In this creator chat James sits down with Dean Rankine, a comics artist and writer who won a Ledger Award in 2015 for Itty Bitty Bunnies: Saves X-Mas and the Stan Cross Award in Book illustration in 2020. He's the artist behind Magda Szubanski's Timmy the Ticked Off Pony and most recently he has published Death Metal Elves, with his characteristic cartoony style.Dean is most famous for working on The Simpsons, Futurama, Rick and Morty and Invader Zim and he also loves working with school and libraries doing comics workshops.In this episode, Dean discusses his own comics, what it's like working for established franchises, creating his own books and what his comics workshops in schools and libraries are like.For more from Dean Rankine follow his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deanrankine/For more from ALIA Graphic check out our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup Jade and Mia discuss their recent favourite reads: Tabby by Stephen Kok, PR DedelisEight Billion Genies by Charles Soule, Ryan BrownEscape From St Hell: My Trans Teen Life Levels Up by Lewis HancoxSpy x Family by Tatsuya EndoRoaming by Jillian Tamaki, Mariko TamakiThen they discuss: The Harvey Awards with the double win of the Tamaki super team; Akira Toriyama being inducted into the hall of fame; New manga titles to buy recommended by Sara Smith of the Graphic Library blog; Figment, a new Austrlalian imprint dedicated to publishing graphic novels; A recent article on The Conversation about iyashikei mangaFinally, they discuss their favourite picks of the new titles out this month:The Weirn Books Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon by Svetlana ChmakovaCrystal Cadets by Anne Toole, K. O'Neill, Paulina GanucheauNo Rules Tonight by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan EstradaPirate Princess by Luca Frigerio, Lorenza Pigliamosche, Simon BowlandThis Land is Our Land by Julio Anta, Jacoby Salcedo, Francesco SegalaFor the full roundup of news, resources and new titles visit our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We started ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics in February 2020. The first episode of our podcast was published in March 2020 as the world prepared to go into lockdown and it's been a whirlwind ever since. We've been publishing monthly roundups of news, resources, webinars and new titles published since March 2020. We created our podcast feed and published our first creator chats in May 2020. All this takes an enormous amount of time to compile but we feel it's important to share everything we have gathered, not just among the ALIA Graphic Committee but with everyone and anyone interested.We have also made a special effort to interview as many Australian comics creators as possible. Our creator chats focus on Australian creators discussing what they love about comics, how they fell in love with the medium and, of course, their comics and graphic novels. A lot of them are on our YouTube channel and all of them are on our podcast feed (because some of them are camera shy and that's totally fair). We never could've imagined it but we are this is the 100th episode of our podcast.To celebrate this we have received some messages. We want to thank the ALIA National team for their support and we're glad to receive a message from ALIA Deputy CEO Trish Hepworth.Then, we hear from four awesome Australian creators who have been kind enough to put their pencils down and send us a message. We hear from:Sarah Winifred Searle, who tells us about what she loves about libraries and how libraries have helped her as a library creatorReimena Yee tells us about what she loves about comics as a story telling medium and how things are changing in the Australian comics sceneMat Groom talks about what he loves about the Australian comics community and his love of librariesJames Foley answered lots of questions and he has a lot to say about making, the Australian comics community and more.A huge thank you to all four of them for putting their pencils down for a few minutes and sending us a message. A special thanks to Chris Gooch who sent us the art for this episode.And a heartfelt thank you from everyone in the ALIA Graphic Committee to all creators and guests in the first 100 episodes. We love your work and we thank you for every email with feedback, the creator chats and your support.For more from us, check out our website and socials. Visit our website for more: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this creator chat Laura J. Carroll discusses her first graphic novel: Making the Shrine. Laura is a writer and visual artist living in Naarm (Melbourne). She's also a proud unionist and the extended covid lockdowns brought her back to drawing. Three years later she has published a graphic novel that explores the making of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and stories around it. It's a tender and funny graphic novel exploring the soul of a Melbourne's most treasured monument. Laura received an Arts Grant from the City of Melbourne that helped in the development of the graphic novel. She joins committee member Luke Darlington in conversation. For more on Laura J. Carroll and Making the Shrine visit: https://www.laurajcarroll.au/For more from ALIA Graphic check out our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup James and Marissa discuss their recent reads, the plans to open a national manga and animation archive in Japan, Batman Day, including some Batman must reads and banned book week.They also discuss their favourite picks from this month's new titles::Morgana and Oz by Miyuli (Webtoon Unscrolled) [9781998854837]The Hidden Life of Trees: A Graphic Adaptation by Peter