Dear Creature

• Monster
• The Automatic Detective
• Level Up
• May Contain Traces of Magic
• Don Quixote
• The Best of the Spirit
• I Kill Giants

So in my brain, I had a great blog post all planned out for today. It was going to be a nice and meaty post about different schools of writing process, and the dangerous temptation of superstitious totemic twaddle that so many of us fall prey to. But then I went through my mail from last week, and found a review copy of Jonathan Case’s debut graphic novel Dear Creature. And then my plans went the way of all those of mice and men. I cannot stress enough how excellent this book is, as a work of sequential art, as a story, and as an exercise in writing.

I didn’t even mean to start reading it: I intended to put it on my to-read shelves, and to get to it maybe sometime in the next couple of weeks. But somewhere in the twelve feet between opening the envelope on my kitchen table and putting it on a shelf in my library (probably because I “just took a peak” at the first couple of pages), Case’s story sucked me in like a whirlpool. Dear Creature is the literary, quirky, heart-warming, and deliciously pulpy love story (yeah, I know, right?) of an atomic sea mutant named Grue. Living in a sunken nuclear sub, and to the chagrin of a crustacean chorus, Grue is no longer content to devour lustful beach-going teenagers. With his eyes and heart opened by pages of Shakespeare’s plays found in soda bottles, the lonely sea monster naturally tries to seek out whoever has been sending out these messages.

It’s tempting when reviewing a graphic novel to start with the art. After all, the art is intrinsic to a graphic novel’s storytelling. But what really set Dear Creature apart for me was the writing. While many people who write sequential art are uncomfortable drawing distinctions between comic books and graphic novels, I’m afraid I’ve never agreed with Douglas Wolk’s claim that the sole difference is their binding. A true graphic novel – like Dear Creature, or Gene Luen Yang’s Level Up – is paced and constructed very differently from a bound-up collection of serialized 24 – 32 page comic books.

Most prose novels, whether we’re talking about Dickens, Calvino, or Ian Fleming, cannot be split up into neat episodes without losing some degree of their resonance or storytelling unity. But a graphic “novel” that began life as a series of smaller comic books, like Allan Moore’s Watchmen, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, or Garth Ennis’ Preacher can never be more than the sum of its parts, however good those parts may be. That’s just the nature of the beast. But Dear Creature, while it is divided into chapters, coalesces by its very nature into a resonating, cathartic story that draws us in, makes us laugh, and satisfies us only when we have experienced its entirety. Case does not construct his individual chapters the way a comic book writer constructs particular issues: he constructs them the way a prose novelist constructs chapters, relying on the story’s over-arching flow, compelling characters, and emotional narrative to carry us along.

Case builds his characters through a flawless union of art and dialog. Grue, his lovelorn atomic sea monster, speaks in iambic pentameter entirely oblivious to its idiosyncrasy in 1962 California. With all of the book’s focus on Shakespeare, it’s tempting to try to find models in the Bard. But really, I trace Grue’s antecedents more to Cervantes than Shakespeare. Grue is like a modern day Don Quixote, in that for him the high drama of Shakespeare has applicability to every facet of his contemporary life. And if it doesn’t? Well, then by God it should! Case captures this touching quixotic earnestness in Grue’s every pose, centering our attention on his larger-than-life actions whether dramatic or comedic.

Grue is accompanied by a Greek crab chorus used to great comedic effect. If Aeschylus’ Oceanids in Prometheus Bound represent a “perfect audience’s” reactions to the Titan’s plight, then what do Case’s crabs represent? It’s not like they’re sympathetic to Grue’s concerns. Instead, they poke fun at the beleaguered monster and exhort him to return to feasting upon human flesh.

And Grue’s Dulcinea del Toboso? Like Aldonza Lorenzo, the woman who captures Grue’s deep and soulful heart with torn pages of Shakespeare sent into the briny deep is not your stereotypical love interest. First, she’s crazy, as in violently agoraphobic. And she is old (well, middle-aged) in the same way that Aldonza is plain. But just as Quixote looks past the simple truth in the interests of his higher truth, so too Grue simply does not notice. The love that forms between a man-eating atomic sea monster and a middle-aged agoraphobe is poignant, touching, and tragic.

Artistically, Dear Creature is equally clever. Case chose to draw it in a style that made me instantly think of Will Eisner’s The Spirit. Like Eisner, Case uses solid black shading to add depth to his panels, while relying on iconic lines to draw his heroes. This quasi-homage seemed most apparent and appropriate in the case of Henry Craw, a retiring policeman who particularly reminded me of an aging Denny Colt.

By combining excellent character development with superlative dialog, and a heartfelt emotional arc, Case has written one of the best novels I have read in years. And yes, that is novels as opposed to graphic novels. Yet since this book is structured so much like a prose novel, and with characters and writing that clearly trace their lineage back to classic literature, it did raise a question as I was reading it: does Dear Creature need to be sequential art to tell its story? Similar love stories, characters, quirks, and pulpiness have all been captured in prose by other authors before, and in particular this book made me think of A. Lee Martinez’ great books. But what did Case gain through choosing to tell this story visually? I think the answer speaks to Case’s prodigious and multifaceted skills and talents: by writing Dear Creature as a graphic novel, Case was able to get out of his own way. The use of sequential art in this book obviates the need for exposition. By relying on the art to show us what is happening, the dialog is able to stand on its own and remind us of Shakespeare, Cervantes, and classic drama undiluted by descriptive text. Which makes the story tighter, and in some ways purer, than it would otherwise have been.

I commend Jonathan Case for this excellent graphic novel. It is very rare to find a storyteller who is able to write something that is at once literary and meta-textual, while remaining touching and hilarious. To then combine that ear for dialog and prose with artistic talent is even rarer. If you enjoy sequential art, then hands down, you should pick up Dear Creature.

And I think that it should be on everybody’s short-list for the Eisner award.

Author/Artist: Gene Luen Yang, color by Lark Pien
Publisher: First Second
Release Date: September 5, 2006
Paperback: 240 pages
My rating: 5/5

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads) A tour-de-force by rising indy comics star Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax.

