Live From BEA
Comics and Graphic Novels Rule
By Douglas Wolk -- Publishers Weekly, 5/30/2007 11:32:00 AM
It’s taken publishers a few years to adjust to the explosive growth of graphic novels in the book market, but this year at BEA, publishers are concentrating on meeting the specific demands of bookstores and libraries. The larger graphic novel imprints are focused on promoting manga, adaptations of prose books and other projects aimed at readers—both kids and women—who have been underserved by American comics until recently.
In the manga department, Tokyopop is celebrating its 10th anniversary with cupcakes and champagne every day at the booth (3448, 3449). (See p. 22 for more on Tokyopop.) Fellow manga behemoth Viz Media (3833) is also promoting prose novels—especially Brave Story and Dragon Sword and Wind Child—as well as the bestselling Naruto manga series. CPM, now distributed by Consortium (2438–2441), is promoting its manga and manhwa (Korean) lines, in addition to Be Beautiful, its line of yaoi titles. (Yaoi is a fast-growing subgenre of manga aimed at women that offers stories about gorgeous men obsessed with each other.) Old-school U.S. comics publishers are starting to concentrate more on books for young women—who generally tend to avoid superhero comics—and DC Comics’ booth (2575) showcases Minx, a new line of original
graphic novels for teen girls. DC has bookmarks, posters and galleys of the first Minx book, Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg’s The Plain Janes. Marvel Comics, meanwhile, is hoping to draw attention to its comics adaptations of the bestselling fantasy novels of Laurell K. Hamilton.
Kids’ comics are out in force this year. The Disney Book Group (3957) is previewing the forthcoming graphic novel of Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl with an author signing of blads today and a photo opportunity with a life-size Artemis Fowl at the booth. Scholastic’s Graphix imprint (302, 303) introduces American readers to The Arrival, Shaun Tan’s wordless Australian graphic novel about immigration. Kids Love Comics, a collective of comics artists who advocate for kids’ comics and literacy, has a booth (741) and features appearances by KLC members Jimm
y Gownley (Amelia Rules!), Jane Fisher (WJHC) and John Gallagher (Buzzboy). Phil Yeh, the legendary cartoonist behind New York City graphic novel publisher NBM’s forthcoming Dinosaurs Across America, will actually paint a mural about literacy during BEA. NBM sister company Papercutz (3611) has Stefan Petrucha (writer for NBM’s Nancy Drew graphic novel series) signing today, 4–4:30 p.m., in the autograph area, and is previewing its fall revival of Tales from the Crypt, the classic horror series from EC Comics.
The art comics contingent also has a significant presence. Drawn & Quarterly’s booth (3628) has galleys of what promises to be a major comics publishing event—acclaimed comics artist Adrian Tomine’s first full graphic novel, Shortcomings, coming in the fall. Tomine signs today, 2–4 p.m., at the booth and tomorrow, 2:30–3 p.m., in the autograph area. And D&Q has a preview of cartoonist Lynda Barry’s 2008 book What It Is, as well as posters and postcards. Fantagraphics Books (3860–3862) is hosting signings by cartoonists Drew Friedman (for The Fun Never Stops!) 4–5 p.m. today and 1–2 p.m. tomorrow; and Edward Sorel (Just When You Thought Things Couldn’t Get Worse) will sign today, 4–5 p.m., in the autograph area and tomorrow, 1–2 p.m., at the booth.
Look for the likes of cartoonist Kyle Baker (promoting his new Bakers book, Babies and Kittens), writer Robert Kirkman and comics artist Colleen Doran at the Image Comics booth (2779), where they will be signing. First Second Books (3535) is giving away posters for Eddie Campbell’s The Black Diamond Detective Agency and launching two fall titles that both prominently feature dogs: Nick Abadzis’s Laika and Sara Varon’s kid-friendly Robot Dreams. Grand Central Publishing’s booth (3734) has 16-page blads for Anthony Lappé and Dan Goldman’s much-anticipated graphic novel, Shooting War, which collects and expands on their well-received Web comic.