Wohlleben, Fred Bernard & Benjamin Flao (Greystone Books) [9781778401657]A Quick and Easy Guide to Coming Out by Kristin Russo (Oni Press) [9781637155066]Squishbook: Make Comics With Squishface Studio and Friends by Various authors (Nakedfella Productions) [9780987391261] [Australian creators]For all the news, new titles and resources please visit our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Barry is the creator of Action Tank, a junior graphic novel series that he self published and was fully embraced not just by the ALIA Graphic committee on our notables, but also by the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge and was also shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards. It was then published in the U.S. by Scout Comics and included in the ALA Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable’s Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List.And, of course, it’s also been recognised by the Comics Arts Awards of Australia!Now Mike has published Action Tank Book 3, the epic conclusion to this cosmic adventure of a young boy’s journey home for dinner and his mum’s pasta carbonara.Mike also shares his love of libraries as a patron and a comic book creator. And we discuss self publishing comics, what makes comics special, and collaborating with other creators. For more info on Mike and Action Tank visit: https://actiontankcomic.com/For more from ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics visit: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's podcast roundup Gabby and Iurgi share their favourite recent reads, they discuss an article on how to start a comics festival at the library, and a San Diego Comic Con panel where librarians reflected on the impact that comics, graphic novels and manga have had on library readership and propose the next steps to broaden its appeal. It's also the awards season, so they spotlight some of the key awards and discuss their favourite picks of new titles, including two new awesome Australian titles: The Dreaming Vol 3 by Queenie Chan (IFWG Publishing Australia)Follow Your Gut by Ailsa Wild, Lisa Stinson, Briony Barr, Gregory Crocetti, Ben Hutchings (Scribe Publications)For all the news, resources and new titles and more information visit out website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this creator chat Iurgi sits down to catch up with Christian Carnouche (who was in our very first creator chat back in 2020 as the writer of The Resurrected) and Meriam Carnouche who recently published Tunis to Sydney, with art by Sam Rapley, through FairSquare Graphics.Tunis to Sydney is an intimate, personal and poignant graphic novel that delves into the labyrinth of grief, resilience in the face of loss, and the complexities of human relationships.For more from Carnouche Productions:Website: https://carnoucheproductions.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnouche_productionsTwitter: https://twitter.com/carnouchecFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Carnouche-Productions-Comics-588415654692779For more info and news from ALIA Graphic check out our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special ALIA Graphic Webinar we had three very special guests talking about their experiences in creating comics, the freedom of the creative process in comics, why it’s important to defend different stories and art and their experiences with censorship, book challenges and bans.We were absolutely honoured to have: Briar Rolfe, a Melbourne based cartoonist who loves to make comics about the sorts of fun and messy people you might meet on the street and has a soft spot for dad jokes and queer characters who are works in progress. Briar’s debut graphic novel Get Your Story Straight will be out September 2025 through Hachette Australia.Eleri Harris, is an Eisner award-winning cartoonist, journalist and editor working on Ngunnawal Country in Australia’s national capital. Her non-fiction history, science and reportage comics have been exhibited and published all over the world. For a decade she was Features Editor at US-based comics website and magazine, The Nib, and is now using all she learned to write a book about comics journalism. The Power of Graphic Journalism, co-authored by Sarah Shay Mirk, will be released by Abrams ComicArts in 2025.Ryan Estrada, is an author and an adventurer. In the multiple award winning Banned Book Club he teamed up with his wife Kim Hyun Sook to tell the true story of her experiences being hunted down by the police for participating in an underground illegal reading club in 1980's Korea. Ryan has spent 22 years travelling the world. He has lived and visited over a dozen countries and his work is heavily inspired by his experiences and the cultures and people that he has met in his travels. Ryan will join us to discuss Banned Book Club, book challenges and bans in North America and Korea and the upcoming No Rules Tonight where he teams up with his wife Hyun Sook to tell a new story of fighting for freedom!Please visit our website for more: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this creator chat James talks to Kyle Wiseman and Rod Riley about VOX Books, hardcover books with an easy to use and durable full audio recording of the book. VOX Books is a product of Library Ideas and they have just partnered with James Bennett in Australia. Kyle and Rod talk about VOX Books, making comics and graphic novels available in this format and working with comics at a supplier level.James Bennett and Library Ideas are hosting a VOX Books information session Tuesday July 30 at 12pm AEST. For more info go here: https://www.addevent.com/event/sW22272978If you’re a creator and/or publisher of comics and want to add your titles to James Bennett’s catalogue go here: https://bennett.com.au/publisher-servicesTo stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, follow our podcast and check out our website for all the latest news, resources, and webinars: https://graphic.alia.org.