Laverne MannMercer Cty. Library System‘Redhead Fangirl’

CREATING AND MAINTAINING YOUR ADULT GRAPHIC NOVEL COLLECTION

A FORMAT NOT A GENRE!

The graphic novel is a form suited to the contemporary age. I contend that the graphic novel will continue to displace (if never completely replace) purely textual writing and that it will eventually become the most popular form of reading.

o -Stephen E. Tabachnick, professor, University of

Memphis

A comic-book world, World Literature Today,

March – April 2007

UNSHELVED..STILL WORK TO DO PROMOTING COMICS

Reality of graphic novels; breaking some myths

The average age for a graphic novel reader is 30

In other countries, graphic literature is widely accepted for all ages

Many graphic novels require the reader’s ability to take both written and drawn cues in order to fully comprehend the writer’s/artist’s meaning, thus requiring a higher reading level

Pawuk, Mike. Graphic Novels: A Genre Guide to Comic Books, Manga andMore. Greenwood Publishing, Conn. 2007

Criteria for selection Language

Imagery – Violence, Sex

Content– politics, drug use.

Theme – “real world”

Synthesis of drawn and written cues

THE PUBLISHING DIRT..

Graphic Novel Sales up in 2008

Despite U.S. Economy

ICv2 says sales grew 5% to $395 million

Sales faster in bookstores than comic shops

“Kids and Tweens” GNs 134% increase in number of titles (underserved)

ICv2.com insider’s guide

Watchmen sales broke all sales records with 900,000 copies in 2008

SELLING TO LIBRARIES..

GN sales grew in 2008, up to $35 million

“hard fit for the library process, rely heavily on reviews and comic book publishers aren’t famous for soliciting reviews”- PW 7/13/09

Growth in library sales continue in 2009

26.5% librarians said acquisitions would be up more than 10% in ’09-And 24% at least up to 10%

In April 2009…Baker and Taylor sold 12, 791 paperbacks and 1274 hardback GNs to library market.

MANGA SALES DROP IN 2008

Declined from $210 million to $175 million

Economic downturn affected purchasing power of manga’s younger audience more than older comic/GN crowd

Less manga related Anime series on Cartoon Network

Doing well: Vampire Knight (Viz Media)Chibi Vampire (Tokyopop)

COMIC BOOKS AND READING

Assist Poor Readers

Connect with visual learners

Strong language arts skills

Unmotivated and ‘dormant’ readers

Educational messages

Explore other literature

Engage Adult Readers

Ublib.buffalo.edu/lml/comics/pages/readling.html

SELECTION GUIDELINES Popularity

Fan magazines, web sites

Tie-ins to TV shows, movies, games, toys

Age level, target audience

GenreSuperhero, fantasy most prevalent

sci fi, humor, graphic nonfiction

Writing quality and artistic quality

Artistic style- manga, cartoon art

Writers and artists with strong fan following (Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Brian Michael Bendis)

Ublib.buffalo.edu/lml/comics/pages/selection.html

AWARD WINNING GRAPHIC NOVELS

EisnerFinest stories, publications and creators in the medium. Will Eisner, creator of GN format.

HarveyVoted on only by industry professionals. Named after Harvey Kurtzman, co founder of MAD magazine.

Kirby

President Obama is a Spider-Man and Conan comics fan!

REVIEW AND GRAPHIC NOVEL SOURCES:

*New York Times– Graphic Books Bestseller Listhttp://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/Library JournalSchool Library JournalBooklist GN issueVOYABaker and Taylor: Imagery (btol.com)Comic Store News (CSN)Teenreads.com (manga)icv2.combookshelf.diamondcomics.com - GET by EMAILcomics2film.comcomicworthreading.comgraphicnovels.brodart.comkidslovecomics.comdccomics.commarvel.comdarkhorse.com

GRAPHIC NOVELS TO FILM

Road to Perdition (Max Collins)

A History of Violence (Vince Locke)

Watchmen, V for Vendetta (Alan Moore)

Sin City, 300 (Frank Miller)

Ghost World

Wanted

Superheroes: X-men, Spider-Man, Superman, Daredevil, Iron Man.

