Marbles in My Underpants


Book Description

What's lurking under the bed? Who's casting that shadow outside my window? Common questions children ask themselves in the dead of night. But what if, instead of those rather innocuous queries, the child asks things like: What's inside this bunny that makes him move? What if I put a raisin in a dead man's nose? If I leave the paw of a deceased mole in the sun, will it grow sprouts and fungus like potatoes? This is the world of Renée French, who's independent comic book stories have been disturbing readers and provoking reactions since the early '90s. Oni's hefty collection, Marbles In My Underpants, is the first major volume of her work to be published anywhere. It's a comprehensive retrospective, examining French's versatility and the spectrum of her career, from the harsh early work in Grit Bath up to Corny's Fetish, a touching tale of a lonely man and his desire for love. Through horror, psychedelia, and, ultimately, a skewed approach to conventional storytelling, French gets to the dark middle of the human psyche, crafting a truly unique comic-book experience.




A Bag of Marbles


Book Description

"Two young brothers use ingenuity, spirit and teamwor to elude the Nazis. When Joseph Joffo was ten years old, his father gave him and his brother fifty francs and instructions to flee Nazi-occupied Paris and, somehow, get to the south where France was free"--Publisher's description.




Raw, Boiled and Cooked


Book Description

Inspired by Art Spiegelman's groundbreaking comic anthology Raw, with all the artists either former Raw contributors or fans, the art here runs the gamut from surprising to shocking to surreally beautiful. Captured in full-colour reproductions (as well as a fair amount of black and white), this book showcases some of the most important comics and comic-themed art being created today.




Female Cartoonists in the United States


Book Description

This book provides an introduction to women cartoonists in the US, reading their work from a feminist, literary and stylistic perspective, which shines a light on their innovative and unique narratives and graphic languages. From rabid feminists to blundering teenagers to dyke avengers and pregnant butches, from political satire to memoirs to troubling sexual tales, from caricature to the clear line, from realism to minimalism and abstraction – they have done it all. This book looks at the work of over thirty authors who have challenged the boys’ club of comics in the US and whose stories shed a revealing light on contemporary society, through countercultural ripostes to the patriarchy, raw or humorous confessions, deconstruction of femininity, stories of vulnerability that offer powerful counterpoints to the "super bodies" of mainstream comics, non-white and queer cartoonists "drawing back" and more. This is a key title for students and scholars in the fields of Comics Studies, Literature and Women and Gender Studies.




Falling Backwards


Book Description

Jann Arden is funny. And sincere. She has legions of devoted fans. And a radio show. She is a darling of the music scene—always candid, always unplugged. You thought you knew Jann Arden, but there is more—to her readers' delight, in Falling Backwards Jann reveals her childhood, her bond with family, her struggle in the formative years and what keeps her so grounded in the whirlwind entertainment industry. Jann has always been true to herself, except for a minor lapse when she was young. Oh wait, wasn't that all of us? From the tender and honest to the laugh-out-loud funny, Jann's stories from home and from the road during her pre-celebrity years will take you to unexpected places, including high school parties in farmer's fields, sleepovers under the stars, hard-to-believe summer jobs and the time she was stuck upside down in a brick barbecue. She reminds us of the inestimable value to a child of having teachers who believe in you and wide open spaces to play. But with the good times come the bad (and not just the bad perm). Jann opens up about the darker side of her so-called prairie perfect nuclear family and the first signs that her eldest brother was a uniquely troubled young man. In the days when Jann was experiencing a lot of firsts—first school play, first home perm, first kiss—how lucky for all of us that she stole away to her basement and taught herself her first song on her mother's guitar. In addition to being an incredible musician and multi-award-winning lyricist, Jann is a natural writer and simply an inspiration. Jann will capture your heart—and keep you in stitches—with her powerful stories about coming of age as an artist and as a human being. Jann brings her wit and that infectious sparkle to everything she does. This book is no exception.




Comics through Time [4 volumes]


Book Description

Focusing especially on American comic books and graphic novels from the 1930s to the present, this massive four-volume work provides a colorful yet authoritative source on the entire history of the comics medium. Comics and graphic novels have recently become big business, serving as the inspiration for blockbuster Hollywood movies such as the Iron Man series of films and the hit television drama The Walking Dead. But comics have been popular throughout the 20th century despite the significant effects of the restrictions of the Comics Code in place from the 1950s through 1970s, which prohibited the depiction of zombies and use of the word "horror," among many other rules. Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas provides students and general readers a one-stop resource for researching topics, genres, works, and artists of comic books, comic strips, and graphic novels. The comprehensive and broad coverage of this set is organized chronologically by volume. Volume 1 covers 1960 and earlier; Volume 2 covers 1960–1980; Volume 3 covers 1980–1995; and Volume 4 covers 1995 to the present. The chronological divisions give readers a sense of the evolution of comics within the larger contexts of American culture and history. The alphabetically arranged entries in each volume address topics such as comics publishing, characters, imprints, genres, themes, titles, artists, writers, and more. While special attention is paid to American comics, the entries also include coverage of British, Japanese, and European comics that have influenced illustrated storytelling of the United States or are of special interest to American readers.




Dr. Carbles Is Losing His Marbles!


Book Description

It's Thanksgiving! A.J. is thankful for four days off from school. But he's not thankful for Dr. Carbles, who is grumpier than ever. Dr. Carbles even fires Mr. Klutz! Will A.J. and his friends be able to save their principal's job?




A Real Boy


Book Description

Jonah Adams was diagnosed as autistic at two years and eight months. Just a few years later, a doctor refused to believe such a diagnosis could ever have been given to this healthy, happy boy. This is the true story of how Jonah’s mother, Christina, seized his limited window of opportunity for recovery. Detailing how she utilized a combination of a special diet and one-on-one tutoring with speech therapists and behavioral psychologists, Christina shares the entire journey she undertook to give her child a second chance at a full life.




The Best American Comics 2012


Book Description

Collects original comic strips from American authors and illustrators published in 2012 in graphic novels.




Daddy's Girls


Book Description

Daddys Girls is a rich yet simple family tale of love, madness and spirit told in the three first-person points of view of its three women. Overlapping vignettes create a vivid patchwork of lifes defining moments to reveal dark forces lurking beneath the familys typical middle-class veneer as they struggle to love one another. The story is fiction with a dash of magical realism, but the inspiration is autobiographical. Daddys Girls recently received a glowing review from Terry Mathews of Bookbrowser.com. She calls it A book that will speak to you on many levels...that can alter your perception of the world, broaden your horizons and urge you to think outside the box. The best book Ive read since Cunninghams THE HOURS. And Ruth Williams, author of Younger Than That Now says Daddys Girls is a luxuriant narrative, telling the stories of three complex women two sisters and their mother and how their lives are impacted by the mental illness of one. A fascinating and obviously well-informed look at heartbreaking realities. This is a book written from the heart.