Graphic-Novel-Loving Librarian Blog

Summary: Do you remember your friends from middle school? How about the ones from high school? You know, the amigos who you used to hang around with, who helped you get through puberty, and who helped develop who you are today. Now, were these friends the same ones you hung out with in college? Or, even as you entered your twenties? For the majority of us, the answer is "No." We change, we grow up, we develop different interests. In Ghost World , this is what happens to two close friends, Enid and Rebecca. Many people would list this novel as just another coming-of-age story, meaning an attainment of maturity within the characters, but it goes a bit deeper than that.  As you read about these two girls, you see two rebels without causes. They're angry and impatient with the world around them, critical of everyone including themselves. Initially they are the closest of friends, but as their relationship is revealed to us, you can't help but ask "Why?" You

Summary: A contemporary town with the name of Dragon has to have a reason for it's name, right? Well, in this sleepy, mountain town the residents seem to have forgotten why.  Now, this doesn't mean they're not taking advantage of their town's unique name. On the contrary, the entire town lives off of the name, making this a town a tourist attraction.  Unbeknownst to them, though, they are about to be reminded as to why their town is named Dragon. That's right, hidden in one of the mountains caves is the last dragon egg and certain events occur that end up hatching that egg.  Before they know it, these unprepared, caught-off-guard town folk must fight an actual dragon in order to survive.  Can the citizens get ready to battle a dragon?  Does anyone even now how to battle a dragon? In this unique tale, readers are about to find out. Reference: Judd Winick (2015). A Town Called Dragon . Legendary Comics. Burbank, California. Why I Picked It Up: I have to admi

Summary: If you are like me, you probably thought that most video games were created by people who get paid to create them.  Brilliant computer-minded employees of computer-minded businesses gather together and hash together the next hit video game.  But history shows that wasn't always the case, especially in the initial stages of video games.  The graphic novel, Tetris: The Games People Play , which is the story of the game, Tetris, is a perfect example of that.  The creator of Tetris, Alexey Pajitnov, constructed it because he wanted his own computer version of a pentomino puzzle.  On his own time, Alexey created the programming for his electronic version and even shortened the number of blocks from five to four.  Alexey was proud of his creation and enjoyed playing it. He enjoyed it so much that he readily shared copies of his game with his coworkers . . . for free.  It was such a success that Alexey soon convinced others to help create a better, more graphic version of his

Summary: So, how does a lie become perpetuated?  To put it simply: ignorance. This is the story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which was published in 1905 and was officially proven false in 1921; yet, it's still being promoted and believed to this very day. Promoted and believed because of ignorance.  Will Eisner re-tells the creation of the Protocols, a contrived plot that was meant to discredit the Jewish race while at the same time spread fear. Originally, the published text was engineered by Russia leaders to entice resentment towards the Jews and anyone who would defend them. Unfortunately, this embellished contrivance was used by other anti-Semitic leaders throught world history to further their own personal vendettas, including one Adolph Hitler. What's remarkable is that The Times of London investigated the authenticity of  the Protocols in 1921, exposing it as plagiarized rubbish and completely fabricated. Despite this investigated revelation, a myria

My Friend Dahmer Summary: For those who may not have heard of Jeffrey Dahmer, he was one of America's notorious serial killers.  He was able to kill for such an extended period of time because of the victims he chose. His unfortunate victims were those who were often ignored by society, people lost in the shadows.  Yet, despite his heinous crimes and with apologies to the victim's families, we forget that Dahmer was once a part of our society, a part of someone's family, a part of the public school system, and a part someone else's personal history.  It's the school system and personal history that is written about here. Derf Backderf is a graphic novelist who just happened to grow up in the same town as Dahmer.  Derf writes about the person that Jeff was in middle and high school, as well as his friendship with him, too.  However, I'm reluctant to use the word "friendship" because I don't know if that accurately describes the relationship Der