Coming…Thor, The Avengers, Y the Last Man…

HOT FROM 2008-2009

Bottomless belly button

Heavy Liquid

Joker Too cool to

be forgotten

Life Sucks (Yalsa)

Dark

Tower: Gunslinger Born, The Long Road Home

Incognegro Echo:

Moon Lake Skim Umbrella

Academy Runaways:

Dead End Kids

Asterios Polyp

Marvel Pride & Prejudice

His black and white watercolors portray a family in 1950's Detroit.

Radiologist father uses X-rays to cure sinus problems on David-- brother escapes to his drum set-- and his unhappy and judgmental mother rules the roost.

Art as redemption novelDavid always draws his own world and eventually grows into praise for his work.

Release date is September 2009- will beTop GN of 2009 list.

Stitches by David SmallGRAPHIC MEMOIR

WHAT IT IS- LYNDA BARRYW R I T E R A N D C A RT O O N I S T S H O W S R E A D E R S H O W S H E M A K E S A RT

A N D E N C O U RAG E S U S T O M A K E O U R O W N .

CAIRO- G. WILLOW WILSONA G R I P P I N G N A R R AT I V E , M I X I N G M A G I C , P O L I T I C S A N D R O M A N C E

T H E K N O W L E D G E A B L E V I E W O F T H E I S L A M I C W O R L D A N D I N T E R E S T I N G V I S U A L E F F E C T S .

TONOHARU- LARS MARTINSON D A N I E L W E L L S B E G I N S A N E W L I F E A S A N A S S I S TA N T J U N I O R H I G H S C H O O L T E A C H E R I N T H E R U R A L

J A PA N E S E V I L L A G E O F T O N O H A R U .

TONOHARU- INTERIOR

TALES FROM THE STARLIGHT DRIVE-INMICHAEL S AN G IOCOMO

32 STORIES TAKING PL ACE OVER 50 YEARS AT A DRIVE- IN THEATER – -M IR R OR IN G L I FE AN D T HE C IN E M A W IT H TALE S OF C R IM E , R OM AN C E ,

SC IE N C E F ICT ION , M US IC ALS .

The Swordby The Luna Brothers

Dara Brighton is a college student whose life is changed forever when three strangers

show up on her family's doorstep and demand a

mystical sword. This event propels her into a dangerous quest. This is Volume 1 of an ongoing comic book series by The Luna Brothers (Joshua

and Jonathan Luna, authors of Ultra and Girls).

THE SWORDBY THE LUNA

BROTHERS

Dara Brighton is a college student whose life is changed forever when three strangers

show up on her family's doorstep and demand a

mystical sword. This event propels her into a dangerous quest. This is Volume 1 of an ongoing comic book series by The Luna Brothers (Joshua

and Jonathan Luna, authors of Ultra and Girls).

Dara Brighton is a college student whose life is changed forever when three strangers

show up on her family's doorstep and demand a

mystical sword. This event propels her into a dangerous quest. This is Volume 1 of an ongoing comic book series by The Luna Brothers (Joshua

and Jonathan Luna, authors of Ultra and Girls).

THE ALCOHOLICBY JONATHAN AMES

& DEAN HASPEIL

Part quasi-autobiography and part stunning noir-realism,

The Alcoholic is the story of Jonathan A. and the origin of his addiction to alcohol, the

consequences of alcohol and substance abuse on his life

and his eventual self-realization.  Written by

Jonathan Ames with art by Dean Haspiel. Published by DC Comics' Vertigo label.

Part quasi-autobiography and part stunning noir-realism,

The Alcoholic is the story of Jonathan A. and the origin of his addiction to alcohol, the

consequences of alcohol and substance abuse on his life

and his eventual self-realization.  Written by

Jonathan Ames with art by Dean Haspiel. Published by DC Comics' Vertigo label.

Part quasi-autobiography and part stunning noir-realism,

The Alcoholic is the story of Jonathan A. and the origin of his addiction to alcohol, the

consequences of alcohol and substance abuse on his life

and his eventual self-realization.  Written by

Jonathan Ames with art by Dean Haspiel. Published by DC Comics' Vertigo label.

