, Black Badge, Clueless, Coda, Fence, Firefly, Giant Days, Grass Kings, Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass, Low Road West, Sparrowhawk (BOOM); Angelic (Image); Wasted Space (Vault)

Alex de Campi, Bad Girls (Gallery 13); Twisted Romance (Image)

Jared Fletcher, Batman: Damned (DC); The Gravediggers Union, Moonshine, Paper Girls, Southern Bastards (Image)

Todd Klein— Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Neil Gaiman’s A Study in Emerald (Dark Horse); Batman: White Night (DC); Eternity Girl, Books of Magic (Vertigo/DC); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/ Journalism

Note: There was a tie in this category

Back Issue, edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)

The Columbus Scribbler, edited by Brian Canini, columbusscribbler.com

Comicosity, edited by Aaron Long and Matt Santori,  www.comicosity.com

LAAB Magazine #0: Dark Matter, edited by Ronald Wimberley and Josh O’Neill (Beehive Books)

PanelxPanel magazine, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, panelxpanel.com

Best Comics-Related Book

Comic Book Implosion: An Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978, by Keith Dallas and John Wells (TwoMorrows)

Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists, by Martha H. Kennedy (University Press of Mississippi)

The League of Regrettable Sidekicks, by Jon Morris (Quirk Books)

Mike Grell: Life Is Drawing Without an Eraser, by Dewey Cassell with Jeff Messer (TwoMorrows)

Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography—Beyond the Fantasy, by Florent Gorges, translated by Laure Dupont and Annie Gullion (Dark Horse)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

Between Pen and Pixel: Comics, Materiality, and the Book of the Future, by Aaron Kashtan (Ohio State University Press)

Breaking the Frames: Populism and Prestige in Comics Studies, by Marc Singer (University of Texas Press)

The Goat-Getters: Jack Johnson, the Fight of the Century, and How a Bunch of Raucous Cartoonists Reinvented Comics, by Eddie Campbell (Library of American Comics/IDW/Ohio State University Press)

Incorrigibles and Innocents, by Lara Saguisag (Rutgers Univeristy Press)

Sweet Little C*nt: The Graphic Work of Julie Doucet, by Anne Elizabeth Moore (Uncivilized Books)

Best Publication Design

A Sea of Love, designed by Wilfrid Lupano, Grégory Panaccione, and Mike Kennedy (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

The Stan Lee Story Collector’s Edition, designed by Josh Baker (Taschen)

The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Worlds of Herbert Crowley, designed by Paul Kepple and Max Vandenberg (Beehive Books)

Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition, designed by Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios/NYC (Abstract Studio/Graphitti Designs)

Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, designed by John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic

Aztec Empire, by Paul Guinan, Anina Bennett, and David Hahn, www.bigredhair.com/books/Aztec-empire/

The Führer and the Tramp, by Sean McArdle, Jon Judy, and Dexter Wee, http://thefuhrerandthetramp.com/

The Journey, by Pablo Leon (Rewire), https://rewire.news/article/2018/01/08/rewire-exclusive-comic-journey/

The Stone King, by Kel McDonald and Tyler Crook (comiXology Originals)  https://cmxl.gy/Stone-King

Umami, by Ken Niimura (Panel Syndicate), http://panelsyndicate.com/comics/umami

Best Webcomic

The Contradictions, by Sophie Yanow, www.thecontradictions.com

Lavender Jack, by Dan Schkade (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/thriller/lavender-jack/list?title_no=1410&page=1

Let’s Play, by Mongie (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/letsplay/list?title_no=1218&page=1

Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe, (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lore-olympus/list?title_no=1320&page=1

Tiger, Tiger, by Petra Erika Nordlund, (Hiveworks) http://www.tigertigercomic.com/

[norroway]

THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY IS THE MOST MONSTROUS CREATURE EVER TO WALK THE LAND…

They say he was once a man, a knight so merciless in battle that even his own king came to fear him. The king paid the Old One his very own daughter to transform the knight into a monster…

…AND SO THE OLD ONE DID.

Sibylla always knew she was fated for adventure, the forest witch told her when she was just a girl. But when destiny comes knocking, she’ll learn that some curses are more literal than others.

From small-minded Goose Valley to the edge of the Glass Mountain itself, Sibylla’s journey will force her to decide: will she play along in someone else’s game, or are some curses better left unbroken?

BE BRAVE. YOU HAVE MANY TRIALS TO COME.  

Based on the classic Scottish tale of the same name, The Black Bull of Norrowayis the first in an ongoing series of graphic novels brought to you by creative sibling team, Kit and Cat Seaton. An epic adventure story, Norroway is an exploration of undesired destinies, failed expectations, and what it means to grow up in a world where the line between human and monster isn’t as clear as the fairy tales promised us.

