Category Archives: Comics

Women Creators in Comics

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Larsen

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

March is Woman’s History Month, and the library wants to celebrate by sharing some of our favorite women comic creators with you! Our selections provide options in both our physical collection, as well as our digital collection via ComicsPlus. We hope these comics provide you with some new favorites to read and encourage you to explore our collection for other women creators whose works you might enjoy!

Comics Available on the Shelf

Ducks : Two Years in the Oil Sands (Kate Beaton)

Kate Beaton pivots from her satirical comedy work of Hark! A Vagrant to tell her personal story of working in the Canadian Oil Sands. This autobiographical work covers her life from 2005 to 2008 and explores what life was like living on-site for one of the extraction companies. From constant sexual harassment to dangerous working conditions, she takes an unflinching look at what happens when society’s capitalistic, consumption-driven nature drives people to extremes in order to survive– even people just like you. We would like to warn readers that this comic could be triggering for some as it deals with sexual harassment and other forms of intimidation, and depicts some bodily injuries.

Flung Out of Space : Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith (Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer)

Many consider Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt to be an essential piece of lesbian literature. This graphic novel examines and reimagines the life of Patricia during the 1940s when she was working as a writer for various Golden Age comics. These events were set before she would write her first novel and included moments that would be the foundation for her future groundbreaking lesbian romance novel. The creators of this graphic novel not only explore the foundations for Salt but also the life and times of its highly flawed (and at times controversial) LGBTQ + author.

Mamo (Sas Milledge)

Orla is a young woman who finds she must return home after the passing of her grandmother. Her grandmother wasn’t just anyone though– she was in fact the town’s witch. When the land turns toxic and the town becomes haunted, can Orla rise to the occasion and take on a responsibility she never wanted? The only solution seems to be becoming the new hedge witch, but will that be enough to everything right again?

Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers

Hot Comb (Ebony Flowers)

Hot Comb is an autobiographical comic that offers the opportunity to glimpse the relationship black women have with their hair. Through a series of short stories, creator Ebony Flowers shows the dynamic experiences black women encounter in their daily lives when it comes to their hair. Stories include getting her first perm, her sister’s experiences with microaggressions as the only Black athlete on a sports team, and several others.

The Night Eaters (Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda)

The Night Eaters is a new fantasy horror series from the creators of Monstress. When their restaurant is in trouble, Chinese American twins hope to find help from their parents. The parents are concerned they have raised them not to be self-sufficient enough and come up with a plan to teach them a lesson. They are to help their mother clean up the old run-down house next door where a murder happened years ago. Working through the night the family encounters supernatural horrors and things that make those bumps in the night. Could their children be more than what they appear to be?

Sunrise Blossom (Nina Aberlein)

Sunrise Blosson is a coming-of-age LGBTQ+ fantasy selection from our crowdfunded comics collection. The story follows Ivy who is a young falcon harpy on a journey to explore human society. She eventually finds herself traveling with a human who helps her learn about herself and the world. As these travel companions go on their various adventures, Ivy starts to realize that she may have romantic feelings for her human companion.

Comics Available Through ComicsPlus

Air by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker

Air (G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker)

Air is a comic series about a flight attendant with both a fear of heights and the ability to control flight and bend reality. As she pursues a traveler who may actually be a terrorist, she soon finds herself in a world of dark conspiracies, secret societies, and sinister political agendas. The world she knows becomes more mysterious as she discovers the advanced technology behind it. How far is she willing to go using her reality-warping powers to find the answers she seeks?

Goldie Vance (Hope Larson)

This comic tells the story of a young woman whose life of mystery and intrigue is about to begin. Goldie lives with her father who runs a resort and she dreams of becoming a detective. Her chance to enter the world of mystery solving begins when the current resort detective agrees to mentor her in exchange for her help in solving his latest case. Without proper training, does Goldie have what it takes to solve the mystery?

