Creator Interviews:
Small Steps
David Small is an award-winning children's book author, but he'll soon be known for his staunch graphic memoir Stitches, a stunning exploration of his childhood. With a cold and distant mother and a father who subjected him to bizarre experiments, Small escaped his childhood relatively intact, but without one of his vocal cords. Here, he explains why the time was right for him to tell his story now. By John Hogan

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

Kazu Kibuishi's Magical Kingdom
Following the success of his highly praised Flight series of anthologies, writer and artist Kazu Kibuishi got busy creating Amulet, one of the most fun and creative fantasy stories to come down the pike in ages. Here he discusses both and details what's in store for each. By John Hogan

Recent Blog Posts:
Things I Miss, Part 2: Thought Balloons
Imagine This
Meet Our Newest Blogger
Things I Miss, Part 1: Letters

Feature Stories:
The Best Movies Based on Comics
From little-known to blockbuster flicks, these are our picks for the 10 best movies ever made based on comic books. By John Hogan

Behind the Scenes with Peter Coogan, Director of the Institute for Comics Studies
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.

Books Into Movies/Movies Onto DVDs
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.

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

Bestseller List: Lobo Anime & Comics in Albuquerque, NM
Lobo Anime & Comics is one of the largest comics stores in New Mexico, a veritable treasure trove of games, toys, and, of course, comics.

Teenreads.com and Kidsreads.com 2009 Reader Surveys
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.

Fiction Reviews:
The Big Kahn by Neil Kleid and Nicholas Cinquegrani
Rabbi David Kahn has led a good life, and his bereaved family is proud to talk of it as they pay tribute to him at his funeral. But when his long-lost brother shows up, Kahn's true life is revealed-and it turns out he wasn't even Jewish. Reviewed by John Hogan

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

Teen Reviews:
Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi
When Nasser Ali's lute is broken, he decides to die. But what's the real story here? Reviewed by Danica Davidson

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

Kids Reviews:
Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 1: Power and Responsibility by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley reinvented the legend of Spider-Man in their Ultimate Spider-Man series, reprinted here in all its glory. While paying homage to the legend created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, they reinterpreted the character for the 21st century in an exciting, modern manner. Reviewed by John Hogan

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

Nonfiction Reviews:
Stitches by David Small
Dealing with a lifetime of horrible abuse, David Small documents his adolescence in Stitches. With a father who caused him serious, life-threatening injuries and a mother who, he must finally admit, never loved him, his childhood was traumatic and nightmarish, but his look back at it now is pure art. Reviewed by John Hogan

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