SandyInspired Comments: Yang brought me back to all the awkwardness of growing up Asian in America: being ashamed of my allegedly odd-smelling, funny-looking lunches; crushes on blond-haired, blue-eyed “All-American” boys; and trying to speak a new language while struggling with debilitating shyness. Yang also reminded me of the Chinese fables I learned through watching random CCTV (mainland China broadcaster) Journey to the West episodes dubbed in Vietnamese. I never really related to the mischievous and egocentric Monkey King, but Yang captures him wonderfully in both words and images. I love the two-paneled scene where the Monkey King changes into his giant form as the Dragon King sits on a throne laughing at him. In the second panel, the Monkey King steps on the Dragon King, “STOMP!” and the text box reads: “The Dragon King was convinced.” The entire book is filled with these visual and verbal nuggets of the painful and ridiculous: Jin Wang’s misadventures in dating, the Monkey King’s comeuppance and “test of virtue,” and cousin Chin-Kee’s mortifying antics.

Yang is a master at creating real characters and situations within a graphic genre featuring limited text (some pages are completely text-free) and hilarious caricatures of what it means to be Chinese. Ultimately, American Born Chinese is a story about self-acceptance and true friendship. I’d recommend it to anyone who can relate to Jin Wang and Danny’s experiences, or anyone interested in a good laugh, a great story, and very entertaining art.

Review: I’m going to let you in on a secret, little friend. It’s easy to become anything you wish… So long as you’re willing to forfeit your soul.

A beautifully drawn fable-like book about accepting who you are. Has a slower pace than a lot of other graphic novels, but it suits the story, and there are little moments of humor that keep everything interesting. Well worth the read.

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: First Second, 2011

Genres: Fantasy, contemporary fantasy, paranormal

Format: Graphic novel

ISBN: 9781596432352

Audience: Adult, young adult

Number of pages: 160

Setting: An unspecified town somewhere in the US.

Time period: Contemporary

Plot summary: When Dennis Ouyang is kicked out of college due to his horrible study habits and excessive gaming tendencies, four angels come to his rescue and get him re-enrolled.  They have arrived to help Dennis fulfill his destiny and go to medical school to become a gastroenterologist.

Illustrations: The story begins in the past and the panels are shown in bluish-grey tones.  Once the story comes to the present, a wider range of earthy colors are used.  The drawings seem rather simple but manage to convey a wide range of emotions through facial expressions.

Appeal factors:

Pacing: Quick pace

Characterization: The text and images are told from Dennis’s perspective.  Other characters include members of Dennis’s family, friends, and the four angels.

Frame: The title sets two frames for this story.  Video gaming is one frame which is established in the first panel.  The second frame is honesty.  It is not until Dennis learns of a hidden truth, that he is able to start choosing his own destiny.

Story line: A fun and quirky coming of age story about finding a balance between family, work, and fun                .

Subject headings:

From Pima County Public Library:

Video games — Comic books, strips, etc. — Juvenile fiction.

Families — Comic books, strips, etc. — Juvenile fiction.

Immigrants — Comic books, strips, etc. — Juvenile fiction.

Chinese Americans — Comic books, strips, etc. — Juvenile fiction.

Graphic novels.

Video games — Fiction.

Family life — Fiction.

Immigrants — Fiction.

Chinese Americans — Fiction.

Graphic novels.

Similar works:

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Life with Mr. Dangerous by Paul Hornschemeier

Empire State: A Love Story (or Not) by Jason Shiga

Personal notes:  I really enjoyed this story with its subtle humor.  While this story is completely different from American Born Chinese in content, style and characters, it offers a unique perspective on growing up in the US as an Asian American.

Other (diversity, themes, websites): Diversity – Asian Americans, Latinos, medical students, gamers, angels, ghosts

Gene Luen Yang’s website

Thien Pham’s author page on Macmillon’s website

She didn’t know it at the time, but my mother had just played out in microcosm the long, antagonistic relationship between Christianity and comics. Since its inception in 1933, the modern comic book has drawn the ire of preachers, priests, and parents. Committees and associations have been formed on both sides of the struggle.

This animosity is curious, especially since Christianity and comic books have a lot in common. Christianity was established by a small band of poor Jewish men who loved stories. Almost 2,000 years ago, Peter, James, John, and their peers in the neighborhoods of Galilee gathered around a wonder-worker who taught by telling stories. From this community grew the largest religion on earth.

Yang recently released his latest graphic novel Level Up about his adolescence and young adulthood as an Asian American, also printed by American Born Chinese publisher First Second. For a separate discussion with Yang about Christian themes in that earlier book (and whether or not they replaced originally Buddhist content), see this interview with the Kartika Review.

This is the second show by the Swell Season that I downloaded from NPR (even though it is not chronologically second).  The Newport Folk Festival proves to be an excellent venue for Glen Hansard and The Frames.  For yes, in this show, The Frames play with them.  A (very brief) history: Glen Hansard was the red-haired dude from The Commitments (yes, seriously).  After that movie, he started The Frames and they were HUGE (in Ireland and Czechoslovakia).  They even released a record with a few songs that appear in the film Once.  Then Glen met Marketa and formed The Swell Season, which was really just the two of them.  And they recorded a couple of those Frames songs for their debut album.  And then they made Once, and they rerecorded some of those songs for the Soundtrack.  So you can get quite a few versions of a couple of these songs.  The Swell Season was originally just the two of them.  But as of late they’ve been playing with the Frames as well.  So it’s like a full circle, sort of.

The big opens space of Newport, combined with a rowdy but appreciative crowd prove a perfect venue for them.  Glen is in wonderful storytelling mode, regaling the crowd with funny introductions to songs (that was Elijah!) and dealing with an overzealous fan (who I believe calls Glen a red-headed bastard–out of love: Hansard replies ”I liked you for about two comments…I’ve been wanting to play here forever, you’re kind of wrecking my day….  I’m kidding”).