Man-Eaters by Chelsea Caine and Kate Niemczyk

Man-Eaters (Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk)

The toxoplasmosis virus has mutated and is infecting young girls. If they are infected and hit puberty, it transforms them into flesh-eating wild cats once a month. The world creates response teams and policies to contain the threat of young women entering adulthood. This is the story of Maude as she turns twelve and starts to worry if she is a man-eater, and her father the detective responsible for investigating recent cat attacks. Author Chelsea Cain’s series is heavy on satire and 100% about taking on the patriarchy.

Drawing Lines: An Anthology of Women Cartoonists (Various)

This anthology collects works of more than twelve stories from over twenty different women comic creators. The stories they tell will cover the gambit of experiences women face. Some of them are humorous, and others are jarring real-life experiences. No matter type of story you read, it is certainly guaranteed to be representative of some of the best work from women comic creators in the industry.

While the above comics are some of our favorites, there are many more to choose from in our catalog and the ComicsPlus application.

If you are unfamiliar with the ComicsPlus application, check out the video links below as they provide additional details on the application.

Welcome to ComicsPlus

How to Locate and Access ComicsPlus

Happy reading!

Share this post:
Facebook Twitter Tumblr

Crowdfunded Comics: A Unique UIUC Collection

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Larsen

Cover of "The Girl Who Married a Skull and Other African Stories" crowdfunded comic

You probably already know that the University Library houses an expansive comic collection which is always available for checkout to take home and read. You probably also know that we have an electronic comics application called ComicsPlus that offers free access to over 20,000 comics from over 80 publishers right at your fingertips. You may be surprised to learn, however, that the library has a truly unique collection of crowdfunded comics, many of which are only available through the UIUC library.

Over the last several years, the library has been collecting crowdfunded comics. For those unfamiliar with the term, crowdfunded comics are created via the backing of donors through sites like Kickstarter. Many of these books come from BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ creators that rely on crowdfunding to have a presence in the comic space. Until now, there have been no academic libraries collecting these comics in significant quantity. To try and help ensure these materials are seen and discoverable, we have acquired to date 188 different crowdfunded comic projects and are actively adding them to our collection.

The library is excited to be able to share this unique and growing collection with you. And to celebrate both Black History Month and this unique collection, February’s selections will primarily, though not exclusively, focus on some of the different crowdfunded comics we have acquired from Black creators. If you see something you like, make sure to check it out, and hopefully discover something new and unique to enjoy!

Comics Available on the Shelf

The Girl Who Married a Skull and Other African Stories (Various)

This modern anthology series comes from Iron Circus, one of the pioneering publishers of crowdfunded comics. The book takes classic African folklore and updates them with modern twists and takes. While the book may seem more suited for juvenile readers, many fables and folklore stories have been the basis for connecting people of all ages to other cultures as well as our own pasts.

The Lunatic, The Lover, & The Poet (Brian Hawkins and Marcio Loerzer)

The comic is a horror mystery series that feels like a slasher movie set against a Shakespearean backdrop. It is the story of a playwright who has big Broadway ambition yet is stuck working on a small-town rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And if that wasn’t challenging enough, he then finds himself wrapped up in a murder plot that ripples through the town. After their lead star is murdered, can he change the script of this drama before anyone else becomes a victim?

The Nekros (D.C. Burton and Olumide Emmanuel)

A demon is stalking the citizens of a small village. When this mythical monster takes the lead character’s father in one of its raids, it sets in motion a quest to put an end to its reign of terror. The series is set in a dark fantasy world where our mythology influences which gods and monsters we see. As the series progresses, the hero and his party find themselves placed in situations that their training never prepared them for, but the hero always wins in the end…right?

Black Spartans (Brandon Calloway)

In this manga series, we follow a novice magical bounty hunter as he begins his career hunting all sorts of magical and mythical nuisances. Along the way, he meets a female bounty hunter who will either be a great partner or…a bitter rival? Will these two become the heroes everyone needs when great evils have started to be freed from captivity? Or will they decide the world is too full of darkness and corruption to be worth salvation? The creator’s love of Shonen manga really shines through as he world-builds around the two protagonists.

