Tag Archives: Holiday Gifts

November 27, 2022 · 2:38 pm

THE PAINTED TREE — Shopper’s Paradise

The Painted Tree, The Shops at Hilltop, Virginia Beach

Filed under Art, Comics, Gifts, The Painted Tree, Virginia Beach

Tagged as Boutique Clothing, comics, Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, Family, fashion, Gifts, Greeting Cards, Holiday Gifts, Home Decor, Humor, Illustration, Pop Culture, Small Business, The Painted Tree, Virginia, Virginia Beach

October 15, 2022 · 1:32 pm

DECK THE HALLS WITH GRAPHIC NOVELS 📚🎁

Deck the Halls with Graphic Novels!

Diamond has released its Holiday Catalog and that got me thinking. Here are a few highlights from their list that jive with my own outlook. As many of you already know, I love me an eclectic mix of everything! Whatever curls my toes. Most of the time, it’s character driven, offbeat, maybe not the most obvious choices and just makes you feel something, you know? You can consider these titles some of the best for 2022.

RAIN

Joe Hill’s Rain

THE FIRST IN CHRIS RYALL & ASHLEY WOOD’S NEW SYZYGY PUBLISHING IMPRINT LINE OF TITLES AT IMAGE COMICS!

On a seemingly normal August day in Boulder, Colorado, the skies are clear, and Honeysuckle Speck couldn’t be happier. She’s finally moving in with her girlfriend Yolanda. But their world is literally torn apart when dark clouds roll in and release a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. RAIN makes vivid this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads across the country and around the world, threatening everything young lovers Honeysuckle and Yolanda hold dear.

So begins a gripping 5-issue presentation of New York Times bestselling author JOE HILL’s acclaimed novella, adapted by rising stars DAVID M. BOOHER (Canto), ZOE THOROGOOD (The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott), and CHRIS O’HALLORAN (Ha-Ha).

Rain

Joe Hill, David M. Booher, Zoe Thorogood

FRONTLIST | On Sale Date: October 11, 2022

Hardcover, Image Comics, 160 pages, Ages 13 And Up

$21.99 USD, $29.50 CAD, £19.99 GBP

Comics & Graphic Novels / Horror

CLEMENTINE

Clementine by Tillie Walden

“TILLIE WALDEN is the future. Her boldly authentic voice brings new heights to the world of The Walking Dead.” —ROBERT KIRKMAN

“Will have you craving more when the final page turns.” —CHIP ZDARSKY

“An exquisitely drawn story about how to survive trauma and find strength in ourselves and others.” —KELLY SUE DECONNICK

Powerhouse creator TILLIE WALDEN takes on the world of ROBERT KIRKMAN’s THE WALKING DEAD in the most anticipated YA graphic novel of 2022.

The trilogy marks the graphic novel debut of Clementine, star of the massively successful Telltale Games video game.

In Book One, Clementine discovers new allies, new rivals, and new love. But as the group tries to build a walker-free settlement in an abandoned ski resort, they soon discover that the biggest threat to their survival…is each other.

Clementine Book One

Tillie Walden, Robert Kirkman

BACKLIST | On Sale Date: June 21, 2022

Paperback, Image Comics, 256 pages, Ages 13 to 16

$14.99 USD, $19.99 CAD, £13.99 GBP

Young Adult Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / Horror

SIDE EFFECTS

‘Side Effects’ is a personal story about mental health and what it takes to find yourself again.

Hannah doesn’t want to be a hero. She just wants to be well.

Hannah’s dealing with a lot in her first year of college and to make matters worse, she’s also battling her own brain, in the form of anxiety and depression. Fortunately, her therapist has put her on some meds to help, but those meds cause some unintended side effects, like sleepless nights, pounding headaches…

…or, in Hannah’s case, superpowers.

Now, on top of juggling tests and dates, Hannah has to deal with occasionally shooting lightning bolts from her fingers or reading her girlfriend’s mind. Maybe she’s supposed to be a superhero, but all she wants to do is make it through the year in one piece.

Written by Ted Anderson (My Little Pony, Adventure Time: Beginning of the End, ORPHAN AGE, MOTH AND WHISPER) and illustrated by Tara O’Connor (Fly By Night, Roots, Puddles) comes a personal story about mental health and what it takes to find yourself again.

Side Effects

Ted Anderson, Mike Marts (Edited by), Tara O’Connor

FRONTLIST | October 18, 2022

Paperback, Aftershock Comics, 112 pages, Ages 13 And Up

$17.99 USD, $23.99 CAD, £15.99 GBP

Young Adult Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / Science Fiction

EVERYDAY HERO MACHINE BOY

Everyday Hero Machine Boy

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…Machine Boy! When Machine Boy falls from the sky into the domed city of Mega 416, he leaves a wake of destruction behind him…until Karate Grandpa is able to turn on his heart. Now, Machine Boy wants nothing more than to become a hero! Whether he’s fighting giant bugs in the school’s basement, rescuing cats from trees, or making the perfect spaghetti sauce, Machine Boy is always looking for the best way to help others. But when his heart begins to interact dangerously with other debris from space, Machine Boy wonders if he can be a power for good after all. Rising stars TRI VUONG (LEGO NINJAGO) and IRMA KNIIVILA (Year of the Dog) present a funny and engaging adventure that asks—can you override your own programming?

Everyday Hero Machine Boy

Irma Kniivila, Tri Vuong

FRONTLIST | On Sale Date: September 13, 2022

Paperback, Image Comics, 192 pages, Ages 9 to 12

$12.99 USD, $17.50 CAD, £11.99 GBP

Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / Action & Adventure

SEA SERPENT’S HEIR

Sea Serpent’s Heir

What if you were destined to destroy the world?

