Showing posts with label children's book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children's book. Show all posts

Thursday, May 09, 2024

Chatting with Mirka Hokkanen, early reader graphic novelist and picture book author

by Mike Rhode

Mirka Hokkanen is an early reader graphic novelist and picture book author who lives in Maryland, but grew up in Finland. Her works skews younger than I usually read, but I was glad to make her acquaintance, and will be reading Mossy and Tweedy soon. Mira quickly responded to our usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

My work is for younger elementary school audiences, and I've completed two early reader graphic novels, and hoping to create some more in the future. 

 How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

All my graphic novel work is digital. I usually start sketching in Procreate, and then ink and color in Clip Studio Paint. 

 When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

Late 70's kid here! 

 Why are you around DC now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

We are in Olney, and moved to Maryland for my husband's job in the military. 

 What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I have an MFA in printmaking, which doesn't help much with graphic novels. I had no idea how to write a script, but thankfully a friend, Ken Lamug had a class on it and how to get started in Clip Studio Paint. 

 Who are your influences?

Since I create for younger audiences, I look for inspiration from work for that age group. I took a lot of inspiration from Pelle Fantti, and Maailman Vahvin Nalle, comic books that I grew up with. I also read an excessive amount of Donald Duck/Disney comics. But also from contemporary graphic novels and picture books, like Pea, Bee and Jay by Brian Smith, Beak and Ally by Norm Feuti, Hilda by Luke Pearson. I was also influenced by Looney Tunes and similar cartoons from my youth.    

 If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

I wish I would have had the tools to start earlier. I switched careers in picture book illustration about 8 years ago, but wish I would have jumped in much sooner. 

 What work are you best-known for?

My concept picture book series Kitty and Cat has been well accepted and won some awards, so it would probably be those ones. 

 What work are you most proud of?

It always feels hard to choose, because I like different aspects of different work. I'm proud of my Little Seasons books, because I really love the way they turned out, with fun colorful illustrations, humor, educational content, and good backmatter. In general, I create the kinds of books that I would want to read to my kids. 

 What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I'd love to continue my already existing books series, and continue to illustrate books in general. I also have a little dream of illustrating a fabric collection, doing more licensing. 

 What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

If I'm on a deadline, I will just keep showing up and start working, and inspiration follows. When in between projects, and need to work on new things, I try to schedule big enough blocks of time (like 1.5-2 weeks), where I can play, read, generate ideas, and have a looser brain, where there is room for ideas to germinate and grow. I have a notebook where I put ideas when I'm too busy to work on them, and then during the looser times, I'll come back to them and see if there is something there to work on. 

 What do you think will be the future of your field?

I'm really interested to see where this march with AI is going. I don't think AI can replace the human element of book creation, so in that way I feel confident that good books will continue to be created by people. There is always a pendulum swing of things, right now there is a huge growth and push for AI-related things, but I think eventually the dust will settle, and the pendulum swings the other way.  

What comic books do you read regularly or recommend? Do you have a local store?

During the summer, I normally read a lot of the comics from my youth when we visit Finland (= my parents house). We have the above mentioned ones, and we also have a big collection of Asterix and Obelix, Lucky Luke, and Calvin and Hobbes books. I love graphic novels too, and read a lot of them. One book that I fell head over heels for was Clyde by Jim Benton. The humor in the book was so unexpected and spot on for me, I think it's just as much for adults as it is for kids.  

I often order used books from eBay, or buy new from Amazon, or the book stores. We don't have a local store where we live unfortunately, the closest bookstore is 25min away. (Which is probably a good thing for my bank account.) 

 What's your favorite thing about DC?

There is a ton of stuff to see here! We moved here less than a year ago, and are still exploring all the things to do around here. 

 Least favorite?

I hate driving in traffic, and not being familiar with the area, so getting around always relies on having a navigator handy. 

 What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

So far we have been taking family to the Natural History museum, because the kids love it. 

 Do you have a website or blog?