Image from Ennead - The Rule of Nine Kickstarter project page

Ennead – The Rule of Nine (J.L. Johnson, Luke Horseman, and Edward Lilly)

This expansive high fantasy series (currently on its sixth issue) follows four different characters as they grapple with their destinies. The story around each of the four characters is different, yet the tales overlap as they are all traveling in the same land. Whether you are following the soldier running from his past, the young queen struggling to take control of the reins of power, the old king trying to change the history of the world by ending generations of war, or the spy trying to prevent the world itself from burning, you will find yourself likely enthralled with what happens next in the land of Amashik.

Real Hero Shit (Kendra Wells)

Real Hero Shit is another selection from crowdfunding publisher Iron Circus, and you won’t want to miss reading this one! Real Hero Shit is set in a Dungeons & Dragon style world that breaks down the boundaries of traditional fantasy to include queer representation. A rogue is tasked with rescuing villagers but finds his options slim. To aid him in this quest, he gathers a mismatched group of fellow adventurers, including a local prince who is more about partying than adventuring. The group, especially the prince, is about to receive a hard lesson about the system and what being a real hero means.

Toddlerhood! (George Gant)

Crowdfunded comics cover a wide variety of topics and interests. And Chicago-based creator George Gant’s collection of comic strips about the hilariously absurd task of raising a toddler, is a great example. The series was originally published as a webcomic on the Webtoon application before King Features Syndicate picked it up in mid-2022 and now publishes the series through their website.

Cover of Ruca by Kayden Phoenix, Amanda Julina Gonzalez, and Alexis Lopez

Ruca (Kayden Phoenix, Amanda Julina Gonzalez, and Alexis Lopez)

Kayden Phoenix is a third-generation Chicana creator who has been creating her own Latina superhero universe via crowdfunding. This book has an all-Chicana creative team, with one of their stated goals to create superhero characters that are true representations of Latinas by challenging stereotypes about them and other marginalized Americans. The book is the origin story for the character as she discovers her powers, and along the way delves into the world of child kidnapping and trafficking.

Zufan (Beserat Debebe and Stanley Obende)

Zufan is an Afrofuturistic series inspired by the attempted Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1896. It takes the core of its story from the historical unification of the various and highly fractured Ethiopian provinces to repel the Italians, and in so doing, being the only African country to retain its independence during what is known as the Scramble for Africa era in the late 1800s. The creators apply this historical event to an alien invasion of Earth where instead of provinces, the country of Africa must find a way to unite in a Pan-African alliance to survive.

Comics Available Through ComicsPlus

Cover of Farmhand by Taylor Wells and Rob Guillory

Farmhand (Taylor Wells and Rob Guillory)

Farmhand is an exploration of the life of Jedidiah Jenkins, the world’s most unique farmer. You see his farm doesn’t produce crops but instead produces body parts! After years of amazing business, the truth about the root of Jenkins’ success bubbles up from below the surface. When his estranged son returns home, will this spell doom for everyone or will it save the family from a greater evil? Find out in this new horror/comedy series from creator Rob Guillory, who won fans the world over with his run on the Image series Chew.

While the above comics are some of our favorites, there are many more to choose from in the catalog. The easiest way to locate the crowdfunded comics material is to type “Kickstarter” in the catalog search box. You can then filter the results list using the Subject topics on the left-hand navigation pane such as Comic Books Strips Etc. and Comics Graphic Works among others.

And if you are unfamiliar with the ComicsPlus application where Farmhand can be found, check out the video links below as they provide additional details on the application.

Welcome to ComicsPlus

How to Locate and Access ComicsPlus

Share this post:
Facebook Twitter Tumblr

Sports Themed Comics for All Seasons

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Larsen

Cover of Roughneck by Jeff Lemire

A new year has begun with the Spring semester in full motion! And while it may be cold outside, the University Library comic collection enjoys watching the various sports currently in progress. Winter sports like hockey and figure skating are part of the season, but the looming Super Bowl marks the end of the fall football season, and baseball spring training is rapidly approaching. To celebrate these activities, this month’s selections will focus on various sports comics. So, whether you like the gridiron, love the full-court pass, or even the between the ropes action of professional wrestling, there is hopefully something new for you to discover and enjoy!

