Book publishing has to be competitive with many other forms of entertainment these days, and one way to do that is to send out review copies. These tend to pile up and make me feel guilty so I'm going to try to at least list the new books that we've received and may revisit some with longer reviews. Comments in quotation marks are from the publisher; otherwise the note is mine.
The Princess and the Ponyby Kate Beaton
Scholastic
Beaton is best known for her history-influenced adult webcomic Hark, A Vagrant!, but this is a short children's book. It's a quick entertaining read for an adult, but is definitely aimed at preschool girls. "Princess Pinecone knows exactly what she wants for her birthday this year. A BIG horse. A STRONG horse. A horse fit for a WARRIOR PRINCESS! But when the day arrives, she doesn't quite get the horse of her dreams... From the artist behind the comic phenomenon Hark! A Vagrant, The Princess and the Pony a laugh-out-loud story of brave warriors, big surprises, and falling in love with one unforgettable little pony."
Keep Calm and Do the Snoopy Danceby Charles M. Schulz
Andrews McMeel
This little book is reminiscent of the Hallmark collections of the 1960s such as Happiness is a Warm Puppy. It includes strips and short quotations about dancing. I enjoyed it, but it's definitely a gift book. "Oh, happy day! Make every day a happy one with this cheerful gift book combining Snoopy's happy dance with joyful quotes on dancing and life. Snoopy is the quintessential cartoon dog smile-bringer. From his bantering with Woodstock to his fantasy life, it's no wonder that he's the most popular Peanuts cartoon character! And he's never more endearing than when he's expressing his ultimate joy of life by doing his happy dance (much to Lucy's dismay!). In the Keep Calm and Carry On tradition of keeping a stiff upper lip, Keep Calm and Do the Snoopy Dance urges you to maintain peace by celebrating the happiness of dance and being grateful for all the joys that there are in life. More than 100 quotes and sayings are included in this charming gift book, highlighted with cartoons showing Snoopy in all his dancing splendor."
WuMo: Something Is Wrongby Mikael Wulff, Anders Morgenthaler
Andrews McMeel
The first American collection of the Danish comic strip that appears in the Washington Post. I personally find the strip hit or miss, but it definitely suffers in the Post from the small size. These are larger and in color.
Steve McQueen: Full-Throttle Coolby Dwight Zimmerman
Motorbooks
"Steve McQueen: Full-Throttle Cool presents McQueen's life story in an artistic, graphic-novel format. It covers his entire life, from his earliest years growing up in a suburb of Indianapolis to his death from mesothelioma. Learn all about his stunning movie career, in which he defined the antihero archetype. The cool panache he brought to the screen was perhaps only matched by his adrenaline-pumping racing exploits."
The Truth About Stacey (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphix Series #2)by Raina Telgemeier
Scholastic
Before becoming a break-out Young Adult graphic novelist, Raina adapted 4 of the popular Baby-Sitters Club stories into graphic novels. Scholastic is reissuing them for a new audience. While I haven't read this yet, Raina's work is always enjoyable.
Sunny Side Upby Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm
Scholastic
"From the groundbreaking and award-winning sister-brother team behind Babymouse comes a middle-grade, semi-autobiographical graphic novel. Following the lives of kids whose older brother's delinquent behavior has thrown their family into chaos, Sunny Side Up is at once a compelling "problem" story and a love letter to the comic books that help the protagonist make sense of her world. By sister-bother team Jennifer and Matthew Holm. A 200-page, full-color graphic novel in the vein of Raina Telgemeier's Smile." I'm looking forward to reading this; I found their Babymouse series
Slappy's Tales of Horror (Goosebumps Graphix)by R.L. Stine
Scholastic
"Four Goosebumps Graphix tales by master of horror R. L. Stine are adapted into full-color comics and feature a brand-new Slappy story by bestselling author, Dave Roman. The talented Dave Roman creates the horrifying drawings for "The Night of the Living Dummy," the origin story about that most evil of all ventriloquist dummies, Slappy! In "A Shocker on Shock Street," Jamie Tolagson captures the chilling tale of a brother and sister doing their dream job: testing rides in a movie studio theme park, where the special effects are REALLY special. With his shadowy illustrations, Gabriel Hernandez creates the perfect atmosphere in "The Werewolf of Fever Swamp," a spooky story about a boy and his dog who go sniffing around in a lonely swamp . . . and wish they hadn't. Ted Naifeh is at his creepy best in "Ghost Beach," a scary ghost story about a brother and sister who investigate a local legend and discover a terrible secret about their family." I regularly read anything by Roman and Naifeh.
Space Dumplinsby Craig Thompson
Scholastic
After his adult Orientalist graphic novel Habibi was a big success, I am somewhat surprised to see Thompson turning towards children's comics. I look forward to actually reading this. "For Violet Marlocke, family is the most important thing in the whole galaxy. So when her father goes missing while on a hazardous job, she can't just sit around and do nothing. To get him back, Violet throws caution to the stars and sets out with a group of misfit friends on a quest to find him. But space is vast and dangerous, and she soon discovers that her dad is in big, BIG trouble. With her father's life on the line, nothing is going to stop Violet from trying to rescue him and keep her family together. Visionary graphic novel creator Craig Thompson brings all of his wit, warmth, and humor to create a brilliantly drawn story for all ages. Set in a distant yet familiar future, Space Dumplins weaves themes of family, friendship, and loyalty into a grand space adventure filled with quirky aliens, awesome spaceships, and sharp commentary on our environmentally challenged world."
Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators: Mastering the Art of Drawing from Memoryby David H. Ross
Watson-Guptill
"For today's in-demand comic creators, animators, video game artists, concept designers, and more, being able to quickly draw the human figure in a variety of action-packed poses is a requirement. But what do you do if you don't have models or photographic reference readily available? In Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators, artist and instructor David H. Ross provides an alternative solution, showing you how to master freehand figure drawing without visual reference by using a modern twist on the classic technique of blocking out the human figure in mannequin form. Step-by-step lessons guide illustrators from basic poses (standing, running, jumping) to extreme motions (throwing punches, high kicking). For on-the-go artists, Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators allows you complete freedom to bring your figures to life at any time."
The Art of Comic Book Writing: The Definitive Guide to Outlining, Scripting, and Pitching Your Sequential Art Stories (SCAD Creative Essentials)by Mark Kneece
Watson-Guptill
"With this latest book in the SCAD Creative Essentials series from the esteemed Savannah College of Art and Design, comics writer and instructor Mark Kneece gives aspiring comic book writers the essential tools they need to write scripts for sequential art with confidence and success. He provides a practical set of guidelines favored by many comic book publishers and uses a unique trial and error approach to show would-be scribes the potential pitfalls they might encounter when seeking a career in comics writing. Supported by examples of scripting from SCAD's students, faculty, and alumni,The Art of Comic Book Writing strips away the mysteries of this popular artform and provides real-world advice and easy-to-follow examples for those looking to write for the comics medium."
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