Stuck in that summertime loop of having actual daylight to play with, and so presumptuously booking in social events and excitement and merriment, and then being confronted with the sticky reality of attending said events in 99.73% humidity anddissolving into a puddle ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze before even reaching the end of the road. I get it, really, I do – I should stay indoors with fans tracing the design of a pentagram in wind-patterns around me, while carrying out the terminally online action of compiling this week’s links, below, until the axial tilt of the globe does its job and returns me to a land of tepid gray drizzle. Good grief!
This week’s reviews
TCJ
Kevin Brown reviews the varied perspectives of The Cartoonist Collective in Tehran’sI Won’t Pretend These Missiles Are Stars: Life in Iran During the 12-Day War—“As the title implies, they will face this war and any other wars to come after it head on, using their art to bear witness to what they have endured and continue to endure. They believe their stories will last, so they keep telling and drawing them, so readers can continue to know what their lives are like. They shine a light on the horrors of living through this war, as well as the wars to come, which have come, and will continue to come. They want readers to remember, but they also want readers to care enough to act.”
AIPT
• David Brooke reviews the compelling chaos of Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso, et al’s 100 Bullets: US of Anger #1
• Landon Kuhlmann reviews the concluding interactions of Deniz Camp, Javier Rodriguez, et al’s Absolute Martian Manhunter #12
• Collier Jennings reviews the gritty approach of Marc Bernardin, Gabriel Guzman, et al’s Star Wars: Rogue One – Saw Gerrera #1
• Lily Abreu reviews the universal fun of Mariko Tamaki, Cody Lemieux, et al’s Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #1
• Colin Moon reviews the treasure trove of Carl Bark’s Disney Library Vol. 30 – Uncle Scrooge: Lost Beneath the Sea
The Beat
• Ricardo Serrano Denis reviews the contemporary awareness of Julio Anta, Daniel Irizarri, et al’s Beast of Borikén #1
• Zack Quaintance reviews the surprising start of Joey Esposito, Valeria Burzo, et al’s Killer Influences #1
• Clyde Hall reviews the solid continuation of Benjamin Raab, Deric A. Hughes, Willi Roberts, et al’s The Last Starfighter #1
• Gianni Palumbo reviews the generic romance of Jamie S. Rich, Megan Levens, et al’s The Dogsitter #1
• Khalid Johnson reviews the visual weight of Matt Lesniewski’s Faceless and the Family: Maze of the Mechanical Aliens #1
• Jordan Jennings reviews the thrilling beginning of Geof Darrow et al’s Shaolin Cowboy – Staying A.I. Live #1
• Jared Bird reviews the wonderful debut of Mariko Tamaki, Brenda Hickey, et al’s Adventure Time – Quadruple Feature #1
• Sean Dillon reviews the delightful fancy of Jules Scheele’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando
• Samantha Puc reviews the satisfying layering of Richard Mercado’s Coming Out Perfect
• Arpad Okay reviews the appealing stumble of Machiko Kyo’s Cocoon,translated by Jan Mitsuko Cash
Blogcritics
Jeff Provine reviews the engaging visuals of R. Sikoryak’sDeclaration/Emancipation Illustrated
Broken Frontier
• Lydia Turner reviews the surprising humour of Ben Harel et al’s Hotel Limbo
• Lindsay Pereira reviews the intriguing questions of Lily Thu Fierro and Generoso Fierro’s The Interpretant
• Andy Oliver has reviews of:
- The deceptive hijinks of Sajan Rai’sAlas.
- The enticing existentialism of Andrés Magán’sBig Comic for Boy.
- The delicate empathy of Mollie Ray’sThe House My Father Built.
- The anarchic crudity of Underground Kingdom Comix’sFilth, edited by Adam Falp.
- The unique tactility of A. T. Pratt’sDot Comics #1.
