Mine was a bit odd, to say the least. I had planned a trip back home to Iowa to visit my mom and other family. My plan, I thought, was brilliant. I would fly in on the 24th, arriving to the tiny airport in Waterloo, Iowa, at 12:30 p.m. That’s just the perfect time to swoop in and be there right before the big feast would be served. (A quick aside for those not familiar with the Waterloo airport: It’s even smaller than you imagine. It has two gates. When leaving from there, you never, ever have to run to your departure gate, because if you’re inside the airport, you’re practically there. And if you’re late, all you need to do is yell across the room, “I’m coming!” and they’ll hold the plane for you. You pay a little extra for flying in and out of this luxury airport, but sometimes you have to splurge.)

Anyway, I got a text message on the evening of the 23rd letting me know that my flight had been canceled. My record of bad-weather luck regarding airports remained intact (in 2007, when I moved to New York City, I spent two consecutive nights sleeping in airports while the weather wreaked havoc on JetBlue’s flight plans). So, I was stuck in New York for the holidays, which, if nothing else, seemed like it would at least provide me some time to relax, read, and just rest. I spent my first night up all night watching the Bogey and Bacall marathon on Turner Classic Movies, and my vacation seemed off to a good, lazy start. But then I got the wild idea to paint my apartment.

I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say that one thing led to another, painting led to cleaning, cleaning led to getting rid of piles of stuff that had been accumulating around here, which then precipitated a remodeling, and then I bought a new computer...and that pretty much takes us up to today, a day in which I should be well-rested and ready but instead am scrambling and wondering where all the time went.

Nevertheless, I’ve hopefully managed to cobble together a nice array of articles, reviews, and news for your perusal. We start with an interview with Ted Rall. The well-known cartoonist has just released a memoir about a very scintillating time in his life, The Year of Loving Dangerously, which details his life in 1984, after he was kicked out of school, ran out of money, and made the decision to sleep with as many women as he could in order to avoid being homeless. After that, teacher Allen Porter takes us behind his efforts to introduce a graphic-novel curriculum at the brand-new school he teaches at and shows the problems and solutions that came about because of it. And another teacher, Doré Ripley, follows up her previous essay on teaching college students classic works through comics with a new piece documenting what both she and her students have learned.

We finish with lots of comics news and reviews and more...not a bad way at all to kick off 2010. I hope you enjoy this update, and I look forward to sharing more news, views, and reviews about graphic novels in the year ahead. It’s going to be a great year; we’re just getting started. Till next time...

Happy reading,

John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)

We share news, updates, tips, personal observations, and more. Keep up-to-date by checking our blog entries.

Making Spirits Bright?

Surveying the Decade

Behind the Scenes
Meet writer and comics educator Sari Wilson. Her work as a lecturer has helped comics move even more into the mainstream. Here’s a look at her history with the format.

Start your new year off with a look at what you can look forward to in the months ahead. Here’s your list of upcoming graphic novels like The Creepy Archives, Akira, Marvel Fairy Tales, and more.

The Stand: American Nightmares by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins
The Stand: American Nightmares continues in the spirit, energy, and most important, the quality of its predecessor. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Noir by Brian Azzarello, Ed Brubaker, et al.
Noir, the latest anthology from Dark Horse, is a collection much like any other. It has some great moments and some weak ones. But with writers like Brian Azzarello, and artists like Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon onboard, the positives outweigh the negatives. Reviewed by William Jones

Marvel Comics in the 1960s by Pierre Comtois
Step back in time and see how Marvel built a comics empire, one issue at a time, in Marvel Comics in the 1960s, a fascinating issue-by-issue guide to the comics that shaped a decade and an industry. Reviewed by John Hogan

13th Boy, Vol. 2 by SangEun Lee
Hee-So and her boyfriend break up but she can't admit that another boy she knows would be better for her. There's also a talking cactus, so this isn't your typical teen drama. Reviewed by Danica Davidson

Maria Holic, Vol. 2 by Minari Endou
Kanako's dream of finding love at an all-girl's Catholic school isn't going to be as easy as she thought. Having faced bullying and practically being held hostage by her cross-dressing male roommate Mariya, she is finally starting to settle in. When the annual physicals come up, Kanako uncovers the real reason why Mariya is leading a secret double-life at the school. Reviewed by Courtney Kraft

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis
Three preteen science geniuses create their own alliance. Unfortunately, someone else is interested in stealing their hard work. Reviewed by Danica Davidson