On Saturday, Marcela Peres from Lewiston (Maine) Public Library, Lizzy Walker from Wichita (Kans.) Public Library, and Ivy Noelle Weir of Kennett (Pa.) Public Library led a panel with moderator Eva Volin of Alameda (Calif.) Public Library to introduce other librarians to Valhalla, an online community for women who love comics and do comics-driven work in libraries and other organizations.
What got you into writing and drawing? Gene Luen Yang: I’ve been interested pretty much all of my life. My parents are avid storytellers, and I grew up listening to their stories. I also grew up drawing. Comics was a way of combining those two things. There are themes running through your work—of identity, of … Continue reading Newsmaker: Gene Luen Yang
Warcraft: Bonds of Brotherhood by Paul Cornell Axiom by Mark Waid Hellboy in Mexico by Mike Mignola; illustrated by Richard Corben, Mick McMahon, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá, and Dave Stuart Rivers of London: Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch The Blacklist Vol 1: The Gambler by Nicole Dawn Phillips Archie Vol. 1 by Mark Waid; illustrated by Fiona … Continue reading Something for Everyone
The first panel, titled “His, Hers, and Theirs: Gender and Comics” discussed how gender is portrayed in comics, the visibility of different gender identities, and the lack of representation in comics. Asked when she first became aware of gender in comics, artist and comics historian Trina Robbins (From Girls to Grrrlz, Pretty in Ink) noted … Continue reading Comics Creators Call for More Diversity
This scene from the second annual teen anime convention, known as ToshoCon, was presented by Salt Lake County (Utah) Library Services (SLCLS) in August 2014. And it’s just one example of libraries holding similar events around the country, filling a gap, providing a service, and having fun. As Cassidy Ward, an adult moderator at ToshoCon … Continue reading Making Geeks
G. Willow Wilson, creator of the Ms. Marvel comic series starring a Muslim superhero named Kamala Khan, headlined the opening session. A prize-winning fantasy author and journalist, Wilson is an American convert to Islam who has lived in both the US and Egypt. Wilson said she initially figured the Ms. Marvel series would run no … Continue reading ACRL 2015 Conference Record Opening
Need to refresh your Black History Month offerings? Here are some graphic novels, both fiction and nonfiction, that address Black History in dynamic, engaging ways. For Adults: Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White By Lila Quintero Weaver. Illus. by the author. 2012. Univ. of Alabama, paper, $24.95 (9780817357146). Perry County, Alabama, was a hotbed … Continue reading Black History Month Graphic Novels for Your Collection
What led you to write about growing up in Iran in the late 1970s and the period after that? The first time I left Iran for Austria I was 14 (that was 1984), and I heard people with all kinds of prejudices—especially about countries like mine. It was really the most sensational stuff. They were … Continue reading Newsmaker: Marjane Satrapi
You’re known for making movie cameos. What is your favorite one to date? Stan Lee: I did one in the new Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie. I think it’s a very funny one. We’re pretty partial to the librarian you play in The Amazing Spider-Man. Do you have a spidey sense? No, I wish I … Continue reading Newsmaker: Stan Lee
That was only one of many stories US Congressman John Lewis (D–Ga.) told a packed room of librarians during his Auditorium Speaker Series speech on Saturday afternoon. His deep, sonorous voice scarcely needed a microphone as he recounted his early years in the Civil Rights Movement—as one of the original Freedom Riders in 1960, as … Continue reading John Lewis’s March