For Aella life on Kinamen Isle is completely boring. She dreams of life beyond the horizon even as she spends her days fishing and minding her aunts.

Everything changes however when she awakens an ancient evil within herself: Xir the serpent that almost destroyed the world. Worse yet a fanatical religious organization has arrived on Kinamen Isle to destroy Xir.

As Aella is forced to fight for her life she’ll discover that her entire world is not what it seems. Her aunts know more than they let on-and what exactly does the infamous Pirate Queen want with Aella anyway?

From the team of MAIRGHREAD SCOTT (Star Wars: Resistance Guardians of the Galaxy) and PABLO TUNICA (TMNT Universe) comes an extraordinary tale of growing up and changing your fate.

Sea Serpent’s Heir, Book 1

Mairghread Scott, Pablo Tunica

FRONTLIST | On Sale Date: October 18, 2022

Paperback, Image Comics, 160 pages, Ages 13 to 16

$14.99 USD, $19.99 CAD, £13.99 GBP

Young Adult Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / Fantasy

WE LIVE

The year is 2084 and the world has changed

Wracked by calamities and crawling with monsters, the last remaining humans face a dangerous existence.

And now, the Earth has been sent a message from the deepest reaches of space – a dark countdown to the extinction of all humanity. But there is hope! Five thousand children will be rescued by these mysterious message-senders.

This is the journey of Hototo, one of the lucky five thousand – but only if his teenage sister, Tala, can safely deliver him to the nearest Beacon before time runs out.

WE LIVE is a world of violence and beauty, a unique tale of the apocalypse as told by Inaki Miranda (Catwoman, Batman Beyond) and Roy Miranda, that invites both dread and hope.

WE LIVE

Inaki Miranda, Roy Miranda, Mike Marts (Edited by)

BACKLIST | June 1, 2021

Paperback, Aftershock Comics, 120 pages, Ages 13 to 16

$16.99 USD, $22.99 CAD, £14.99 GBP

Comics & Graphic Novels / Science Fiction

Alrighty then, there’s plenty more I could add to the list but that should whet your appetite. This is plenty to feast upon for now, some of the best quirky and fun stuff out there.

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Filed under Comics, graphic novels

Tagged as Books, comics, Diamond Comic Distributors, Entertainment, graphic novels, Holiday Gifts, Holidays, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing

December 13, 2020 · 11:00 pm

Comics Grinder Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Another Top Ten List ❤️

Something as good as a stocking full of cash?

Here are more suggestions for you to consider during this holiday season. See what you think of this next Top Ten List. What do you want most? Maybe stuff a stocking with some cash and glitter? That is hard to beat but let’s see. Look, I’m trying to help. Here, let’s make it an even dozen…

MAX & THE MIDKNIGHTS

A book that is bound to be welcomed by young readers. Filled with jokes, action, and just the right mix of middle school angst, Lincoln Peirce strikes another home run with his latest kid epic. Published by Penguin Random House.

BENEATH THE MOON

A gorgeously illustrated collection of some of the world’s most beloved fairy tales, fables and myths. Yoshi Yoshitani presented time-honored classic with a sly contemporary vibe. Published by Penguin Random House.

SONG OF THE COURT

Here is an appealing book for cat lovers, young readers, and anyone who appreciates an energetic and polished children’s book in a graphic novel format. By Katy Farina, known for creating the New York Times bestselling Baby-sitter’s Club Little Sisters series. Published by Sterling Children’s Books.

THE COMIC BOOK STORY OF BASKETBALL

Fred Van Lente has been attached to some of the most significant educational graphic novels and he brings his A-game to this detailed tribute to basketball. Published by Penguin Random House.

DRAWING FIRE

Bill Mauldin (1921-2003) is one of the all-time great political cartoonists we’ve ever had, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for his editorial cartoons. Here, collected in one book, is a treasure trove of collected works and substantial essays reviewing Mauldin’s career beginning with his “Willie and Joe” cartoons from World War II. Published by Pritzker Military Museum & Library.

GREAT NAVAL BATTLES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

In the history of civilizations, sea power has always played a preponderant role. This symbol of a nation’s scientific and military genius has very often been the deciding factor during major conflicts, putting the names of several clashes down into legend. With this collection, Jean-Yves Delitte and Giuseppe Baiguera plunge you into the heart of three of the twentieth century’s greatest naval battles. The comics narratives exploring Tsushima (1905), Jutland (1916), and Midway (1941) bring you right up to the action. Published by Dead Reckoning.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF MAUTHAUSEN

This is the riveting true life story of Francisco Boix, a Spanish press photographer and communist who fled to France at the beginning of World War II. Boix ended up imprisoned at the notorious Mauthausen concentration camp. But, through some luck and skill, Boix found a way to not only survive but to expose Nazi war crimes. Another stellar title published by Dead Reckoning.

NAUTRALIST

An ambitious graphic novel adaption of Edward O. Wilson’s classic. Keeping to a steady pace, any fan of the original will be satisfied. For new readers, this is an excellent gateway to the life and times of one of the world’s preeminent biologists and to nature itself. Published by Island Press.

GUANTANAMO VOICES

Journalist Sarah Mirk and her team of diverse, talented graphic novel artists tell the stories of ten people whose lives have been shaped and affected by the prison, including former prisoners, lawyers, social workers, and service members.. Published by Abrams.

BAD ISLAND

Cult artist and longtime Radiohead collaborator Stanley Donwood embarks upon an eerie journey in his first foray into comics with this wordless graphic novel. Published by W.W. Norton & Company.

PLEASE DON’T STEP ON MY JNCO JEANS

Here’s a neat little stocking stuffer: a gem of self-loathing slice-of-life comic strips from indie cartoonist Noah Van Sciver. Published by Fantagraphics.