Yes! You can find me at http://www.mirkah.com, or on social media at http://www.instagram.com/mirkadraws and http://www.twitter.com/mirkahokkanen  

 How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally?

It was hard to work during Covid with kids. My husband works in the medical field, and he was almost absent during that time, and I decided to homeschool our kids, so trying to keep everyone healthy and happy took a ton of energy, leaving much less of me for creative pursuits. We also moved to a different country (for military) towards the end of the outbreak, which was a nightmare. But it also was the time when everything I had been working on for writing and illustrating "clicked", and I ended up signing three book deals for six books in a very short amount of time. So I came out swinging, even if exhausted at the end.   







Saturday, April 08, 2023

May 13: Steve Metzger at Hooray for Books!

Author Event: Steve Metzger

Steve Metzger will present and sign his latest book, The Bumble Brothers: Crazy for Comics!

Meet Walter and Christopher: the Bumble Brothers. These nine-year-old twins MUST have the latest comic book featuring their favorite superhero, Frabbit (1/2 frog & 1/2 rabbit). But Harold, the neighborhood bully, stands in their way. Featuring wacky misunderstandings, riddles that nobody gets, goofy puns, and silly fantasy sequences, this NEW graphic novel series will have kids laughing non-stop!

Saturday, March 25, 2023

'Outlaw librarian' Dave Burbank creates "a haven for comics readers" in Takoma Park, MD

all photos by Bruce Guthrie
by Dave Burbank

Dave and I reconnected last week at Matt Tavares' excellent explanation about how to create a children's graphic novel at Takoma Park Library. I sent him a variety of the usual questions, which he transformed so much that I've junked them in favor of his essay. I can't believe how many of their talks I've missed though! This has been lightly edited for grammar. - Mike

I'm Dave Burbank of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.   We are the last small independent city library in Maryland.  
 
We are considered an 'outlaw library' (if we were in the Montgomery County system we would be eliminated since there are libraries within 1 mile of us).  Takoma Park tends to stand up for underdogs and outlaws so the local folks have made sure we have stayed open and active, even now while our tiny battered old building is being reconstructed. 
 
Currently you can find us at our current location at 7505 New Hampshire Avenue, in a shopping area above a Caribbean food grocery, snuggled between an IHOP and a Taco Bell.   Our signage still says we are the Salvation Army Family Store, though that will soon be fixed I'm told.

We are a haven for comics readers, with over 3000 titles of graphic novels on the shelves, split in 4 collections (about 1000 on the adult side, the others divided between the All-Ages Comics, Young Adult, and Manga collections). We add more titles all the time and are open to suggestions or even donations.  

As the curator of our collection, I have a budget every year specifically to buy comics.  Being a lifelong scribbler and reader of  'comix,' I made a case for the Library to clear space for them on our shelves, and made my first comics buy way back before the turn of the millennium. Those first few comics left friction burns on the shelves from how fast they were snatched up. They commonly disappeared since kids who loved them would keep them. Librarians being wise people, the solution was for us to buy so many comics that kids never felt a scarcity mindset about them.  "Read these, bring them back, there will be more waiting."

Personally, I think comics truly sintered with my soul when I read the Dark Phoenix X-Men story arc as it came out way back in 1980.  I went as Wolverine for Halloween that year, even though nobody had any idea how deadly and ferocious I was when I showed up on their front porch. ("Nevermind who I am, just gimme the candy bub, or experience the deadly snikt! of my claws").  I loved Spider-Man before that of course, and would sit through entire episodes of The Electric Company on the off chance there would be a Spidey episode that week.  I'd read Sargent Rock or the Haunted Tank to learn the history of World War II.  Shoot, if there was nothing else I'd read the cartoons in the New Yorker while I was waiting in a doctor's office, even though they always vaguely disturbed me with their sense of existential ennui and postmodern disaffection.  Still, I never knew the power of the artform until experiencing the death of the telekinetic telepath Jean Grey, who sacrificed
herself to prevent her alter ego from destroying the universe.  Friends and I were in mourning, while clueless adults had no idea the loss we had experienced.  Dots of ink on a page of pulp paper lived powerfully vivid lives and truly animated the ideals that there is Good and Evil and one should make a choice to live up to their best nature.

