Smash Pages Q&A: Sophie Yanow on ‘The Contradictions’

The creator of ‘War of Streets and Houses’ and ‘What is a Glacier?’ talks about her latest book, her process and more.

Sophie Yanow made a splash with War of Streets and Houses and in the years since has continued to make comics for outlets like The Nib, where she covered the Standing Rock protests and the 2017 Presidential Inauguration.

Her new book The Contradictions is her longest work to date. It’s a more personal story, this time detailing Yanow’s time in college in France, a road trip with another student that explores politics, relationships and being young in moving and powerful ways.

When Yanow and I spoke in 2017 after the release of her collection What is a Glacier?, she mentioned working on a longer book and trying to dedicate herself to the project, and we had the chance to talk over email about developing a new process to make the book, the rhythm of her artwork, and finding the right way to dramatize one’s youth.

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Comics Lowdown is back!

Your roundup of essential comics news is back, with an Angoulême update, cussin’ Stan Lee and more!

Big publishing news: Bertelsmann, the parent company of Penguin Random House, announced the day before Thanksgiving that it will buy Simon & Schuster. This will affect graphic novels and manga in a big way, because PRH and S&S distribute a LOT of graphic novels and manga.

In a series of Tweets, Ed Chavez sketches out what the manga landscape will look like, and why it matters. ICv2 lists all their comics/distribution clients; keep in mind that this is in addition to the graphic novels the companies themselves publish under a variety of imprints: Random House has RH Graphics and Pantheon (which publishes the works of Chris Ware and other literary graphic novels), and S&S has Gallery 13 and, just announced, two new lines of graphic novels for young readers.

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What Are You Reading? | ‘Blue in Green,’ ‘Ever’ and more

See what the Smash Pages crew has been reading lately.

Welcome to What Are You Reading?, our weekly look at what the Smash Pages crew has been reading lately.

Let us know what you read this week in the comments or on social media.

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Third ‘Batman: Earth One’ graphic novel coming in June

Geoff Johns and Gary Frank return to tell a third tale of a younger Batman.

Geoff Johns and Gary Frank will once again team up to tell another story about the Earth One Batman. The third graphic novel in DC’s series will arrive next June.

Johns and Frank will be joined by Jon Sibal and Brad Anderson, who they worked with on previous volumes in the series. Johns, Frank and Anderson also worked together on Three Jokers, which recently wrapped up, and will team up on the new Image title Geiger.

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DC to publish ‘Super Sons’ digital title

Peter J. Tomasi returns for a third run starring Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne.

Peter J. Tomasi, who wrote DC’s previous two series starring Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne, will once again bring Superboy and Robin together for Challenge of the Super Sons.

The DC Digital First series will debut Dec. 14. Joining Tomasi for the 14-part series are artists Max Raynor, Jorge Corona and Evan Stanley, with Raynor set to draw the first chapter.

“Stories about Jon and Damian at this time in their lives allows me to tap back into those early years of my own life of being a crazy kid, while also allowing me to mine the fertile ground of my own son’s current adventures, which in turn helps keep me tapped into the general zeitgeist of today’s youth and what they’re going through and thinking about,” Tomasi said. “Jon and Damian are so different—the angel and the devil on your shoulder so to speak—with each one having such a distinctive backstory and perspective that the drama between them is organic and damn easy to bring to life on the page. Best of all, it’s a helluva lotta fun!”

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‘The New Mutants’: The kids are alright

Carla Hoffman reviews ‘The New Mutants,’ the film based on the classic comics by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz.

I was terrified, you know.  Despite having it marked in my digital calendar (a few times, really), despite my overblown excitement at seeing a lobby poster at the end of last year (‘this time, for sure!’ listed as the date), sitting on my couch in excitement through an online SDCC panel, I still couldn’t find myself to be excited, let alone relieved, that The New Mutants was finally going to be viewable to the public and streaming online.

Repetitive disappointment can do that to a person; the constant backstage chatter, the infinite new release dates, the literal fall of Fox Studios as an independent movie production company, mergers and major misspeaks by the director regarding casting, this movie felt destined to fail.  It was Schrodinger’s Movie: as long as we didn’t see it, the film was either a hit or bust and for a long time, it was just better not to know.