Cartoonists United
Jonah Leahy reviews the confident irreverence of Tess Powell’sThe Last Wizard of Cwmdafi
Four Color Apocalypse
Ryan Carey reviews the breathtaking visuals of Lily Thu Fierro and Generoso Fierro’sThe Interpretant,and the singular approach of David Enos’Athena’s Keep
House to Astonish
Paul O’Brien hascapsule reviewsof Marvel Comics’X-Men #32, Wolverine #22, Generation X-23 #5,andX-Men: Outback #1
Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics
Rahul Vijayan reviews the flexible structuring of The Pennsylvania State University Press’Keywords/Keyimages in Graphic Medicine,edited by Lisa Diedrich and Briana Martino
Montreal Review of Books
• Ian McGillis reviews the unique freedom of Arizona O’Neill’s Opioids & Organs
• Heather Leighton reviews the vivid evocations of Tillie Walden’s Charity & Sylvia
• Alexandra Sweny reviews the narrative subversions of Mirion Malle’s Beware Her Fury, translated by Aleshia Jensen and Isadora Jensen
Publisher’s Weekly
Have starred capsule reviews of:
- The psychological twists of Lucas Harari and Arthur Harari’sThe Case of David Zimmerman,translated by David Homel.
- The masterful documenting of Derf Backderf’sThe Dissidents: Autocrats! Vigilantes! Communists! And Cartoonists!.
- The passionate reinterpreting of Jules Scheele’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’sOrlando.
- The sharp humour of Perrin Roosevelt Ireland’sPoking the Squid: What We Can Learn from Animal Sex.
School Library Journal
• Jamie Winchell has a starred capsule review of the excellent explanations of Maya Henderson’s Brainbow
• Margaret Puentes has a starred capsule review of the cute fun of Meg Cabot and Amelia Allore’s Detective Baby: Dance Team Drama
• Rachel Zuffa has a starred capsule review of the exquisite storytelling of Alina Chau’s Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven
• Angie Jameson has a starred capsule review of the relatable situations of Shannon Hale and Marcela Cespedes’ Dream Big
• Rosemary Kiladitis has a starred capsule review of the outstanding message of Emily Tetri’s Small Magics
Forty thousand men and women every dayForty thousand men and women every dayAnother forty thousand coming every day
— Julia Gfrörer (@thorazos.bsky.social)2026-05-19T17:00:35.665Z
This week’s interviews
TCJ
• John Kelly interviews Kim Deitch about How I Make Comics, Peanut Gallery appearance attempts, and cultivating the grind — “Quitting time can end up being any fucking time. You know, I’m gonna try to make 40 hours this week, but as things stand right now, what have I got? Shit, 22 hours and 31 minutes, not counting the hour-and-a-half of it. You gotta keep yourself on the ball and not kid yourself. “Oh man, I’ve been working…” Ok what work have you done? Let’s look at the numbers. I like to have my numbers here where I can see them.”
• Zach Rabiroff interviews Joshua Kendall about Trudeau & Doonesbury: A Biography, exploring the world of cartooning, and insights gleaned from Trudeau’s writing over the years -—“Garry has created a kind of Dickensian oeuvre: if you want to understand Victorian England, you could read a handful of Dickens novels. And if you want to understand the Baby Boom generation, you could just go back and read five or ten of Garry’s collections.”