Anyway.  Clearly I have been stained by exposure to those 4-color ink stories.

I've been attending various Comics conventions since way back when they also sold butterfly knives and nunchucks in the last few rows. When cosplay was a rarity. 

A favorite though has been the yearly Small Press Expo in suburban Maryland.  I've attended every year since 1999 and even represented local libraries at a panel on 'Comics in the Library' in 2015. I appreciate SPX since here you get to meet face to face with the writers and artists who spend years creating their stories, and are truly touched to meet the people who read them.  The best time to attend is actually Sunday night after the show is over when the creators all hang out on the back deck chatting about comics and meeting each other.  

Over the years we have hosted many comics authors events and book signings. At first by my invitation alone, and subsequently through our partnership with Politics and Prose booksotre.  

A partial list: 

Ben Hatke's Zita the Space Girl, First Second Press founder Mark Siegel, Paul Pope's Battling Boy and Batman Year 100, Drew Weing & Eleanor Davis together and separately for Margo Maloo and the Secret Science Alliance, George O'Connor's Olympian's series retelling Greek myths, Gareth Hinds' Beowulf and other classics of ancient literature, Orpheus Collar illustrating the Percy Jackson stories, Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin's Illegal, Judd Winick's Hilo series, Alex Alice, Jeremie Royer, David Petersen's Mouseguard, Jerry Craft's New Kid, Penelope Bagieu, Jon Klassen,  Raina Telgemeier's Smile, Chris Schweitzer's Crogan stories, Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tale series, Francois Mouly the Toon Books publisher and New Yorker art director, her daughter Nadja Spiegelman & Sergio Garcia Sanchez for Lost in NYC, Jay Hosler's Last of the Sandwalkers, Nate Powell & Mark Long's The Silence of Our Friends, Congressman John Lewis's March.  Among others. 

Highlights of the above guests: 
 
Ben Hatke is a great guy.  Friendly, easy to talk with, great family, a juggler and busker. He is as personable and friendly as his characters.

Mouseguard artist David Petersen is clearly mad, since he builds scale models of his complicated scenes just so that he can better paint them from different angles. 

Similarly meticulous, also a great guy, and local to us, artistic black belt Gareth Hinds maps out his books months in advance and knows how many pages ahead or behind he is on a story on any given day.  

Jay Hosler teaches college biology classes, and also writes science-based adventures starring insects. 

Raina Telgemeier is a sweet and lovely person. Now something of an all ages superstar, we had her in before the world wanted everyone to do what she does in comics.

Drew Weing is also a gentle, shy and friendly person.  His comics are awesome and deserve a Netflix series or something.

I'm from the last of the outdoor kids generation of the 70's and 80's who grew up on BMX bikes and skateboarding and grafitti tagging in the Northeast.  From back when your parents would tell you to 'be home when the street lights come on.'  The same age as Tony Hawk, (I was reading about him and Rodney Mullens pretty much inventing the ollie and street skating in Thrasher Magazine, and naturally ended up with sprained wrists, scabs and scars that were purely inspired by him).  Later, I moved to NYC to study theater and write poetry and that sort of thing before moving to the DC area to study martial arts, where I accidentally fell into Library work.  As one does.

An inveterate scribbler and doodler, I decorated every textbook I ever had with flipbooks in the corners.  I still draw all the time though now I discourage drawing in books. I intermittently and spasmodically keep a blog about comics at https://comixtakoma.wordpress.com/whos-this-guy/ 

I commonly find myself inspired by drawing in company with folks of all skill levels.  I built into my job a weekly Sketch Club with kids and parents  (Thursdays after school 4-5:30). I have hosted sketch clubs in and around pubs in the DC area over the years before my arts buddies went on to become famous or moved to LA to work in animation, etc. (most recently in Midlands bar on Georgia Ave, before that the now-defunct Union Drinkery). I'm thinking of starting an evening Sketch Club for grown folk and area artists here at the Library.  If interested contact me at DavidB@takomaparkmd.gov and I'll put you in the mailing list when I get it started.

