Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with graphicnovels Questions tagged with 'graphicnovels' at Ask MetaFilter. Thu, 17 Jul 2014 08:19:27 -0800 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 08:19:27 -0800 en-us 60 Desperately searching for new webcomics I am currently obsessed with <a href="">O Human Star</a>, which has so much of what I enjoy in a comic: a feeling of personal warmth (as opposed to 'cold action'), no convoluted action-y shading/perspective art-wise, unique storyline, science fiction vibes, no purely 'sinister' atmosphere, and nuanced gender elements. What else might I enjoy? I know I am unlikely to find something else so perfect, but if there are other webcomics out there which incorporate some of these elements, I would be very thankful to be pointed in their direction. <br> <br> Other things that I have enjoyed, for varying reasons and to varying degrees: Templar AZ, Achewood to a degree, xkcd (if that even counts), some aspects of Shadoweyes, etc. In print: the perfect Lynda Barry, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Gilbert Shelton's Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, aspects of Adrian Tomine, Robert Crumb, Daniel Clowes, (but only<em> sort of</em>. I don't like general sinister surreal-ness very much.)<br> <br> I am really out of the loop on this stuff, and would appreciate any leads on new things! (Also, I am open to getting things in print or buying digital copies. They don't have to be online, but I'd be especially happy to find some of those.)<br> <br> Many thanks!,2014:site.265274 Thu, 17 Jul 2014 08:19:27 -0800 thegreatfleecircus Help me find something as good as Zita the Spacegirl for my kids? I have been reading Zita the Spacegirl to my kids (7 &amp; 5, boy and girl) very night. For those who haven't read it, it is a terrific graphic novel for kids full of adventure and strange creatures, with a great message. What else would you reccomend, as we approach the end of this great series? Specifically thinking of a modern, adventure-filled (but not overly mature) graphic novel or series. Science fiction or fantasy would be ideal.,2014:site.264501 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 17:39:14 -0800 blahblahblah Revisiting The Airtight Garage Looking for modern graphic artists or comic book illustrators doing work similar in style/theme to the futuristic work of Jean Giraud aka Moebius. The unidentified illustration at the top of<a href=""> this page</a> got me to thinking about it. I am particularly interested in space, starships and interstellar-type imagery.,2014:site.256636 Wed, 05 Feb 2014 21:27:40 -0800 Mike Mongo Learn me about the past. History Buffs of MeFi: Please share your most favorite, most compelling sources. Movies, books, graphic novels, fiction - everything is fair game. My interest in learning about world and U.S. history is growing and I would like to feed it. I studied Anthropology in college, so I tend to prefer sources that give real depth to the people and the culture, rather than a dry 3rd-person overview.<br> <br> Things I have enjoyed: The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Band of Brothers. Full Metal Jacket. Maus. Persepolis. Anything by Joe Sacco. Kon-Tiki. <br> <br> Any topic is fine, but my interests skew a bit toward pre-1900s and ancient cultures, away from contemporary wars.,2013:site.253831 Tue, 17 Dec 2013 08:25:33 -0800 gnutron Help in evaluating comic books? I have been tasked with inventorying and potentially selling more than a few comic books. All are in excellent condition, many are in legitimately mint condition and untouched. Some are old, some are new. I know nothing about comics aside from watching Comic Book Guys and Toy Hunter and the local stores aren't particularity newbie friendly. I don't even know where to start.<br> <br> I need a quick education in comic collecting and/or information about reputable experts (online is probably best, but we're in the Northeast corridor if it matters) in the field who could aid in appraisals or sale.,2013:site.243137 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:33:05 -0800 cedar What are the most beautiful comics or graphic novels ever published? I am interested in reading some visually dazzling comics or graphic novels. I would love to find examples that were made with beautifully painted panels, incorporated collages, or are otherwise interesting on a visual level. What do you recommend?,2013:site.243075 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:15:31 -0800 mortaddams Help a Returning Noob Navigate the Graphic Novel/Comics Universe! I'm starting to get back into reading comics and graphic novels again after an absence of nearly 30 years. I'm hoping the cool kids of the Mefiverse can assist me in choosing some titles. <strong>Some parameters:</strong> <br> <br> Genres/Styles I'm Not Interested In: <br> <br> - Superheroes. I find a lot of that stuff really silly and stunted. Possible exception for the amazing Watchmen. Don't care about