Comics Available on the Shelf

Roughneck (Jeff Lemire)

Award-winning creator Jeff Lemire delivers another strong book with this graphic novel from 2018. The story focuses on a disgraced hockey player with a violent streak who finds his life circling the drain in his hometown. When he unexpectedly must take his sister into seclusion to flee her abusive boyfriend, it is an opportunity for some much-needed healing, reconnection to their cultural heritage, and a way to break generational cycles. Will they succeed or will the reemergence of the ex-boyfriend lead to a path of self-destruction and loss?

Spinning (Tillie Walden)

Tillie Walden spent a decade in competitive figure skating as a child. From the pre-dawn lessons to school, and then right to the evening team practices, her life was nothing but skating In this personal memoir, we follow a period of her life when, after she moved to a new school, she begins to question everything she had invested so much of her personal life into at this point. In so doing, she realizes the need to find her true self, voice, and purpose.

Sumo (Thien Pham)

Artist Thien Pham takes us on a journey that is akin to a sumo match in that he slowly builds his tale but ends it with abrupt power. A former football player finds his life in shambles as he realizes his dream career in football is over, which also causes his girlfriend to leave him. In the midst of all this, he is offered the chance to join a training stable for sumo wrestling in Japan. As he begins his journey in this new sport, he begins to find a sense of balance he had thought was lost when his life imploded.

Cover of Sports Is Hell by Ben Passmore

Sports is Hell (Ben Passmore)

This comic is a mostly satirical examination of the sport of football’s fanaticism by creator Ben Passmore. We follow the main character Tea after her hometown team wins the Super Bowl. What starts as a normal celebration soon breaks down into a riot where small armed factions form to survive. Tea joins one of these to find her missing friends and somehow finds herself on a quest to find the star receiver from the game. If they do find him, will he help them save the city by uniting the people? Or could he instead be the metaphorical match that burns it all down to the ground?

Dragon Hoops (Gene Luen Yang, Rianne Meyers, and Kolbe Yang)

Creator Gene Luen Yang never got sports. Especially since his childhood experiences with sports, especially basketball, were less than endearing. Now as an adult teaching high school, it is all he hears about at his current school. The school’s Varsity team is on a phenomenal run that could lead to the state championships, so Gene decides to get to know the young players on the team to learn their stories. Along the way, Gene becomes so involved that their season will not only change the team’s lives but his as well.

Yowamushi Pedal (Wataru Watanabe)

This manga explores the exciting world of competitive cycling. The series focuses on Sakamichi Onoda who rides on an old, heavy bike fifty-five miles a week to the town of Akihabara for the latest games which results in him having incredible speed and stamina. As Sakamichi enters high school in this first volume, he meets Shunsuke who thinks Sakamichi may just be the answer for their Competitive Cycling Club. Will Sakamichi forgo the Anime Club and join Shunsuke? And if so what races and adventures await them?

Cover of Kill A Man by Steve Orlando, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and Alec Morgan

Kill a Man (Steve Orlando, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and Alec Morgan)

Eisner and GLADD nominated writer Steve Orland and the rest of the creative team deliver a tap-out performance with this graphic novel. We follow the story of James Bellyi whose father was beaten to death almost 20 years prior for yelling a homosexual slur at a fellow MMA fighter who is gay. In the present, James is well on his way to MMA fame when he is outed by his opponent before their big match. This begins a spiral where he loses everything, even his friends and family. To fight his way back to the top, he finds there is only one person who can help him– the man who killed his father.

In Waves (A. J. Dungo)

Our selection from A. J. Dungo is a unique memoir that involves the sport of surfing. He uses this book to recall his late partner, her losing battle with cancer, and the shared love of surfing that helped bond them during their time together. And by weaving his story in with that of great surfers in the sport, he has created a unique love letter not only to his late partner but to the sport as well.