NORROWAY BOOK 1 OUT NOVEMBER 7TH/11TH 2018

[kitseaton]

NORROWAY Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway Arrives this November from Image Comics! Preorders are now available, so ask your local bookstores/libraries, or order it online! Until then, enjoy these little snippets from the comic✨ #norroway #graphicnovels #youngadultgraphicnovel

[biggoonie]

NORROWAY, BOOK 1: THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY OGN TP

WRITER: CAT SEATON ARTIST / COVER: KIT SEATON ADVANCE SOLICIT NOVEMBER 7 / 224 PAGES / FC / T / $14.99 TRIM SIZE: 6” x 9” Sibylla has always craved adventure, but she never guessed it would finally arrive in the form of a giant, magical bull. Is he a man, or a monster? And who knew a prophecy could be so literal? With this first book in a new series co-created by sibling writer/artist team CAT SEATON and KIT SEATON, the adventure of a lifetime begins.

[mk1comics]

This week’s Comic Shipment  is due Thursday 8th  of November 2018 .. Highlights follow - check out the full cover gallery for all of this week's arrivals here http://blog.mk1.co.nz/COVERGALLERY .Arrival announcements and unpacking progress will be announced on our  LIVE COUNTER BLOG page http://blog.mk1.co.nz/shipmentstatus  

ASGARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #3 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180950

AUNTIE AGATHAS HOME FOR WAYWARD RABBITS #1 (OF 6) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180039

BATMAN #58 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180450

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS GN (C: 0-1-2) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JUL181781

BLACKBIRD #1 2ND PTG https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG188950

BLACKBIRD #2 CVR A BARTEL https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180143

BULLY WARS #3 CVR A CONLEY https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180145

CHILLING ADV OF SABRINA #1 REPRINT (MR) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP181498

DEAD RABBIT #2 CVR A MCCREA (MR) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180157

DEADPOOL #6 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180968

DEATH OF INHUMANS #5 (OF 5) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180948

DEATHSTROKE #37 (ARKHAM) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180465

DOCTOR STRANGE #7 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180939

DOCTOR WHO 13TH #1 CVR A TARR https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG182221

DOMINO TP VOL 01 KILLER INSTINCT https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG181085

DRAGON BALL THAT TIME REINCARNATED AS YAMCHA GN VOL 01  https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP182163

DREAMING #3 (MR) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180473

FARMHAND #5 (MR) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180165

GREEN LANTERN #1 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180430

HARLEY QUINN #53 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180480

HIDDEN WITCH GN (C: 0-1-0) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG182002

IMMORTAL HULK #8 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180901

INFINITY WARS #5 (OF 6) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180863

JOJOS BIZARRE ADV 3 STARDUST CRUSADERS HC VOL 09 (C: 1-0-1) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP182166

JUSTICE LEAGUE #11 (DROWNED EARTH) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180414

LEVIATHAN #3 CVR A PITARRA & GARLAND (MR) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG180248

MARVEL KNIGHTS 20TH #1 (OF 6) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180812

MARVELS AVENGERS INFINITY WAR HC ART OF MOVIE SLIPCASE https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JUL181162

NORROWAY TP BOOK 01 BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG180104

OUTER DARKNESS #1 CVR A CHAN (MR) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180026

OUTPOST ZERO TP VOL 01 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180104

RICK & MORTY VS DUNGEONS & DRAGONS #2 (OF 4) CVR A LITTLE (C https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JUL180910

SHATTERSTAR #2 (OF 5) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180956

SPARROWHAWK #2 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP181308

SPIDER-GEDDON #3 (OF 5) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180876

STAR WARS HAN SOLO IMPERIAL CADET #1 (OF 5) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180991

STAR WARS LANDO TP DOUBLE OR NOTHING https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JUL181171

SUICIDE SQUAD BLACK FILES #1 (OF 6) (RES) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180439

TYPHOID FEVER X-MEN #1 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180860

UMBRELLA ACADEMY HOTEL OBLIVION #2 CVR A BA https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180251

WALKING DEAD #185 CVR A ADLARD & STEWART (MR) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP180216

Next Week's Comics Schedule can be found here - due at MK1 15th November 2018 Hit Pick: UNCANNY X-MEN #1 

Stay Up to Date with MK1 at the Live Counter Blog http://blog.mk1.co.nz/shipmentstatus     

[calmgrove]

Lizzie Ross, co-convener since 2018 and last year’s co-host for Witch Week, blogs about reading and writing at LizzieRossWriter.com. In this post she rightly draws attention to villains in graphic novels, the range of which may prove surprising to those not familiar with this genre.

Yesterday, Laurie from Relevant Obscurity set the tone for Witch Week 2019 by providing us with a list of despicable qualities found in evil rulers. In this post I apply Laurie’s points to villains of all sorts in fantasy graphic novels. Some of these villains are leaders or want to be; others use/enslave/kill characters to gain power or wealth or longer life; still others just seem to get joy out of causing mayhem. But whatever their motivations, they’re all heinous enough to provide frissons of horror.

