Graphic Novels Galore

In honor of the fact that I’ll be a Round 2 Judge for Graphic Novels during this year’s Cybils Awards, I thought I’d post a roundup of some great graphic novel-related links that have come my way in recent days/weeks. Also, rather fortuitously, the theme for next week’s ALA Teen Read Week is Picture It @ Your Library. Hope there’s a little something of interest to everyone here!

• Remember the fabulous graphic novel Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (which was a past year’s Cybils nominee)? Well, Alison Bechdel is one of the editors–along with Jessica Abel, who wrote Cybils YA graphic nominees Life Sucks and La Perdida–of this year’s Best American Comics. Check out her interview with GraphicNovelReporter.
• HILARY KNIGHT is doing a graphic novel! I love, love, LOVE Hilary Knight. I mean, he did the little comic strip illustrations in Cricket magazine! And he’s now got a fun sketch blog for Vanity Fair, too.



• If you haven’t yet checked out Campfire Graphic Novels, a graphic novel publisher in India, go take a look–besides GN versions of some classic literature, they’ve transferred some traditional Indian tales and religious stories into the comic book format, like Sita, Daughter of the Earth.
• Courtesy of the NCTE, read a bit more about how the term “graphic novel” was coined, check out this intriguing book on using graphic novels in the classroom, and don’t miss Mr. Gene Yang’s essay on the same topic–written in comic format!
• Check out Guys Lit Wire contributor Steve Berman’s look back at that classic Will Eisner comic The Spirit, including recommendations for where to get started in your reading.
• If you’re looking for a great source of graphic novel information and reviews of GNs for audiences from kids to adults, check out No Flying No Tights.

That should be plenty to keep you busy this weekend. And, if you haven’t already, don’t forget to nominate your favorite GNs and other kids’ and teen books for the Cybils! (Yep, we’re just going to keep harping on it until nominations close.)