Guts- Comic Book Review

Raina Telgemeier may not be a familiar name, even amongst comic fans, but she’s an extremely accomplished writer and artist in the medium. On May 10, 2015, Raina’s works took all of the top four spots on the New York Times bestseller list for paperback graphic books- a first in the medium but because Raina's books are mostly for teens and young adults many of the older comic fans will not know her.

I do love Raina’s work as it is accessible and honest without being edgy for the sake of it.

I do love Raina’s work as it is accessible and honest without being edgy for the sake of it.

It’s a shame for them though as they are missing out. Since reading her award winning memoir-ish book Smile a few years ago and the follow up Sisters I have been a big fan. She talks with honesty and candidly about matters but always at an appropriate level which isn’t patronising or edge-lordy. She created Drama, a very human story which dealt with issues such as identity, sexuality and friendship and also Ghosts, a tale about a family moving to a haunted town where the ghosts are not scary spooks but rather ancestors who offer the living a connection to their past. Drama and Ghosts showed that Raina could flex her muscles in tales based on wider aspects of life but with her latest book, Guts.

With Guts, the author delves into her past again to look at the trials and tribulations of youth, specifically anxiety and stress and the impact this can have on your life. The story doesn’t feature much of a storyline but there is the over-aching theme of dealing with anxiety, panic attacks, developing food intolerances, having a very sensitive stomach, and connecting with the ‘mean girl’ in her class . Through various vignettes we see that she ends up in therapy, which the book makes clear is no big deal and nothing to be ashamed of.

I liked the book and the underlying message is sweet and well executed- we all have our fears and we have to be brave to face them. The personal reflections of the author at the end, which discuss how she still has many of the same problems- even as an adult, will be valuable to many people who read it as it is honest and heartfelt. That’s why so many people connect with Raina’s work as it speaks to us.

I really liked the book and, whilst not my favourite, it is definitely worth a read.

LINK- Comics in the Classroom

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

The Babysitters Club Graphic Novels # 1 to 4- Graphic Novel Series Review

The Baby-Sitters Club is the insanely popular series of novels written by Ann M. Martin. I never read the series as it was aimed at girls primarily but I was aware of the books as my sister was a fan of this and Sweet Valley High back in the 90s. However, when I saw that Raina Telgemeier, one of my favourite comic artists, had adapted the books I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to jump in and read the series with my daughter during this lockdown. So, how is it?

The Baby-Sitters Club is about a group of friends who decide to create a babysitting service in their town. The stories follow the creation, teething problems and evolution of the club as it grows and new members join. It’s all very wholesome stuff but does deal with some real world issues like divorce, fitting in and friendships.

The stories are simple and engaging enough but the real draw is Raina’s illustrations which just pop off the page. The look and characterisation of each of the girls is strong and seeing how they interact is great as it sounds very real and lifelike.

There are 8 graphic novels in the series but only the first 4 are illustrated by Raina. If you have a young child in your life who likes gentle tween drama then this is the series for you.

LINK- Hilda Comic Series Review

LINK- Lumberjanes Ongoing Series Review

LINK- Comics in the Classroom

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

Baby Sitters Club Volume 1: Kirsty's Great Idea Comic Review

I am trying to engage some of the more reluctant girl readers in my class and came across this book by Raina Telgemeier. I've been a fan of Raina for a years now, enjoying her graphic memoirs Smile and Sisters as well as her original story Drama.
I remember that my younger sister used to absolutely adore the Baby Sitters Club series when she was younger so I am pleased to see they have been re-released for a younger generation to enjoy, in a more concise comic version. I read the comic myself to check for suitability and have to say that it reads well and tackles a few different issues like divorce, diabetes and friendship but never anything too adult or risque in theme.

When I took this into class the graphic novel was read by a couple of girls and they were very excited at the prospect of comics being introduced in the classroom; it was lovely to see this level of engagement.
The boys also wanted to read this so it just goes to show, comics can appeal to all genders and ages irrespective of the theme of the comic.

This comic is suitable for all ages but the pupils in my class, aged 7 and 8, really enjoyed it.

For The Love of Comics

I've been into comics for a long time, I first fell in love with them through the bande dessinée, Tintin and Asterix but when a friend lent me Iron Man #256 my mind was blown and it was love at first sight.

I'd go weekly to my local comic shop,  Rodney's Books and Games, in the town centre for my pocket money infused fix of comics. By buying grab bags for £1 I'd find a wide mix of stuff, some great some dreadful but comics nonetheless.

I fell out of love with comics in the late 90's when there were too many titles to keep up with and so many 'event' comics that I couldn't keep up with the pace. I went instead into manga and anime, which at that time was smaller and more focused here in the UK. It was here that I discovered Battle Angel Alita and GTO and again it was love at first sight. I also discovered Vertigo and voraciously devoured Sandman, Preacher, Hellblazer, Y: The Last Man and Fables.
Since then I've fallen out of favour with anime and manga for the same reason I had fallen out of love with comics in the first place and now once again, over the past 4 years have delved back into mainstream comics.
There has been a sea change in the mainstream comics as I feel the higher ups have realised that they had huge successes with their films but this didn't correlate with their comic sales. The reasons are numerous but I'd say it was due to the fact that the comic scene is overwhelming for newcomers and that the comics didn't cater for all tastes. A lot of the comics were created in the 50's ,60's and 70's and were often white male power fantasies, not a problem in itself but when you are catering for a world market you do need to appeal for a wide range of people.
In the past few years there has been a push for diversity with a black /Hispanic Spiderman in Miles Morales, an Asian American Ms Marvel with Kamala Khan and a female Thor.
However it's not just the mainstream where comics are diversifying, the fringe comic scene has always been the champion of change and difference and there is a huge market here with Junji Ito, Emily Carroll, Raina Telgemeier and Noelle Stephenson catering for different tastes. 
I'm introducing my pupils to comics as I feel it opens up worlds, encourages reluctant readers and promotes creativity. I will be reviewing the comics I buy for them here and hope to encourage other schools and people to push comics and graphic novels into their world. As well as comics for my pupils I will also be writing reviews about comics I buy for myself.
Come join me on my journey and if you get into comics I'd like to recommend a couple of comic podcasts I listen to which are linked below.

A Shout Out To Comic Creator Raina Telgemeier!

Can you name the top selling comic artist who has been in the New York Times Bestsellers list for the last three years? Alan Moore, Mark Millar, Scott Snyder or Brian K. Vaughan? Maybe you've got Neil Gaiman or someone else like Frank Miller. You're not going to get it, I can tell you now.

Raina Telgemeier.... yup, Raina Telgemeier. For many of you that name will not be familiar, even those of you who are into comics. That's because Raina's books are mostly for teens and young adults. On May 10, 2015, Telgemeier's works took all of the top four spots on the New York Times bestseller list for paperback graphic books- a first in the medium.

She is one of the biggest selling comic artists but is often forgotten from the comics dialogue, overshadowed by more well know brands such as Batman, Superman, Spiderman and the like. However this is a real shame as I love her work, I first read her award winning book Smile a few years ago and incorporated the graphic novel into my computing lesson plans when teaching computing in Cambodia. I got my pupils to use the Scholastic Graphix Comic Builder to create a comic using the in-browser tools and was taken by the art style and honesty in the story.Since then I have read Drama, a very human story which deals with issues such as identity, sexuality and friendship and her follow up to Smile, Sisters.

So this post is merely to flag up the work of a hardworking but under-appreciated and under-recognised artist.