I consider myself quite fortunate to have been able to recently view an exhibition of one of the most famous artists of the 19th century - Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai was a master of woodblock screen printing, and is widely known for creating the Great Wave off Kanagawa (shown below), and ushering in a great wave of interest in Japanese woodblock printing. This image has since become iconic of Japan, and is one of the most recognisable and reproduced images of the modern age - you can even find an emoji of it!
- These are currently in my wish list, for when i finally kick my coffee habit and transition full time to my comics habit: Sharaz-de : Tales from the Arabian Nights Author: Sergio Toppi https://www.bookdepository.com/Sharaz-de-Tales-from-the-Arabian-Nights-Sergio-Toppi/9781936393480?ref=grid-view&qid=1500813991193&sr=1-1 Through the Woods Author: Emily Caroll https://www.bookdepository.com/Through-the-Woods-Emily-Carroll/9781442465961?ref=pd_detail_1_sims_b_p2p_1 The Girl from the Other Side Author: Nagabe https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Girl-from-the-Other-Side-Siuil-Run-Vol-1-Nagabe/9781626924673?ref=pd_detail_1_sims_b_p2p_1 Manga in Theory and Practice Author: Hirohiko Araki https://www.bookdepository.com/Mang-in-Theory-and-Practice-Hirohiko-Araki/9781421594071?ref=pd_detail_2_sims_cat_bs_1 Understanding Comics Author: Scott Mccloud https://www.
- When you see the evocative covers for Girls, you can be forgiven for thinking that this is a softcore porno, rather than a well written character driven graphic novel. Even so, the front covers are perfectly designed to capture the spirit of major plot twists and character developments within each issue. The initial few covers feature the ‘Girls’ in various seductive poses, but as the story develops and we learn the true nature of the ‘Girls’, their covers take on a more threatening and at times bloody theme.
- For those of you that had the distinct misfortune of growing up without Tintin, it can be one of the most challenging comics to access in adulthood. For one, despite the stylistic complexity that can be found within Herge’s signiature ligne claire style of drawing, the strips can seem overly childish to the casual observer. One can therefore be mistaken in thinking that this is a children’s book. Herge definitely started drawing the strips for children (Tintin premiered in Le Petit Vingtième, a children’s supplement to a Belgian newspaper).
- How This Blog Germinated The idea for this blog has been festering inside the deviant mind of a graphic novel addict since late 2009. The addict scoured the earth far and wide to collect all kinds of graphic novels - fat and wide, tall and sharp, dark and witty, ironic and tragic, accurate and stylish. Once they fell into his hands, he would sneak into his cupboard under the stairs and devour them one by one by the light of the silver moon.