Comics & Graphic Novels

You can choose from anime, manga, cartooning, genre, characters, children's, cult graphic novels, history and of course there are many different series that you can start to read as well. What anime and manga books are out there to read? If you are new to this type of reading or you are just wondering what is available, you have a wide selection to choose from. There is Maison Ikkoku, Nausicaa, Pokemon, Ranma 1 and Sailor Moon. Some of these come in volumes or in a series such as the Pokemon books. This is one of those books that children of all ages seem to love.

Of course, there are volumes and series that not only are for teenagers but for adults alike. Comics such as Batman which includes the Joker and the Dark Knight, Watchmen and of course V for Vendetta seem to be for people of all ages. There are also comics such as V for Vendetta and Dark Entries as well.

What Authors Are Available?

There are many different authors that have written these books. These would include Alan Moore, John Byrne, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Todd McFarlane, Grant Morrison, Art Spiegelman and Grant Morrison. These authors have published some of the comic books that have become very popular. These include League of Extraordinary Gentleman, The Complete Maus, Watchmen, Batman and V for Vendetta. Some of these comic books have been made into movies which of course has increased their popularity. For those that do not like to read as much, they can catch one of them in a movie.

Cult Graphic Novels

Cult graphic novels tend to be about super hero's or comic hero's. You may be wondering who you or what would classify as a cult graphic novel. If you are curious to read about them or know who they are, here are some examples of just what you can get. They include: Astro City, Batman, Hellblazer, Invisibles, Judge Dredd, Justice League of America, Maus, Preacher, Sandman, Sin City, Spawn, Starman, Superman, Swamp Thing, Transmetropolitan, Watchmen, X-Men and of course the classics. Maybe you have read one of these great comics or perhaps you have seen a movie. No matter which you have done, you will be hooked no matter what your age.

The General Population

Now that you have read about some of the more popular types of comics, you may be wondering what is left to read? There are actually quite a few comic books in the general category that are both single editions and volumes. Some of these to select from are The Animators Survival Kit, The Boys (Volumes), 100 Bullets: Wilt, Fables, From Hell, Nemi, Skeleton Key Graphic Novel (Alex Rider), Angel (Volumes) and Lost Girls.

There is something for everyone when it comes to comic books and graphic novels. As stated earlier, you may think that comics are just for the young but as you can see here, there are many different books that are available and at your disposal. But what if you are not sure what to read or how to get the books that are of interest to you?

You can actually join a book club or a discussion group and get the opportunity to talk about a book or books that you have read and that others have read as well. It gives you the opportunity to be able to ask questions about the stories you have read to get answers to parts of the book that may have confused you.

They also give you the chance to give your opinion on the books that you have read as well. It is also a healthy way to have a great debate about a particular section when you feel one way and someone else feels another way. Having the opportunity to be able to discuss your favorite comic books with others gives you the chance to be able to make friends and spend some time speaking with others that understand your passion for comic books.

The Genre

One last category that is very popular is genre. This category actually covers horror, crime, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, super-hero's and magic. In this category you are going to find the stories that can provide you with the thrills, chills, excitement and guessing. Here you will find books such as Vampire Knight, Angel, Homecoming, Dark Tower, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sandman, Bleach, 100 Ways to Create Fantasy Figures and Jack of Fables.

All of these books fall under the genre category plus many more. By joining in a group discussion you are going to find other people that are just as interested in this category as you are. This means that you will be able to find someone that you can share your thoughts with about Angel. It is not as though you can walk down the street and just talk to anyone about this.

If you are wondering about what other books are available in the comic and graphic section, just take a look around and you will be able to find many different ones that are available for you and your children to read. Who knows, maybe with a little bit of research and finding out what your kids like to read, you may be able to find something in common and have something that you can share and talk about.

Tips For Collecting Silver Age Comic Books (1955 - Early 1970s)

The Silver Age of Comic Books ran from 1955 to 1970. It was a time period when superhero books become popular. There are several tips and techniques to collecting this period. But to understand these tips, you first need to know about the history of this imaginative art form.

Comic books in the United States first started appearing in the early 1930s. These early comic books were just collection of newspaper strips. Then, in the late 1930s, comic books started creating their own characters - most notably Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. By World War 2 (1939-1945) there were hundreds and hundreds of superhero comics. (Most of them forgotten to today's audience ). This time period was considered the Golden Age.

Superhero comics disappeared after the war. The public was more interested in crime, romance, and horror. For a variety of reasons, however, Superhero comics came back in the late 1950s. In 1956, DC brought back an old character - the Flash - but reinvented him. He was no longer the same person (or the same looking character) as the Golden Age Flash.

Showcase #4 - the first appearance of the Silver Age Flash - spawned a new generation of superhero comics. DC reinvented most of their popular characters. Marvel followed suit. And other publishers did the same. The Silver Age of Comic Books had begun!

If you are interested in collecting comic books from the Silver Age, here are my top 5 tips.

Tip #1 - Make sure that you have the proper size bag and board to protect your investment. Not all bags and boards are created equal. Basically, comic books have been shrinking since the 1930s. Golden Age books are the widest; Modern books are the skinniest. And Silver Age Comic Books are right in between. So make sure you buy the right bags and boards or you'll ruin your comics. (They should be labeled "silver age" bags and boards).