So what was The New Mutants?  Is the cat alive or dead?  Is this the secret savior of the Fox-X Franchise or an ugly cousin they had every right to keep hidden from prying eyes?  Keep reading and let’s see what we can make of it.

(SPOILERS: to discuss the movie means that we have to talk about the movie and all the twists and turns it takes.  Find your own online digital copy and watch and read along!)

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Smash Pages Q&A: Jesse Lonergan

The creator of ‘Hedra’ talks about that project, the recently released ‘Planet Paradise,’ his webcomic ‘Prime’ and much more.

Over the years, Jesse Lonergan has written and drawn a number of comics, including three graphic novels (Flower and Fade, Joe and Azat, and All Star) which showed off expressive fluid style, a skill at dialogue and a masterful ability at wordless storytelling.

Lonergan gained a new audience when Image republished Hedra earlier this year. Originally self-published, the comic is the story of an interstellar journey and features a very different approach to storytelling and design than what readers saw in his earlier books. This month, NBM just published Willie Nelson: A Graphic History, for which Lonergan drew a chapter, and Lonergan’s new graphic novel Planet Paradise, was just released by Image.

We spoke recently about his work, why it changed a few years ago, the new book he’s serializing on his Patreon, and more.

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Sunday Comics | Flash Gordon, trolls and Monster MACS!

Check out new comics from Pia Guerra, Joe Infurnari, John Reppion, PJ Holden and Kerry Callen.

Here’s a round up of some of the best comics we’ve seen online recently. If we missed something, let us know in the comments below.

Dec. 5 is the 40th anniversary of the cult classic Flash Gordon film and to celebrate, King Features is doing a host of activities, like re-releasing the film, launching a motion comic and doing a comic strip anthology. Creators like June Brigman, Liniers, Erica Henderson and Tana Ford will participate in Flash Forward and create strips featuring the space-faring hero.

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Smash Pages Q&A: KC Councilor

The comics creator and professor discusses his memoir ‘Between You and Me: Transitional Comics’ and much more.

KC Councilor is a cartoonist and an Assistant Professor of Communications at Southern Connecticut State University. He is the cartoonist behind the great memoir Between You and Me: Transitional Comics, and has contributed comics to various anthologies including the recently published Menopause: A Comic Treatment. He has also made comics for academic journals including a great recent article, Drawing the Body In: A Comic Essay on Trans Mobility and Materiality.

Councilor and I spoke recently about Lynda Barry, Graphic Medicine and how making comics changed his life and the way he processed the world.

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‘Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures’ will launch next year

IDW will kick off the all-ages title, set in the heyday of the Jedi Order, in February.

IDW has announced that Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures will launch next February. The comic falls under “The High Republic” umbrella that Lucasfilm announced earlier this year and will include novels, comics and more.

Writer Daniel José Older, author of Star Wars: Last Shot, artist Harvey Tolibao and colorist Rebecca Nalty will team up for a tale of the Republic’s glory days.

“I’m so very excited to be able to tell this epic story of Padawans as the galaxy changes dramatically around them and danger lurks around every corner. Working on The High Republic has been a dream come true and getting to watch this world come to life through the brilliant art of Harvey Tolibao is one of the highlights of my career. I can’t wait for the fans to see what we’re cooking up,” Older said.

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DC’s Future State Wonder Woman will become the present state Wonder Girl

Yara Flor, the South American Wonder Woman who will debut in January, will appear in a miniseries by Joelle Jones.

We’re still a couple months away from the debut of DC Future State, the post-Death Metal event that will offer readers a glimpse at the future of the DCU. But one character set to debut in the two-month event will live on — Yara Flor, the future Wonder Woman who hails from South America.

DC announced this week that they are developing a show for The CW featuring the character, but are also giving her a miniseries that will be written and drawn by Joëlle Jones.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | I demand a ‘Recount’

New comics arrive this week from Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Andi Watson, Kellie Sue DeConnick and more.

It’s time for another look at what’s arriving in comic shops, bookstores and on digital this week, from the latest issue of DC’s big crossover event to the return of Andi Watson to the end of the Lumberjanes ongoing series.

If you’re wondering what to get this week, check out a few recommendations below. ComicList has this week’s list of new comics arriving in stores, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.

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