Batman, etc. <br> <br> - Anime/Manga/etc. <br> <br> <strong>Titles I Used to Love When I Started Collecting Back in the 80's:</strong> <br> - Nexus<br> - Swamp Thing<br> - the original Judge Dredd series<br> - the Steven comic (the little guy with the fedora who's constantly pissed off)<br> <br> <strong>Titles I've Seen Recently That I Liked:</strong> <br> - the Fables series<br> - The Last Man series<br> - Locke &amp; Key<br> - Mouse Guard (love Mouse Guard!) <br> - Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer<br> - Morning Glories<br> - Transmetropolitan<br> <br> <strong>Titles I've Seen Recently That I Didn't Like Much At All:</strong> <br> - The Boys series or Preacher, etc. (comics that feature monster doses of violence/gaudy sex/etc. at the expense of telling a story.)<br> <br> MAJOR BONUS POINTS FOR FINDING ANY CURRENT COMIC THAT CAN REMIND ME OF LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND (which for my money is the greatest comic ever made, ever.) <br> <br> Okay, that's about it. Release the hounds!,2013:site.235011 Sun, 10 Feb 2013 18:26:16 -0800 Lipstick Thespian Sci-Fi graphic novel suggestions? Thoughtful science-fiction graphic novel suggestions needed! (non-horror, limited violence) I'm looking for science-fiction based graphic novels to buy a sci-fi loving friend. She introduced me to the novels of the Strugatsky brothers years ago, loathes horror and isn't a big fan of the violence. The more philosophic/intellectual/complex the better... (I'm currently considering the original, full run of Nausicaa as one possibility, for example, though there is an huge amount of violence). Beautiful artwork a big plus. Any suggestions?,2012:site.231366 Tue, 18 Dec 2012 06:25:37 -0800 Auden Graphic novels for young girls Please recommend graphic novels for two very bright girls, aged 7 and 9. I'm looking for <em>Wolves of Willoughby Chase</em> type stories full of plucky lasses showing courage and resourcefulness. They liked <em>Polly and the Pirates</em> and <em>Zita the Space Girl</em>, but there aren't enough of them. I'd prefer things that are well drawn.,2012:site.229837 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 03:16:27 -0800 Joe in Australia How would a bird strike on landing play out? Can you tell me in great detail what would happen if a 2-engine airliner ingested a bird into one of its engines while on approach to land? This is for a graphic novel project. I need to establish a character's flying prowess, and for narrative reasons the problem he encounters has to manifestly not be his fault or a maintenance/hardware problem with the plane. So I figure bird strike on the engine while landing is a good situation, although I'm open to other suggestions that meet the above criteria (especially if they'd be visually interesting and/or allow a pilot to show some skillz)<br> <br> The more detail I can get, the better, both on what would happen to the plane and how the pilot would save the situation.,2012:site.229382 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:58:09 -0800 COBRA! Draw my mind I have 3/4 of a graphic novel script in my computer. Where can I learn to draw so I can bring it onto the page? I have a graphic novel script (Persepolis rather than the Sandman) close to being done. I'd like to see it published, online or on paper. <br> <br> I can't draw at all. So I see two options and would welcome Mefite insight on one or both.<br> <br> 1- Find someone who'd be interested to draw it. I would envision this as a collaboration rather than a commission, but since it would be on spec or for online publication, I find it hard to imagine this option is either likely or fair. If I'm wrong - how does one go about finding artists looking for scripts?<br> <br> 2- Learn to draw. I am in Central London. Can you recommend specific evening or weekend cartooning/ comic drawing courses for someone who failed drawing in kindergarten? I've seen some at various adult education places or art schools, eg <a href="">Central St Martins</a>. I'm looking for actual recommendations rather than links I can find for myself, please. I'm also open to suggestions for drawing rather than cartooning courses, if that seems more sensible.<br> <br> My budget is about 400 pounds though obviously I'd rather spend less.,2012:site.229127 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 05:54:27 -0800 tavegyl How should I get my graphic novel out to the world? I'm working on a graphic novel. Should I submit it to publishers, or just run it as a webcomic? And if I were to submit it, I have a bunch of secondary questions. The book, when finished, should run about 70 pages (I have the entire thing plotted, but only the first 3rd is fully scripted, so I don't have an exact page count yet). I've drawn and digitally "inked" the first 10 pages, and am slowly but steadily working my way through.<br> <br> As far as content goes, it's set in 1960 and is about a pair of brothers in the aviation industry who try to build a replacement for the U-2. While there's some humor in dialog as it goes, the book's basically a straightforward historical drama.