I post my own personal drawings on Instagram from time to time -  @shankylank on there.  It's grown-up content, sketched in ink with felt tip, sharpie, and copy paper since I grew up in the Zine era and never migrated to digital art. I attend the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Friday evening figure drawing sessions from time to time to sketch from live models and keep my skills sharp. In the pandemic I would attend various figure model sessions across the world, via zoom.

Mark Tavares at TP library
I teach Dungeons and Dragons, and have done so through the Takoma Park Recreation Department for the past 30 years.  As one of various side hustles I train folks to run games, hire out as a professional game master for parties and game nights, and in past years have run summer camps for kids.  I have run D&D game nights at those same local pubs, as well as team-building exercises for local businesses.  Contact me at Alternativegamesdc@gmail.com if you need a pro DM or want training on how to run games, or peek at my mostly-defunct site alternativegamesdc.com though I have neglected that website for a bit.

I periodically give a talk on the History and Importance of Comics (with a digression on the Semiotics of Superheroes) to folks from elementary school up to graduate students at the University of Maryland's College of Information Sciences.

I am part of a writer's group that meets via the Petworth Library, and am 14 chapters in on my current book (a Viking Santa Claus romance adventure tale).  It started as a graphic novel, but writing is quicker.  I have probably a dozen other screenplays and fiction works cooking at any moment, though something is nagging me to sketch out some memoir works.
 
I often present comics read-aloud sessions with kids, and I know for a fact I will eventually present various works of my own fiction and art as read-aloud works, for kids or for grown-ups.  As a graffiti tagging delinquent, I was inspired by the very idea of the Vaughn Bode Cartoon Concerts that I heard about from underground comics I read, but was never able to attend being too young and on the wrong coast.  The idea of animating words and art with one's voice satisfies my soul.

Matt Tavares at Takoma Park Library

 I forgot to post these pictures, but he gave a great talk earlier this week.






Friday, February 24, 2023

Meet a Local Children's GN Writer: A Chat with Megan Wagner Lloyd

by Mike Rhode

Megan Wagner Lloyd read her new book Super Pancake at East City Bookstore on February 18th, and it turns out that she's a local writer. Her new book for ages 7-10 is described as 

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a . . . pancake? Here is a delightfully clever and endearingly funny graphic novel about a pancake named Peggy, who accidentally develops superhero abilities and must defend her home of Breakfast Town.

Life in Breakfast Town is pretty uneventful for Peggy Pancake. Her parents are always on her case, she's stuck in her perfect brother's shadow, and she just can't seem to avoid the Bacon Bullies at school. That is until one day, after an accidental mixup, Peggy finds herself with superhero abilities. . . . Now Peggy can flip! She can fight! She can FLY!

With the help of her new friend, Luc Croissant, Peggy must master her newfound skills. But danger is lurking in the Maple Mountains, where the evil Dr. Breakfast Sandwich and his wicked Henchtoasts are plotting something sinister. Can Peggy harness her powers and save all that is dear? Find out in: SUPER PANCAKE!

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I write graphic novel scripts.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I'm an 80's kid!

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

As far as creative writing and comics go, I am self-taught.

Who are your influences?

For my graphic novels that are out now: Calvin and Hobbes, the Babymouse books, Raina Telgemeier, El Deafo and many other current middle grade graphic novels!

What work are you best-known for?

Allergic, written by me and illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter

What work are you most proud of?

