Links

Comic, Graphic Novel and Manga Resources

Inevitably, this is just a very small selection of what is available. I've included sites that tie in with the questions I most often get asked.

Reviews - covering all comics

• No Flying, No Tights is a graphic novel review site. The site is divided into three sections, firstly the original one, and also Sidekicks, devoted to graphic novels for younger readers and The Lair, featuring graphic novels for older teens and adults. Reviews include guidance on suitability levels for different age groups and are split into genres. Regularly reviews manga.
• Comics Worth Reading
• Artbomb offers reviews and articles predominantly about independent comics. Quirky, offbeat and intelligent.
• Silver Bullet Comics
• Sequential Tart is a comic webzine made by women. Looks at a wide range of issues and publications within comics in general and, of course, also good on women creators. Has a good manga review and article section.
• Grovel: News, reviews and articles on graphic novels, featuring classic titles and film tie-ins.
• Paul Gravett: His book on manga is highly recommended as an introduction to the medium.
• Collective: The Interactive Culture Magazine from the BBC.
• The Bookseller also has an annual round-up of the best in the medium in the autumn.
• Forbidden Planet blog: This blog allows people to search for reviews, although it also covers events and offers many useful links, including to some of the UK creators.
• Read about Comics offers reviews and articles about independent comics and manga.
• Ninth Art has a great range of articles, reviews and thoughtful analysis about a wide range of comics internationally.

Reviews - dedicated to manga and anime

• Neo Magazine: Very informative online site related to the hard copy magazine that reviews Japanese popular culture.
• Anime Boredom

Specialist Shops in the UK

Some offer review information via newsletter etc.

• Page 45 is a Nottingham based comic shop that also offers an online service and a very good review newsletter. It is, simply, one of the best UK comic shops. Please visit.
• Travelling Man. A good chain of comic shops, which hold an extensive range of stock across all ages and genres.
• Gosh! Comics: Another very good comic shop, which, like those above, have staff with a great deal of enthusiasm and expertise.
• Forbidden Planet
• Mega City Comics
• Dave's Comics, Brighton: This shop comes highly recommended by library staff in the area for range and understanding of library services. No website.

Publishers and Suppliers

• Tokyopop: The major publisher of manga in English. They offer workshops with artists and are moving into offering mini-conventions in libraries.
  Contact email:
• Classical Comics are publishing a number of Shakespeare's plays. There are three different versions, ranging from full text to quick text. In addition they offer a growing number of adaptations of classic literature.
• Titan Books
• Viz: Major manga publisher in English. Very informative site.
• 2000AD: Covers the graphic novel publisher Rebellion, who are currently reprinting the comic's back-catalogue.
• Diamond Comics (US site): Also has lesson plans.
• Can of Worms Press: Reprinting the Graphic Novel Shakespeare series (Full Text).
• SelfMadeHero: Manga Shakespeare (Adaptations)

Resources Specifically for Librarians

• Topica hosts a discussion list for librarians on graphic novels. If you would like more information about this list, you can find ot on the list's information page.
• Graphic Novels in Libraries UK e-mail discussion list, UK discussion list recently begun by Angela Robinson of Blackburn with Darwen Libraries, modeled on the above but with UK focus.
  Angela has also set up a related blog
• Steve Raiteri's Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries (US site): Old link and not recently updated, but still a useful resource.
• Manga and Graphic Novels - Resources for Librarians

Free Comic Book Day

This American originated event offers a good opportunity to link up with local comic shops. There is a website at www.freecomicbookday.com that lists some of the shops involved. There is still a small cost per comic to the library service.

Angela Robinson (above) suggests approaching local specialist stores and offering to promote them in libraries in turn for their participation. She also suggests that directing queries to the UK discussion list above about how to run a related event.

Workshops, Basic Comic Maker Tools and Book Groups

• Cartoon County offers workshops in the South East.
• Sweatdrop Studios: UK manga creators (Wikipedia page)
• Selfmadehero: publishers of the Manga Shakespeare series, can work with schools on a multi-layered workshop using smartboards, working with different versions of the text, and with artists. They have a new related site and Ning in development.
• See also Tokyopop, above.
• Suzy Varty runs workshops and develops comic projects for both adults and younger readers. Sample of work at Lambiek.net
  Email: .
• Carl Cross runs a successful manga reading group and would like to hear about other people's work, as well as sharing his own experience:
  .
• Paul Duffield runs manga workshops and tutorials: his website offers an introduction to his work.
  E-mail .
• Readers of the Lost Art: adult graphic novels reading group in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
• Tools for designing comics (Scroll to the foot of the page below for links).
• Make your own Dr Who comic
• Hunt Emerson's comic character production info (PDF file)

Events and Exhibitions

• Paul Gravett offers a good UK events listing

Teaching and Championing Comics

• Learning and Teaching Scotland Graphic Novels Resource: I created this resource in conjunction with the Learning and Teaching Scotland team. The focus is on working with comics and graphic novels in schools.
  
  The case studies, in particular, (see the file at the foot of the introductory page) give details of a range of possible ways of working with, and thinking about, graphic novels, often focusing on specific titles.
  
  I've also included a piece on British views on comics which may help convince the reluctant or unwilling that comics are more than just 'simple' entertainment.
• The MEDAL site contains a range of ideas and materials for use with students of Childhood Studies, Youth Studies, and Children's Literature. There are some resources about comics included. Whilst designed for HE, the materials are adaptable and can be downloaded for free.
• Comics in the Classroom: A Canadian site aimed at using comics with primary schools.
• Secondary English Network: Based in West Lothian, this site offers a range of materials, reviews and ideas for a range of media from manga and graphic novels to storytelling and games.

Japanese Culture. Anime and more

• Koyagi.com: US based, but gives lots of relevant links and information.
• Neo Magazine: Very informative online site related to the hard copy magazine that reviews Japanese popular culture.
• Anime Web Turnpike: Guide to the medium.
• ADV: One of the largest importers of anime. They run a programme for clubs (Advocates).
• MVM run a similar scheme.
• Discussion forum
• Studio Ghibli (In Japanese)
• Nausicaa.Net: A fan-run site considered a key source of English-language information on the works of animator Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
• Stories based on manga characters

Small Press Comics

• Bugpowder, as the introduction to the site says, is "a resource for small press comics in the UK, but being the internet, there's other stuff here as well..." Good links to artist sites and those of larger non-mainstream publishers, as well as a shop. An invaluable guide to small press comics.

Webcomics

• The Web Comic List: Huge directory site with thousands of comics to view for free.
• Manga Quake: Many high quality manga fanzines available for free download.
• Fan created work of very varied quality.

Art sites

Many manga fans and professionals put their very varied work up for comment on the following sites. These sites often cover work across a range of media, including poetry and animation, as well as illustration. They also include work by and for adults as well as that made by and aimed at younger people.

• Deviant Art
• SheezyArt

Art lessons - Manga

• The Manga University is free.

General Sites

• Comic Book Resources: Links, a previews catalogue online, and news items make this site (which represents a large range of small press and more mainstream producers in America and elsewhere) worth searching through.
• The Comics Journal
• Lambiek Comiclopedia: This is an illustrated compendium of over 9600 comic artists from around the world. Whilst the information in individual entries is not always fully up to date, cross referred with Wikipedia it makes a very useful resource.
• Wikipedia is also a very good source of information regarding terms, age ratings, titles that are considered classics and tracking authors and illustrators etc. This applies to all comics, but may be especially useful for manga.

Women and Comics

• Friends of Lulu
• Sequential Tart (see above

Academic Sites

See the annotated bibliography of comics scholarship on the net elsewhere on this site.