August 14, 2009, 637 voters
Whenever possible I like to get out to author readings in the city. Last night my older son and I went to see Jonathan Tropper’s standing room-only event for THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU. Jonathan read from parts of three chapters of the book, giving readers a version of a book reading based on the style of a movie trailer --- just some highlights. For the record, it worked. Since I enjoyed the humor in this book, during the Q&A I asked him if he gave a lot of thought to the comedic timing in his books. I will get to the answer in a moment, but first I must share my embarrassment. Unbeknownst to me for years I have been pronouncing "comedic" with the British affectation, with a “long e” sound instead of the American way with a “short e.” (And now I feel like an English teacher.) You can hear both versions here by clicking on the little flags at the top of this page.
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Since we launched GraphicNovelReporter.com we have strived to not just have our voices, but also those of other respected colleagues from the world of comics and graphic novels appear here. With that in mind I happily introduce you to Alex Simmons, who will be blogging for us regularly. You may already know him and the great work he does with Kids Comic Con. You also might know him from his comics writing and his work in the industry. Even if you don’t, you’ll get to know Alex here on GNR through his blog posts. He has a great voice and a unique perspective, both of which I’m looking forward to having him share with you regularly on the site. I’ll still be blogging too, and Carol will jump in from time to time --- and we’re planning to add more people to the lineup as well. To ensure that the content is always fresh and interesting, we’ve got several more tricks up our sleeve. Stay tuned.
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They're the movies we anxiously await, the movies we talk about years before they even come out. Movies based on comics are an endless source of debate among fans. Do they live up to the originals' status? Are they faithful adaptations? Do they take comics seriously, or do they treat them as inferior? The best ones pay due respect to their sources while taking on new life onscreen. Here are our picks for the ones that did it best.
August 12, 2009
Posted by tom
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Peter Coogan is a writer about comics who has elevated the study of the art form to new heights with his literary approach. As cofounder and cochair of the Comics Arts Conference, he has helped teachers around the country better discuss and educate others about the format. And now he’s the director of the Institute for Comics Studies, whose mission is “to promote the study, understanding, recognition, and cultural legitimacy of comics.”
Every once in a while, I feel like an old curmudgeon reading comics. Take for example thought balloons. I have a feeling (but I hope I'm wrong about this) that the younger generation of comics readers has no fond memories regarding the bubbles that used to define the format. I suppose in many ways they are indicative of the silly funny books that inspired such derision from the culture at large for so many years. But hear me out on this, because I think the replacement for thought balloons is worse.
Your daughter doesn’t come home one night from her summer job. You go there looking for her. No one’s seen her. But it’s worse than that.
No one’s ever seen her. So where has she been going every day? And where is she now?
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As a child, raised under what we politely call “underprivileged” circumstances, I was remarkably blessed. Infused with artistic goals and dreams, I was repeatedly introduced to talented actors, illustrators, cartoonists, musicians, and dancers. At first, they came to me via films in neighborhood movie theaters, and on a 13" black-and-white TV screen.
