ALL AGES READS: BIG FAT LITTLE LIT & NICK MAG SPECIAL

[MattBrady]

by Tracy, Sarah, and Shelby Edmunds

Welcome to All Ages Reads. Our review crew consists of Tracy (mom, teacher, author, and avid comic reader), Sarah (playwright, actress, and third-grader, age 8) and Shelby (artist, writer, and fifth-grader, turned 11 on Sunday!). Our mission is to seek out comics and graphic novels that both kids and adults can enjoy and tell you all about them so you can enjoy them, too.

Big Fat Little Lit edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Puffin Books)

We have owned and enjoyed the three hardcover volumes of Little Lit for a while now, but at twenty bucks each, they can be a real budget buster. Now, there’s Big Fat Little Lit, a paperback anthology selected from all three volumes, bringing you 36 comics and games for the nice price of $14.99. It’s an amazing line-up of creators from both comics and children’s literature, including Neil Gaiman and Gahan Wilson, Ian Falconer (Olivia) and David Sedaris, J. Otto Seibold (Olive the Other Reindeer), Crockett Johnson (Harold and the Purple Crayon), William Joyce (A Day With Wilbur Robinson), Tony Millionaire (Sock Monkey), Walt Kelly, Kaz, Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are), Daniel Clowes (Eightball), David Macaulay (The Way Things Work), Lewis Trondheim (Mister O), Martin Handford (Where’s Waldo?), and of course, Art Spiegelman.

This is a refreshing collection of odd, imaginative, clever, and unconventional stories that are not just for kids. There’s an edge to many of them, and that’s what I like best – Little Lit proves that not all stories for children must have happy endings. Some of my favorites:

The Hungry Horse by Kaz– a circular tale wherein a bad guy gets what he deserves.

Maurice Sendak’s Cereal Baby Keller – which proves that even a beloved children’s author can be slightly twisted.

The Several Selves of Selby Sheldrake by Art Spiegelman – which begins with nose picking and turns into an inventive play on words.

Ian Falconer & David Sedaris’ Pretty Ugly – which gives new meaning to an old phrase.

Neil Gaiman & Gahan Wilson’s It Was A Dark And Silly Night… – which includes a Jell-O fight in a graveyard, and, really, what’s better than that?

Sarah says: I like Neil Gaiman’s story because it has good pictures and it’s a funny story about a boy having a party at a graveyard and all the monsters come alive. I like “The Hungry Horse” because the guy who’s a farmer turns into a horse and they sell him. I learned that you shouldn’t get something when you can’t take care of it. I also liked the “Prince Rooster” story by Art Spiegelman because it has good pictures and the story is very original.

Shelby says: I liked the story by Joost Swarte because the drawings are cool and this boy, his head came off and he had to go to the hospital and they put it back on. At the end he had his head on backwards. “The Baker’s Daughter” is good because some fairy person, dressed like a very poor person, asked for some food. The baker’s daughter only gave her a little piece, so she turned her into an owl. I learned even if someone’s poor and you’re rich, don’t treat them differently because they’re the same as you.

This definitely belongs in every library, with copies in the children’s section, the teen/young adult section, and the adult collection. If you want to show someone how diverse, entertaining, and engaging short-form comics can be, give them Big Fat Little Lit.

The Best of Nickelodeon Magazine All-Comics Special

I would never, ever have picked this up in a grocery store and I would never have guessed what treasures were inside. With The Fairly Odd Parents on the cover, I automatically assumed that it would be nothing but branded junk from the network. Wrong! There are a Sponge Bob and an Oddparents strip at the beginning and the end, but sandwiched in between is such comic-y goodness! Strips, interviews, gags, and games by young, talented creators like Charise Mericle Harper, Souther Salazar, Andy Ristaino, and Jason Shiga (Eisner and Ignatz winner). Not convinced? How about Gahan Wilson, James Kochalka, Craig Thompson, and Jordan Crane? Thought that might get your attention.

