Author: Johanna

Autobiographical Conversations, the crowdfunded book I talked about a couple of months ago, has come out, and copies are now available to buy from Ryan Claytor’s website. Comics about comics can be insightful (The Comic Book History of Comics), sometimes to the point of influence far beyond the field (Understanding Comics), or tedious. This one falls in the first category, as Claytor draws himself discussing the genre of autobiographical comics with an English professor (the co-credited Dr. Harry Polkinhorn) known for studying the personal essay. It’s mostly talking-head dialogue, but Claytor has the two wander campus and …

I really liked Jenni Gregory’s Dreamwalker series (which ran from 1995-1999), so I was thrilled to see that she’s now back making comics! Summoner is about a woman (and her dog, Ghost) who can talk to the recently deceased. You can buy a print copy (although at $3 + shipping for 16 pages, it’s a bit pricey — and you can’t see how much shipping is until you create an account, which is poor design) or better yet, download the digital version for free (without having to register). I hope to see more of the Summoner series. This first issue introduces the character and her purpose, but her work with the police and some…

You’ve likely read something like the plot of The Lost Boy before — kid moves to new house with a history, discovers a fantasy world beyond the gate / through the trees / inside the cupboard. The Lost Boy In this case, Nate finds a reel-to-reel tape recorder under the floorboards. The long-disappeared Walter Pidgin had used it to record his observations about the odd things he saw, things no one else seemed to notice. Things like a grasshopper in a suit and top hat riding a dog. The talking squirrel Pettibone. A walking, talking doll. Nate and the neighbor girl Tabitha follow in Walt’s footsteps to discover an alternate …

I don’t have much to add to the content she’s posted, but I wanted to share this link: At her blog, Raina Telgemeier shares her process in creating a graphic novel, step-by-step. Her phases include idea, pitch, outline, and thumbnails before she gets to the actual art drawing part most people think of starting with. She also reveals the source of the name of the lead in her newest book, Drama, and explains why she had to take an additional six months to write the book. Drama pitch character page by Raina Telgemeier Similar Posts: Raina Telgemeier Announces Next Book, Sisters § Raina Telgemeier’s Smile Followup Called…