Poetry Comics

Beautiful mutants, vagabond scuba divers, lovers with disordered gorilla hearts: These poetry comics place the lyric and the grotesque, the elegant and the despondent, side by side in one emotionally intense panel after another. At the vanguard of a movement that embraces our increasingly visual culture and believes poetry has an essential place therein, Bianca Stone redefines how we think about poetry, what we expect from comics, and how we interpret our own lives. Although reminiscent of illuminations by William Blake, Thomas Phillips's A Humument, and more recent visual-poetic hybrids by Mary Ruefle and Matthea Harvey, Stone's comics feature a mixture of dreamy expression and absurdist wit that is entirely her own. Her watercolor panels are filled with anthropomorphic horses and baffled ballerinas that guide the reader through the poet's graphic dreamscape: "I was moving like a monsoon through a forest. I was thinking about where I saw myself in two thousand years... And where I saw myself was a tiny subspace ripple sliding through the corridors with a plastic horse in my hand." This book, its own small universe, erases genre distinctions between the visual and the literary, and offers readers a poetic vision of artistic possibilities.

The much-anticipated debut collection from a celebrated young poet, Someone Else's Wedding Vows marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in American poetry. Someone Else’s Wedding Vows reflects on the different forms of love, which can be both tremendously joyous and devastatingly destructive. The title poem confronts a human ritual of marriage from the standpoint of a wedding photographer. Within the tedium and alienation of the ceremony, the speaker grapples with a strange human hopefulness. In this vein, Stone explores our everyday patterns and customs, and in doing so, exposes them for their complexities. Drawing on the neurological, scientific, psychological, and even supernatural, this collection confronts the difficulties of love and family. Stone rankles with a desire to understand, but the questions she asks are never answered simply. These poems stroll along the abyss, pointing towards the absurdity of our choices. They recede into the imaginative in order to understand and translate the distressing nature of reality. It is a bittersweet question this book raises: Why we are like this? There is no easy answer. So while we look down at our hands, perplexed, Someone Else’s Wedding Vows raises a glass to the future.

Poetry comics by Kimball Anderson, Derik Badman, Warren Craghead, Julie Delporte, Oliver East, Franklin Einspruch, Jason Overby, and Paul Tunis. Foreword by William Corbett.

Poetry isn't just the dusty classical poems we all studied in school. It's sexy, raw, political, edgy, and alive. The first of its kind, EMBODIED marries the unique aspects of poetry with those of sequential art in this contemporary graphic poetry. EMBODIED features new work on the theme of gender, identity, and the body from twenty-one of America's premier, award-winning cis female, trans, non-binary poets and adapts them into sequential art stories drawn, colored, and lettered by top cis female, trans, and non-binary artists. With strong BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation, this anthology emphasizes inclusivity and the amplification of marginalized identities at a time when those identities are most under siege. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit International Women's Health Coalition.

Five Finger Death Punch Front Man Ivan Moody teams with watercolor illustrator Blake Armstrong to bring Ivan's twisted poetry to life! Ever wondered what really lies beyond “where the sidewalk ends?” From the wonderfully twisted mind of the front man of Five Finger Death Punch; Ivan Moody’s Dirty Poetry is a book of original poems punctuated with dark art that’s guaranteed to inspire upside-down dreamscapes in the minds of its readers. Written by Ivan Moody himself, with beautifully haunting ink and watercolor illustrations by Blake Armstrong, Z2 Comics offers this Halloween treat to readers everywhere this October!

“A poetry-filled graphic novel that is powerful in its simplicity.” ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Personal but personable, too, with glints of quiet humor.” ―Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review “Poetry Comics is . . . a sensorial experience that taps into what it means to be human and leaves you inspired to explore, discover, create, and connect.” —Aron Nels Steinke, Eisner Award-winning cartoonist From the creator of Incidental Comics, Grant Snider, comes a fun and imaginative book that combines poetry and comics in a whole new way. Perfect for poetry lovers and reluctant readers alike. “Poetry Comics is a sprint through a sprinkler, a cool evening breeze, and the discovery of static electricity all at once. It’s a sensorial experience that taps into what it means to be human and leaves you inspired to explore, discover, create, and connect.”—Aron Nels Steinke, Eisner Award-winning cartoonist From the cloud-gazing hours of early spring to the lost bicycles of late autumn, Grant Snider’s brilliantly illustrated Poetry Comics will take you climbing, floating, swimming, and tumbling through all the year’s ups, downs, and in-betweens. He proves that absolutely everything, momentous or minuscule, is worthy of attention, whether snail shells, building blocks, the lamented late bus, or the rare joy of unscuffed shoes. These poems explore everything you never thought to write a poem about, and they’re so fun to read you’ll want to write one yourself. Not to worry, there’s a poem for that, too! FOR COMIC BOOK FANS: These poems for kids are brightly illustrated in graphic novel-style panels, adding a delightful new element to approaching poetry. Perfect for visually oriented readers and young people who already love comics, cartoons, and graphic novels. EXCITING NEW APPROACH TO POETRY: Funny, instructive, and thoroughly engaging, this poem book is a perfect addition to classroom libraries and poetry curricula. POEMS FOR EVERY SEASON: With sections for winter, spring, summer, and fall, this poetry book offers teachers and kids lots to enjoy and share all year round. SPARK A LOVE OF POETRY AND ART: Perfect for classroom writing and drawing prompts, this book will inspire readers of all ages to make and share poetry comics of their own! Perfect for: Young readers of comics and graphic novels Aspiring poets, writers, and cartoonists Parents and educators seeking a fun and engaging way to introduce kids to poetry Reading and sharing during Poetry Month Readers looking for contemporary additions to classic children's poetry like Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, and A Light in the Attic Fans of Mary Oliver looking to share an equally contemplative, nature-loving poet with kids Fans of Grant Snider books, including Nothing Ever Happens on a Gray Day, What Color Is Night?, What Sound Is Morning?, One Boy Watching, and There Is a Rainbow

Latin American comics and graphic novels have a unique history of addressing controversial political, cultural, and social issues. This volume presents new perspectives on how comics on and from Latin America both view and express memory formation on major historical events and processes. The contributors, from a variety of disciplines including literary theory, cultural studies, and history, explore topics including national identity construction, narratives of resistance to colonialism and imperialism, the construction of revolutionary traditions, and the legacies of authoritarianism and political violence. The chapters offer a background history of comics and graphic novels in the region, and survey a range of countries and artists such as Joaquín Salvador Lavado (a.k.a Quino), Héctor G. Oesterheld, and Juan Acevedo. They also highlight the unique ability of this art and literary form to succinctly render memory. In sum, this volume offers in-depth analysis of an understudied, yet key literary genre in Latin American memory studies and documents the essential role of comics during the transition from dictatorship to democracy.