Watchmen: The Deluxe Edition, Alan Moore / Dave Gibbons, DC Comics, 1986-1987/2013

Lately, the distinctions between hero and villain in graphic novels have grown nebulous, with sympathetic villains and troubled heroes making it difficult to decide who we’re rooting for. Unlike Jadis in Narnia, whose icy demeanor hides nothing more than a cold lust for power, characters like Watchmen’s Rorschach and Monstress’s Maika Halfwolf have so many flaws their very clothes and skin seem to writhe in agony. And yet, neither is a villain. Nimona kills her enemies with barely an afterthought, finding it more expedient to wipe them out than to negotiate or try to go around them. And yet, we can’t help rooting for her, and she is most definitely not the villain of the story.

Beowulf, Santiago García / David Rubín, Image Comics, 2018

Of course there are still many traditional – that is, unredeemable – graphic novel villains. Grendel in García’s and Rubín’s Beowulf, based on the 1000-year-old Old English poem, is as relentlessly blood-thirsty as a reader could wish and, when finally revealed in a snowy two-page spread, seems to glow with internal fires of hatred. And those teeth!

The Shadow Hero, Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Liew, First Second Books, 2014

Ten Grand and his gweilo cronies, in Gene Luen Yang’s and Sonny Liew’s The Shadow Hero, are traditional noir villains, greedy and ruthless, preying on Chinese immigrants to enrich themselves via bribes and protection money, never hesitating to kill uncooperative “clients”. Then out of the tenements comes the Green Turtle, a reluctant hero who avenges his father’s death and then returns to his quiet life as Hank Chu, shopkeeper. The Green Turtle made his first appearance in the 1940s, joining other Marvel heroes to fight Axis spies, and in their 2014 prequel, Yang and Liew propose an origin story for this superhero – a “tiger mom” and an ancient spirit provide the push, and the superpower, that turn Hank into the Green Turtle.

Norroway: Book 1 The Black Bull of Norroway, Kit & Cat Seaton, Image Comics, 2018

Drawing on traditional tales such as Beowulf and well-known fairy stories often results in archetypal heroes and villains. But not always. Sisters Kit and Cat Seaton collaborate as author and illustrator of Norroway: The Black Bull of Norroway, a graphic version of a Scottish fairy tale. The Seatons give us the heroine Sibylla, a stubborn and angry teen fated to marry a bull. At first, we suspect the bull itself – huge and stubborn and easily riled – might be the villain, except that we soon recognize that Sibylla will eventually fall in love with her bull. But before that can happen, she loses him. That’s how Book 1 of this proposed trilogy ends – the subsequent volumes will follow Sibylla on her search and, no doubt, let us know what Brom the Bull is doing in the meantime.

So who, then, is the villain in the Seatons’ tale? Is it Brom’s father, who used his children to lengthen his own life? Is it the Old One who caused Brom’s taurine metamorphosis? Or could it be Sibylla herself, who, as a typical teen, resents every burden placed on her and throws periodic destructive tantrums? Only the first volume of this series has been published, so I have no answers yet. Cat Seaton’s dark and muted palette for her illustrations sets a somber tone, making me wonder if the expected happy ending might not arrive after all. We’ll see.

Blackbird: Book 1 The Great Beast, Sam Humphries / Jen Bartel, Image Comics, 2019

Sam Humphries and Jen Bartel in Blackbird give us another angry teen story, set in a modern LA troubled with territorial violence. Cabals of Paragons (magical zombies who look really good for dead people) fight each other for power and new recruits. Nina Rodriguez, the pill-addicted heroine, gets caught up in the battles when her sister is kidnapped by a giant tiger-like beast. Nina’s mother is dead, her alcoholic father AWOL – so Nina’s on her own to rescue her sister. Who can she trust? The handsome flashy guy from the Zon Cabal, or the gorgeous punk blonde from Iridium? As with other villains discussed so far, the evil-doers here seem to be motivated by lust for power. But there’s much still to be revealed as Nina’s tale unfolds, with surprise appearances and the usual plot twists.

Nimona, Noelle Stevenson, Harper Collins/Harper Teen, 2015

Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona began life as a web comic. Dedicating her book “To all the monster girls”, Stevenson turns heroic and villainous archetypes on their heads. The eponymous protagonist, a chubby girl with a punk haircut, talks her dark idol, the evil Lord Ballister Blackheart, into letting her be his sidekick. “Every villain needs a sidekick.” An orphan with shape-shifting powers, Nimona wants to kill all Blackheart’s enemies, who include Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin (Stevenson isn’t coy with her characters’ names), and manages to kill several of them and destroy a lab on her second day of work – to the dismay of Lord Blackheart, who doesn’t believe it’s necessary to kill anyone just to defeat his enemy. Nimona reluctantly falls in line, but we know there’s more mayhem in her future.

Yes, this is a comedy, and yes, from the start there’s no doubt who the real bad guys are. But Nimona’s actions remind us of a few questions for which there are probably no answers: Can you be a hero if you kill people without regret? Is collateral damage ever justifiable? Is it okay to do the right thing for the wrong reasons? Nimona sets the tone within the first few pages: “We’re villains!” she says to Blackheart. “Villains kill people sometimes!” Later, when he protests her love of violence, she points out, “No one’s ever going to take you seriously if you’re too afraid to kill anyone.” She takes “villainy” seriously, and we can only laugh as we see her unintentionally allied with the good guys. She seems always to be doing the right thing for the wrong reason, even if she’s overly bloody in the process.

Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze, Marvel Comics, 2016

As with Nimona, moral ambiguity underlies Black Panther, Watchmen, The Sandman, and Monstress, but all four are serious graphic novels, about who should hold power over the rest of us, and whether anything justifies such power. In Monstrous and The Sandman, that power guarantees longer life; in Black Panther, it leads to increased wealth. And in Watchmen, that power allows one man to create his version of Utopia. He wants a better world, but he doesn’t care who dies to get us there. In all of these, the heroes and heroines are constantly faced with choices – what does each fight demand of them? What are they willing to give up, or compromise, in order to win? Only Black Panther, the rightful ruler of Wakanda, escapes with the least compromised principles, but early on his father tells him, “You’re a good man, with a good heart, and it’s hard for a good man to be king.” It’s a warning to us all.

The Sandman, Neil Gaiman /Sam Kieth / Mike Dringenberg / Malcolm Jones III VertigoComics, 1988-89/2010

Monstress, Marjorie Liu / Sana Takeda Image Comics, 2016-2018

To round out this list to an even 10, I close with Shaun Tan’s lovely and enheartening The Arrival, a wordless picture book about the wrench of leaving home for a new life elsewhere. There are no villains in this book, unless you want to count the challenges of being a poor immigrant in a new country whose language you don’t know and whose wife and child are still in the old country. But the story is glorious, with otherworldly sepia-toned artwork. Monstrous tentacles twine around the stone buildings and through the streets and skies of a town in the old country. The new country is like something out of Hieronymus Bosch, full of steaming smokestacks, pyramidal skyscrapers, giant beasts (harmless, mostly), and teeming streets. Terrifying because it’s all so strange. Each page needs several minutes to examine. Perhaps most revealing of Tan’s intent here are the endpapers – 60 passport-like “photos” of people of all ethnicities. These, Tan seems to be saying, are the citizens of the new world; get used to it.

The Arrival, Shaun Tan, Arthur A. Levine Books, 2006

I’ve had fantastic fun re-reading old favorites and discovering new graphic authors and artists for this year’s Witch Week. Have I inspired you to pick up one or two of these books, or at least to tell me about your own favorite graphic novel villains? Let me know. And HAPPY WITCH WEEK!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Lizzie Ross

Hopefully Lizzie has persuaded you that graphic novels have a wider range of villains than conventional wisdom claims for the comics genre!

#WitchWeek2019 Day 2: Graphic Villainy Lizzie Ross, co-convener since 2018 and last year's co-host for Witch Week, blogs about reading and writing at…

[comiccrusaders]

This November, sibling writer/artist duo Cat Seaton and Kit Seaton (AFAR) team up for NORROWAY, BOOK 1: THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY, the first in an original graphic novel series based on the Scottish tale of the same name.

Sibylla had always craved adventure, but she never guessed it would show up at her door in the form of a giant, magical bull. Who knew a prophecy could be so literal?

“NORROWAY is the result of the stories my sister Cat and I told to each other on dark nights when we were growing up,” said Kit Seaton. “This is a new series inspired by all the things we love about ghost stories and the old dark fairy tales. It’s about curses run amok, doomed knights, dancing princesses, shipwrecks, and young peasant girls destined for adventure. Take warning, however: even good intentions can lead to dangerous places.”

“I remember hours spent in the car with the family, winding through misty mountain roads as our father played J.R.R. Tolkien, Clive Barker, and Stephen King on cassette over the tinny car speakers,” said Cat Seaton. “Fairy stories and quests and nightmares and triumphs merged into one as the miles spilled on before us. Since I was a child I have pursued folk tales, and my favorites have always been those that grow ever darker but are edged with a glimmer of light. We hope you find the light in NORROWAY. ‘Be brave, you have many trials to come.’”

This November, pick up the first book in the ongoing NORROWAY series and find out why Leila del Duca (SLEEPLESS, AFAR, SHUTTER) raves: “Cat and Kit Seaton have created a story and characters so breathtaking that I think of this book almost every day. Sibylla is an energetic and headstrong protagonist who encounters mesmerizing characters, gorgeous lands, and high-stakes curses throughout her journey. I am smitten.”

NORROWAY, BOOK 1: THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY (ISBN: 978-1-5343-0855-8) hits comic shops on Wednesday, November 7th and bookstores on Tuesday, November 11th. It’s available for preorder via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indiebound, and Indigo.

NORROWAY, BOOK 1: THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY brings the classic folktale to life this November This November, sibling writer/artist duo Cat Seaton and Kit Seaton (AFAR) team up for NORROWAY, BOOK 1: THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY, the first in an original graphic novel series based on the Scottish tale of the same name.