But it’s the music that is so good.  I’ve thought that he sounds not unlike Van Morrison, and this version of “Low Rising” that opens the set brings out the Van.  Its’ really outstanding.  The really makes some of the songs rock out, too, like when he burst into a chorus of “Love Reign O’er Me” during the otherwise mellow ”Back Broke.”  Also, the full band version of “When Your Mind’s Made Up” is tremendous–when the band is rocking out and then stops on a dime for that final “So” I am blown away every time.  And yet, despite the presence of the band, some of their solo songs are the most striking.  Marketa’s, “If You Want Me” holds the crowd rapt.  And Glen’s emotionally gut wrenching “Leave” is stunning–and a little hair-raising.

Interestingly, when you download the show (by subscribing to NPR podcasts), you only get 43 minutes, rather than the entire 62 minutes of the show.  I assume they didn’t have the rights to give us the covers that the band played.  They open the set with Tim Buckley’s “Buzzin’ Fly,” and he plays Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” while they tune some strings and they rock out Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks” (this furthers my assertion that there’s a Van Morrison connection here, although I didn’t know this was played live until I streamed the concert.

The Swell Season seems like an awesome band to see live. 

[READ: August 21, 2011] Level Up.

Gene Luen Yang is also a wonderful storyteller.  His book American Born Chinese is fantastic.  This is another slice of life story, although I suspect it can’t be true about himself (well, I mean there are angels that do his laundry so obviously it isn’t true).  But I don’t know a thing about him personally so maybe he is a video game champion and a gastroenterologist as well as a novel writer.

Anyhow, the story is a fairly simple one: When Dennis is six years old, he sees a Pac Man video game console and he is instantly hooked.  The problem is that his parents want him to be a successful student–specifically, they want him to become a doctor–so there’s no fooling around with video games.  He gets good grades in school.  But when his father dies, he finally feels free to get a video game console and he finds himself playing more video games than studying.  And by the time he gets to university he actually flunks out.

His mother doesn’t learn about this disgrace because before he can do anything more drastic, the aforementioned angels threaten the dean of admissions until she lets him back into school.  They angels (who came to life from a card his father had given him) then monitor him carefully, doing all of his chores for him while ensuring that he studies his brains out.  Which he does.

And he gets into med school!

While in med school, he makes some new friends but has a severe distaste for the gastroenterological field (their first assignment is to do a study of their own fecal sample–it’s wonderfully, hilariously gross).  He seriously questions his desires (and his destiny) especially when he runs into his old gaming friend who he sees coming back from a big win at a videogame tournament.

The story has a very satisfying (and clever ending), but it is also created in such a way that I thought it was over before it was.  And the false ending was also kind of satisfying in a weird way.  It’s amazing that he can have two endings to a book and that both are quite different and yet enjoyable.  And the art by Thien Pham is deceptively cute–it’s quite powerful when it calls for it.

Every parent’s dream for their children is drawn (no pun intended) to its highest level.  All that Dennis Ouyang’s parents wanted for their son was for him to grow up, finish college, graduate from medical school, and become specifically a gastroenterologist.  Gastroenterology is the study of the digestive system.  Not an easy future for a young boy in the third grade to consider.

But like most children of immigrant parents, Dennis complies with their directives.   It is only after his father’s death that he pursues his true passion–video games!  However, the video games eventually interfere with his studies, and he is kicked out of college.

Fortunately, Dennis has four angels that help “persuade” the dean to reconsider his expulsion.  The four angels help him with his daily chores, including the dishes and laundry, so that he can focus on his studies.

Sounds really cool, huh???  Now consider this story written by the award-winning graphic novelist Gene Yang (American Born Chinese) and expect an awesome story with a Hitchcock-type ending.  Thien Pham’s straightforward art combined with the traditional request of immigrant parents make this a familiar topic for many first-generation readers.

This graphic novel is recommended for 8th grade and up (mild language).

Blogger:  Tuan N

Jin Wang is Chinese. The white kids at his school have convinced him he won’t make any friends or go out with the girl he likes because he’s Chinese. Jin Wang’s is a coming-of-age story. It’s a straightforward story about an awkward boy grappling with the nuisances of bullies, friendship and girls and about the mistakes he makes along the way.

The Monkey King is loved by his subjects. He has mastered the four major arts of kung-fu : prerequisites for immortality. Yet the gods make fun of him for being a monkey. So he decides to get rid of the smell of monkey fur that clings to him. The story of the Monkey King reads like a folk tale. While based almost entirely on the original folklore (Yang takes certain liberties with it), the original tale is expertly retold to reinforce the theme of this book. Yang practices restrained humour to great effect in this story.

Danny plays basketball. Danny has friends who like him. Danny thinks he has a chance with Melanie – his study partner. But Danny also has a cousin – Chin-Kee. Chin-Kee is every Chinese stereotype personified. He eats dead cats. He drools. He wants to tie up American women and make babies with them. Danny desperately tries to convince people that he’s nothing like his cousin Chin-Kee. Danny and Chin-Kee’s story is a sitcom with a laugh track and a live audience that is never seen. The story uses humour that’s more in your face than the other two stories.

Yang’s simple clean lines and cartoony art is solely responsible for the humour in this book. While the art looks fabulous, Lark Pien’s colours steal the show. The flat colours she uses are bright and vibrant and bring Yang’s art to life. Readers will, in all likelihood, identify with Jin Wang’s story. They will empathize with Danny’s plight and with all their heart, they will love the Monkey King (and his subjects).

Link to First Second Books Page

originally published in the tossed salad

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For all of you Nintendo-fluent readers out there, the words “Level Up!” probably conjure memories of this phrase floating across the screen in all its pixilated glory, your fingertips pressing excitedly into the already-sweaty controller.

Critically acclaimed graphic novelist and Eisner Award-winning author of American Born Chinese and The Eternal Smile, Gene Luen Yang borrows the gamer’s familiar phrase, “Level Up” as the title of his latest release from First Second Books, illustrated by Vietnamese American artist Thien Pham.  The graphic novel tells the coming-of-age story of Dennis Ouyang, who, like so many of us from the original Nintendo generation, begged his father for a game system. Dennis, though, only receives in return chemistry sets and tips for his future college education.