I'm always most proud of what has come out most recently! I think because that's when I get to celebrate with the illustrator and readers. So right now, I'm feeling particularly happy about Super Pancake (illustrated by Abhi Alwar), which was just released, and Squished (illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter), which is about to come out. I'll be at Scrawl on March 14th celebrating my new Scholastic graphic novel Squished.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I have always written in all sorts of genres and formats and for all sorts of age groups, so I plan on continuing doing just that. I think it would be more pragmatic (and reader-friendly) to narrow my focus just to working in the style of whatever of mine has been the most successful...but that just isn't how my brain works or how I thrive as a writer, so I'm working with what I've got.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

Clean, read, exercise, do another creative project of some kind.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?
 
I went to The Small Press Expo (just as an audience member) a year or two before covid. I haven't been since, but hope to go next time it's held. In general, I'm hoping to become more connected to the local comics and writing communities in the coming years.

Do you have a local store?

I really like Victory Comics in Falls Church. It feels like a very welcoming space.

What's your favorite thing about DC?
 
The museums. And how it is connected with park corridors that bring so much wildlife and nature into the whole area.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

I like to take visitors on a sunset or evening drive to see the monuments--then they can decide if they also want to do a walking tour another time. For the museums, the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery of Art are my favorite places to start.

How about a favorite local restaurant?
 
Huong Viet in Eden Center in Falls Church (but a word to the wise, they only take cash!)

Do you have a website or blog?
 
meganwagnerlloyd.com, including a blog that I update a few times a year.






Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Rachelle Holloway

by Mike Rhode

DC Zinefest 2018 recently had a successful day out at Art Enables on Rhode Island Ave. I met at least six cartoonists who were new to me, and said hi to at least three I already know. (My photos are here). Rachelle Holloway, an illustrator and cartoonist, is the first to answer our usual questions.
 
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I am currently a freelance illustrator for Mascot Books. I work on children's books and draw my own webcomic, A Little Dragon Trouble, on the side. When it comes to my own personal work, I love drawing fantasy and artwork with a Scandinavian feel to it.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

Most of my work is done using the computer. But I also enjoy using traditional pen and ink. Sometimes I get tired staring at the computer screen, so drawing traditionally can be relaxing. I love painting with gouache and watercolor, and I also enjoy cut paper art.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on the West Coast, mainly in San Diego, California and Washington State. That's where I call home.


What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

In 2014, I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A in Animation. I mainly focused on 2D animation, but my primary focus and interest was Concept Art and Visual Development. I took one Sequential Art class while I was in college, but when it comes to comics, I am mostly self taught.

Who are your influences?

I have so many influences that I can't list them all. I find inspiration from everywhere and everyone! Here is a small list of people who influence my work: John Howe; John Bauer; Lorelay Bove; Brittney Lee

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

If I were granted a do-over, I may have studied Illustration or Graphic Design. I don't regret studying animation, in fact, it has helped me with the creative work I’m currently doing. But on the East Coast, I have discovered a lot of skills people are looking for in the creative industry are Typography, Web and Graphic design. But that hasn’t stopped me from pursuing that education. I just finished a Web Design class at Northern Virginia Community College, and am learning new skills to better myself as a creative professional.

What work are you best-known for?

I feel I am not really best-known for anything in particular yet. My Zine, My Dog is More Paranoid Than I Am, is my most popular comic. I'm also known for having a lot of Scandinavian/Viking artwork, which gets people’s attention.

What work are you most proud of?

I am personally most proud of my webcomic, A Little Dragon Trouble. For my Senior Film In college, I wasn't able to fully do what I wanted to do. So a few years later, I developed A Little Dragon Trouble. My webcomic has also helped me in so many other ways. It has helped me gain an audience. The visual development of the comic was recognized on Behance and featured on Small Press Expo's tumblr blog. It is because of this comic I am where I am today.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I would like to self publish my own picture book. After illustrating a kids book for an author, I was inspired to create a short story myself. I would love to have the time to illustrate and self-publish it. I also have many comic and story ideas written down, and would like to make them a reality.


What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

When I'm having writer’s block, I write down situations or events I don't want happening in my story. Sometimes it ends up being a good idea anyway. Another approach is don't think, just write! Even if you know it's bad. You can always go back and change it later.