[geekcavepodcast]

Book 2 of “Norroway” Releases August 2020

Norroway, Book Two: The Queen on the High Mountain, sequel to Norroway, Book One: The Black Bull of Norroway, will release on August 26, 2020, in comic shops (September 1 in bookstores). Writer Cat Seaton and artist Kit Seaton’s Scottish fairy-tale will feature an “older, wizened, more grizzled Sibylla” and a new cast of characters (Image Comics).

Norroway, Book Two takes place seven years after Book One and now it’s time for Sibylla to “face her curse-breaking destiny. When Troll Kingdom soldiers arrive in the once-safe town of Fiskeby, she's forced to flee up the Glass Mountain. But the moment she steps foot on Troll lands, she's thrown into a jail cell, where she discovers her amnesiac ex-fiancé is set to wed the Troll Queen’s daughter. Using all of her wits, she must convince the princess to turn against her own mother, or else face execution on the day of the wedding—and doom the kingdom to remain cursed forever.” (Image Comics)

(Image Comics - Cover of Norroway, Book Two: The Queen on the High Mountain)

[smashpages]

2019 Eisner Award nominees announced

The nominees for the 2019 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards have been announced by Comic-Con International. Image Comics received the most nominations with 19, while DC Comics received 17 nominations (not including the “shared” categories, like colorists who work for multiple companies).

On the creator end, Tom King received the most nominations with six, followed by Alex de Campi and Jeff Lemire with four. Also, if you’re of the betting persuasion, here’s a tip: put your money on an Image series walking away with the Best New Series Eisner.

The announcement follows the list of nominees for the Will Eisner Hall of Fame, which was released in January. The awards will be announced in July at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Check out the complete list of nominees below.

Best Short Story

“Get Naked in Barcelona,” by Steven T. Seagle and Emei Olivia Burrell, in Get Naked (Image)

“The Ghastlygun Tinies,” by Matt Cohen and Marc Palm, in MAD magazine #4 (DC)

“Here I Am,” by Shaun Tan, in I Feel Machine (SelfMadeHero)

“Life During Interesting Times,” by Mike Dawson (The Nib), https://thenib.com/greatest-generation-interesting-times

“Supply Chains,” by Peter and Maria Hoey, in Coin-Op #7 (Coin-Op Books)

“The Talk of the Saints,” by Tom King and Jason Fabok, in Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

Beneath the Dead Oak Tree, by Emily Carroll (ShortBox)

Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise, by Jeff Lemire and Emi Lenox (Dark Horse)

No Better Words, by Carolyn Nowak (Silver Sprocket)

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310, by Chip Zdarsky (Marvel)

The Terrible Elisabeth Dumn Against the Devils In Suits, by Arabson, translated by James Robinson (IHQ Studio/ Image)

Best Continuing Series

Batman, by Tom King et al. (DC)

Black Hammer: Age of Doom, by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and Rich Tommaso (Dark Horse)

Gasolina, by Sean Mackiewicz and Niko Walter (Skybound/Image)

Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julaa Madrigal (BOOM! Box)

The Immortal Hulk, by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, and Ruy José (Marvel)

Runaways, by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka (Marvel)

Best Limited Series

Batman: White Knight, by Sean Murphy (DC)

Eternity Girl, by Magdalene Visaggio and Sonny Liew (Vertigo/DC)

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, by Mark Russell, Mike Feehan, and Mark Morales (DC)

Mister Miracle, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC)

X-Men: Grand Design: Second Genesis, by Ed Piskor (Marvel)

Best New Series

Bitter Root, by David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Green (Image)

Crowded, by Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt (Image)

Gideon Falls, by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Image)

Isola, by Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl (Image)

Man-Eaters, by Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk (Image)

Skyward, by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

Johnny Boo and the Ice Cream Computer, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf/IDW)

Petals, by Gustavo Borges (KaBOOM!)

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths, by Graham Annable (First Second)

This Is a Taco! By Andrew Cangelose and Josh Shipley (CubHouse/Lion Forge)

Tiger Vs. Nightmare, by Emily Tetri (First Second)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9–12)

Aquicorn Cove, by Katie O’Neill (Oni)

Be Prepared, by Vera Brosgol (First Second)

The Cardboard Kingdom, by Chad Sell (Knopf/Random House Children’s Books)

Crush, by Svetlana Chmakova (JY/Yen Press)

The Divided Earth, by Faith Erin Hicks (First Second)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13–17)

All Summer Long, by Hope Larson (Farrar Straus Giroux)

Gumballs, by Erin Nations (Top Shelf/IDW)

Middlewest, by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona (Image)

Norroway, Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway, by Cat Seaton and Kit Seaton (Image)

The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (First Second)

Watersnakes, by Tony Sandoval, translated by Lucas Marangon (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best Humor Publication

Get Naked, by Steven T. Seagle et al. (Image)

Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julia Madrigal (BOOM! Box)

MAD magazine, edited by Bill Morrison (DC)

A Perfect Failure: Fanta Bukowski 3, by Noah Van Sciver (Fantagraphics)

Woman World, by Aminder Dhaliwal (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Anthology