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's episode Jade and Mia talk about their favourite recent reads and our recent webinar. They also discuss the most interesting news from this month that have piqued their interest and their favourite new titles.Safdar Ahmed, Scott McCloud, Raina Telgemeier, and Mike Barry's Action Tank and more get lots of love. Mia also talks about her love of Teen Titans and declares Raven to be the best character ever created in literature.For all the news and new titles and more information visit out website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this creator chat we host Josh Santospirito, a multimedia artist, musician and comics creator. His previous two graphic novels are The Long Weekend in Alice Springs and Swallows. He has just recently published a beautiful graphic novel The Islands Where We Left Our Ancestors, published by Scribe. Make sure you buy it for your library, it’s an absolute must have for all Australian libraries. For more on Josh and book launch dates across Australia check out: https://www.joshuasantospirito.com For more from ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics check out our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup Rebecca and Marissa discuss Pride Month graphic novel lists, essential manga, their favourite picks from this month's new lot of graphic novels (which include a few titles by Australian creators) and their favourite recent reads.For the full roundup with all the news and resources please visit our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup Gabby and James discuss:Their recent readsJames presenting at ALIA NationalRecent comic cons at libraries (Comic Gong, Dandy Con, King Con)More on recent attempts at bans in AustraliaMaia Kobabe and Sarah Peitzmeier's new graphic novel: Breathe: Journeys to Healthy BindingGraphic novel sales in Australia are boomingThe Graphic Medicine International Collective's shortlistAnd they discuss their favourite picks out of the new titles out this month: My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Book 2 by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)New Hello Twigs comics from Andrew McDonal and Ben Wood (Hardie Grant Children's Publishing)And they announce our upcoming webinar. We're really excited about this webinar and we have three incredible guests. Make sure you register for it. For more information, news, new titles and to register for the webinar please visit our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode Iurgi and Mia discuss: their recent reads (Maus, Lumberjanes, Fence Vol 6: Redemption, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin)an update on Australian comicsthe challenges of long manga seriescomics sales data from the U.S. that is mind blowing - for example, 49% of comics sales in the U.S. book market went to mangaand moreThey also discuss their favourite picks from this month's new titles:Together Forever by Kristen Gudsnuk (Scholastic Inc) [9781338630824]Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, Travis Dandro (Drawn & Quarterly) [9781770466968]A Fox in My Brain by Lou Lubie (Fairsquare Comics) [9781960171108]Dwellings by Jay Stephens (Oni Press) [9781637152911]For a full list of new release titles and all the news and resources please visit our new website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/And if you like what we're doing give us a glowing review on your podcast service and let us know. We'd love to hear from you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month Rebecca sits down to chat with Paul McLaughlin, the creator and writer of Lil Viking Space Rangers. Chapter 2 is out now with art by Trudi Monteath and Sarah Rackemann. Chapter 1 and 3 have art from Liana Wright. The discussion covers this delightful and humorous comics for kids, the process of making comics, Paul's experiences with libraries and doing workshops at libraries and, of course, he has three comics he recommends too.For more on Lil Viking Space Rangers visit: https://www.lilvikingspacerangers.com/For more from us check out our new website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/And if you like what we're doing give us a glowing review on your podcast service and let us know. We'd love to hear from you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this roundup episode Jade and Rebecca sit discuss their recent reads, they pick their favourite newly released graphic novels and the latest news and resources, including: collection management and weeding of superhero comics, U.S. publishers ramping up releases of middle grade manga and lots of adaptations of books into graphic novels.New titles picks: The Baker and the Bard by Fern HaughtThe Fox Maidens by Robin HaNo Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories of Lemmy Kilmister and Motörhead by various authorsAdversary by Blue Delliquanti For a full list of new release titles and all the news and resources please visit our new website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our latest creator chat, Marissa sits downs with Queenie Chan, a Sydney based comics creator working in manga style. She has published three volumes of The Fabled Kingdom, which is a mix of prose and manga, the Women Who Were Kings series of manga and now she's republishing an expanded and updated three volume edition of The Dreaming, a manga located in an Australian boarding school in the bush. We discuss her influences, what it's like working in the manga style in Australia, the original publication of The Dreaming with Tokyo Pop and the reasons for the new expanded edition. For more info on Queenie Chan and her comics check out her website: https://queeniechan.com/ For more from ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics check out our new website: https://queeniechan.