The Holy Grail of book review sources is Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus is the book review top, Tower of Pisa, Louvre Museum. Authors fear and desire Kirkus attention. You are far more likely to get a bad review than a good one. And how. Kirkus Reviews just gave Mangaman, my new graphic novel written by Barry Lyga a starred review, it’s highest recommendation. A daring piece of graphic-novel meta-fiction explores the tropes of manga versus Western comics. Marissa is a stereotypical popular high-school girl: pretty, well-liked and girlfriend of Chaz, the hottest guy in school. But when she first lays eyes on Ryoko, a manga character who travels through “the Rip”…

The Young Adult Library Association has published its list of Best Graphic Novels for Teens for the years 2011, and the soon-to-be-released Mangaman makes the cut! “Fantastic—in every sense of the word! Lyga and Doran have created an eye-popping fun-ride through the comics traditions of East and West. Fans of both comics and manga will love Mangaman. Colleen Doran’s encyclopedic, rapid-fire grasp of manga conventions blows my mind!”　—Jeff Smith, author of Bone　 “This is a wonderful, funny, touching story about the ultimate outsider seeking adventure and　love within the borders that surround us all.　 There’s some seriously innovative storytelling going on here, and the artwork is sensational.　 If you’re looking for…

Sponsored by the Australian Society of Authors, Books Kinokuniya of Sydney, and the CAL Cultural Fund, this intensive course in the creation and business of comics promises to be an exciting opportunity for established and aspiring creators. DATES: Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November 2011 TIME: 9am to 5pm (Registration starts at 8am) VENUE: Aerial UTS Function Centre, Level 7, 235 Jones St, Broadway, Sydney NSW Australia ADMISSION: $135 (ASA members); $165 (Students and members of the ACA, AWG and various State Writers’ Centres); $195 (Non-members). Installment payment financing available for prospective students. Details of the event are available at ComicsMasterclass.com But hey, we’re biased. here’s what some of Colleen’s…

I hope you like this art enough to buy a t-shirt. Because I have donated all proceeds from the sale of this image to THEONERING.NET’s efforts to raise money to help the people of Christchurch, New Zealand. Get t-shirts, prints, posters, cards, and even an iPad case. Which I want. This color art has never been available before, and I will never make this image available for sale anywhere else. For more information about the Christchurch earthquake, go HERE. The shallow 6.3 magnitude quake centred at the port town of Lyttelton struck at 12.51pm last Tuesday, killing at least 154 people, with police expecting the final toll to reach “around…