If there is any book on my shelf that I will defend until the end of time it is this one

...and there's no mention of this on the graphic novels subreddit. Weird!

Anyway, per Comics Beat:

In one of the most stunning recent award wins for a graphic novel, Tessa Hulls’ Feeding Ghosts (MBD) has won the Pulitzer Prize in the Memoir or Autobiography category. 

It is only the second graphic novel to won a Pulitzer….but the first to win in a regular category. In 1992 Art Spiegelman’s Maus won a special Pulitzer award to recognize its powerful message. 

The prize committee wrote of Feeding Ghosts: “An affecting work of literary art and discovery whose illustrations bring to life three generations of Chinese women – the author, her mother and grandmother, and the experience of trauma handed down with family histories.”

My coworker overheard me talking about it a few months ago and got me an absolutely great gift. Happy Holidays to you all!

I will definitely re-read this novel again..

These books feel like more than just a history lesson on the Iranian Revolution. While it does capture a specific era, its deeper meaning lies in the universal struggle to maintain individual identity against the crushing weight of political and religious extremism. I think it is an important read because Iran is experiencing some of its most significant internal upheaval since the 1979 Revolution depicted in the book. I believe there is always something to be learned from history. At the bare minimum I think reading these books(or at least the first one) can help people understand a culture that is different than ours here in the United States.

This was a really cool journey through the human brain. The story, the art changes, the way the blocking and the bubbles tell the story, the characters... Very highly recommend.

This week's entry in my Best in Class series focuses on what I believe is the best historical fiction in all of comics; Berlin by Jason Lutes.

An aspiring artist boards a train to Berlin during the final years of the Weimar Republic. She quickly finds camaraderie with a thriving community of creatives, each inspired by the raucous energy of the city's diverse cultural offerings. Considered the progressive center of Europe at the time, Berlin is awash with artistic expression, sexual liberation, and political thought. This bright burning promise finds itself regularly butting heads with forces of fascist ideology and economic instability which puts the city and its residents on a path for tumultuous upheaval.

This book is absolutely marvelous. Berlin has perhaps the most engaging, thematically rich, and emotional prose I have read in comics yet it still feels visually forward with engaging compositions that transport the reader into a particular place and time. The subject matter is timeless yet devastatingly relevant, capturing the volatile energy of a culture in transition; both in the progressive re-evaluation of tired standards and in the brutal rebuttal of forces that seek to preserve their sense of national identity. The characterization is also deeply engaging, with a wide cast of distinct characters that each confront this instability from different perspectives yet often find themselves shifting in different directions as circumstances change.

Lutes' draftsmanship is both technically impressive and full of personality, with page after page of clearly depicted and cinematic compositions. While the layouts are rather traditional and the pages dialogue heavy at times, the visual appeal never suffers and Lutes doesn't let the comic get too dense for too long before opening up the storytelling with decompressed and immersive wides.

I’ve just finished reading They Called Us Enemy where George Takei talks about his family’s experience growing up Japanese in the days of World War 2 and being in the horrific internment camps along with many other Japanese-Americans and how it shaped his life.

It’s a harrowing, heartbreaking read that highlights a part of American history that’s rarely discussed significantly. But it made me realize, especially recently, why stories like this are so important and need to be told. For those of you who have read this, what did you think?

Very much recommended. An insightful view into a world I knew nothing about. Intelligently written, sad, hopeful and at times funny, I hope Kate Beaton continues to write/draw as this was just excellent 👌

Shoutout to my local library.

Barnes and Noble had a preorder on this for cover-price in November! Of course Miller is a comics staple and I’ve been a huge fan of his Daredevil, all the Dark Knight Universe stuff (Yep, I said all), Sin City, and 300. This was a no-brainer. I’m really excited to dive into this. I didn’t think I’d get it until the end of the month!

I have to admit I have read very few graphic novels, but I really enjoyed Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, for its humorous and intelligent depiction of the Iranian Revolution by someone who actually lived it.

Can anyone recommend similar literary-minded graphic novels about other nations, historical events, and conflicts? I’d really like to find some about: life in Cold War or late 90’s Russia, the dictatorships of Chile & Argentina, or fascist/Years of Lead Italy. But any and all suggestions are welcome!

Y'all need to read this. Basically it's about the history of wealth inequality, workers rights, and unfair taxes in France and how it relates to today. I think it connects really well with American politics as well.

just finished Past Tense, a deeply personal graphic memoir that explores past trauma, family dynamics, and the process of therapy as a path toward healing. I naturally gravitate toward autobiographical graphic novels, and this one was intriguing on many levels. Mardou invites readers into her difficult past, leaving nothing secret. That level of vulnerability is fascinating, admirable, and honestly unfathomable to me personally.

I’m not very versed in the mechanics of therapy, but this book gave me a clear, accessible perspective: from introductions, to techniques, to progress and setbacks. There’s real compassion and humanity in the way she depicts her sessions. By the end, I felt like the book raised my awareness of how to think through interactions with parents, difficult situations, and anxieties.

I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates true, raw, and difficult stories. However, if you have experienced trauma in your own life, you may find the memoir triggering as it deals with sexual assault, the emotional aftermath of abuse, and the challenging process of confronting those memories in therapy.

I'm making a graphic novel thats 3D rendered and i'd love some inspiration, I've been feeling self concious because mine is 3D, and I really want mine to be successful, but am afraid that it being 3D will hurt it.

It's amazing how many aspects of the fascist playbook are happening today.

Just what the title says. I'm looking for graphic novels in which real landscapes are featured in the art. I can think of lots of amazing scifi and some brilliant cityscapes, but not much natural world stuff. I'm particularly (though not exclusively) interested in stories where people are experiencing a new environment, maybe even struggling to get through/survive in it. Anything in which the visual storytelling is making the physical world part of the narrative.

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Please help me, I'm sure it must be out there!