<br> <br> My main question: with a graphic novel project of that length, is it worth my time to try to work with the publishing world? Particularly when my previous comics work has been with webcomics (some of which have gotten modest critical praise, but none of which have set the world on fire with web traffic)? If it's not worth my time, I can easily just run the book serially as a webcomic and be happy with it; but I like the idea of publishing.<br> <br> Secondary questions: how does the submission process work with graphic novels? I have some experience with prose fiction submissions, but not when there's art involved. Do you generally submit when the art's all done? Or submit a script and some pages of art (to give an idea of what it'll look like), leaving room for the script to change during the editing process? What else should I know? What else should I be thinking of?,2012:site.227760 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 11:20:09 -0800 COBRA! Sequential Art for the Slammer I need recommendations for comic strip collections, graphic novels, and manga that can be purchased from Amazon, don't contain drug/sex/gang content, and can enjoyed by someone in their twenties. <a href="">This is very much a follow up to this question.</a> My little brother asked me to send comics to him in jail. I'm a big old comic snob, so if it was up to me I'd be sending him Yoshihiro Tatsumi and Harvey Pekar. I'm pretty sure that's not what he meant.<br> <br> His two suggestions were Garfield and Ranma 1 1/2, but he told me to "be creative," and I bet we can do better than that, y'all.<br> <br> I'd prefer either comics that either teach you something/expand your mind in some way OR are completely mindless but <em>hilarious.</em><br> <br> <small>Update to the last question: I've gotten through every book I wanted to send so far; he has Into Thin Air, a book on Spanish vocabulary, a book on origami, the 1st two Lightning Thief books, some goofy Ed Emberley &amp; Usborne drawing books, Hitchhiker's Guide, and Jekyll &amp; Hyde. I'll be sending more over time. The help I got from Mefites, both answering the question and offering to mail things to him/me, was so incredibly sweet and we both appreciate it so much.</small>,2012:site.224822 Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:31:50 -0800 Juliet Banana What is the best way to read comics not on paper What is the best way to buy and read digital comics/graphic novels currently? I like reading comics but I hate the physical clutter and I also think the prices are a little high. I'm looking for the easiest and best way to buy, store and read comic books. My chief concerns are:<br> <br> - All the comics I'd like to read on one device (DC and Marvel mostly, the big stories like Sandman, Walking Dead, Batman, etc.)<br> - Easy management, ability to download to multiple devices and/or cloud storage<br> - Reasonable prices<br> - Ability to buy and download while away from home<br> - Long term compatibility, never losing or getting locked out of content<br> <br> I have a laptop and an iPhone, but I'm always considering a tablet or reader-focused tablet like a Kindle Fire. N.B.: I read a free sample comic on Comixology on my iPhone and thought that was a pretty slick app but the screen was too small.,2012:site.221140 Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:30:18 -0800 2bucksplus What do these Chinese characters mean? What do these Chinese characters in <em>American Born Chinese</em> mean? At I've posted a picture of, I think, all the Chinese characters in the comic <em>American Born Chinese</em>. I was wondering if someone could translate them.<br> <br> I have some guesses about what some of them mean (the character used in the panel with "giant form" appears on the pillars when the Monkey King was writing his name; he was calling himself "Great Sage, Equal of Heaven" at the time, so maybe it means "giant" or "great" [like "grande" in Spanish]. And if that's the case, maybe the single characters in dialogue are a speech act like "I thee wed" or "I heard a rumor that" in <em>Umbrella Academy</em>--say it and it happens) but I wanted some actual knowledge rather than guesses and assumptions.<br> <br> Aside from wondering what each character or group of characters means, I was also wondering what the top of the first three characters mean--it's the same on each.<br> <br> And: aside from AskMe, is there any way for someone who doesn't speak any given non-Romance language to find a translation? e.g. if I had a picture of, say, writings in Arabic and wanted a translation but didn't know how to key them into a search engine. I'm suspecting the answer to this is "no" but would be happy for guidance or confirmation.,2012:site.207451 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:42:01 -0800 johnofjack Help me remember the name of this old obscure sci fi comic book. I'm trying to find a specific old comic which details the history of an alien humanoid civilization. When I was a kid in the 80s, my grandmother gave me this big comic book. It looked old and obscure even for that time.