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup Gabby and Marissa discuss their recent reads. They also discuss Webtoons, Lore Olympus and the new Inklore imprint, and some other news like the recent article from The Guardian discussing comics, graphic novels and manga in France.They also discuss their favourite picks out of the new graphic novels published recently and coming up soon.You can find the whole February Roundup blog post with more news, resources and the full list of new titles in our new website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/Please follow, subscribe, rate our podcast and read graphic! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this creator chat we talk to Tim McEwen, co-creator of Greener Pastures. He's been making comics since the 80s and Greener Pastures is making a comeback that will, finally, include trade paperbacks and a graphic novel. Tim and Iurgi discuss Australian comics, the Comic Arts Awards of Australia (formerly Ledger Awards) and, of course, the ambitious plans to reprint Greener Pastures in trade paperbacks and finish the story they started back in the early 90s. For more info on Greener Pastures visit: https://www.greenerpasturescomic.com To back the Greener Pastures Kickstarter currently live visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/timmcewen/greenerpastures8 For more from ALIA Graphic visit: https://graphic.alia.org.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this creator chat we talk to Chris Gooch who’s recently published his third graphic novel with Top Shelf: In Utero. A young adult monster story with some horror thrown in for good measure. We talk about Chris' comics making process, which he often shares on social media too. His advice for young creators starting to make comics. The origins of In Utero and the influences in In Utero, from Otomo's Domu to the first couple of episodes of Digimon. We also discuss his love of genre stories, his favourite monster films and he recommends some graphic novels to read.To stay up to date with Chris Gooch check out his website: https://www.chrisgooch.com.au To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics check out our new website: https://graphic.alia.org.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup James and Iurgi comment on their recent reads and several best graphic novels of 2023 lists published by different sources such as No Flying No Tights, Popverse and The Guardian. They comment on the recent announcement of Angourleme's Grand Prix award winner. They also discuss one of the big debates last year: are comics in crisis? While some talk doom and gloom, sales of comics are very strong with comics appearing at the top of the charts regularly and in different countries.James and Iurgi also discuss their favourite picks out of the new graphic novels published in December and January. Iurgi's favourite pick is In Utero by Chris Gooch, published by Top Shelf. James' favourite pick is Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir by Ai Weiwei, Elettra Stamboulis and Gianluca Costantini, published by Tundra Books / Random House. Finally, they announce the new website for the ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics group and changes to the ALIA Graphic Book Club. You can find the whole January Roundup blog post with more news, resources and the full list of new titles from December and January in our new website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our final podcast for 2023, Iurgi, Marissa and Rebecca get together to discuss their favourite reads this year. It's a mix of ongoing series, new series and old publications that we have revisited. Our favourite reads this year are:IurgiEventually Everything Connects by Sarah FirthNightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC Comics)Spy x Family Tatsuya Endo (Viz Media)Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)MarissaThe Nameless City trilogy by Faith Erin Hicks (First Second)Nothing Special by by Katie Cook (Webtoons, coming to print 2024, Random House)
The God of Arepo by Reimena Yee (webcomic and ebook: https://reimenayee.com/the-god-of-arepo/)The Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oono (Viz Media) RebeccaWitch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama (Kodansha)Ghost Book by Remy Lai (Allen & Unwin)Flavor Girls by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky (Archaia)Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada, Hyung-Ju Ko (Iron Circus)For more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please give us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps.You can also follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a recording of the webinar held November 16 2023.We get many questions emailed to us by librarians and library staff across the country about the different factions of the graphic novel and comic world. So we thought that this year we would spend the time hearing from you and providing answers to those questions that you may have been wanting to ask for a while. