Hey, we're in the middle of a recession and all, but you never know what people have lying around in their wallets. Or in their attics. Take this Dallas man, Ralph Chicorel, who was just recently reported to be holding on to some very special comic gems. Turns out that Ralph, now 78, has been collecting for a very long time and has copies of such classics as Batman #1 and Marvel Mystery Comics #9.
This year, Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, Oregon, had another participant—the Zine Library Group (ZLG) of Multnomah County Library. Comics are well-represented at Stumptown, as Portland is home to publishers Dark Horse, Oni Press, half of Top Shelf, as well as Sparkplug Comic Books and Tugboat Press. Portland also has many thriving comic book stores, including Guapo Comics, Cosmic Monkey, Floating World, Bridge City Comics, Excalibur, Things from Another World, and Future Dreams.
Does your school usually have an assigned summer reading list?
May 21, 2009, 907 voters
May 20, 2009
Since we launched this site, one of my favorite pieces, and definitely one of the most popular, has been teacher John Weaver's article on teaching Watchmen to his students. That article drew a terrific response from those who read it. Many were impressed by his thoroughness in presenting the material while others spoke with a hint of jealousy that books like Watchmen weren't taught in school earlier. Those are the kinds of thought-provoking pieces we aim to keep bringing you on GNR --- so I'm glad to say that John has written a follow-up, and it's even more informative. Looking back on the class, John reveals what he's learned, what worked, and what he'll do next time. I hope you find it as helpful as I did --- and that you're impressed by his students' insights into the book. I'm like John: I've read Watchmen so many times over so many years yet am always amazed at the new things I find inside it. Sometimes I feel silly. Sometimes I feel just incredibly happy that I've picked up on something fresh and exciting. And sometimes I'm in awe of the book and its remarkable ability to keep providing material all these decades later.
When I was growing up, my dad was very fond of the Robert Service poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee," and in particular, he liked quoting the lines, " A promise made is a debt unpaid." About two months ago, I wrote an article on Graphic Novel Reporter entitled "Who Teaches the Watchmen." At the end of that article, I promised that I would let you know how the unit went. I hereby wish to discharge that debt.
Editorial content for The Late, Lamented Molly Marx
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Bronwyn Miller
Ever wonder who would attend your funeral? Newly deceased Molly Marx gets to see that and more as she tries to decipher her past mistakes in life and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. One minute, she was taking a bike ride on the west side of Manhattan; the next, she arrived here. “Here” is what is referred to as “The Duration,” and to Molly it “looks and feels like an upscale fitness resort…a sunny solarium. Read More
Teaser
Ever wonder who would attend your funeral? Newly deceased Molly Marx gets to see that and more as she tries to decipher her past mistakes in life and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death.
Promo
Ever wonder who would attend your funeral? Newly deceased Molly Marx gets to see that and more as she tries to decipher her past mistakes in life and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death.
About the Book
The circumstances of Molly Marx’s death may be suspicious, but she hasn’t lost her joie de vivre. Newly arrived in the hereafter, aka the Duration, Molly, thirty-five years old, is delighted to discover that she can still keep tabs on those she left behind: Annabel, her beloved four-year-old daughter; Lucy, her combustible twin sister; Kitty, her piece-of-work mother-in-law; Brie, her beautiful and steadfast best friend; and, of course, her husband, Barry, a plastic surgeon with more than a professional interest in many of his female patients. As a bonus, Molly quickly realizes that the afterlife comes with a finely tuned bullshit detector.
As Molly looks on, her loved ones try to discern whether her death was an accident, suicide, or murder. She was last seen alive leaving for a bike ride through New York City’s Riverside Park; her body was found lying on the bank of the Hudson River. Did a stranger lure Molly to danger? Did she plan to meet someone she thought she could trust? Could she have ended her own life for mysterious reasons, or did she simply lose control of her bike? As the police question her circle of intimates, Molly relives the years and days that led up to her sudden end: her marriage, troubled yet tender; her charmed work life as a magazine decorating editor; and the irresistible colleague to whom she was drawn.
More than anything, Molly finds herself watching over Annabel–and realizing how motherhood helped to bring out her very best self. As the investigation into her death proceeds, Molly will relive her most precious moments–and take responsibility for the choices in her life.
Exploring the bonds of fidelity, family, and friendship, and narrated by a memorable and endearing character, THE LATE, LAMENTED MOLLY MARX is a hilarious, deeply moving, and thought-provoking novel that is part mystery, part love story, and all heart.
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May 15, 2009, 608 voters
May 15, 2009
Well this week sure zipped by. There could not have been 24 hours in each of these last seven days. The house is quieter than usual today. My older son flew across the pond to merry old England to visit friends and "unwind from his year at school." Be amused at the last phrase; I am too. He is sailing back on the Queen Mary 2 in a few weeks where he and a friend are sharing a budget-minded inside cabin. Amazing how "inside cabin" is just fine when HE is paying. He has this trip planned to precision detail and is doing it for remarkably little money since he researched EVERY deal. He gets an A in vacation planning. My husband is at a college reunion with his friends where they are reliving their happy years at Lehigh. So it’s my younger son and me. I am tossing out endless suggestions for mother/son bonding time. He is looking at me like I am daft with all this enthusiasm.