<br> <br> The story was nested. At first it followed a crash of a UFO on Earth, then followed the lifelong pursuit of a scientist to translate the documents contained in the craft.<br> <br> At the end of his life, he managed to crack the code, and the documents captured the most significant events in the history of the alien civilization which launched the craft.<br> <br> I remember the rest of the story more vaguely. I think they went from hunter gatherers to spacefarers, with a lot of barbarianism and war in there. There was some sort of election where everyone tossed different colored rocks into a ditch, each color representing a vote for a different candidate. (I always thought that was a pretty insecure system for an election, even as a kid.),2011:site.201397 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 19:41:56 -0800 brownbat Graphic Novels for Writers, not Artists How do I go about getting some of my stories made into comics? I write weird/Magical-Realist short stories. I have always wanted to work in the comics/graphic novel format. I have absolutely no ability to draw. Most of the advice I've been able to find on getting into this industry focuses on the artist's side of the equation. Is there a way to submit my work for consideration in a graphic format? As in, convert my work into a script or storyboard for submission to a graphic novel publisher? Alternatively, is it better to have a completed project (with art) to submit to publishers? I've attempted to find artists before that might be interested in collaborating, but I haven't had much luck. I would not feel comfortable asking someone to do that much work on spec and I don't actually make enough money off fiction writing to pay what I think would be fair for such work. I don't want to do this as a vanity project. My ultimate aim would be for a small press to publish my work. <br> <br> TL;DR: is there a way to get into graphic novels as a writer with no artistic ability?,2011:site.196494 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:10:52 -0800 Kitty Stardust Tarzan graphic novel. Help me find this Tarzan graphic novel. Degree Of Difficulty: I can't remember the date of release, the name of it nor the author's name. When I was a wee lad, we had a graphic novel that was about the origins of Tarzan and beyond. Maybe it was just a graphic retelling of the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I'm sure the release of this book had to be the '60s; the early '70s at the latest. I wonder if it's even still in print. No one in my family has seen it in years and they can't remember the details either.<br> Do you remember this book? If so, is it still in print or can I find a cheap copy of it anywhere?,2011:site.194299 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:16:59 -0800 NoMich Comic Wank Suggestions for a the best erotic/adult comics &amp; comic-creators? I'm looking to expand my collection of comics/graphic novels, particularly in the adult/erotic/porn area. I have Alan Moore's massive <i>Lost Girls</i>, but that's about it.<br> <br> I'm looking for works that are both well-done (writing and art-wise) and arousing. They can be funny, dramatic, scary, whatever -- genre is not important. Also, straight, gay, whatever is fine -- the only thing I'm not really interested in collecting is tentacle-porn (unless it is really, really good tentacle-porn). Any era, any country of origin.<br> <br> So: suggestions for books, writers, creators, etc?,2011:site.192357 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:33:58 -0800 Saxon Kane Name of colorful fantasy graphic novel series? I'm looking for the name of a colorful, fantasy-themed graphic novel series, featuring a child protagonist, a red-shirted child villain, and a cast of anthropomorphic animal characters. The series was about a young child trapped in a fantasy universe. I think most of the world's inhabitants were anthropomorphic, humanoid animals, and I believe the series started on a giant floating island attached to the ground with giant chains. The main villain was a young kid with a red shirt living in a dark tower. In the end (spoiler alert), it turned out that both the protagonist and the villain were kids in the real world who were in a coma due to something awful that the bad kid did.<br> <br> What's the name of this series?,2011:site.187649 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 01:13:58 -0800 archagon Help me buy Hellboy &amp; BPRD comics <i>Hellboy</i> and <i>BPRD</i>: Help me buy their collected stories in order? I torrented some CBR files of both comics and I really enjoyed them and now I’m hooked. I’d like to buy the stories but I’m not sure how to get started and I’m pretty awful at navigating the world of comic collections (<i>The Walking Dead</i> was especially difficult for me, what with issues, volumes, books and compendiums, but that’s an AskMe for another day).