Femme Magnifique: 50 Magnificent Women Who Changed the World, edited by Shelly Bond (Black Crown/IDW)

Puerto Rico Strong, edited by Marco Lopez, Desiree Rodriguez, Hazel Newlevant, Derek Ruiz, and Neil Schwartz (Lion Forge)

Twisted Romance, edited by Alex de Campi (Image)

Where We Live: A Benefit for the Survivors in Las Vegas, edited by Will Dennis, curated by J. H. Williams III and Wendy Wright-Williams (Image)

Best Reality-Based Work

All the Answers: A Graphic Memoir, by Michael Kupperman (Gallery 13)

All the Sad Songs, by Summer Pierre (Retrofit/Big Planet)

Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, by Box Brown (First Second)

Monk! by Youssef Daoudi (First Second)

One Dirty Tree, by Noah Van Sciver (Uncivilized Books)

Best Graphic Album—New

Bad Girls, by Alex de Campi and Victor Santos (Gallery 13)

Come Again, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)

Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 1, by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman (DC)

Homunculus, by Joe Sparrow (ShortBox)

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)

Sabrina, by Nick Drnaso (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

Berlin, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)

Girl Town, by Carolyn Nowak (Top Shelf/IDW)

Upgrade Soul, by Ezra Claytan Daniels (Lion Forge)

The Vision hardcover, by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Michael Walsh (Marvel)

Young Frances, by Hartley Lin (AdHouse Books)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Ari Folman and David Polonsky (Pantheon)

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, in Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection, adapted by Junji Ito, translated by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)

Out in the Open by Jesús Carraso, adapted by Javi Rey, translated by Lawrence Schimel (SelfMadeHero)

Speak: The Graphic Novel, by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll (Farrar Straus Giroux)

To Build a Fire: Based on Jack London’s Classic Story, by Chabouté (Gallery 13)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

About Betty’s Boob, by Vero Cazot and Julie Rocheleau, translated by Edward Gauvin (Archaia/BOOM!)

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, by Pénélope Bagieu (First Second)

Herakles Book 1, by Edouard Cour, translated by Jeremy Melloul (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Niourk, by Stefan Wul and Olivier Vatine, translated by Brandon Kander and Diana Schutz (Dark Horse)

A Sea of Love, by Wilfrid Lupano and Grégory Panaccione (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

Abara: Complete Deluxe Edition, by Tsutomu Nihei, translated by Sheldon Drzka (VIZ Media)

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, by Inio Asano, translated by John Werry (VIZ Media)

Laid-Back Camp, by Afro, translated by Amber Tamosaitis (Yen Press)

My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder, by Nie Jun, translated by Edward Gauvin (Graphic Universe/Lerner)

Tokyo Tarareba Girls, by Akiko Higashimura (Kodansha)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

Pogo, vol. 5: Out of This World At Home, by Walt Kelly, edited by Mark Evanier and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)

Sky Masters of the Space Force: The Complete Sunday Strips in Color (1959–1960), by Jack Kirby, Wally Wood et al., edited by Ferran Delgado (Amigo Comics)

Star Wars: Classic Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson, edited by Dean Mullaney (Library of American Comics/IDW)

The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Words and Worlds of Herbert Crowley, by Justin Duerr (Beehive Books

Thimble Theatre and the Pre-Popeye Comics of E. C. Segar, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman Deluxe Edition, edited by Paul Levitz (DC)

Bill Sienkiewicz’s Mutants and Moon Knights… And Assassins… Artifact Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Dirty Plotte: The Complete Julie Doucet (Drawn & Quarterly)

Madman Quarter Century Shindig, by Mike Allred, edited by Chris Ryall (IDW)

Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition, edited by Joseph Melchior and Bob Chapman (Abstract Studio/Graphitti Designs)

Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, edited by John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)

Best Writer

Alex de Campi, Bad Girls (Gallery 13); Twisted Romance (Image)

Tom King, Batman, Mister Miracle, Heroes in Crisis, Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Jeff Lemire, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Doctor Star & the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows, Quantum Age (Dark Horse); Descender, Gideon Falls, Royal City (Image)

Mark Russell, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound, Lex Luthor/Porky Pig (DC); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)

Kelly Thompson, Nancy Drew (Dynamite); Hawkeye, Jessica Jones, Mr. & Mrs. X, Rogue & Gambit, Uncanny X-Men, West Coast Avengers (Marvel)

Chip Zdarsky, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Two-in-One (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist

Sophie Campbell, Wet Moon (Oni)

Nick Drnaso, Sabrina (Drawn & Quarterly)

David Lapham, Lodger (Black Crown/IDW); Stray Bullets (Image)

Nate Powell, Come Again (Top Shelf/IDW)

Tony Sandoval, Watersnakes (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Jen Wang, The Prince and the Dressmaker (First Second)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Matías Bergara, Coda (BOOM!)