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Iurgi and Gabby discuss: the Harvey Awards announced at the New York Comic Conthe little we know about Raina Telgemeier's upcoming graphic novela really interesting survey carried out by the School Library Journal in the U.S. with really interesting datathe Library Journal's upcoming Library Con Live and our very own upcoming webinar as well as their recent reads and favourite picks from this month's new graphic novels.For more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps.You can also follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Firth is a cartoonist, artist, writer, speaker, and graphic recorder who has been published extensively in Australia and overseas. Her work has appeared in the Eisner Award winning anthology, Drawing Power, and the Ledger Award winning anthology, Neither Here Nor Hair. She is also a founding member of Graphic Recorders Australia, a not-for-profit professional association that supports the Graphic Recording community in Australia. Her debut graphic novel “Eventually Everything Connects” is available now. James Baker sits down with Sarah Firth and they talk: how she first got interested in comicsher relationship with librarieswhat aphantasia is and how she works around itmaking a graphic novel for adults and her desire to have it published by a traditional publisherreceiving a grant for the book and are funding bodies becoming more receptive to comics related projectsher involvement in different anthologies and her thoughts on receiving recognition and awardswhat graphic recording is and her work doing graphic recordingsof course, her journey to creating and publishing Eventually Everything Connectsthe October 18 book launch in Melbourne andSarah’s reading recommendations: Top recommendations: Still Alive by Safdar Ahmed, Our Members Be Unlimited by Sam Wallman, The Grot by Pat Grant, Stone Fruit by Lee Lai. Boundless by Jillian Tamaki, Unflattening by Nick Sousanis and Glenn Gadges: The River at Night by Kevin Huizenga.For more on Sarah Firth check out her website: http://www.sarahthefirth.comTo find out more about Graphic Recorders Australia check out their website: https://www.graphicrecorders.org.au For more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's creator chat we catch up with Sydney based writer Mat Groom, one of the creators of Inferno Girl Red. Volume 1 was an incredibly successful Kickstarter and then it was published by Image Comics, earlier this year. The team is now on campaign mode for volume 2 on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2129645662/inferno-girl-red-books-one-and-two-by-mat-groom-erica-durso We talk about tonkusatsu TV series, comics, manga, and Inferno Girl Red.For more on Mat Groom visit his website: https://www.matgroom.comFor more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Marissa and Iurgi cover a lot of ground. They discuss the comic they've been reading recently, the Comic Arts Awards of Australia and their favourite picks of the new titles published recently, including four new Australian graphic novels we're really excited about.For more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Papercuts Comics Festival is a biennial comics festival held biennially in Adelaide, it is being run for the third time this September but the festival directors, Georgina Chadderton and Owen Heitmann, still found time to sit down with James for a Creator Chat to explain why they run the festival and what we can expect from this year's program.For more information about Papercuts Comics Festival go to https://www.papercutscomicsfestival.com/The website for Georgina's work is http://www.georgerexcomics.com/The website for Owen's work is https://amplifiedpress.com/If you want to watch the video of this recording you can watch it on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@aliagraphicFor more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this creator chat we catch up with two of the most amazing creators for young readers. Both Jason Pamment and Remy Lai made quite a splash when they published their first graphic novels, Treasure in the Lake and Pawcasso.They were both in our Notable Australian Graphic Novels list in 2021 and they garnered a lot of recognition both in Australia and internationally.As they both published a new graphic novels so close together we thought it was an excellent opportunity to bring them together.Jason Pamment, Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures, published June 27.Remy Lai, Ghost Book, published August 1.Both published through Allen & Unwin in Australia.For more on Jason's work visit: https://www.jasonpamment.com For more on Remy's work visit: https://remylai.comIf you want to watch the video of this recording you can watch it on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@aliagraphic For more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup we discuss what we've been reading lately, the best middle grade graphic novels of the year so far (according to Booklist), the Eisner Awards and our favourite picks from this month's new graphic novels. For more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup we discuss what we've been reading lately, reading recommendations for Pride Month(including Australian titles) and our favourite picks from this month's new graphic novels. For more news and the complete roundup of resources and podcasts visit our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 In this month's roundup we discuss what we've been reading lately, the latest news (including the Eisners controversies around LGBTQIA+ graphic novels, and a practical guide to comic book collection development) and, of course, our favourite picks from this month's new graphic novels. We also discuss King Con, the new library comic con at Kingston Libraries in Victoria with Iurgi, who was one of the organisers.And, finally, we discuss a few webinars, some that have already taken place and are freely available, some