Comics Available Through ComicsPlus

Cover of 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago

21: The Story of Roberto Clemente (Wilfred Santiago)

Creator Wilfred Santiago’s second graphic novel is the critically acclaimed biography of the Pittsburg Pirates right fielder who was the first Caribbean and the first Latin-American player to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The story follows him from his childhood in Puerto Rico through his climb to success in the major leagues. And while the focus is on Clemente’s baseball career, Santiago provides a more nuanced view of Clemente through his exploration of his time on and outside of the diamond.

La Mano Del Destino (J. Gonzo)

La Mano Del Destino is J. Gonzo’s follow-up after the acclaimed biography Voz de MAYO: Tata Rambo. The series is set in 1960s Mexico at the time when Lucha Libre wrestling was an importnat part of Mexican society. After being betrayed and unmasked in the ring, a disgraced former Luchador champion makes what could be a deal with the devil to get back on top. Imbued with new ability and now known as La Mano Del Destino, our Luchador begins a path of revenge, wrestling, and maybe redemption.

While the above are our current favorite comics, there are many more to choose from between the catalog and ComicsPlus application. Some wonderful features of the ComicsPlus Application are that it can be viewed on any computer or mobile device and the content is free to all university faculty, staff, and students. We encourage you to not only try out our selections but to explore and find your next new favorite comic.

If you are unfamiliar with the ComicsPlus application, the service provides our students, staff, and patrons with access to over 20,000 comics from 87 different publishers in a digital format. Check out the video links below as they provide additional details on the application.

Welcome to ComicsPlus

How to Locate and Access ComicsPlus

Finally, If this post leaves you hungry for more recommendations or itching to start a sports-themed research project, consider reaching out to Applied Health Sciences Librarian, JJ Pionke!

Share this post:
Facebook Twitter Tumblr

Celebrate the Winter Season with Comics

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Larsen

Cover of Mouse Guard: Winter 1152

December is upon us and the Fall semester is winding down! The International and Area Studies Library is looking forward to the various activities of the upcoming season and has some comic recommendations in that spirit. As many of us observe different holidays or can find this time of year to be challenging mentally and/or emotionally, we wanted to focus on materials that everyone could enjoy. The below comic selections focus on the themes of seasonal weather, the love of food, and mental health/well-being. Our selections on mental health and well-being are meant to help readers understand that they are not alone in their struggles and may offer some additional coping mechanisms or inspiration. We hope you find a new favorite that provides some additional comfort as the weather gets colder.

Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 (David Peterson)

When looking for a comic that captures how Winter can sometimes feel in the Midwest, look no further than David Peterson’s Mouse Guard. This volume shows the impact a harsh winter has on the mice of the forest, and the need to keep their various communities connected. While the protagonists are mice, the series is rooted strongly in fantasy and adventure. The perfect thing to read while keeping warm as the season starts to roll in!

Snow Angels (Jeff Lemire and Jock)

In a desolate, icy world, two young girls are being taught the three fundamental rules to survive. However, when they push beyond the boundaries of what is known, they awaken something ancient. What began as a coming-of-age trip for the girls turns into a saga of survival, coping with loss, and finding triumph in redemption.

Get Jiro! (Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose, and Langdon Foss)

Chef Anthony Bourdain was known for many things during his life, but one of his lesser know titles was comic writer. The story is set in a near future L.A. that takes food culture to a new extreme. Master chefs rule the food scene like crime lords, and people are willing to do whatever it takes to get a dining spot at the premiere restaurants. Follow sushi chef Jiro as he strikes out to forge a new way that food engages with people, even if he has to kill all the other chefs to do it.

Cover of Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen (Lucy Knisley)

Lucy Knisley grew up with her mother being a gourmet chef. Through their relationship, she learned how food connects us all. In this unique part memoir and part recipe book (foodoir??), Lucy takes us through key moments in her life, what food was present during these moments, and life lessons she has learned through food and cooking in the kitchen.

Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes (Robin Ha)

While Relish examines the creator’s relationship with food, Robin Ha went in a different direction with her graphic novel. The book is an actual cookbook with Korean recipes and uses the comic medium as a way to illustrate the ingredients needed, provide information, and the steps to prepare the meals. The book covers 60 dishes and provides a great entry point for those who either are looking to make something new, or learn more about Korean cuisine.