Tip #2 - A quick way to determine whether a comic book is from the Silver Age is to look at the original cover price. If the price is 12 to 15 cents, it is probably from the silver age. Ten cent comic books were generally from the Golden Age (pre 1950s) and 25 cent comics were from the Bronze Age (1970s).

Tip #3 - Quality is extremely important! If you look at a price guide for a specific comic - you might see that the price ranges from $6.00 to $600.00. The spread is a result of condition. If the book looks pretty beat up - as if 10 or 20 people have already read it - then it is probably going to be worth the $6.00. (And you might be able to find it at a convention or store for $1.00 or $2.00). If instead, the book is mint - as if nobody has every touched it before or read it - then the comic might be worth the $600. Condition is one of the main drivers of value. (The other two drivers are scarcity and popularity).

Tip #4 - The best place to get silver age comic books is usually at a convention or through the internet. There are fewer and fewer stores that sell books from this time period. Most stores make their money on new stuff and don't want to take up floor space with older items. So if you want to find the best deals on the internet, use a search engine to search for "silver age comic books" and see what you can find. Or look for comic book conventions in your area to buy your comics.

Tip #5 - The most expensive Silver Age books are from DC and Marvel and tend to be superhero books. This is due to the fact that DC and Marvel have been publishing continually until the present day and have thus developed a large fan base for their characters (Batman, Superman, X-Men, Iron Man, Avengers, Hulk, Wonder Woman, etc). However, if you want to start your collection without paying an arm and a leg, you might try collecting other publishers besides Marvel and DC (Harvey, Dell, Gold Key, Charlton Comics) or try other genres besides superhero comics (Horror, Crime, Romance).

Mick Davin has been collecting comics since he was 10 years old. He used to own a comic book store but closed it recently. He now sells at conventions. Mick also runs a resource website devoted to Silver Age Comics.

To find out more about silver age comic books, please go to his website at http://www.silveragecomicbooks.org

Young Boys and Their Comics

Every young boy dreams of being a superhero. Whether alone is his room with underpants on outside his pyjamas, or simulating emergency response situations, he's in that familiar mode: saving the world from darkness.
Comic books have made their livelihood on this immutable truth. There must be a Spiderman molecule somewhere with the double helix of the human DNA strand. Why else would the superhero be so universally loved, and on such a fanatical level? Perhaps the students at MIT might consider it a worthy of investigation. Maybe the academic world needs to shine a light on the supposed link between genetic encoding and the love of superhero comics. We could end up with a whole new biological paradigm. Wouldn't that be fascinating?
Fascination is the buzz word for comic books. Comics of every ilk, but particularly of the Spiderman and Batman ilk, have been stealing gasps from boys the world over for eons. No other medium can so brilliantly and entertainingly express the excellence of Spiderman as he ejects his spider webs; or of Batman as he saves Gotham City from the malicious Penguin. This is what young boys will tell you as they jump up and down or run up and down walls in excitement. Who would take it from them?
Maybe the answer as to why boys are so taken by superhero comics is less to do with biology than magic. What if there were subliminal, supernatural forces at work? What if characters such as Lex Luther or The Joker secretly encoded the paper covers of epic boy's comic books with forces capable of hypnotizing them? Or maybe they hide spells within the text to lure children into their worlds? This wild conjecture leads me to the truth: the reality, unfortunately for imaginations that like to rove untamed, is that no such malice exists.
But lovers of the conventional superhero comic do like to fantasise, which is why comics are made out of the stuff of dreams. Why not speculate furiously? Comic books are a rare way in which to lose ourselves. Long may they live.

A person with a wide variety of interests. One who likes to write articles about aspects of these interests to see other peoples views. Also, enjoys being on different forums discussing new developments in these areas.
For more information, visit [http://www.toddisms.com]

Classic Cartoon Series of the Past

Cartoons are quintessential television comedies. With their slapstick humor, they not only make us break out into a smile or a laugh, but they also feed our imaginations.

Some of the oldest cartoons can still compete with modern productions. There are cartoons from way back with clever animation, well scripted plots, a great variety of voices and music that fits each scene perfectly.

Let's remind ourselves of three well known cartoons that we loved when we were young. There's a good chance that you've seen plenty of episodes when it comes to these shows, and you probably enjoyed some of them just as much as I did.

In the 1960s through to the 1980s, we followed the trials and tribulations of the Jetsons, a space age family. It seemed very futuristic less than 30 years ago.

The way the program depicted life in the galaxies was not only entertaining but also credible. Many children envisioned the future just as the Jetsons lived it, and that simply wouldn't be such a bad thing. It seemed like a lot of fun to say the very least.

Popeye dates back over 50 years, but it was so well made you would hardly know it. Each episode was finely crafted and involved a timeless battle of good against evil.

Popeye always had to battle against Bluto for Olive Oil's affections. When he'd topped up on spinach, Popeye was like Clark Kent as Superman. Children would love watching his heroics after a can of spinach, and he was the quintessential superhero before comic books took hold.

Finally, let's not forget Looney Toons. The ultimate in classic cartoons, it has the legendary character, Bugs Bunny, who by no means looks his age.

Every Looney Toons episode has an excellent script and it's clear that great attention to detail was put into its making.

If you enjoyed this piece of writing, you may enjoy learning about pressure washer accessories, courtesy of the same writer. A quick visit to http://pressurewasheraccessories.org will teach you what you need to know.