In addition to the strips and gags, which really will make you laugh, this is a really wonderful way to get your creative juices flowing and learn more about how comics work. There are two great games – match the missing item to its gag (Robert Leighton), and mixed-up word balloons (Craig Thompson) – and lots of gags which really get you thinking about how to tell an entire story in one panel. The “how to” strips by Ellen Forney and Gahan Wilson and the interview with gag writers Felipe Galindo, Johnny Ryan, and Karen Sneider were so inspirational and instructive that I actually got out my crayons and drew some comics – for the first time ever!

Sarah says: I liked the Nickelodeon comics because there are many different stories and all of them are cool. I liked the Gag Station because it’s by all these different artists and each one is only one picture. They are funny and I especially like Ian Baker’s because it’s about a teenage fish getting her lip pierced and it made me laugh.

Shelby says: It’s all about how to make comics. There’s the kind that it could go different ways, like a maze. There’s some really interesting ones like “The Worst Comic Book Villains That Never Existed,” like Doctor Buckethead, Pants-On-Head-Man, and the Crayoniacs, who wear dog costumes and draw on people’s walls. I also like the one called “Rules for Falling in Public.”

The All-Comics Special, especially the Forney and Gahan bits and the interview with the gag writers, is a must-have for anyone teaching kids about making comics. This would also be a great little booster shot of creativity for anyone who writes or draws funny stuff. Next time you see a Nickelodeon Magazine in the grocery check-out line, pick it up and look for The Comic Book – you’ll be surprised. Check out some samples at the Nickmag Comics Livejournal.

Looking for more great all-ages comics and graphic novels? Don’t forget to check out the Big All Ages List over at ComicsintheClassroom.com!

Email the authors: allagescomics@hotmail.com

[adamcasey]

Big Fat Little Lit is great (most of the big box book stores shelve it in the kids section) and the Nick Magazine all comics issues are always fantastic.

[vbartilucci]

Don't downsell the Disney Adventures magazine either. Mat (Cynicalman) Feazell is a staple there, they were the first to reprint Bone in color, and people like Art Balthazar do regular strips for them.

And Gorilla Gorilla kicks major ass.

[John Gallagher]

I'm going to have to check out all the Little Lit books-- the young crirtics reations were quite positive to me, as I feared this was more a case of creators creating what kids SHOULD like, instead of wheat they really enjoy-- I'm glad to see that was not the case! Thanks for the review...
_____
KIDS LOVE COMICS- As a final shameless plug to anyone who missed it, all-ages comics fans are welcome to visit the Kids Love Comics creators at BOOTH 939 at NY Comic-Con-- come see Jimmy Gownley, Mark McKenna, Jane Fisher, Rich Faber, & me, as the Beaver! Comics posters, sketches & more!

http://www.kidslovecomics.com

[AdamYJ]

Aww, I was hoping a Nick comic special meant there would be a Danny Phantom comic. That is an awesome show and should so totally be a comic book.

[John Gallagher]

Originally Posted by vbartilucci

Don't downsell the Disney Adventures magazine either....

I agree-- the quality in Disney Adventures is quite good-- Has anyone ever see the Pirates of the Caribean comics by Blevins and Manley-- they rock!

And anyone who says kids aren't reading comics isn't looking in the right place-- Nick and Disney mags have an audience comibined of at least a million readers, based upon the circulation I saw... really they've taken the place of the comic at the Rexall down at the corner... ah, the good ol' days!

[dave roman]

Thanks for the great review of Nick Mag!

And I agree, that Disney Adventures does keep us on our toes!
The more great kids comics the better!

[AdamYJ]

I used to read Disney Adventures when I was younger. back in the day when they had "Disney Afternoon" inspired comics in there and an annual 3-D issue (do they still do the 3-D issue?).

[CitC]

I just got around to reading this today. I am writing my own review of the Nick mag, and this came up when I googled it. I too was surprised at how good it was.

Is the Clouds Above comic by the same guy that wrote the book? the credits say otherwise.