The Alcoholicby Jonathan Ames

& Dean Haspeil

Part quasi-autobiography and part stunning noir-realism,

The Alcoholic is the story of Jonathan A. and the origin of his addiction to alcohol, the

consequences of alcohol and substance abuse on his life

and his eventual self-realization.  Written by

Jonathan Ames with art by Dean Haspiel. Published by DC Comics' Vertigo label.

LOCKE & KEYBY JOE HILL & GABRIEL

RODRIQUEZ

Joe Hill is the author of the novel Heart Shaped Box and the short

story collection 20th Century Ghosts. He is also the son of

Stephen and Tabitha King. Locke & Key is an ongoing comic book

series from IDW Publishing and focuses on the bizarre experiences

of a family in a New England mansion called Keyhouse.

Stunningly original artwork by Gabriel Rodriguez.

Joe Hill is the author of the novel Heart Shaped Box and the short

story collection 20th Century Ghosts. He is also the son of

Stephen and Tabitha King. Locke & Key is an ongoing comic book

series from IDW Publishing and focuses on the bizarre experiences

of a family in a New England mansion called Keyhouse.

Stunningly original artwork by Gabriel Rodriguez.

Locke & Keyby Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriquez

Joe Hill is the author of the novel Heart Shaped Box and the short

story collection 20th Century Ghosts. He is also the son of

Stephen and Tabitha King. Locke & Key is an ongoing comic book

series from IDW Publishing and focuses on the bizarre experiences

of a family in a New England mansion called Keyhouse.

Stunningly original artwork by Gabriel Rodriguez.

LOCALBY BRIAN WOOD &

RYAN KELLY

Local brings together 12 issues of a comic book series reprinted as a hardcover graphic novel.

Each of the twelve chapters are individual moments of Megan McKeenan's existence as she

wanders from locality to locality in the United States, searching for her life. Brian Wood is the author of the critically acclaimed comic

book series DMZ.

HELLBOY-MIKE MIGNOLA

RA ISED BY AMER ICAN G IS AFTER HE WAS PULLED FROM THE UNDERWORLD IN A THWARTED NAZ I OCCULT EXPER IMENT , HELLBOY CHOOSES TO BE A FORCE

FOR GOOD, BATTL ING DEMONS WITH BRUTE STRENGTH AND BULLETS .

JAMILTI-RUTU MODAN S E T I N I S RA E L D U R I N G T H R O U G H O U T T H E 2 0 T H A N D 2 1 S T C E N T U R I E S , T H E S E

E VO C AT I V E A N D H A U N T I N G S H O RT S T O R I E S RA N G E F R O M R E V E L AT I O N S O F D I S T U R B I N G FA M I LY S E C R E T S T O B E A U T Y A M I D P O L I T I C A L V I O L E N C E .

NAT TURNER-KYLE BAKER B AK E R I L LUST RAT E S T HE V IOLE N C E AN D B R UTAL IT Y OF T HE L AR G E ST

OR G AN IZ E D R E B E LL ION OF E N SL AVE D PE OP LE IN T HE F IR ST HALF OF T HE 1 9 T H C E N T URY.

Graphic Nonfiction

J . E D G A R H O O V E R : A G R A P H I C B I O G R A P H Y- R I C K G E A RY

G E A R Y ' S D E T A I L E D A N D E N G A G I N G A C C O U N T O F J . E D G A R H O O V E R ' S R I S E W I T H I N T H E F B I I S A N I N F O R M A T I V E H I S T O R Y O F T H E A G E N C Y I T S E L F .

THE TWELVE BY MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

In 1940, a team of twelve crime fighters get frozen during a raid on Germany.

They are found 60 years later and must adjust to a new world

THE TWELVE INTERIOR

THE TWILIGHT ZONE GRAPHIC ADAPTATIONS

Graphic adaptations of some of the more popular stories from the Twilight Zone

TWILIGHT ZONE INTERIOR

THANK YOU!

Redhead Fangirl blog

redlibcomic.blogspot.com

Twitter: RedheadFangirl

Ning.com/redheadfangirl

Laverne Mann (liblave@gmail.com)Thanks to David Lisa, Karla Iverson and Tyler Rousseau for use of their NJLA slides.