You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2011.

The second volume in the Chicagoland Detective Agency series, The Maltese Mummy, will be released in April.  But you don’t have to wait till then to get the scoop on Megan, Raf and Bradley’s latest capper!  Comicsgirl released this early review

Here is some of what Comicsgirl had to say:

“Robbins is clearly having fun and her wit never talks down to this book’s target audience. Kids are appreciated for being savvy and smart. Maybe some of them won’t quite get the jokes that compares aging rock stars to mummies, but I still love that Robbins includes those sorts of things here.

Page’s art continues to be animated and playful. There isn’t as much action here as there was in the initial volume, but his sense of page layout and facial expression keeps the book moving. He has a great way of making otherwise static scenes of two people talking seem dynamic.”

Comicsgirl also pointed out that  Sun D’ Arc (Megan’s favorite singer, who stars in this book) has a more than  passing resemblance to real life band L’Arc en Ciel.

 Good catch, Comicsgirl!

Comicsgirl reviewed this book using NetGalley.  Are you a reviewer, journalist, librarian, bookseller or educator?  If so, check out Graphic Universe titles on NetGalley today!

With the May premiere of Thor fast approaching, comic lovers are looking for good reading material.  The School Library Journal compiled this handy list of titles staring this god of thunder.

Graphic Universe’s own Thor & Loki made the list.  Here is what they had to say:

“Gr 3-8-Readers will appreciate the comic book–style illustrations and they’ll get more than their share of chuckles as they learn how brother gods Thor and Loki deal with adversity. Loki relies on wit and cunning while Thor uses strength and fear—both methods have their positives and negatives. A brief glossary, reading list, and index are included.”

If you’re like me, you might be a little hazy on your Thor facts.  Here is some information that will raise your Thor IQ.

A 16th century depiction of Norse gods by Olaus Magnus (Thor is in the middle)

Thor is the Nose god of thunder, but did you know he’s also associated with oak trees, fertility and healing?

Thor’s hammer is called Mjöllnir, which means “crusher.” During the viking age it was popular to wear Mjöllnir pendants, in defiance of Christianization. 

Did you know Thursday is named after Thor?  In English, all the days of the week are named after gods.

So I wish you a happy Woden’s (better known as Odin) Day, and hope you have a happy Thor’s Day tomorrow!

I love a good mystery, and here at Graphic Universe we have two lady detectives on the scene.  There is the bookish guinea pig, Sasspants (or Detective Pants, as she does NOT prefer to be called)…

and the hip haikuist Megan Yamamura.

I have a feeling both of them would be fans of Honey West.

Honey West was the first female private eye on TV.  She was played by actress Anne Francis, and arrived on the screen in 1965.  Anne Francis died last week at the age of 80.  Graphic Universe author Trina Robbins wrote this touching remembrance for Popeater.com.

Trina Robbins is the author of the Chicagoland Detective Agency series, and a big Honey West fan.  She even wrote a Honey West comic!

In her remembrance, Trina wrote:

“Anne Francis was Honey, the way ten years earlier Irish McCalla was Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (another of my heroes). It’s impossible to read the books without seeing Francis, with her blonde flip, her sultry pout and that adorably distinctive beauty mark. When dressed for action (she took the bad guys down with karate), she wore a well-fitting black turtleneck sweater tucked into equally well-fitting black slacks, and looked sexier than any of the balloon-breasted, bikini-bottomed superheroines of today’s comics. ”

Read the complete article here.  We’ll miss you, Honey!

The GU Blog…

...is written, scribbled, drawn, and tweeted by GU's editorial director and stalwart editorial assistant.