The time when comics readers were a separate group are long gone; now most people will pick up a graphic novel if it’s about something they are already interested in. With that in mind, here’s a look at some recent and upcoming graphic novels for foodies, music lovers, podcast listeners, and cat fanciers.
Ten Speed Graphic has two cookbooks that came out earlier this year: Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice, by Christina De Witte and Mallika Kauppinen, a guide to Thai regions and cuisines with 50 recipes (Paperback, $22.99), and Let’s Make Bread: A Comic Book Cookbook by Ken Forkish (author of the non-comic cookbook Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast) and artist Sarah Becan, (Let’s Make Dumplings! and Let’s Make Ramen!).
The Incredible Story of Cooking, by Stéphane Douay and Benoist Simmat, traces the history of food prep from the invention of fire through the modern day, with plenty of stop-offs for fun facts along the way. The book also includes 22 recipes. NBM will publish the 240-page hardcover on October 8 with an MSRP of $34.99.
Pink Floyd in Comics!, by writers Nicolas Finet, Tony Lourenço, and Thierry Lamy and a variety of artists, is a “comics documentary” laying out the history of the fabled band, including the members’ solo careers, in 28 chapters that include both comics and photos. Released in August, this is the latest in NBM’s series of comics biographies, which also includes volumes on Nina Simone, David Bowie, Janis Joplin, and Prince. (NBM, Hardcover, $32.99)
Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze, by American Gods writers Mellow Brown and DJ Ben Ha Meen and artist Tom Mandrake, is the opposite of a documentary: It’s a psychedelic sci-fi fantasy with a solid kernel of a story about what music meant to Hendrix and what his music meant to others. The 128-page hardcover was released in August with an MSRP of $29.99.
Dying Inside, by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, is the first graphic novel in Vault’s music imprint Headshell (see “Vault Launching Music Imprint for Graphic Novels”). The story of a teen girl whose attempts to commit suicide are thwarted by a magic knife will be published on September 24 as a paperback with an MSRP of $19.99; various deluxe editions with different covers are also available from Vault’s direct-to-consumer shop (see “Exclusive: Alternate Cover Treatments”).
Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James W. Loewen and Nate Powell, is filled with “I didn’t know that!” moments that will have readers rethinking everything they learned in history class. Powell, the artist for the award-winning March trilogy, brings the same energy to this book, turning scholarly controversies into a lively narrative. Fans of Throughline and 99% Invisible will find a lot to like here. (New Press, hardcover, $27.99)
James Allen, host of a true-crime YouTube channel and the MrBallen Presents podcast, has collaborated with comics writer Robert Venditti and artist Andrea Mutti to create the graphic novel MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious. The 208-page book collects nine tales of the weird, all based on true events, including his own experience with otherworldly forces. (Ten Speed Graphic, October 1, hardcover: $24.99; paperback: $19.99)
For those who prefer disasters to crime, Shadows on the Ice: The 1972 Andes Disaster, by writer Frederic Bertocchini and artist Thierry Diette tells the story of the rugby team whose airplane crashed in a remote area of the Andes Mountains. Those who survived the crash had to struggle with cold, hunger, and thirst, sometimes resorting to extreme measures as they fought for their lives. (Black Panel Press, October 9, hardcover, $22.99)
Falling in Love with a Traveling Cat is not a graphic novel but an illustration book, filled with watercolor drawings of adorable cats going on journeys. The cats are from the Japanese franchise Mofusand and are drawn by the singly-named artist JUNO. The 104-page paperback is rated for ages 12+. (Udon Entertainment, October 2, $14.99)
Woe: A Housecat’s Story of Despair is a collection of Lucy Knisley’s comics about her cat Linney, an orange cat with a strong personality who lived with Knisley for many years before crossing the rainbow bridge (see “Lucy Knisley Chronicles a Cranky Cat in ‘Woe’”). Originally published on the web, the cartoons are collected in a 6.8” x 6.8” hardcover rated for ages 12 and up. (Random House Graphic, $16.99)
For more great suggestions for gifts merchandising this holiday season, click here.
Source: ICV2
