New Publication: 500 Essential Graphic Novels

I'm proud to announce the publication of my first book, 500 Essential Graphic Novels. Well, by "my" I mean that it has my name on the cover, and that I did a lot of the work on it. However, I can't help but acknowledge the contributions of many other writers (see the book for the full list, in addition to some unacknowledged but highly appreciated work by über-pals Mike Rhode and Charles Hatfield), and of my editor Tim Seelig of ILEX Press.

Here's the description from Collins Design, the book's US publisher:

500 Essential Graphic Novels is an all-in-one guide to this exciting form of visual literature.

Including more than 350 authors and 400 artists, this lush volume contains an essential mix of some of the finest visually-stunning stories of our time. From politically-charged non-fiction sagas to imaginative fantasy tales, this ultimate guide has something to satisfy everyone's taste.

The first of its kind, this book focuses on each graphic novel separately, honing in on art technique, style and prose, plus an age rating system so parents will know what is suitable for their children. Chapters are divided by genre, complete with individual plot synopses and star-scaled reviews for each book, providing the reader with a concise and balanced understanding of today's best graphic novels.

You can visit our bibliography entry for 500 Essential Graphic Novels to see a list of the book's contents and other information. I hope to have some "web extras" to go along with the book soon.

(On that page you'll also find our customary Amazon.com ordering link. If you can't find the book at your local shop, please consider using this link to buy the book - or any other book listed and linked to at ComicsResearch.org, for that matter. I receive a small [very!] chunk of change from your purchases, money that helps offset the costs of running this website. End of commercial.)

Special thanks go to my pal Tim Pilcher for nominating me for the gig in the first place; you might recall that I assisted Tim on his book Erotic Comics: A Graphic History from Tijuana Bibles to Zap Comix. He also runs the blog Sex, Drugs & Comic Books. Also, here's a shout-out to über-friends Brad & Liz Brooks for introducing me to Tim in the first place; Brad's the co-author with Tim of The Essential Guide to World Comics, and Brad & Liz run Sequential Design. Finally, massive thanks and love to K. A. Laity, who had to endure not just me but also a house even more covered in books than is our crazy norm.