The cover of Level Up. Image courtesy of firstsecondbooks.com

When his father dies, Dennis finds solace in video games and their promise of agency and control in the worlds they present. Across a series of Pham’s illustrated panels, Dennis hunches over his controller and leans, un-blinking, into the screen, accomplishing one video game mission after the other until he earns from his friend Takeem the title of “the Good Will Hunting of video games” (33).

While I by no means propose that Yang is taking any kind of didactic stance against the ongoing and long clichéd argument that video games make youths “dumb” or “lazy,” it is notable that Dennis’s experience with the games is not one of mind-numbing escape merely for escape’s sake. In fact, the games—in enabling players to solve problems and to oftentimes accomplish (super)heroic feats, principally to control and extend life—allow Dennis to cope with the losses and painful lack of control in the “real” world.  His relationship with gaming is inextricably tethered to his reckoning with his father’s death and to his navigating his non-linear journey to becoming who he needs and wants to be. The connection between growing up and leveling up in games crystallizes through the notion of life:  What do we prize in life? What do we fight for? And what do we do with the (second) chances we are given?

I don’t want to give away too much of the story before you all get a chance to read the novel for yourself, but the games also have direct impact on the medical career that Dennis pursues in his college years.  In drawing parallels between gaming and medical schooling, Yang shows that the two are not entirely divorced. Here I must add that my younger brother, who recently graduated high school (woo hoo!), acquired an eerily efficient ability to analytically solve spatial puzzles, as well as an impressive vocabulary (take that, SAT Verbal!) from his video games. Given that both Yang and Pham are both educators—at the same school, in fact—working to integrate artistic mediums such as comic books into their curriculum (see more on this below), it seems no coincidence that in Level Up the visual, interactive stories of video games are depicted as facilitators and articulations of, not as antagonists to, Dennis’s personal growth as well as his intellectual development.

A sample of the artwork from Level Up. Image from booksforyourkids.com

During Dennis’s college years, his father’s visage, along with a quartet of demanding angels and fiendish heads that resemble the ghosts from Pac-Man (Dennis makes the not-so-subtle connection to being a “little yellow man”), haunt him as he battles feeling inadequate and guilty for not abiding by his parents’ wishes for his future. While this theme of defining and reconciling identity under the umbrella of parental expectation is universally relatable for readers of all ages and various backgrounds, Dennis struggles with the added conflicts of being Asian American. One of the many instances of this added layer of cultural conflict is exhibited when Dennis’s mother explains to him that his father pushed him to do well in school because he himself was not able to achieve such an education: “Medical school by itself is difficult enough,” Mrs. Ouyang explains, “But for a new father who didn’t speak English very well…no.”

Notable, too, in regard to the books depiction of culture, Level Up features a diverse cast of characters:  Takeem is Dennis’s close friend and gaming companion; Ipsha is another med-school classmate and friend; and the love interest is German-Korean girl; the school administrator Dennis meets up with is a female named Dr. Rodriguez. The multiculturalism is not a topic of discussion; the characters’ diversity is an accepted reality of the world. I strongly believe this is an important point to present to young readers in particular, especially in the aftermath of the brutal, tragic recent events in Norway, which reminds us of how intolerant and dangerous the world can be for our children. In this capacity, the graphic novel serves as an affirming conversation-piece for individuals—adolescent or adult, Asian American or not—who may not yet have had the opportunity to reflect upon or express such conflicts of identity, family, and culture in a medium as accessible as the graphic novel.

I hoped that Yang would be able to speak to these themes in his work at this past weekend’s International Comic-Con in San Diego, where he appeared on a panel entitled “Diversity in Comics.” The structure of the panel, however, neglected to address issues of cultural and racial diversity. Instead, one of the discussion’s central points was that the distinction between “adult” and “young adult” fiction is arbitrary, in a nutshell asserting that we are all still the children we once were. Yang mentioned that graphic novels tend to get lumped into the “Young Adult,” but, with its touching upon everything from the deeper issues of death, haunting, memory, and cultural identity to the more lighthearted coming-of-age themes of the awkwardness of young romance and tried and true giggle-inducing poop jokes, Level Up is enjoyable for adults as well. And, as a reader with many multicultural children in my family, I very well plan to read this book with them.

Gene Yang speaks at Comic-Con 2011

To turn to Pham’s work in the graphic novel, the illustrations are simple, and often cute and whimsical, yet evocative when they need to be. Among them, a squiggly black line of a teardrop conveys Dennis’s silent sadness, and his later munching of the brightly colored ghouls that appear during his college years captures the varied emotions and imagination of growing up. What I liked most were that the chapter breaks are colored to remind of the greenish glow of Game Boy screens, depicting the diminishing lives in the corner of the “screen” as the chapters progress. And, most resonant perhaps, is that the final illustration, wherein Dennis embarks upon a new “level” in his life, is not contained by the traditional square or rectangular boundaries of a panel. Instead, the image is simple and small on an open white page, reminding of what has past and what is to come.

A sample of the "Game Boy-esque" artwork by Thien Pham.

Speaking of Level Up’s artwork, illustrator Thien Pham also appeared at a Comic-Con panel, one entitled “Comics in the Classroom.” Pham joined panelists involved at various capacities in the movement to integrate comics into classrooms, from elementary school to college curriculum. The panel—clearly prepared by experienced teachers in its organization, clarity, and distribution of useful handouts outlining main points and key references—covered the challenges and advantages to teaching students to read comic books. (If you are an educator working on incorporating the graphic arts into your curriculum and would like a copy of the panelists’ useful handouts, please indicate your interest by posting a comment below, and I can email you a scanned version of the documents!)

"Comics in the Classrom" with (from left to right) Chris Duffy, Cheryl Wozniak, Thien Pham, Christina Blanch, and Anastasia Betts

Pham summed up the advantages nicely when he stated, “the inherent properties of a comic make it a perfect learning tool.” Pham admitted that the juxtaposition of visual and verbal text in comics helped him, a native Vietnamese speaker, to acquire the English language. In addition to promoting literacy for non-native and native English speakers alike, Pham and his fellow panelists asserted that comic books make concepts from science and history more accessible and memorable than traditional textbook formats, which all too often cause students’ eyelids to droop and jaws to stretch in yawns. Like so many others in the panel’s audience, I, as an educator, was moved to have the opportunity to talk about such rejuvenating possibilities in the current climate of education, where dismal talk of the budget eclipses our ability to focus on teaching and inspiring students.

