Lab U.S.A. Review

I have to link to this just-published review on the Graphic Novel Reporter of my nearly ten-year-old "docucomic "Lab U.S.A." The reviewer really understood was I was trying to do and, much to my pleasure, refers to it as a "horror" comic. (LINK)

Marginalia

I've been rather absent from this blog (and many other things) as I've been drawing and scanning the 170 pages of my next book, "A Secret Mercy." When my enthusiasm for inking the particular page I'm working on wanes, I often do a little drawing in the margin to satisfy the desire to be doing something without preconceptions or definable purpose. As I scanned my pages, I saved a few of these. So here's a collection:

Reading With Pictures Anthology

I'm collaborating with Kevin Sacco (and Calvin Pyle!) on a contribution to a fundraising venture for Reading With Pictures.
Here's their copy:
Help Bring Comics into the Classroom
Reading with Pictures is an educational non-profit organization that promotes literacy and the visual arts through the use of comics in the classroom. To achieve our goals, we’ve recently launched a pledge drive on kickstarter.com (http://kck.st/a2LVJy) to finance the publication of a groundbreaking educational comics anthology. The anthology features a cover by Jill Thompson (The Sandman) and original stories by over 50 all-ages creators including Fred Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man), Chris Giarrusso (Mini-Marvels), Jim Gownley (Amelia Rules), Jeffrey Brown (Sulk), Scott Sava (The Dreamland Chronicles), and RWP Executive Director Josh Elder (Mail Order Ninja). This limited edition anthology will serve as a proof of concept that comics can be both entertaining and educational, and the only way to guarantee that you get your copy is by pre-ordering on Kickstarter today!
Learn more by visiting us online at www.readingwithpictures.org.
At Reading with Pictures, we’re getting comics into schools and getting schools into comics.

Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2010

I'm really honored that YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) named Katman as one of the great teen graphic novels for 2010. As if I didn't already love librarians enough. Check out all the great company I'm with (here)

Katman flagged for TMGNRL

The Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (TMGNRL) is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table (YART). The purpose of the list is to encourage students in grades 6-12 to explore a variety of current books. To see the whole list click here.

The Digital Empire of Russell Christian

Artist and friend Russell Christian has been fervently wrestling with the economic crisis from all angles and mediums on a series of nested blogs that sprout new tangents daily. For that and so much more start at his Bruxist Manifesto, then follow the Bouncy Banker and end in The World of Disarray.

School Library Journal Review

Here some highlights:

"Pyle's Katman succeeds because of its honesty. He doesn't try to make it an afterschool special kind of story, where the choices are easy and right and wrong are clear."

and

"Katman is a strong story, but a hard read. It's not for readers unfamiliar with the comic medium, but it is also not for readers looking for something quick and easy to breeze through. Pyle requires his readers to think and to do that, they have to pay attention to details in the text and panels. But for readers wanting a realistic story where a teen himself is the superhero simply by doing what he is able to do, they will find in Katman a character to admire."

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