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"The Ferryman's Toll" by Daniel James is a thrilling addition to the Hourglass series, combining horror, action, and dark humor. The story follows Clyde Williams, a former comic book artist turned Level 1 necromancer for Hourglass, a paranormal peacekeeping agency. Clyde and his team must hunt down a deadly assassin called The Hangman, who is just the first of many gruesome creations unleashed by the sinister Cairnwood Society. James expertly balances fast-paced action with character development, creating a gripping read where the supernatural is both a curse and a weapon. [Extracted from the article]

"TOP 10 Best Books 2024" from Publishers Weekly features a diverse selection of compelling reads, including Miranda July's novel "ALL FOURS" and Kelly Link's "THE BOOK OF LOVE." Rebecca Nagle's "BY THE FIRE WE CARRY" sheds light on the generations-long fight for justice on Native land, while Carl Sciacchitano's "THE HEART THAT FED" explores the impact of war across generations. The list also includes works by László Krasznahorkai, Percival Everett, Hisham Matar, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Ann Powers, and John Ganz, offering a range of perspectives and themes for readers to explore. [Extracted from the article]

Spain's guest of honor program at FIL 2024 will showcase 150 authors from 60 publishing houses, highlighting the country's literary renaissance and talented young writers. The program aims to emphasize the cultural and literary exchange between Spain and Latin America, focusing on themes of gender equality, linguistic plurality, diversity, and sustainability. The event will feature prominent Spanish authors like Rosa Montero, Bernardo Atxaga, and Manuel Rivas, as well as discussions on children's publishing, authors' rights in the digital age, and challenges facing the industry. [Extracted from the article]

Alex Segura, a veteran of the comics industry, combines his childhood passions for comics and crime fiction in his novels. His latest book, "Alter Ego," is a sequel to "Secret Identity" and follows Annie Bustamante, a comics artist chosen to relaunch the Legendary Lynx for Triumph Comics. Segura draws on his Cuban American heritage and aims to create diverse characters and narratives in his work. The novel explores themes of creative ownership and the challenges faced by women in the industry. Segura's love for comics shines through in his writing. [Extracted from the article]

CURRENTSCartoonist, comics artist, and writer Jules Feiffer, whose work won him an Academy Award, a Pulitzer Prize, and a place in the Comic Book Hall of Fame, died on January 17. He was 95. His widely syndicated comic strip, Feiffer, launched in the Village Voice in 1956 and ran until 1997, while his editorial cartoons were published by Esquire, the Nation, and the New Yorker. A protégé and collaborator of Will Eisner, Feiffer wrote or illustrated more than a dozen books, including Norton Juster’s children’s classic The Phantom Tollbooth. His final book, Amazing Grapes, was published by HarperCollins in September. [Extracted from the article]

CURRENTSMariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, who called on President Donald Trump at a televised national prayer service on January 22 to show mercy to immigrants and LGBTQ+ persons, is now seeing her 2023 book, How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, rushed into a second printing. Hannah Steigmeyer, an editor at Budde’s publisher Avery, told PW that the book, which had a first print run of 10,000 copies, is in “high demand,” adding that the imprint is “reprinting as quickly as possible to get more books into the marketplace.” Per Steigmeyer, Avery, and Budde are talking about a follow-up book. [Extracted from the article]

"Into the Underground" by Julia Gfrörer is a collection of comics that delve into horror themes, drawing inspiration from personal experiences and historical figures like Athanasius Kircher. Gfrörer discusses her artistic journey, from transitioning to comics from fine art to embracing the horror genre as a way to explore the darker aspects of human experience. The anthology includes a variety of stories, with "World Within the World" standing out as a significant piece that reflects Gfrörer's older style of storytelling and her exploration of the underground world as a metaphor for inner darkness. [Extracted from the article]

"The Ferryman's Toll" is a thrilling addition to Daniel James' Hourglass series, combining horror, action, and dark humor. The story follows Clyde Williams, a former comic book artist turned Level 1 necromancer for Hourglass, a paranormal peacekeeping agency. Clyde and his team must hunt down a deadly assassin called The Hangman, who is just the first of many gruesome creations unleashed by the sinister Cairnwood Society. James expertly balances fast-paced action with character development, creating a compelling protagonist and an immersive world filled with paranormal threats. This gripping read is recommended for fans of Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files series and Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim series. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the growth and acceptance of graphic novels in the North American book industry over the past 25 years. It discusses how the transition from monthly comic books to book formats has influenced storytelling and sales, with middle grade and young adult graphic novels dominating bestseller lists. The article also highlights the increasing popularity of diverse genres and the role of factors such as librarians, the internet, and the influence of manga in driving the growth of graphic novels. It mentions the significant sales figures of $1.28 billion in North America and the role of Publishers Weekly in promoting and reviewing graphic novels. [Extracted from the article]

"The Pirate Princess" is a swashbuckling graphic novel that follows teenage Julie as she sets out to find her mysterious father and becomes entangled in a series of perilous situations, including kidnappings and sword battles. Seeking adventure and answers about her family's past, Julie joins the crew of the Great Dolphin, forming friendships with a diverse group of adventurers, including queer adults Maxime and Stephanie, who become her adoptive guardians. The narrative is filled with nonstop action, and the illustrations by Roman comics artist Pigliamosche evoke a nostalgic and friendly aesthetic. While some abrupt transitions between scenes may leave readers feeling disoriented, the overall story is a thrilling pirate adventure suitable for ages 14 and up. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the work of the comic book creator and illustrator Becky Cloonan. Topics include the comic book publisher DC Comics' hiring of Cloonan in 2012 as the first woman to draw its main title "Batman," her co-writing of the young adult (YA) graphic novel "Gotham Academy, Vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy" for DC Comics, which tells a coming-of-age story about teenage girls, and the graphic novel's female heroine, teenager Olive Silverlock.

The article discusses the cartoonist and author Jules Feiffer's graphic novel "Kill My Mother" which is scheduled for publication in August, 2014. Topics include his work on newspaper comic strips such as "Feiffer" in the "Village Voice," his work as a writer and illustrator of children's books such as "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norman Juster, and how "Kill My Mother" was inspired by detective motion pictures known as film noir.

The article offers information on writer and comic artist Bill Willingham, along with his comic book series "Fables." Topics discussed include the spin-offs experienced by the series, the love of Willingham to comics and fairy tales, and Willingham's ideas for creating the characters in the series such as one whether the character is in the public domain.

The article presents an interview with comic book writer and illustrator P. Craig Russell as of May 2014, with a focus on his graphic novel adaptation of the young adult fantasy novel "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. Topics include Russell's collaborations with Gaiman, the use of multiple artists for the book, and the Sandman comic book series.

The article profiles multimedia comics artists Yen Yen Woo and Colin Goh and their firm, Yumcha Studios, as of November 2012. It describes the digital comic they created as an iPad tablet computer application (app), Dim Sum Warriors, and note they plan to publish a print version in December 2012. It notes that some of their products have an educational, language-learning component.

The article focuses on author Ellen Forney and her graphic memoir about bipolar disorder "Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me." The author explains that Forney wanted to create a book of bipolar case studies, discusses her career as a comics artist, and explores how she was able to link mental illness and creativity in the book.

The article focuses on the decision of thriller writer Joseph Finder to combine its novel with comic. Finder's chance meeting with DC Comics senior editor Will Dennis and comic book writer Brian Azzarello resulted in the creation of "The Cowl." The characters in the comic were based on the characters in Finder's novel "Vanished." According to Finder, creating a comic book with Azzarello and Dennis is a great experiment.