Thien Pham speaks about comics in the classroom at Comic-Con 2011

Further, approaching the topic not just as a reader but as an artist and art teacher, Pham stressed that it is useful to not only teach students to read comics critically, but also to assign comic strip/book projects whereby the students exercise their own abilities to tell stories through the juxtaposition of words and images. It is as an artist, too, that Pham was happy to promote his sole graphic novel, Sumo, slotted for release from First Second in 2012.

Thien Pham, "looking Vietnamese" (as he said), with artwork by his wife Lark Pien on the exhibit floor of Comic-Con 2011.

If I can make any predictions about his upcoming book based on his endearing illustrations in Level Up and his effervescent personality evinced by his enthusiastic, humorous Comic-Con panel appearance (seriously, he was able to make an explanation of rubrics funny), I say keep an eye out for Thien Pham because Sumo is bound to be an enjoyable read.

To end, I would like to add that meeting Yang and Pham after enjoying their work was certainly one of the highlights of my Comic-Con experience this year, along with meeting in person GB Tran, author and artist of VIETNAMERICA , which I reviewed earlier this year. These encounters between readers, artists, and writers are central to the sense of community that makes the convention special. But, after attending the annual event for nearly fifteen years, my frustration with the swelling crowds and nauseatingly long lines has caused the four-day extravaganza lose a bit of its lustre. Did any other faithful readers of our diaCRITICS blog attend the event this year? If so, what were your highlights and/or frustrations? Let us know in the comments section below!

-Jade Hidle

Jade Hidle is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Literature at UC San Diego. She aims to write her dissertation on Vietnamese-American literature, with a focus on how narrative structures map struggles of the body–miscegenation, disfigurement, skin color–and identity.

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What a weird little graphic novel.

View all my reviews

First Second: Awards, Authors & Programs at San Diego Comic-Con

First Second, the book industry’s premier publisher of graphic novels, is excited to announce our spectacular line-up for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

In Brief:

-          Eisner Awards: we’re up for four of them!

-          Authors: we’ve got them!  Including Eisner Nominated Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese, Prime Baby, Level Up) and debut author Vera Brosgol (Anya’s Ghost).

-          Programs: interested in non-fiction, teens, schools, or libraries?  Read on for more.

-          2011 is First Second’s Fifth Anniversary.  We’re excited about this milestone event.

First Second graphic novels are up for FOUR Eisner Award this year.

The Unsinkable Walker Bean, by Aaron Renier – an ABA Independent Bookstore Bestseller!

• “Everything you want from a rip-roaring adventure: Exciting, deep, funny, and scary, with tremendous villains and valor galore.” — Booklist

Prime Baby, by Gene Luen Yang

• “Delightful.” – BoingBoing

Zahra’s Paradise, by Amir and Khalil

• “A heartbreaking story . . . not just about tyranny, loss, and grief, but a celebration of the will to live.” – Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran

And Hilary Sycamore, First Second’s colorist, receives a nomination for her work on the First Second titles City of Spies, Resistance, Booth, Brain Camp, and Solomon’s Thieves.

Interested in authors?  Some of First Second’s best will be at this year’s SDCC.

Leland Myrick: Myrick’s first graphic novel, Missouri Boy, was a Booklist Best of the Year.  Also a contributor to the Flight anthology series, he follows this up with a new graphic nonfiction work, a biography of Richard Feynman.  Feynman will be in stores in August; get an advance look at this stunning new work at the San Diego Comic-Con.

• Signing: Thursday, 4:30; First Second Booth 1323

Dave Roman: New York Times-Bestselling author Dave Roman presents his first work as author/illustrator, Astronaut Academy.  ABC’s Good Morning Connecticut calls it “hysterical.” And Comic Book Resources says, “Astronaut Academy is wonderful, and you should read it.”

• Signing: Friday, 11:00; First Second Booth 1323
• Signing: Saturday, 2:00; Autographing Area 2
• Signing: Sunday, 11:30; First Second Booth 1323

Gene Luen Yang and Thien Pham: Two-time Eisner Award Winner, Printz Award winner, and National Book Award Honor recipient Gene Luen Yang returns to San Diego for his third Eisner nomination and with a new book (with art by Thien Pham): Level Up.  Wired calls this entry in the Tiger Mother debate, “A fascinating look into the tension between parents with high (and rigid) expectations and kids who have their own ideas about how to live.”

• Signing: Friday, 3:00; First Second Booth 1323
• Signing: Saturday, 2:00; Autographing Area 2
• Signing: Sunday, 2:00; First Second Booth 1323

Vera Brosgol: Brosgol’s debut graphic novel, Anya’s Ghost, has been getting rave reviews from around the industry – from Neil Gaiman’s declaration: “A masterpiece,” to The New York Times: “Remarkable. . . . with an attitude and aptitude reminiscent of Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis), Brosgol has created a smart, funny and compassionate portrait of someone who, for all her sulking and sneering, is the kind of daughter many parents would like to have. And the kind of girl many of us maybe once were.”  Anya’s Ghost is an Amazon Best of the Year graphic novel, the only teen graphic novel to be so recognized.

