Since we launched GraphicNovelReporter.com we have strived to not just have our voices, but also those of other respected colleagues from the world of comics and graphic novels appear here. With that in mind I happily introduce you to Alex Simmons, who will be blogging for us regularly. You may already know him and the great work he does with Kids Comic Con. You also might know him from his comics writing and his work in the industry. Even if you don’t, you’ll get to know Alex here on GNR through his blog posts. He has a great voice and a unique perspective, both of which I’m looking forward to having him share with you regularly on the site. I’ll still be blogging too, and Carol will jump in from time to time --- and we’re planning to add more people to the lineup as well. To ensure that the content is always fresh and interesting, we’ve got several more tricks up our sleeve. Stay tuned.

Last month's Comic-Con in San Diego gave me an opportunity to meet another comics scholar: Peter Coogan, the director of the Institute for Comics Studies in St. Louis, as well as one of the people presenting the Comics Arts Conference at Comic-Con. The Comics Arts Conference is an incredible resource for educators; all weekend long, it provided some of the most intuitive and interesting panels going on. So I immediately asked Peter if he'd take part in our Behind the Scenes interview, and he graciously agreed. Be sure to check out the ICS; it's a nice endeavor on Peter's part, and he's doing important work there. I hope he and GNR can continue to work together much more in the future.

A couple months ago, I reviewed Halo: Uprising for the site. I liked the book a lot but had no idea about the Halo thing…just didn’t know the game, had no idea what it was about, and wasn’t sure where to begin with it. So I turned to my 15-year-old nephew, who loved the comic and verified how true to the game it was. That same nephew and his dad just visited me in New York City this past weekend. It’s always fun to show off the city to people who are new to it, and even trips to tourist spots (the top of the Empire State Building) can be exciting when they’re done right (I recommend a nighttime trip, when it’s less crowded). My nephew reminds me a little bit of myself as a teenager, and interestingly, he has a lot of the same tastes in reading I did (his airplane book for the trip was by Tolkien). I wouldn’t say he’s all that interested in comics or manga at this point, but give it time. But a confession --- their trip and my playing tour guide may have just a little bit to do with this newsletter not being as on time as I might have hoped. Carol teased me that I was jetlagged though I never left New York.

In between picture-taking and heavy-duty walking tours of lower and middle Manhattan, I tried to squeeze in my own reading and writing, which included interviewing the creators behind three of my most recent favorite books: A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge (Josh Neufeld), Stitches (David Small), and Amulet 2 and Flight 6 (Kazu Kibuishi). Those books probably couldn’t be much more different (the first two are nonfiction stories of survival, but still…not much alike), but they’re all so good you really want to talk about them. So I did discuss them, with the authors themselves. Read the resulting interviews to get a little background on the books, and give them a chance; I really like what each of these creators is doing.

I’ve been interviewing writers and creative types for (I really hate to think about this) almost 20 years now, and it never gets old. I’m always amazed by what it takes to create a book, whether prose or comic, and just the chance to peer behind the curtain of creativity always makes me smile. I’m still green enough to be blown away by certain people, still in awe of so many others that I worry about getting tongue-tied, and still jazzed enough about talking about books that I’m glad to have someone on the other end of the phone to do it with. If there are graphic novel or manga creators you’d like to see on the site, please email me and let me know. We’re always looking for more creators to make sure we’re rounding out the site with a good balance of people for readers of every stripe.

By the way, today I got a chance to talk on the phone with Brian Fies, author of Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, which is just excellent. That interview will be posted on the site with the next update, but I wanted to give you the head’s up about it and let you know to check out the book. It brings out the 15-year-old in me and takes me back to the days when you dreamed about what wondrous things the future would hold. But that’s for next time; for now, enjoy the new content, and as always, feel free to send me your feedback.

Happy reading,

John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)

Beating the Forecast
Josh Neufeld talks about his experiences helping people recover from the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In the lives of seven remarkable people he met in New Orleans, he was able to create a classic work that captures the horror of what the victims went through-and how they survived. By John Hogan

From little-known to blockbuster flicks, these are our picks for the 10 best movies ever made based on comic books. By John Hogan

Peter Coogan, the director of the Institute for Comics Studies, has spent years studying comics and promoting their use as an educational tool. Here, he goes back to his roots as a comics collector and talks about how he came to love the format so much.

Imagine This

Meet Our Newest Blogger

Things I Miss, Part 1: Letters

Both Spider-Man and Spider-Woman are making news. First off is the bad news that production is currently halted on the Spider-Man play—but don’t count it out just yet. And Spider-Woman is making her stop-motion debut soon. Plus: An update on the production of the Dylan Dog movie starring Brandon Routh.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s funny Lunch Lady series has an equally funny trailer online now. Plus, take a look at the latest Surrogates trailer.

Frederick Burr Opper's Happy Hooligan by Jeffrey Lindenblatt
With patches on his clothes and a tin can for a hat, Happy Hooligan was a well-meaning hobo who strewed chaos wherever he went. While the settings are dated, these early 20th-century newspaper strips have period charm and historical interest, as well as timeless slapstick humor. Reviewed by Brigid Alverson

Hey, Sensei? by Yaya Sakuragi
High-school math teacher Isa never thought that tutoring his ex-girlfriend's younger brother Homura would result in a sexual advance. Is it a joke, or are Homura's feelings for him real? There just might be some lessons in store for both Isa and Homura outside of the classroom. Reviewed by Courtney Kraft

Jyu-Oh-Sei by Natsumi Itsuki
Jyu-Oh-Sei is hands down one of the best manga series to see publication this year, and its simultaneously intelligent yet action-packed brand of social science fiction is sure to appeal to a wide variety of readers. Reviewed by Casey Brienza

Canon, Vol. 1 and 2 by Chika Shiomi
Canon is made a vampire against her will. She turns other vampires back into people, but she may be doomed to remain the undead herself. Determined to find the one who did this to her, she grapples with feelings of compassion and revenge. Reviewed by Danica Davidson

Knights of the Lunch Table: The Dragon Players by Frank Cammuso
Knights of the Lunch Table must do battle with the school bullies, not in person but with remote-controlled robots. There's a touch of medieval magic in this story, but the real appeal lies in its kinetic humor and kid-first point of view. Reviewed by Brigid Alverson

A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Alternative manga legend Yoshihiro Tatsumi tells a sprawling, epic story about life-his own-in this massive volume. Tatsumi's humor shines through, and so does his deft touch, especially in the heartfelt artwork. Reviewed by John Hogan

Quick reminder to those of you with teens or kids in your households or who have grandchildren, library patrons, or friends. We have surveys running right now on Teenreads.com and Kidsreads.com. The Teenreads.com 2009 Reader Survey is open until August 31st, and 775 teens will have the chance to win one of the 27 titles being given away if they complete the survey. The Kidsreads.com 2009 Reader Survey is open until September 15th, and 1,000 readers will have the chance to read one of 24 titles.