that are upcoming. All the details for all the news, webinars, etc are on our main blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com/ You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first creator chat of the year we're honoured to have James Foley and Brenton McKenna in conversation. James recently published Secret Agent Mole Book 1:Goldfishfinger(Scholastic) and Brenton McKenna recently published Hairy Holes (Magabala Books). We sat down with them after they read each other's books and they just started talking. We hope you enjoy this amazing conversation between two amazing comic book creators who clearly know and admire each other.To find out more about James Foley visit his website: https://jamesfoley.com.au To find out more about Brenton McKenna visit his website: https://www.brentonmckenna.comFor more from ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics visit and subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.comOr follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliagraphicPlease note, this is the audio only version of this creator chat, if you want to watch the video it's available on our ALIA Graphic YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aliagraphic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 You may have noticed we have been a little bit quiet. We haven’t had a podcast episode since December. That’s quite a long time.The  good news is that we’re back! We have a new podcast episode with Gabby and Iurgi discussing some of the news, what they’ve been reading and discussing their favourite picks from the graphic novels released this month.Best of all, we also have a creator chat lined up which should be out around mid-May. We’re very excited that we will have James Foley and Brenton McKenna talking to each other. They've both recently published a new junior graphic novel and they're planning to interview each other about their books. We think it’s going to be a cracker.And, of course, keep up with the reading. The May ALIA Graphic Book Club is all about alternate versions of the characters we love. Get on board! As always, if you have any ideas or suggestions or if you’re a library worker and want to join this crazy group, get in touch!In this episode we discuss: The ALIA Graphic Notable Australian Graphic novels of 2022Some comics we've been readingManga sales and new publishers joining the manga waveTom Taylor finishing DCeased and starting Titans with Nicola Scott on art dutiesOur favourite picks from this month's new graphic novelsWe announce the upcoming creator chat with James Foley and Brenton McKennaAnd briefly discuss the ALIA Graphic Book ClubTo stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the end of the year and we've gathered to discuss our favourite graphic novels of the year, including: It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe ThorogoodBarb the Brave by Dan Abdo and Jason PattersonShadow of the Bird (Lightfall #2) by Tim ProbertLore Olympus by Rachel SmytheSpy x Family series by Tatsuya EndOur Dining Table by Mita OriM is for monster by Talia DuttonMagus of the library by Mitsu IzumiAnd special mentions of some Australian titles:Our Members Be Unlimited by Sam WallmanInfernal Regions by Rebecca StewartNightwing, Superman Son of Kal El written by Tom Taylor with art by Bruno Redondo and John Timms and Neverlanders by Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva. We also mention our favourite highlights which include:James being on the judging panel of the Comic Arts Awards of AustraliaIurgi and James going west for the Perth Comic Arts FestivalGabby's mentions the adaptation of Heartstopper as a highlight and the conversations it's brought at the library with a wide range of readers And Marissa mentions the webinars and creator chats we had this year as her highlight To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are excited to have four amazing speakers to talk about all things comics and manga. In this webinar we will focus on Junior and YA comics as well as manga and we will explore how they inspire reading and creativity. Hosted by ALIA Graphic Convenor Iurgi Urrutia, we’re pleased to announce four incredibly exciting speakers:Gabby Cundy, librarian specialising in Children's and Youth literature and comics. Elizabeth Maruffo and Campbell Whyte, comic book creators, artists and directors of Milktooth Arts Space(https://milk-tooth.com), where they nurture and inspire kids to make art, including comics. Jillian Rudes, librarian and creator of the wildly successful and amazing Manga in Libraries webinar series(https://mangainlibraries.com). The Manga in Libraries book is coming out early 2023.To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup we talk about the 30th Anniversary of Power Rangers, Tommi Parrish's new graphic novel, the upcoming reprint of Queenie Chan's The Dreaming, Superman: Son of Kal El, and eComics at libraries. Borrow Box is now also offering comics through its app and Comics Plus has some exciting updates.  