Flavor (Joe Keatinge, Ali Bouzari, and Wook Jin Clark)

Food scientist and award-winning author Ali Bouzari consulted with writer Joe Keatinge to cook up something truly unique. This series takes us to a world where chefs are celebrated as rockstars…if they survive cooking school. A unique blend of fantasy adventure and culinary arts, this series takes readers along on a quest for the perfect ingredients to make a dish truly legendary.

Cover of Eat, and Love Yourself by Sweeney Boo

Eat, and Love Yourself (Sweeny Boo)

This comic is a story about a young woman who is searching for the perfect body. Upon buying a candy bar that is the title of this book, she finds herself transported back in time to a specific moment of her past with each square she eats. Creator Sweeny Boo takes the reader on an honest and unflinching look at how we create our self-image, the eating disorders that impact many, and examines how to love ourselves for who we are.  

Psychiatric Tales: Eleven Graphic Stories About Mental Illness (Darryl Cunningham)

This work examines 11 different mental health disorders that impact the lives of 26.2% of the American population daily. The stories are grounded through the creator’s time working in a psychiatric ward and provide the point of view of not just those experiencing the illness but also of their friends and family. The creator made this book as a way to try and destigmatize the common misconceptions around these mental illnesses.

This is How I Disappear (Mirion Malle, Aleshia Jensen, and Bronwyn Haslem)

Creator Mirion Malle examines how young adults cope with mental health. The story centers on the stress and trauma experienced by a young woman after a sexual assault. The comic explores how the young woman can find self-love and relief in light of the effects that depression, isolation, and thoughts of self-harm have on her life in the wake of her traumatic event. With the help of her friends, sisterhood, and therapy she begins the process of healing and discovering ways to survive and thrive.

Cover of How to be ACE: A Memoir of Growing up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess

How to be ACE (Rebecca Burgess)

Creator Rebecca Burgess’s memoir explores her life as she learned to navigate being ACE in a world that is sex focused. Whether it is discussing discovering her asexual identity during her early years, or exploring the impact on her work and her relationships, the creator provides the reader with an unflinching look at the life struggles and mental challenges it is being ACE.

Share this post:
Facebook Twitter Tumblr

Native/Indigenous Representation in Comics

Posted on by
Reply

By Jason Larsen

Image showing the covers of Moonshot and Earth Divers

November is National American Indian Heritage Month and the University Library comic collection wants to pay tribute to Native/Indigenous people by sharing our comic recommendations. We believe these selections highlight some great works that will show readers Indigenous characters that were either created by Indigenous creators and/or represented in a non-deficient way in the stories.  

The Native/Indigenous people of North America have endured a continuous cycle of disrespect and devaluation of their culture, bodies, and sovereignty so the materials below may contain subjects or materials that are uncomfortable to read and/or intense in their nature. And equally important is to recognize the Native/Indigenous people whose land we occupy at UIUC so we ask that you please read the University’s Land Acknowledgement statement here. 

Comics Available on the Shelf 

Deer Woman: An Anthology (Various) 

Rape and violent sexual acts are committed against Native/Indigenous women at a rate more than 2.5 times of any other ethnicity. This anthology provides an access point to learn more about the violence that targets Native/Indigenous women across North America. It contains over a dozen stories from Native women sharing stories not just about the violence itself but surviving, healing from it, and finding empowerment from their experiences. 

The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book (Gord Hill) 

Many of us have been taught that colonial settlement was some sort of natural expansion into undeveloped spaces. In reality, it was an invasion of Native/Indigenous people’s lands and cultures. Creator Gord Hill’s expanded and revised work has become a seminal testimony about the resistance of the Native/Indigenous peoples against the various colonial incursions over the last five centuries. The book examines nine different confrontation points in history beginning with the Spanish conquest of the Aztec, Inca, and Mayan empires and moving forward to the 2020 pipeline protests in Canada. 

