Heartstopper author Alice Oseman: ‘If you don’t have sex and romance, you feel like you haven’t achieved’

The writer and illustrator on turning her ‘weird hobby’ into a bestselling YA series and Netflix hit, the importance of asexual representation and lessons from her fans on love bitesAt 28, the author and illustrator Alice Oseman recently achieved what so many of her peers cannot: she bought a flat. But instead of giving up Netflix so she could save for a deposit, as Kirstie Allsopp notoriously recommended, she sold the streaming service the rights to her gay romance comic book series.The series in question is of course Heartstopper, the web comic turned graphic novel turned Netflix show that this paper’s reviewer described as “completely lovely” when it aired earlier this year. The boy-meets-boy tale, set in a British secondary school, sees rugby captain Nick and socially awkward Charlie navigate friendships, bullying, coming out – and falling in love. It’s not hard to see why the TV adaptation won over teenagers and adults alike, with its lovable characters, quirky nods to its comic book origins – for example, tiny animations of hand-drawn flowers form a circle round the actors when Nick and Charlie share their first kiss – and an injection of starriness in the shape of Olivia Colman (Nick’s mum) and Stephen Fry (headmaster Barnes). The show’s success resulted in a huge increase in book sales for Oseman: the Heartstopper series has now sold more than 6m copies worldwide. Volume One recently won the Books Are My Bag readers’ choice award and is a contender for the 2022... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2022-11-19 09:00:53 UTC ]

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Panel Mania: ‘Aya: Face the Music’ by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie

The latest volume in Abouet and Oubrerie’s graphic novel series about a savvy teenage girl’s adventures in 1980s Côte d’Ivoire finds its protagonist, Aya, in college, where she gets caught in a campus protest turned violent. A 7-page excerpt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-03-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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If You Build It, Comic Book Fans Will Come

Comics shop owners shore up customer loyalty with events, clubs, and personalized service, helping small shops thrive in hard times. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-03-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The People’s Joker remixes familiar characters to create a new kind of comic book movie

This Joker is supported by a slew of recognisable Batman villains, such as the Riddler, Mr Freeze and Poison Ivy. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2025-03-04 14:23:11 UTC ]
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Panel Mania: ‘Life Drawing’ by Jaime Hernandez

Jaime Hernandez’s new graphic novel is a generational update on the lives of his fictional punk rock duo Maggie and Hopey from the original Locas and Love and Rockets comics series. A ten-page excerpt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-02-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Biggest Bookish News of the Week

The first major verdict in an AI copyright case in the U.S., the graphic novel boom is great for kids, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-02-16 16:00:00 UTC ]
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Cost Cuts Lower Losses at Comics Publisher IDW

Across the board reductions helped ameliorate the graphic novel publisher's losses in fiscal 2024 by $3.5 million as sales remained basically flat at $26 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-02-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookshop.org is launching e-books to help local bookstores compete with Amazon’s Kindle

The challenger brand to Amazon’s hegemony has big plans to build further, starting with a new e-book initiative. Andy Hunter decided something needed to be done about the endless rise of Amazon in 2018—the year that the e-commerce giant surpassed 50% of book sales in the U.S. market. “I was... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2025-01-28 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Samuel Teer and Mar Julia's Printz Win: 'Hooting and Hollering'

When Samuel Teer and Mar Julia, author and illustrator of 'Brownstone', received word on Sunday that their graphic novel had won the 2025 Michael L. Printz Award, neither was anticipating the call. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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TikTok Uncertainty Prompts the Book Business to Envision an Even Better Future

Industry leaders acknowledge that the platform has been a phenomenal catalyst for book sales and building community, but some see its perilous future as an opportunity to build direct, sustainable relationships with readers across multiple channels. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Diamond Comic Distributors Files for Bankruptcy

The company has been a linchpin in the distribution of comics to comics shops since its founding in 1982. The future of its comics distribution and graphic novel divisions remains uncertain. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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School Librarians Are Altering Illustrations to Avoid Book Challenges and Other Library News

Catch up with the latest in library news, including mental health literacy resources, Japanese libraries trying out book sales, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-12-13 12:30:00 UTC ]
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‘Feeding Ghosts’ and ‘Victory Parade’ Top PW’s 2024 Graphic Novel Critics Poll

For the second year in a row, the top spot on our annual graphic novel critics poll is shared by two titles which, while distinctive in style, share remarkably similar themes, delving into the inheritance of trauma across generations and the fraught dynamics of mothers and daughters. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-12-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Panel Mania: ‘The Last Mermaid: Book 01’ by Derek Kirk Kim

The cartoonist and filmmaker’s first graphic novel in more than a decade is a dazzling post-apocalyptic sci-fi epic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-12-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Read This Book: THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL by Phoebe Gloeckner

This work of half autofiction, half graphic novel follows a dramatic year in a teenage girl's life. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-11-29 12:00:00 UTC ]
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10 Must-Read Manga of 2024

This year, established manga publishers jostled on the shelves with prestige graphic novel publishers, prose publishers venturing into comics, and more. The result was a great year for manga. Here are 10 titles you shouldn’t miss. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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