• Signing: Friday, 2:00; First Second Booth 1323
• Signing: Saturday, 2:00; Autographing Area 2
• Signing: Sunday, 3:00; First Second Booth 1323

First Second is sponsoring the following programs at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

THURSDAY 3:30 – 4:30 True Stories – Chester Brown (Paying For It), Tom Devlin (Art Director of D&Q), Peter Kuper (Stop Forgetting to Remember), Leland Myrick (Feynman), and Thomas LeBien (Publisher of Hill & Wang’s Novel Graphics line) discuss the ins and outs of non-fiction graphic novel stories.  What are the lines between truth and fiction when images are involved in a story? Room 26AB

THURSDAY 4:30 – 5:30 Comics for Teens – Teen comics creators Cecil Castelluci (Plain Janes), Hope Larson (Mercury), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), and Gene Luen Yang (Level Up) come together for a discussion of what make a comic fit a teen audience.  Do books for teens have something special that books for kids and adults don’t have?  Moderated by Scott Westerfeld (New York Times Bestselling Teen Author). Room 26AB

FRIDAY 4:30 – 5:30 Comics in the Library – Librarians Gene Ambaum (Unshelved) Candice Mack (LA Public Library), Mike Pawuk (Cuyahoga County Public Library), and Eva Volin (Alameda Library) come together for a discussion of the place of comics in the library.  Which ones should you buy, where do you shelve them, and how do you convince the people you work with that comics have a real place in the library?  This panel will tell you all this and more.  Moderated by Gina Gagliano (First Second Books). Room 26AB

SATURDAY 5:30 – 6:30 Comics in the Classroom – Teachers Anastasia Betts (UCLA), Christina Blanch (Ball State University), Thien Pham (Bishop O’Dowd High School), and Cheryl Wozniak (San Francisco Public Schools) discuss the place of comics in the classroom.  Moderated by Chris Duffy (Nursery Rhyme Comics). Room 26AB

SUNDAY 10:00 – 11:00 Teen Comics Workshop – Teens!  Join teen comics creators Vera Brosgol (Anya’s Ghost), Thien Pham (Level Up), Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), and Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) for the interactive comics workshop adventure of your lives.  Learn exciting new things about storytelling!  Character development!  Drawing!  And so much more. Room 30CDE

First Second Fifth Anniversary

2011 marks First Second’s fifth anniversary.

Says Newsarama, “It’s hard to believe it’s been half a decade since First Second Books debuted in the spring of 2006, but the calendar doesn’t lie. In those five years, First Second established itself as one of the comic book industry’s most versatile, forward-thinking and critically acclaimed houses in memory.”

With a list that includes National Best-sellers, YALSA Great Graphic Novels, National Book Award Honor titles, Printz Award winners, First Second has been a source for change in the graphic novel industry, inspiring authors, illustrators, and publishers to raise the standards of graphic novel publishing.

First Second publishes such titles as American Born Chinese (Gene Luen Yang), The Photographer (Emmanuel Guibert and Didier Lefevre), Adventures in Cartooning (James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost), The Fate of the Artist (Eddie Campbell), Robot Dreams (Sara Varon), Laika (Nick Abadzis), and Drawing Words and Writing Pictures (Jessica Abel and Matt Madden).  See more at www.firstsecondbooks.com.

and bonus, i found a new stash of graphic novels at the state library and have been grabbing everything i can find! so here are the first three of the batch.

i loved reading these and am gaining so much respect and appreciation for graphic novels as a genre. more review bundles to come (i hope!).

Title: Prime Baby
Author: Gene Luen Yang
Published: First Second / 2010
Length: 64 pages
Rating: 9/10

i guess i’m officially a Gene Luen Yang fangirl. i read and loved two of his earlier works, American Born Chinese and The Eternal Smile, so i couldn’t pass this up when i saw it at the library. at a measly 64 pages, Prime Baby is a book you could read standing up in the aisle at your local bookstore or library, but i opted to take it home and savor it a bit.

as expected, the artwork is wonderful, with those telltale yellows and oranges that i’ve come to recognize as Luen Yang’s.  the artwork just makes every cartoony moment pop out in such a wonderful way. and the message is again similar, teaching respect and tolerance for those with differences, in this case a baby sister who is either an alien or a genius (or perhaps both). my only wish is that it had been longer!

Title: Ghostopolis
Author: Doug TenNapel
Published: Scholasic / 2010
Length: 267 pages
Rating: 9/10

i had never read anything by Doug TenNapel, but i’m so so glad i picked this up. Ghostopolis is the story of young Garth, who is accidentally taken to the world of the dead by a ghost wrangler (reminiscent of the Ghost Busters).  while in the land of the dead, Garth faces evil like he’s never known and must use the magical ghost world abilities he has gained to fight his way back home.

with a fun and quirky cast of characters and beautifully detailed paneling, this dark and fast-paced tale was so much fun to read. it even had a few really touching moments of confrontation with death and love that were unexpected, but very well executed.  i’ll definitely be looking for more of TenNapel’s work in the future.

Title: Copper
Author: Kazu Kibuishi
Published: Scholastic / 2010
Length: 95 pages
Rating: 7/10

this isn’t actually a graphic novel, but rather a collection of short comic strips by the author in the order that they were published  in a magazine. so, while there is no storyline to follow, the two characters, Copper and his dog Fred, are consistent and it was fun to follow their wild journeys. because of the short length of each piece, there was less depth to the work than you’d find in a true graphic novel, so i found myself wanting more from the characters. but, i don’t think that is the fault of the writer, but just a function of the comic strip genre that i’m not used to.

the artwork was probably among the best i’ve seen in comics and it was clear that Kibuishi goes to great lengths to get every detail perfected. my absolute favorite part of the book, though, was the Behind the Scenes look at the step-by-step process of creating a Copper comic. Kibuishi explains the sketch and inking process, as well as his use of digital processing for color. it was a fascinating inside peak at the life of a graphic artist and it made me appreciate the artwork that much more.

Level Up

By Gene Luen Yang

Illustrations by Thien Pham

Published by First Second

Copyright © 2011

Dennis Ouyang is stressed out with college and the death of his father. The only thing that takes his mind off of everything is Video Games. When he finds out that he has been kicked out of college and he doesn’t know what he is going to tell his mother, 4 little angels come along to give him a hand. With their help Dennis gets into Med school. But Dennis doesn’t know if he really wants to pursue the medical specialty he has chosen. So he runs back to his old passion and comfort – Video Games.

Yang has written an interesting Asian American coming of age graphic novel that really expresses the pressure that they are under to succeed educationally and professionally. In Dennis case this culminates in the struggle between family and independence. Will this struggle drive Dennis crazy? Will he be doomed to unhappiness no matter he chooses? Or, can he find a happy middle ground?

This is an fascinating story, that many teens and college students can relate to. The art, while not very eye catching, does serve to facilitate the story telling and keep the pace moving. As a 30 something myself now, I also loved the classic video game references. This is a GR8 book for readers 13 and up.