What do you think will be the future of your field?

I definitely see myself continuing being an illustrator and getting more requests from authors. But, I hope one day to be employed in the animation industry. But in the meantime, freelance illustration is what's keeping me going!

What local cons do you attend besides DC Zinefest? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?

I just started tabling for the first time in 2017. DC Zinefest was the first event I tabled at. I also tabled at Richmond Zinefest last year. I would love to attend larger cons such as Small Press Expo, but I want to have more work under my belt before I do that. It is a goal I am striving for.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

I'm originally from the West Coast, so finding things to love about DC was a challenge when I first arrived. In 2016, I found out that DC has an amazingly open and welcoming sequential art culture. Everyone's work is so Indie and original, I love it! They are willing to express themselves and everyone supports each other. It's because of that culture I felt comfortable enough to start displaying my own work. DC has helped me grow as an artist, even though the artist culture is small. But that's what makes it so great!

How about a favorite local restaurant?

There's this wonderful place called the JINYA Ramen Bar in Fairfax, VA. I like to go there to celebrate the completion of large projects.

Do you have a website or blog?

http://rahcomics.tumblr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/rahcomics/

http://rachelleholloway.blogspot.com/ 

"A traditional ink trading card I sold at last years Richmond Zinefest."

Monday, February 13, 2017

New children's book from Cuddles and Rage (updated)

ComicsDC co-author has reminded me that HE interviewed Liz and Jimmy Reed (aka Cuddles and Rage)  before their new children's book came out.

https://i.harperapps.com/covers/9780062403599/y648.png

Sweet Competition


About the Book

Liz and Jimmy Reed, the creators of the "Cuddles and Rage" webcomic, have whipped up a truly delectable picture book debut featuring the antics of competitive twin cherries who will do anything to outsweet…er, outsmart one another!
For this pair of twin cherries, everything is a competition. If Girl Cherry can swing higher, Boy Cherry will boast that he can swing lower. If one is smarter, then the other is cooler. So when they enter a contest to build the best dessert ever, they immediately pit themselves against each other. But when you're attached at the stem, there's only so much you can do on your own. Things could be easy as pie—so to speak—if they put aside their differences and join forces. Will Boy Cherry and Girl Cherry cream the competition by working together…or will one try to be the cherry on top?
With loveable characters and laugh-out-loud situations, Sweet Competition is the perfect addition to any child's bookshelf. After all, there's always room for dessert!

Monday, February 06, 2017

Children's comics received this winter

Here's some recent comics that we've received that aren't really for our audience, so we won't try to do an actual review. Several of these are reprints from England and won't be familiar to US audiences yet.  (Screen grabs, links and blurbs from Amazon but we don't take any money from them. Buy from your local store if you'd prefer)

by Neill Cameron
Scholastic Graphix
 
Want to have awesome ideas, every time? Feel like turning your ideas into amazing stories? And ever wish you could make your creations come alive with incredible artwork?

If any of these things sounded cool to you, then How to Make Awesome Comics is the perfect book to help you on your way to comics/cartooning genius. Let Professor Panels and Art Monkey take you through every step you'll need to be on your way!

From the very basics (coming up with your stories and characters, learning how to draw) to more advanced levels (making art and text work together well, what makes a good villain, creating your own books from paper), How to Make Awesome Comics is a comprehensive and can't-put-down guide for every burgeoning artist, all from the mind of accomplished comic book-maker Neill Cameron.


Evil Emperor Penguin: Book 1 (The Phoenix Presents)

by Laura Ellen Anderson

Scholastic Graphix

Far away in the icy wastes of Antarctica lives a warm and cuddly, kind-hearted penguin who only wants to do good in the world . . . NOT! This is no ordinary penguin. This is . . . EVIL EMPEROR PENGUIN! And he wants to take over the world!