We also discuss our favourite picks from the new graphic novels just published and what we've been reading lately, including Rebecca Stewart's Infernal Regions.For a full list of this month's news, a handy list of all the new interesting graphic novels that have caught our attention and the links to everything discussed please visit our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's creator chat, Bradley from the ALIA Graphic team, catches up with Sara W. Searle. Sarah migrated from New England to Perth and has been fully embraced by the Australian comics community where she has already received three Silver Comic Arts Awards of Australia. Her latest graphic novel is The Greatest Thing, published by First Second.You can find out more about Sarah on her website: http://www.swinsea.com To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup we talk about Peach Momoko's Demon Wars, a manga that expands the Marvel Universe, mixed with Japanese folklore. We also discuss a blog post from librarian Sara Smith that gathers together all the main comic awards in the U.S. as well as YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens list in one handy blog post.We also discuss our favourite picks from the new graphic novels just published and what we've been reading lately.For a full list of this month's news, a handy list of all the new interesting graphic novels that have caught our attention and the links to everthing discussed please visit our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following his article on a recent issue of ALIA's Incite magazine, in this creator chat Paul Metcalfe, coordinator of the Albany Campus Library of South Regional TAFE in WA, joins us to discuss how he introduced graphic novels to the campus' learning resource centre. He discusses at length how he fell in love with the medium, what prompted him to build a graphic novel collection and how he went about it. See below for a list of additional resources mentioned in the discussion and provided by Paul. To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps.Websites:ALIA Graphic's Why Comics? section on our main blog.Graphic Novels in the Classroom: A Teacher Roundtable (20016, October 9). Cult of Pedagogy.Videos:Brenner, R. (2019, December 12). Teach Graphix Week: Teaching with graphic novels [Video]. YouTube.Yang, G. (2016, December 3). TEDx Talk: Why comics belong in the classroom [Video]. YouTube.Articles:Alverson, B. (2014). Teaching with graphic novels. School Library Journal.  Jacobs, D. (2007). More than words: comics as a means of teaching multiple literacies. English Journal, Vol.96(3).Sandford, S. (2021). ‘Graphic medicine’: how autobiographical comics artists are changing our understanding of illness. The Conversation, August 11, 2021.Books:Abate, M. Torbox, G. (Eds).(2017). Graphic novels for children and young adults : a collection of critical essays. UP of Mississippi.Bakis, M. (2012). The graphic novel classroom : POWerful teaching and learning with images. Corwin. Jaffe, M. & Hurwich, T. (2019). Worth a thousand words : using graphic novels to teach visual and verbal literacy. Jossey-Bass.Kirtley, S., Garcia, A., & Carlson, P. (Eds). (2020). With great power comes great pedagogy : teaching, learning and comics. UP of Mississippi.Smith, S., & Alaniz, J. (Eds). (2019).  Uncanny bodies : superhero comics and disability. Pennsylvania State UP.Syma, C., & Weiner, R. (Eds). (2013). Graphic novels and comics in the classroom : essays on the educational power of sequential art. McFarland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Creator Chat we catch up with Gary Proudley, the creator of Talgard a barbarian who uses intelligence to solve problems, rather than force. Talgard is also quite an interesting comic as every story is exactly four pages long and with art by a different Australian creator. Gary Proudley discusses Talgard and some of the other comics.  You can follow Gary on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gary_proudley and check out his website: https://www.garyproudley.com/ You can also check out Gestalt, the Australian publisher that, among many other things, publishes Talgard: https://www.gestaltcomics.com/ To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup we talk about our recent discussion with librarians on the Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable's Addressing Comic Book Bans and Challenges Commitee. The news of Will Eisner's A Contract With God going to Broadway. Melbourne based creator Reimena Yee winning an Ignatz award and of of course, we also discuss our favourite picks from this month's new releases as well as what we've been reading lately and more.We also announce our upcoming creator chats and our upcoming webinar!For a full list of this month's news, a handy list of all the new interesting graphic novels that have caught our attention and the links to everthing discussed please visit our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Unfortunately we have to talk about challenges, bans and censorship of comics and graphic novels. This is not something we'd like to talk about but it's an important conversation and there are some uncomfortable truths we must face.In this special episode, we discuss challenges and bans to books and specifically to comics in libraries across the United States of America. Looking from a distance, the current wave of challenges and bans the US is going through seems alien to us. We are concerned about what’s going on. We are concerned that teachers and librarians are being targeted and intimidated. We are concerned that comics, graphic novels, and books are being pulled off the shelves. Even titles that have won awards, have received world wide recognition and have been part of the curriculum for years. We’ve been concerned for months and we have shared our support and solidarity with our American colleagues. But, of course, to be concerned from a distance is not enough. While we may feel that what’s happening has nothing to do with us in Australia, we know that very often these kind of actions get exported to other countries. It could happen in Australia and we should not be complacent.We’re also aware that while we don’t suffer the kind of challenges that we’re seeing in the US, there are still issues in Australia. Teachers and librarians who are prejudiced against comics. Parents who question their kids and insist that they read a 