I first encountered Gene Luen Yang when his comic Prime Baby was serialized in The New York Times. It was, quite frankly, adorable—a little sci-fi tale about a young boy coming to terms with his baby sister and her ability to spit out pods filled with the most helpful and cheerful aliens known to man. The art was simple and appealing, the characters fantastically human, and the jokes were funny. I think you can still read it here—I highly recommend it. So when I saw American Born Chinese on the graphic novel shelf at my local library (why yes, my local libraries are awesome), I decided to take it home.

American Born Chinese follows three seemingly disparate stories—the story of the Chinese legend the Monkey King, second-generation Chinese-American middle-school student Jin Wang, and a sitcom featuring Danny, who is plagued every year by a visit from his cousin Chin-Kee, the personification of Chinese stereotypes. Through these three stories that ultimately interlink, Yang explores Chinese identity in the United States and the trials of growing up as a minority.

I once flipped through the beginning of American Born Chinese in a bookstore, but couldn’t get past Chin-Kee—but that was a few years ago. On this read through, I was thoroughly impressed with what Yang was saying with deceptively simple stories. Each story deals with a main character who wants to fit in with the majority but can’t, simply because the majority rejects who they are underneath their desperate attempts at assimilation. I think the reason I couldn’t get past Chin-Kee’s story a few years ago was because I couldn’t see how it fit this overarching theme; but it ultimately does, and turns its situational comedy into something cruel when Danny tries to confide in a friend of his how embarrassed and horrified by Chin-Kee he is… and fails. It’s heart-breaking to watch Jin identify with his distant, white American tormentors over the Taiwanese immigrant Wei Chen Sun and his struggles to fit into a culture that end up leaving his heritage by the way side.

Ultimately, American Born Chinese is about successfully reconciling who you are with your culture in a way that’s healthy for your identity by showing us three protagonists that cope poorly—The Monkey King’s efforts to be human come with a new found distaste for monkey culture, Danny denies having any Chinese heritage, and Jin Wang polices the actions of his circle of friends, telling them to not be “F.O.B” (fresh off the boat) and changing what food he brings to school once he’s accused of eating dogs. Tying the three stories together in the end isn’t just a pat ending for the graphic novel, but a way for all three (well… oh, but I shouldn’t spoil anything!) to reach and share the conclusion that it’s better to be, ultimately, yourself, heritage and all. I’m always impressed by works of fiction that, despite seeming small, have repercussions beyond itself, and American Born Chinese is an approachable work that does just that. It’s a young adult work that’s appropriate for all ages, which I always appreciate.

Yang’s art style is round, clean, and bright—the coloring is completely flat, but it works for a deceptively simple trio of stories and probably appeals to a younger crowd. His panels are ultimately functional and nothing too groundbreaking, but their basic utility allows the story to come across with little to no obstacles, which I appreciate. It’s very attractive and lends itself both to slapstick comedy and more somber moments, which allows the audience to put the story of the Monkey King and Danny on the same level as Jin Wang’s story. And, I have to admit, I’m impressed by the quality of the hardcover copy I rented from the library—the pages are thick and glossy, and it even comes with a ribbon for a bookmark. I wish I could say more about it as a graphic novel; I wonder if there’s an art appreciation class I could take while I’m in college to help with analyzing graphic novels. Or perhaps it’s just because everything in American Born Chinese applies itself towards this specific theme, even the very toys Jin Wang and his friends play with.

Bottom line: A deceptively simple trio of stories about the Asian-American experience, American Born Chinese ponders how to reconcile your culture, identity, and heritage in a way that’s accessible to readers of all ages. Remarkably well-executed.

I rented this book from the public library.

By implication, ‘bad Asian sons’ Yang and Pham spin a touching tale of Dennis Ouyang, a young man who must ultimately “level up” to gain control of his own life. At age 6, Dennis first glimpses video games. Yet in spite of his instant fascination, he watches but never plays out of respect for his struggling immigrant father who has had to “eat much bitterness” to provide for his family. Not until his father dies two weeks before Dennis’ high school graduation does he actually pick up a game controller … and then he can’t seem to stop. What he might lack in self-control, Dennis makes up for in pure, limitless gaming talent.

By junior year of college, Dennis’ academic probation becomes expulsion. But divine intervention (in the form of four helpful halo-ed cuties) materializes just in time to save his disastrous academic career: he’s not only reinstated, but he’s soon on his way (of course!) to med school.

Yet being the good son doesn’t necessarily make Dennis happy. Will he remain the filial son whom his bitter-eating father so longed for? Or will he frivolously become the ultimate gamer?

Level by level, Yang and Pham delve deeper into Dennis’ story – his troubling relationship with his late father, his interactions with his disappointed mother, his new friends with even more opinions on how he should live his life …

In addition to all the fun and games (literally!), Dennis’s story is also a potent examination of the intricacies of the uniquely Asian American parent/child relationship. Move over, Tiger Mother … prepare to meet true Destiny!

Readers: Middle Grade, Young Adult

Published: 2011

…..

Name: Caira Ortiz
Age: 20
Occupation:
Full-time college student
Book: It’s a Bird… by Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen

Prior Experience:
I was extremely, and perhaps obsessively, into Japanese comics during middle and high school. I’ll still read a few here and there now, but they don’t interest me like they used to, mainly because most Japanese comics I come across have sexist themes throughout. Wait, so women can be more complex than crying over not getting asked out by the guy of their high school dreams?

Why Did You Pick This?
The cover. And then the title finished the deal. I had absolutely no idea what the comic book was about, and since I haven’t read any American comics I never imagined looking at Superman in anything other than happiness and awe. The isolation that was portrayed on the cover intrigued me.