Of course, every evil ruler needs a sidekick and a minion, and Evil Emperor Penguin is no different. That's why he has Number 8, a very polite and thoughtful octopus who knits, and Eugene, the incredibly cuddly abominable snowman who loves hugs.

Join this fearsome team of Evil as they try to take over the world--and obviously, destroy it--but get waylaid by evil cats, rogue farts, killer plants, and visiting sisters.


by Jamie Smart
Scholastic Graphix

Welcome back to the woods! It's a peaceful home, really, but wait . . .

ZAP! ZAAP!! ZAAAPPPPP!!!!

It's Monkey in a hovercraft that fires lasers! And is that a kitten cannon and a Hamster Mobile too?

Join Bunny, Monkey, Skunky, Pig, and all the rest of the lovable and crazy characters from the first book, as science and nature fight again. There's all the same irreverent humor, bold and appealing art, and non-stop action, but this time with robotic worms, Trojan mooses, and lemony doomsday devices, of course.

It's the continuing battle between good and evil . . .

It's . . . Bunny vs. Monkey: Book Two!





by James Burks 
Scholastic Graphix

 It's been a long, crazy trip around the world. Now the duo is back in their beloved forest, and Bird wants to throw a party! But Squirrel isn't in the mood to celebrate. His house needs a good cleaning, the river has been dammed up by a pesky beaver, and the forest animals are jittery about a growing menace. Will the dam dry out the forest? Will the mysterious new danger ruin the party? Will Bird finally convince Squirrel to let go and just have a good time? Find out in their hilarious new adventure!


by Dav Pilkey
Scholastic Graphix

New from the creator of Captain Underpants, it's Dog Man, the #1 New York Times bestselling, crime-biting canine who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!

George and Harold have created a new hero who digs into deception, claws after crooks, and rolls over robbers. When Greg the police dog and his cop companion are injured on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history, and Dog Man is born. With the head of a dog and the body of a human, this heroic hound has a real nose for justice. But can he resist the call of the wild to answer the call of duty?

Dog Man Unleashed (Dog Man #2)

by Dav Pilkey 
Scholastic Graphix

 Dog Man, the newest hero from the creator of Captain Underpants, is still learning a few tricks of the trade. Petey the cat is out of the bag, and his criminal curiosity is taking the city by storm. Something fishy is going on! Can Dog Man unleash justice on this ruffian in time to save the city, or will Petey get away with the purr-fect crime?






by Matt Groening
HarperDesign

It’s a unanimous decision! These pulse-pounding stories and more featuring Matt Groening’s beloved first family of fun, the Simpsons, will have you rolling with the punchlines!
Go the distance with the Simpson family as they join everybody’s favorite moonraking megalomaniac, Hank Scorpio. for a globetrotting adventure that will not only take you around the world but into orbit around the Earth. And when the lovelorn losers of Springfield feel like throwing in the towel on romance, they pick themselves up off the mat and get an adrenaline rush by living life to the extreme! And as if Homer wasn’t already a glutton for punishment, watch him discover his killer instinct as he goes toe to toe with C. Montgomery Burns!



Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Born into the slums of the Republic’s Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives are not as sinister as they often they seem. One day June’s brother is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June tries desperately to avenge her brother’s death. And the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together and the lengths their country will go to in order to keep its secrets.

After escaping from the Republic's stronghold, Day and June are on the run in Vegas when the country learns that their Elector Primo has died and his son has stepped in to take his place. They meet up with the rebel stronghold of the Patriots—a large organization straddling the line between the Republic and its warring neighbor, the Colonies—and learn about an assassination plot against the Elector. Using threats and blackmail to get what he wants, the Patriots' leader, Razor, convinces June to let herself be captured by Republic soldiers so she can win over the Elector and feed him a decoy assassination plan. But when June realizes that the new Elector is nothing like his father, she must work with Day to try to stop the Patriots' plot before Razor can fulfill his own devastating plans. The second book in the best-selling Legend trilogy comes to life in this vibrant graphic novel adaptation.