Mitch Gerads, Mister Miracle (DC)

Karl Kerschl, Isola (Image)

Sonny Liew, Eternity Girl (Vertigo/DC)

Sean Phillips, Kill or Be Killed, My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies (Image)

Yanick Paquette, Wonder Woman Earth One, vol. 2 (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Lee Bermejo, Batman: Damned (DC)

Carita Lupatelli, Izuna Book 2 (Humanoids)

Dustin Nguyen, Descender (Image)

Gregory Panaccione, A Sea of Love (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Tony Sandoval, Watersnakes (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers)

Jen Bartel, Blackbird (Image); Submerged (Vault)

Nick Derington, Mister Miracle (DC)

Karl Kerschl, Isola (Image)

Joshua Middleton, Batgirl and Aquaman variants (DC)

Julian Tedesco, Hawkeye, Life of Captain Marvel (Marvel)

Best Coloring

Jordie Bellaire, Batgirl, Batman (DC); The Divided Earth (First Second); Days of Hate, Dead Hand, Head Lopper, Redlands (Image); Shuri, Doctor Strange (Marvel)

Tamra Bonvillain, Alien 3 (Dark Horse); Batman, Doom Patrol (DC); Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Multiple Man (Marvel)

Nathan Fairbairn, Batman, Batgirl, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman Earth One, vol. 2 (DC); Die!Die!Die! (Image)

Matt Hollingsworth, Batman: White Knight (DC): Seven to Eternity, Wytches (Image)

Matt Wilson, Black Cloud, Paper Girls, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); The Mighty Thor, Runaways (Marvel)

Best Lettering

David Aja, Seeds (Berger Books/Dark Horse)

Jim Campbell, Breathless, Calexit, Gravetrancers, Snap Flash Hustle, Survival Fetish, The Wilds (Black Mask); Abbott, Alice: Dream to Dream, Black Badge, Clueless, Coda, Fence, Firefly, Giant Days, Grass Kings, Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass, Low Road West, Sparrowhawk (BOOM); Angelic (Image); Wasted Space (Vault)

Alex de Campi, Bad Girls (Gallery 13); Twisted Romance (Image)

Jared Fletcher, Batman: Damned (DC); The Gravediggers Union, Moonshine, Paper Girls, Southern Bastards (Image)

Todd Klein— Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Neil Gaiman’s A Study in Emerald (Dark Horse); Batman: White Night (DC); Eternity Girl, Books of Magic (Vertigo/DC); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

Back Issue, edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)

The Columbus Scribbler, edited by Brian Canini, columbusscribbler.com

Comicosity, edited by Aaron Long and Matt Santori,  www.comicosity.com

LAAB Magazine #0: Dark Matter, edited by Ronald Wimberley and Josh O’Neill (Beehive Books)

PanelxPanel magazine, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, panelxpanel.com

Best Comics-Related Book

Comic Book Implosion: An Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978, by Keith Dallas and John Wells (TwoMorrows)

Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists, by Martha H. Kennedy (University Press of Mississippi)

The League of Regrettable Sidekicks, by Jon Morris (Quirk Books)

Mike Grell: Life Is Drawing Without an Eraser, by Dewey Cassell with Jeff Messer (TwoMorrows)

Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography—Beyond the Fantasy, by Florent Gorges, translated by Laure Dupont and Annie Gullion (Dark Horse)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

Between Pen and Pixel: Comics, Materiality, and the Book of the Future, by Aaron Kashtan (Ohio State University Press)

Breaking the Frames: Populism and Prestige in Comics Studies, by Marc Singer (University of Texas Press)

The Goat-Getters: Jack Johnson, the Fight of the Century, and How a Bunch of Raucous Cartoonists Reinvented Comics, by Eddie Campbell (Library of American Comics/IDW/Ohio State University Press)

Incorrigibles and Innocents, by Lara Saguisag (Rutgers Univeristy Press)

Sweet Little C*nt: The Graphic Work of Julie Doucet, by Anne Elizabeth Moore (Uncivilized Books)

Best Publication Design

A Sea of Love, designed by Wilfrid Lupano, Grégory Panaccione, and Mike Kennedy (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

The Stan Lee Story Collector’s Edition, designed by Josh Baker (Taschen)

The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Worlds of Herbert Crowley, designed by Paul Kepple and Max Vandenberg (Beehive Books)

Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition, designed by Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios/NYC (Abstract Studio/Graphitti Designs)

Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, designed by John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic

Aztec Empire, by Paul Guinan, Anina Bennett, and David Hahn, www.bigredhair.com/books/Aztec-empire/

The Führer and the Tramp, by Sean McArdle, Jon Judy, and Dexter Wee, http://thefuhrerandthetramp.com/

The Journey, by Pablo Leon (Rewire), https://rewire.news/article/2018/01/08/rewire-exclusive-comic-journey/

The Stone King, by Kel McDonald and Tyler Crook (comiXology Originals)  https://cmxl.gy/Stone-King

Umami, by Ken Niimura (Panel Syndicate), http://panelsyndicate.com/comics/umami

Best Webcomic

The Contradictions, by Sophie Yanow, www.thecontradictions.com

Lavender Jack, by Dan Schkade (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/thriller/lavender-jack/list?title_no=1410&page=1