Likes/Dislikes:
Dislikes – When I first began reading the comic I really didn’t enjoy the art. The way the artist drew human bodies didn’t appeal to me and the muted, nude colors didn’t help either. But once I began reading more, I realized the beauty of the art.
I’m not certain how much the artist is given when s/he creates the art for dialogue, but I thought that the artist probably wasn’t given anything other than the text I was reading. When I thought about that, I realized just how difficult an artist’s job could be. With nothing but the text at hand, it was incredible what Kristiansen could do with his work, with the symbols he chose to employ.
The one thing I remember most is on page 99, “Alternate Reality”. “No matter how fast you walk, there are things you see that make you stop – and think twice about your life… Incidents begging the question ‘Are you adding to the world or taking away from it?’” Nowhere in this text was Superman ever mentioned. Yet, there he is in the background as a woman busily walks along the street. Second panel – second glance – Superman has disappeared. The comparison that Kristiansen created by using Superman against an everyday person is not one I would have imagined if I was given the text, but his point becomes all the more poignant.

Likes – Everything. Can I just leave it at that?
I mean, really though. What is there to not like? The art is gorgeous, ever changing to fit the need of the panels and the dialogue. The dialogue itself is strong and has made me mull over many issues.
But I think the part I liked best was the ending. After reading about 1/3 of the comic book, I already resigned myself to thinking this would be a bleak comic. That was fine, I was alright with that. After all, it was dealing with tragedy, a family disease and the fear that it reached the author. But then there was the end. The sudden use of vibrant yellow, the reconciliation with his father and Lisa, his enthusiasm to take up Superman, and his influence on children (who look very similar to him and his brother when they were younger) to fall back into fantasy and hope.

What stood out?
I think I may have already answered this.

How difficult was it to read the comic?
Not at all. I really, absolutely enjoyed reading this comic. It gave me a lot to think about.

Did you respond more to the words or the artwork?
Oh, wow. I don’t think I could really choose. I really think both of them needed each other for “It’s A Bird…” to be what it is.

Do you feel like you would read some more comics after this experience?
Elliott, I’m trying to restrain myself from just raiding your place to get some more comics. You better hope Sabretooth is a good guard cat.

…..

Virginia Ervine:
Book: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Let’s just say I am over the hill.

The most I have ever read any comic was an occasional newspaper comic or a MAD magazine.  Does that even count???  I would have to say I was very impressed by this book “American Born Chinese”.  The story content was very engaging.  I have always thought that a comic was funny.  This book dealt with some very serious topics in a subtle and honest way, and also in a way a young person could deal with the realities of unkindness.  The story also had some humorous parts which I appreciated.  The pictures were interesting and funny.  I was not thrilled with the ending, but maybe comics end weird.  All in all this was a very good book, thanks for letting me read it.

…..

I am Samantha!
I am twenty!
I am a student!
I read Something to pet the cat about by Elisabeth Belliveau.

I have had my fair share of comic reads in the past; however I am nowhere near as adequate as the admirable Elliott in my understanding of their magnificence. People say, “never judge a book by its cover.” Well to answer why I chose this book, I tell those people that judging by the cover is a fine way to decide to pick it up, just the way we decide to talk to strangers. Perhaps these alleged people should be advising authors to pick better pictures and be clever when writing the titles of their books. Regardless, in my opinion, Elisabeth Belliveau has done a fine job making her cover art because I simply could not resist. In more protest to these anti-judgmentalists I would like to point out how the interior of the book was just as beautiful if not more so. In other words, their advice is completely faulty.

In my few experiences with reading comics I have found that if you turn on the right part of your brain while doing it, its like watching a movie, reading a novel and listening to music at the same time. Maybe it is just me, but when I see little music notes, I really hear them. Belliveau encompasses her emotions through the power of pictures and reminds me of times where I too have felt empty and like a bowl of shit. At the same time, she juxtaposes these somewhat sad feelings to beautiful images of flowers, animals, and city streets.

The very first comic I read was hard for me to read because my brain could not wrap around all the sensory details that these books are screaming about. It gets easier though, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is new at reading them because a lot of parts are more about soaking in the pictures than reading the words. Plus it is quick enough to read through multiple times and find something new each time. Also, if Elliott recommends something then we know it is good, so of course I would want to read more comics on his list and keep hoping for the fleeting moments that he shares his mastery, wisdom and insight with us less knowledgeable folk who still enjoy a good read.

…..

If you liked this a lot, check out Round 2!

The book follows three story arcs: the Monkey King’s journey starting out as a talented monkey to becoming a self-made god to humility and acceptance, the misadventures of Danny and his highly exaggerated cousin, Chin-Kee, and Jin Wang’s trouble with fitting in and getting the girl while being one of a few Asians at school.

While the book does a good job describing Jin Wang’s desire to fit in, it leaves a lot of the trouble with fitting in as a minority unspoken, but let’s focus on what the story does right first.  Jin Wang’s relationship with the Caucasian girl Amelia and the lengths he goes through to get her are pretty spot on, especially the deodorant, or lack thereof) at the movies.  I thought it was especially powerful when Jin Wang changes his hair in an attempt to look more “white.”  Because it is the context of teen-life, the significance of hair in minorities that don’t have physical characteristics that match up with white standards of beauty becomes more of a universal problem rather than a racially specific one.

The first few sections of the Monkey King were also well done and did a good job paralleling Jin Wang’s issues in high school.  The Monkey King does everything he can to become one of the cool kids at the cool table, but the fact that he is a monkey and not a god keeps him from realizing his desire, no matter what he does to be accepted.

This leads us to the train-wreck named Chin-Kee and the place that the book falls apart.  As Jin Wang comes to terms with his Asian-ness, the context is all wrong for a number of reasons.  First, there is very little bright side in Jin Wang’s life.  Specifically, there is little Asian culture (I don’t mean chopsticks and egg rolls; I mean family and friends) present.  He has a Chinese friend, but Yang does little with this character to create any sense of community, when this is exactly what Jin’s friend, Wei-Chen Sun, does.

Unfortunately, because Yang ignores any Asian community, the representation of Asian-ness becomes problematic.  Wei-Chen, Chin-Kee, and, to a certain extent, Jin are at their most “Asian” when trying to please and when being subservient.  This reoccurring theme is brought home when the Monkey King must realize his position as a monkey and act in the service of those he was trying to join in the first place.

Yang’s book is an important story that can help many, like me, who are just finding their Asian identities (hopefully others find it sooner), but it cannot be an ending place.