AIPT
• Chris Hassan speaks with Ashley Allen about Tomb of Apocalypse,the original pitch and how the book came to be, and enjoyable mutant dynamics
• David Brooke chats with Candice Purwin about The Book of Murmurs, building worlds and the origins of the story, and having a focus on inherited stories
• Chris Coplan talks to Mark Mosedale and Si Smith about Gigs and the long gestation of the book; and to Jordan Thomas about The Gods and Monsters of Hedgrave and the morale questions to be found therein
The Beat
Samantha Puc speaks withRachel Hope ClevesaboutCharity & Syle cribs from the prior work, with statement from Drawn & Quarterly about the original research done by Walden and credits given in the afterword and in PR for the graphic novel that expressly acknowledge the importance of Cleves’ work
Broken Frontier
Andy Oliver interviewsJua OK!aboutRoad to Chimeraand cultural history of third gender people, andFerry GouwaboutLimboand collaborations with Major Lazer
Fanbase Press
Barbra Dillon speaks withChristof BogacsaboutLex Luthor: Diabolical Geniusand the relative paucity of Luthor vs. Batman stories, and withDJ WoolridgeaboutDanger Boi & the Statesmenand collaborating on the book with Sean Peacock
Forbes
• Josh Weiss talks to Andre R. Frattino about We Are Pan, the history of Operation: Pedro Pan, and the individual stories behind the history
• Rob Salkowitz interviews Tillie Walden about Charity & Syliva, the connections felt with the subjects of the book, and biblical research
GraphicMemoir
Jonathan Sandler speaks withPaul Gravettabout theQueer as Comicsexhibition and the process of curating the show, and withJurijs TatarkinsaboutUnrestand the Lat
Los Angeles Review of Books
Colin Beineke talks toAndy Brownabout30x30and Conundrum Press’ 30th birthday, diving in feet first to publishing challenges, and the DIY mindset and scaling up
The Press Democrat
John Beck interviewsPaul Theroux and Steve LafleraboutCrazy for Youand how their collaboration came to be, and moving between the mediums of prose and comics
Steven Heller talks toR. SikoryakaboutDeclaration/Emancipation Illustrated, juxtapositional insights, and working outside the licensed comics system
Prism Comics
Ollie Kaplan interviewsJD Glass and Kris DresenaboutPunk Like Me, punk scene history, and the importance ofLove & Rockets
Publisher’s Weekly
Iyana Jones speaks withMaia KobabeaboutGender Queer,the shifting mode of book bans, and the importance of queer representation in books for readers of all ages
Smash Pages
JK Parkin interviewsBen H. Winters, Corinna Bechko, and Patrick HorvathaboutArchie, Archie in Hell,andSabrina, and the enduring nature of the Archie Comics canon in the year of its 85th anniversary
Solrad
Aria Baci talks toYudoriaboutRaging CloudsandLovers of the Empire, finding a visual foundation in Korean comics, and ideas and inspirations for future projects
WGBH
Saraya Wintersmith and Arun Rath speak withRick AtkinsonaboutThe British Are Coming: The Graphic Edition, and getting up to speed on the contemporary comics industry
Writer’s Digest
Robert Lee Brewer interviewsPerrin Roosevelt IrelandaboutPoking the Squid: What We Can Learn from Animal Sex, and helping humans connect more to their animal neighbours
If you’re a supporter of comics, comic creators, and bringing FREE access to the public, support OCAF’s 2026 Kickstarter which is live NOW!
— Oklahoma Comic Arts Foundation (@okcomicarts.bsky.social)2026-06-25T13:30:30.170Z
This week’s features and longreads
• Here at TCJ, Oliver Ristau returns with examination of the art/Aht history (and present) of colonialist imagery and themes in comic books, and the subsequent explorations of these in the work of Yvan Alagbé – “Back to those rather killing natives and animals instead, some of the troopers sent into the jungle known as noble savages were carrying names like Bomba, the jungle boy – whose tales found their setting in South-Africa, of all places – or Marvel’s Ka-Zar roaming in the Savage Land. In Germany they had Tibor, while in Italy Akim ruled over the wilderness, but on top of it all – and despite a heated climate – the fully-costumed and first-to-be-so hero, the Phantom arose.”
• Also for TCJ,Hank Kennedy writes on the recently passed 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, contrasting the relative scope of focus to be found in Kate Evans’ Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen and Janine Barchas and Isabel Greenberg’s The Novel Life of Jane Austen: A Graphic Biography -—“Both artists handle Jane’s death of an unknown ailment at 41 well. InNovel Life, she asserts on her deathbed she was “never alone” as we see her surrounded by visions of her characters. Evans shows Cassandra Austen weeping at her sister’s deathbed accompanied by excerpts from, and a dramatization of, Jane Austen’s poem “Venta.” These endings are all the more impactful when readers remember the author’s lack of fame throughout her life. She never knew how many people her work would touch.”
