Features:
Roundtable: Adapting Prose Titles to the Graphic Format
Beyond the original content the graphic novel and manga industries create year after year, a burgeoning marketplace has formed for adaptations of prose literature. Whether they are current ongoing series, literary classics, or modern books looking to reach a broader audience, comics adaptations are catching on with readers as well as bringing new people to the format. We talked to several pros, including Betsy Mitchell, Editor in Chief, Del Rey Books; Ralph Macchio, Senior Editor, Marvel Comics; Ruwan Jayatilleke, Senior Vice President Strategic Development—Acquisitions, Marvel Comics; Ernst Dabel, President/CEO, Dabel Brothers Publishing; and Marco Pavia, Associate Publisher, Tokyopop, to find out what they do and how it works.

Op-Ed: Karen Green on Columbia University's Graphic Novel Collection
Public librarians have been making huge strides in the recognition and acceptance of graphic literature. But what about academic libraries? They face special challenges and needs that public libraries don't. In this Op-Ed from Columbia librarian Karen Green, you'll find out what it took to build a graphic collection at one of the most prestigious universities in the country...and you'll gain insights into how her methods can be applied elsewhere.

Special Preview Excerpt: The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim
The Eternal Smile, the new book from Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and Derek Kirk Kim (Same Difference), is coming next month, but you can enjoy a special preview now.

Behind the Scenes: Alex Simmons from Kids Comic Com
Alex Simmons is the founder of Kids Comic Con, an annual event to celebrate comics reading for kids, teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone else interested in helping get young readers connected to comics. Held in New York on April 25th, Kids Comic Con is a great event for all young readers. Get to know Alex.

Recent Blog Posts:
Kids Comic Con 2009 Takes New York on April 25th
More Watchmen Material? It's Coming Tuesday

Creator Interviews:
A New Watchmen DVD
Beyond the groundbreaking film, a new Watchmen-related DVD and Blu-Ray disc has just been released, shedding more light and background on the dark world in which these characters live. First is the story of the Black Freighter and its evil allegory for the story, and next is the documentary styles of Under the Hood. Director Eric Matthies discusses how Under the Hood came together and how this essential subtext for the storyline fits in with the movie.

Fiction Reviews:
Abandoned Cars
Tim Lane's exceptional debut, Abandoned Cars, delves into the stories of characters who come to realizations about the "Great American Mythological Drama" and examines their lives at the crossroads of hopes for the future and reality. The noir-style art is another highlight of Lane's surrealistic creation.

The Immortal Iron Fist, Volumes 1 and 2
First created to capitalize on the kung fu and martial arts fads of 1970s movies, Iron Fist is shrewdly updated in these volumes, which serve as homage to these genres and pulp fiction. An awareness of the character's history in comics is not needed to enjoy these new adventures.

Heaven's Will
Heaven's Will combines the vintage shoujo horror style of Chie Shinohara with latter-day gothic Lolita fashion sense. The book serves up plenty of provocative food for thought about the boundaries between male and female, friendship and love.

Nonfiction Reviews:
The Beats
Remarkably comprehensive, The Beats isn't content simply to spotlight the late-'50s explosion of the "beatnik" subculture onto the American scene. Instead, it traces its antecedents back to early 20th century circles of bohemians and left-wing artists/raconteurs, and also thoughtfully covers its influence on '60s and '70s counterculture.

Why I Killed Peter
Years after enduring abuse at the hands of a family friend, a priest named Peter, Olivier Ka comes to terms with what happened to him and how it's affected his entire life. His catharsis is powerful and vivid yet wonderfully understated at the same time.

I Live Here
To say that I Live Here is a unique endeavor would be a gross understatement. It is an epic undertaking that spans a wide array of artistic techniques, ranging from fiction and nonfiction texts to graphic novellas to scrapbook art to combinations hard to classify, all with the honorable purpose of bringing four far-reaching places on the planet into the homes of readers and offering a glimpse at the personal tales of people living under dire circumstances.