If I Go Missing (Brianna Jonnie, Nahanni Shingoose, and Neal Shannacappo) 

This semi-fictional story focuses on excerpts from a real letter written by an Indigenous Canadian teenager to the Winnipeg Chief of Police that went viral. The story focuses on the of neglect local authorities both in conducting investigations and in notifying the public of missing Indigenous girls and women. The letter is especially chilling as it calls for them to “not treat me as the Indigenous person I am proud to be” so that she might be found if she were to go missing. 

Moonshot Indigenous Comics Collection Vol. 1 (Various) 

If you are looking to explore what types of Native/Indigenous creators are out there then this series is for you. This is the first volume of an ongoing anthology series that highlights stories created by various Native/Indigenous creators. Volume one contains 14 different stories that range from traditional stories given new form to Indigenous Futurism.    

Come home, Indio: a memoir (Jim Terry) 

Creator Jim Terry’s autobiography explores his struggles from childhood to early adulthood. Whether living in the Ho-Chunk community in Wisconsin or with his peers in the suburbs of Chicago, he struggled with finding his place in either world. Those years would lead to battling with alcoholism and finding sobriety, and eventually walking a path of discovery that ended at the Dakota Access Pipeline. Follow his struggles through these challenges as he finds hope and belief in something more. 

Image of cover of Come Home, Indio comic

UNeducation, Vol 1: A Residential School Graphic Novel (Jason EagleSpeaker) 

There was a more recent period in history that neither Canada nor the United States acknowledges very well– the Residential/Boarding School Era. This was a period when both countries forcefully took Native/Indigenous children from their families to “properly” educate them. This era ran well into the 1920s and creator Jason EagleSpeaker’s book takes true stories of this dark period and provides us with an unflinching look at the troubled history both countries have with this system and the impact this still has on generations of Native/Indigenous families today. 

Comics Available and Forthcoming in ComicsPlus 

Apache Delivery Service (Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins) 

This horror action series focuses on a pair of soldiers in Vietnam. They come across rumors of a gold treasure buried in the jungle by Japan during World War II. They decide it is time to leave the war and seek their fortune. What starts out as a treasure hunt turns into a twisting spiral of paranoia. The closer they get to the gold, the more they start to distrust each other. And if that wasn’t enough, a serial killer seems to be stalking the pair through the jungle. 

Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain: The Story of Chief Joseph and the Nez (Agnieszka Biskup and Rusty Zimmerman) 

A biographical story of a specific period of the Native American chief who wanted to peacefully exist in the West. The story follows the chief as he has to lead his people, the Nez Perce, in a fighting retreat from the US Army after violent encounters lead his people to attempt to flee to Canada and join Sitting Bull’s Lakota in seeking political asylum.   

Earthdivers: Book One: Kill Columbus (Stephen Graham Jones and Davide Gianfelice)*(coming soon) 

In the year 2112 the world has become what had been predicted, an unfixable ecological disaster. A group of Indigenous survivors find a way to travel in time and determine the pivot point in history where everything went wrong when the New World was discovered. Their plan? Kill Christopher Columbus before he sets the future in motion. But could there be different consequences to those left in the present by doing so? 

Image of cover of Earth Divers

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band (Christian Staebler, Sonia Paoloni, and Thibault Balahy) 

Redbone is a true journalistic biography, done with cooperation of the family, about two Native American brothers who created an all-Native American Rock band on their terms. Follow the brothers and the band through music history as their aspirations for rock and roll success come up against their cultural identity and pride during the American Indian Movement. And if you think you haven’t heard their music before, if you watched Guardians of the Galaxy, then you would be wrong. 

If you are unfamiliar with the ComicsPlus application, the service provides our students, staff, and patrons with access to over 20,000 comics from 87 different publishers in a digital format. Check out the video links below as they provide additional details on the application.  

Welcome to ComicsPlus 

How to Locate and Access ComicsPlus 

Additional Resources on Native/Indigenous Comics 

If you like any of the selections above, or are interested but looking for something different to read, we encourage you to explore the links below. These will take you to additional resources about Native/Indigenous comics where you can explore the many facets of work available and find your next new favorite comic! 

Share this post:
Facebook Twitter Tumblr