• Finally for TCJthis week,our distinguished editors present an excerpt from Raquelle Jac’s Bimbo Agitprop,arriving in stores next month, where all good books are sold
• Over at Shelfdust, Steve Morris’ Year of Evil continues on the Marvel mutant track, as consideration is given to the vacillating nature of the morality of the Scarlet Witch, originating in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s X-Men #4; and republication of articles originally found in the pages of The Comics Courier also continues, with Lillie Hochwender’s essay unpacking the moral instruction of ‘Fraulein Sweetheart’ in Jack Oleck and Jack Kirby’s Young Romance #4, as the comic’s setting in Germany in the immediate aftermath of World War II poses searching questions of what it means to truly renounce fascism and seek happiness in a world still scarred by its machinations.
• For Salon, Andi Zeisler observes the halfway part of the year-in-progress, with a list of the best graphic memoirs that 2026 so far has had to offer, including Gemma Correll’s Anxietyland, Nicole J. Georges’ Emotional Support Animals, Riad Sattouf’s The End of the Arab of the Future, Sofia Szamosi’s Bad Kid: My Life as a Troubled Teen,and Julia Wertz’s Bury Me Already (It’s Nice Down Here)
• The world turns and brings with it a fresh dispatch from the Mindless Ones’ newsletter HQ, with appreciation given to Jules Scheele’s charged adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando
• Mike Peterson rounds up the week’s editorial beat, for The Daily Cartoonist, as the second presidency of Donald Trump continues to bring into disrepute all branches of government, as you would expect
A reminder that applications to SBCF 2027 close at the end of this month. SBCF is an online, digital comics fair: you can apply from anywhere in the world -and there’s no upfront tabling/exhibiting fee involved. All details at the link.www.shortboxcomicsfair.com/apply
— ShortBox Comics Fair (@shortboxcomicsfair.bsky.social)2026-07-01T16:24:01.752Z
This week’s audio/visual delights
• Catching up with recent broadcasts from around the world wide web, as Harry Siegel spoke with Kim Deitch and Pamela Butcher about How I Make Comicsfor The City Reporter’sLit NYC
• For those who missed last month’s broadcast of Cartoonists United’s Minicomics Awards ceremony, hosted by Mary Shyne, the ubiquity of the internet has you covered, as the archived broadcast is up on Youtube
• The return of Robin McConnell’s Inkstuds continues apace, as conversations were had with Kim Deitch about How I Make Comics and changing artistic processes, Zoé Jusseret about Qui Mange Des Couteaux and About the Little Onesand communicating ideas in silent comics, and Tillie Walden about Charity & Syl
• Some other recent interviews, as Heidi MacDonald spoke with Frank Miller for Publisher’s Weekly’sMore to Come about Push the Wall, Comics Grinder’s Henry Chamberlain spoke with Joe Sikoryak about When We Were Trekkies, Comics Kingdom’s Alex Garcia spoke with Mike Smith about Gearhead Gertie for Inside the Kingdom, Brian Hibbs reconvened the Comix Experience Graphic Novel Kids club to speak with Mike Lawrence about The Lionharts, and Off Panel’s David Harper spoke with Matt Kindt about Mind MGMT: New & Improved.
— Haus of Decline (@hausofdecline.bsky.social)2026-07-01T14:14:47.084Z
No more links, for the fingers must now be only used in the pursuit of perfection inRhythm Heaven Groove
I started a newsletter-blog with my friends Eleanor Davis, Lala Albert, and Ian Foster-Dimino. Today was my first post! Just trying to have fun posting on the internet again, folks garden-variety.org
— Jillian Tamaki (@dirtbagg.bsky.social)2026-07-01T01:45:18.971Z
