Anchor is "2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens"

Hey, check this out. The Anchor Vol. 1 (a book I colored) has been selected by the Young Adult Library Service Association as one of their 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens. Here's the official press release...

January 21, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA - BOOM! Studios is proud to announce that for the second year in a row the Young Adult Library Service Association (YALSA) has selected a BOOM! Studios original graphic novel, THE ANCHOR VOL. 1: FIVE FURIES, as one of their 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

This year, YALSA has compiled a list of 63 titles out of 89 official nominations presented annually at the ALA midwinter conference. These titles are recommended for readers ages 12 to 18 and are chosen for their ability to "meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens."

"We can't express how excited we are to receive this honor once again!" says BOOM! Studios Marketing Director Chip Mosher. "It's a pleasure to see that the hard work and dedication of the entire BOOM! staff does not go unnoticed. Thanks to YALSA for the opportunity to say once more that we produce 'Great Graphic Novels for Teens'"
Anyone may view the list of other award recipients at the American Library Association website: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/greatgraphicnovelsforteens/ggnt11.cfm

 Pretty cool!

MW

That was easy...

Well, sorry for the lack of posts for the start of 2011. The slow going around here kind of mirrors my work this year. It's been a perfect storm of sick artists, and late art, and as a result I haven't done much work this month. I've also had a lack of motivation, but I'm thinking that my mood has just been mirroring my workload, because now that I've got plenty of work stacked up I'm all pumped up to color again!

So yes, there is a whole bunch of fun stuff that I can't wait to color, and other fun stuff that I've finished that I can't wait to show off.

Let's start with the easiest 2 pages I've ever been paid for...

HA! That made it easy to hit my page quota that day! ;)

And here are the other two pages that you can also see in a preview at various places on the internet...

And here's a page not in the preview 0_0...

MW

Arcade: Death Game

This is going to be used in some way or another for Paul Tobin's Arcade: Death Game. It was going to be 3 separate covers, but now I'm being told it's something else. Meh, what do I know, I'm just payed to hit the color button. :)

MW

2010 and Thor TMA...

Hope everyone's enjoying the first few days of 2011. I am finding it incredibly hard to get motivated with work.

A lot of "Best Of" lists for comics in 2010 are out, and Thor TMA sure got a lot of love.

Comics Alliance has it at #8 in it's top 10...

Roger Langride, Chris Samnee, Matt Wilson and Rus Wooton have collaborated to create a rare gem of a comic, and in their own way managed to subvert the contemporary definition of quality in the superhero genre.

It's also #8 in CBR's top 100...

The best introduction to the character since Walt Simonson's run almost three decades ago, Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee turned out to be an ideal match in terms of tone, charm and making this kind of superhero book look easy.

Graeme McMillan from the Robot6 blog has it at 7 in his top 10 and the book is mentioned numerous times by creators as a favorite book in Looking forward, looking back: Creators weigh in on comics in 2010 and 2011 also at Robot6.

George Marston over at Newsarama gave Thor TMA his Gold Medal...

My gold medal this year belongs to the unsung masterpiece of modern superhero comics that is Thor: The Mighty Avenger. As I write this, there's only one issue left, and a bigger crime against comics there could never be. Everything about this book is perfect.

iFanboy has Thor TMA listed in it's Top 10 Best Things About Comics in 2010 article at the #5 spot...

Clearly there was an audience out there -- not a big one, mind you, but a passionate one -- for a Thor comic that existed free of the shackles of Marvel Universe continuity and that served not to prop up a larger storyline, but to just tell fun, all-ages stories full of charming characters and wonderful art.

As well as a mention in their Best Writers, Artists, and Series of 2010 video podcast...




The book may be on other lists, but these are the few that I've seen. I'm really glad I was a part of such a special book with some great creators. And looking ahead we still have issue #8 coming to stands in January, and the Free Comic Book Day issue in May.

Speaking of issue #8, Robot6 has an exclusive preview. Click here to check that out!

MW