'real' book.But reading is reading and reading comics we use multiple literacies, we use more parts of our brain. We wanted to reach out to our friends in the American Library Association’s Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable. Specifically, we wanted to talk with members of the Addressing Comic Book Bans & Challenges Committee. We had a great discussion with Amie Wright chair of the committee, together with Kara Baker, Shawn Norton and Julia Lanter. Iurgi Urrutia from Kingston Libraries in Victoria and James Baker from the Athenaeum Library in Melbourne hosted this wide ranging, and we believe, very relevant conversation.To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps.Episode Notes: GNCRT Toolkit: https://www.ala.org/rt/gncrt/preparing-and-addressing-challenges-comics-library-committeeGNCRT Checklist: https://www.ala.org/rt/sites/ala.org.rt/files/content/GNCRT/ComicsChallenges/GNCRT%20Be%20Prepared%20Postcard_PRINT.pdf GNCRT Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScY2TYLrurWP6sT9ifMSsne-98AEYJylUTDUgBvWB3n1RJtJA/viewform No Flying No Tights: Ask the Comics Librarians series of articles: https://noflyingnotights.com/browse-our-ask-the-comics-librarians-columns/ ‘Divisive Concepts Law’ New Hampshire - op-ed piece on the impact of the law in classrooms and on teachers https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2021/08/10/commentary-new-hampshires-divisive-concepts-law-and-the-big-chill/ History of Comics Censorship in the United States via CBLDF https://cbldf.org/resources/history-of-comics-censorship/ History of Comics Censorship in Canada via Ryerson University 1950s - “Crisis of Innocence: Comic Books and Children’s Culture, 1940-1954” https://crisisofinnocence.library.ryerson.ca/exhibits/show/a-crisis-of-innocenceJason Reynolds When I was the Greatest https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/When-I-Was-the-Greatest/Jason-Reynolds/9781442459496 Fobazi Ettarh, "Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves." In the Library with the Lead Pipe. January 10, 2018. www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/ American Academy of Pediatrics and Gender Affirming Care: https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/19021/AAP-continues-to-support-care-of-transgender?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 ACLU American Civil Liberties Union - advocacy on fighting book bans https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/artistic-expression/banned-books  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we catch up with Jon Sommariva, an amazing artist with a very distinct style. His art is always full of energy, dynamic and fun. He’s worked pretty much for everyone, DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Disney and Nickelodeon. Among others. He’s drawn The Avengers, Batman, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Wars to name a few. In our chat we talk about how he got into comics, some of his favourite comics to read and to draw. And, of course, we also talk about the really exciting new graphic novel Neverlanders, written by Tom Taylor and with art by Jon.You can follow Jon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonSommariva and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sommariva To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup we talk about the Perth Comics Arts Festival, the Comic Arts Awards of Australia, Neverlanders by Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva, an interesting article looking at the Comics Code Authority and how it helped super hero comics. We also discuss our favourite picks from this month's new releases, what we've been reading lately and more.For a full list of this month's news, a handy list of all the new interesting graphic novels that have caught our attention and the links to the webinars discussed please visit our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's roundup we talk about the Eisner Awards, the Graphic Medicine Award, Lore Olympus, our favourites picks from this month's new releases, what we've reading lately and more.For a full list of this month's news, a handy list of all the new interesting graphic novels that have caught our attention and the links to the webinars discussed please visit our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com Hit the subscribe button for our podcast and blog and please leave us a glowing review, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy and every little bit helps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first weekend of August the Perth Comic Arts Festival will be taking place and it's going to be bigger than ever with about 85 comic book creators from W.A. and across Australia tabling and presenting their comics on the market day, on Sunday 7 August. But that's not all, on Saturday, there will be plenty of panel talks and workshops. Entry to PCAF will be totally free. On the Saturday, as part of PCAF, the Comic Arts Awards of Australia will also be presented. These are Australia's most important awards, celebrating excellence in Australian comics. Entry is free for the ceremony and if you attend in person you also get one of the very special and highly cherished CAAA annuals outlining all the awarded comics and creators. In this special episode, Bruce Mutard talks about what we can expect from PCAF this year.To stay up do date with PCAF: https://pcaf.org.auTo stay up to date with the Comic Arts Awards of Australia: http://ledgerawards.org To stay up to date with ALIA Graphic, subscribe to our blog: https://aliagraphic.blogspot.com You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALIAGraphic​. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.