Let’s Play, by Mongie (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/letsplay/list?title_no=1218&page=1

Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe, (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lore-olympus/list?title_no=1320&page=1

Tiger, Tiger, by Petra Erika Nordlund, (Hiveworks) http://www.tigertigercomic.com/

[comicsalternative]

Episode 289: The August Previews Catalog

Witches and Adaptations

It's that time again! It's the beginning of the month, and the latest issue of the Previews catalog is out. And as they always do, the Two Guys meticulously go through the latest solicits, highlighting a variety of upcoming titles in Previewsthat they're interested in or they think is worth considering. Among the many publishers and titles that they focus on in the August catalog include:

Image Comics - Blackbird#1, Dead Rabbit#1, Exorsisters#1, Juke Joint#1, Wytches: Bad Egg Halloween Special, Norroway Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway, Men of Wrath, and Royalboiler: Brandon Graham's Drawn Out Collection

Dark Horse Comics - Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion#1, Black Hammer: Age of Doom#8, and EC Archives: Vault of Horror Vol. 5

DC Comics/Vertigo - Cursed Comics Cavalcade#1, The Books of Magic#1, Lucifer#1, Hex Wives#1, and Vertigo: A Celebration of 25 Years

IDW Publishing - Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle#1-#5, The Highest House, Mattéo Book One: 1914-1915, The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories, Lodger#1, and Supers, Book One

Dynamite Entertainment - The Lone Ranger#1, James Bond: The Body, and The Spirit: Corpse-Makers

BOOM! Studios - Adventure Time Season 11#1, Sparrowhawk#1, Hex Vex: Witches in Training, I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation, and The Sons of El Top Vol 1: Cain

Abrams Comicarts - Run: Book One

Adhouse - Live/Work#2

Aftershock Comics - Dead Kings#1, The Last Space Race#1, and Lollipop Kids#1

Ah Comics - Mark Twain's Niagara Book

Ahoy Comics - Captain Ginger#1 and Edgar Allan Poe's Snifter of Terror#1

Animal Media Group - Queen of Kenosha

Black Mask Studios - Sex Death Revolution#1

Candlewick Press - Lost Soul, Be at Peace

Conundrum Press - Flem

Fantagraphics Books - Kramer's Ergot 10, Love and Rockets Vol. IV#6, Fante Bukowski Three: A Perfect Failure, and The Crumb Compendium

First Second - Last Pick Vol. 1, Science Comics: The Brain, On a Sunbeam, Secret Coders Vol. 6: Monsters and Modules, The Unsinkable Walker Bean and the Knights of the Waxing Moon, and The Zita the Spacegirl Trilogy Box Set

Gallery 13 - To Build a Fire

Graphix - The Hidden Witch

Harper Collins Publishers - To Kill a Mockingbird

Humanoids - The New York Marathonand Superman Isn't Jewish (But I Am Kinda)

Iron Circus Comics - The Girl Who Married a Skull and Other African Stories

Learner Publishing Group - Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper

Lion Forge - Petit, Quantum Mechanics, and Timothy Top

NBM - Of Blood and Dust

New York Review Comics - Piero

Oni Press - Merry Men

Pantheon Books - Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation

Pegasus - The First Man: The Graphic Novel

Quirk Books - The League of Regrettable Sidekicks

Renegade Arts Entertainment - Frank

Scribner - Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home

SelfMadeHero - Andy: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol, H.P. Lovecraft: Four Classic Horror Stories, and Wolf

Silver Sprocket - Snowbirdand You Can Try Again

Souring Penguin Press - Daisy Blackwood: Pilot for Hire, Vol. 1

Triangle Square - Zenobia

VIZ Media - Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection, Tokyo Ghoul Complete Box Set, Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Vol. 3, and Ao Haru Ride Vol. 1

Yen Press - Crush

Kodansha Comics - Battle Angel Alita: Holy Nights and Other Stories

Seven Seas Entertainment - Wonderland Vol. 1

Vertical Comics - Pop Team Epic Vol. 1

  Check out this episode!

[kitseaton]

Cat and I are excited to announce the first book in our YA series NORROWAY with Image Comics! Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway Sibylla is a provincial farm girl who desires adventure, but gets much more than she bargained for when a witch’s prophesy comes true. Find more here: http://imagecomics.com/content/view/norroway-book-1-the-black-bull-of-norroway-brings-the-classic-folktale-to-l

[thecomicon]

Sibling Team On 'Afar' Craft Scottish Folktale-Inspired 'The Black Bull Of Norroway' From Image

Sibling Team On ‘Afar’ Craft Scottish Folktale-Inspired ‘The Black Bull Of Norroway’ From Image

Love Scotland? Love folk-tales? Maybe just great stories? This November, sibling writer/artist duo Cat Seaton and Kit Seaton (Afar) are teaming up for Norroway, Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway, which will lead into a graphic novel series called Norroway.

In this new tale, we meet Sibylla, who has always “craved adventure”, but ends up with it showing up at her door in the form of “a giant,…