<br> <br> It’s also difficult for me because both <em>Hellboy</em> and <em>BPRD</em> will release issues with plots that seem more tangential and less related to the underlying "main" plots of both series, so right now my understanding of <em>Hellboy</em> and <em>BPRD</em> canon is rather scattershot, hodgepodge, and out of order, which has confused me a bit more.<br> <br> The torrented CBR files were organized by stories and contained scans of each issue (e.g., “<em>BPRD: The Garden of Souls</em>,” “issue 1 of 6,” “issue 2 of 6,” etc). I’m assuming that these stories have since been collected into a single printed book, and that’s what I’m looking for.<br> <br> If possible, I’d like to own larger, more complete collections of multiple stories, but I’d like to avoid buying multiple collections which contain stories other collections already have.<br> <br> I’m also not sure if <em>Hellboy</em> and <em>BPRD</em> are still being updated, or if they’re completed, or what, so any help/info on that aspect would be appreciated. <br> <br> (Any recommendations on where to spend my money are also welcome. I’ve got two Barnes &amp; Noble gift cards I’m looking to spend, but if there’s a really wonderful comics site somewhere deserving of increased patronage, it’d be good to know of it.),2011:site.180797 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:30:59 -0800 CitrusFreak12 How does one search old comic books for minor themes? <em>Deep Searching Old Comics for Research in the Humanities</em>: How does one search old comic books for something that may amount to set-dressing? I'm looking for depictions of public housing projects in U.S. comics from 1950 – 1980. What tools or approaches can you recommend? To oversimplify: in the U.S. many people associate housing projects with crime. Many people also associate superheros with crime<em>fighting</em>. Because of this I'm guessing that there must be a wealth of depictions in comics — even if only visual, or only used to establish a scene. <br> <br> I'm researching Pruitt-Igoe in St. Louis, but I'm interested in depictions of any of the high-rise, urban housing projects that were constructed mid-century (including, but deemphasizing those in NYC, which has had a relationship with public housing that is atypical among U.S. cities).<br> <br> I'm comfortable with scholarly research, and have put in long and rewarding hours in any number of archives. What I've <em>not</em> been able to find are any comic book mentions (save one); which is aggravating when I consider how many there must be. I know next to nothing about comics past reading them casually for a time as a youth... but by their reputation I suspect <em>Marvel</em> at the very least was featuring "the projects" regularly.<br> <br> With most archives resigning comics to the "low culture" ghetto, who has stepped up and <em>thoroughly</em> indexed comics? Who do I talk to? How do I search? Many thanks.,2010:site.172385 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:48:33 -0800 jjjjjjjijjjjjjj What are great graphic novels for kids? I love reading comics with my 5-year-old daughter at bedtime, but we need some more series to read. What others should we read together? I've loved sharing the "Tin Tin" books with her that I loved as a kid, and we blew through the "Bone" series. She didn't go for the "Asterix the Gaul" books so much, mostly because the humor was mostly puns she didn't pick up on, I think. She likes costumed heroes all right, preferring Supergirl to Spider-Man (I'm the opposite). We just read the "<a href="">Mini Marvels</a>" and she loved it.,2010:site.172259 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:00:36 -0800 nbergus Anyone know about reading comic books on Kindle, Nook, iPad, etc? Anyone know about reading comic books on Kindle, Nook, iPad, etc? The info on Metafilter is a few years old and know this is the way the industry is going so I was wondering if people have read good articles or information about the future of comics on e-readers. <br> <br> Are they all still *.cbr file based? What books look good on Kindle and with e-ink? Any other special software to get or tricks to get the regularly published popular books?,2010:site.170902 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:43:26 -0800 twintone cynical books for YA readers Books or graphic novels with very sarcastic characters that might be suitable for YA readers? I'm looking for books (or comics) with flawed, sarcastic, cynical, ironic or even jaded characters in them, that aren't slapstick/fart joke heavy.<br> <br> Outsider humour especially welcome. Superhero graphic novel series would be brilliant, or an author recommendation. It's for a boy and he doesn't mind grizzly but hates earnest and emo stuff because they do that at school.<br> <br> He isn't a big reader but he's very good at it, so literacy level isn't as important as good flawed characters.<br> <br> <small>my last question about websites for him turned out brilliantly, thanks</small>,2010:site.166760 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 12:56:04 -0800 shinybaum