For October, I’ve been trying to watch as many horror movies as possible to celebrate. I’m still watching them up until the end of the month, but since Halloween is on a weekend, I thought I’d share some of my faves so far. You know, just in case you need some suggestions for what to watch on this spooktacular weekend. These are all available on at least one streaming platform so I’ll include that as well. If you want to see the full list, you can visit my list over on Letterboxd.
This is EASILY my #1 for this season so far. I went in blind and absolutely adored this fun, campy werewolf flick. Who in the town is actually werewolf killing people off? A new forest ranger tries to find answers. Sam Richardson is a delight but Milana Vayntrub really shines here and brings an Ellie Kemper (minus the problematic shenanigans…) vibe. Plus Harvey Guillén has a supporting role here too.
I enjoyed this one a LOT. Not a ton of jump scares, it’s just an edge-of-your-seat thriller starring Megan Fox as she tries to outlive a twisted and elaborate revenge plot set up by her husband. For fans of You’re Next and Ready or Not. Pleasantly surprised by the performances, story, and overall film—it’s definitely worth checking out to get in some spooks.
I saw a recommendation for this film going around a while back and decided to watch for Spooktober. I had a blast watching this fangtastic vampire film featuring badass ladies, for fans of Lost Boys. Plus it has a diverse and inclusive cast as well as some great queer representation. There aren’t really any big-name actors attached to the film but the cast is charismatic and pulls off carrying the film.
This wasn’t my first watch of this film—I’ve seen it like 20 times before—but it’s just as fun every time I watch it. Starring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine, it’s a great film for those who want something spooky without big scares. It turns the slasher, killer-in-the-woods genre on its head and plays around with character stereotypes in a fun way. A new, modern classic.
I didn’t know if I’d enjoy this movie but it’s really creepy and compelling. Another film playing with religion in the horror genre (ie. Midnight Mass and Apostle) and doing a great job with it. It’s a slow burn of a film, which isn’t always something that I enjoy, but this was paced so well and kept me engaged the whole way through. Excellent performances, especially from Welsh actress, Morfydd Clark who plays the titular Maud.
If you enjoyed Train to Busan, this movie is a sort of sequel and brings you on an all-new zombie adventure that has some heisty elements similar to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Basically, this picks up a few years after TtB and some survivors have been hired to go back to South Korea to steal some money that no one will miss. It’s kind of Army of the Dead meets Mad Max: Fury Road. Really liked this one!
And those are my recommendations! I’ve watched 35+ movies so far so there’s a pretty extensive list, which you can again check out on Letterboxd. But these are some of my faves that I hope you’ll enjoy too.
That’s right, you heard me! ParaNorthern is now an award-nominated graphic novel. Today, Forest of Reading and Ontario Library Association announced their 2022 nominees and we’re up for the Silver Birch Fiction Award. There are some other wonderful titles up for it too but I’m just so thrilled and honoured to be included.
You can see the full list of awards and nominees over on the Forest of Reading site. Authors (myself included) have shared some fun activity sheets and other such things for young ones to check out too. Stay tuned to hear more!
Interested in making comics? For my latest list, I wanted to put together some recommendations on a few different aspects of the comics industry. These books can help you on your path, teach you about the industry, and hopefully keep you healthy physically and mentally as you navigate your way through.
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Comics can be hard to figure out because there are no real universal standards for making them. Things are different depending on the publisher, market, audience, etc. which can be overwhelming. Understanding Comics is the closest thing that we have to a bible for the industry. It goes through the ins and outs of making comics; all in comic format! It’s a must-read for anyone interested in pursuing them or who is interested in learning more.
Here is the official synopsis: “Praised throughout the cartoon industry by such luminaries as Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening, and Will Eisner, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics is a seminal examination of comics art: its rich history, surprising technical components, and major cultural significance. Explore the secret world between the panels, through the lines, and within the hidden symbols of a powerful but misunderstood art form.”
Brian Michael Bendis is one of our modern greats when it comes to comic book writing. In his book Words for Pictures, he explores both the art side of the industry as well as the business side of things. You can’t really go wrong with taking advice from a man who really knows his stuff so this is definitely worth checking out.
Here is the official synopsis: “One of the most popular writers in modern comics, Brian Michael Bendis reveals the tools and techniques he and other top creators use to create some of the most popular comic book and graphic novel stories of all time. Words for Pictures shows readers the creative methods of a writer at the very top of his field. Bendis guides aspiring creators through each step of the comics-making process–from idea to script to finished sequential art–for fan favorite comics like The Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Men, and more. Along the way, tips and insights from other working writers, artists, and editors provide a rare, extensive look behind the creative curtain of the comics industry. With script samples, a glossary of must-know business terms for writers, and interactive comics-writing exercises, Words for Pictures provides the complete toolbox needed to jump start the next comics-writing success story.”
Essential Guide to Comic Book Lettering by Nate Piekos
Okay so technically speaking I can’t fully recommend this book since I have yet to read it myself (only because it’s not out just yet) but I can say with a lot of confidence that it’s going to be fantastic. Nate Piekos knows his stuff, especially when it comes to lettering! And as one of the most underappreciated jobs in comics, we should all strive to do our parts to understand just how incredible an art form it is.
Here is the official synopsis: “Award-winning comic book letterer, and founder of Blambot.com, Nate Piekos, provides you with the most in-depth tips and techniques ever published on the subject of digital comic book lettering . . . from creating your own lettering templates, emotive dialogue, and dynamic sound effects . . . to developing design skills and building a lettering career in the comic industry.”
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud
This is technically the third book in McCloud’s series (I’ve completely skipped over Reinventing Comics) but I think it’s the other one that you can get a lot out of. Realistically, if you have to choose one between this and Understanding Comics, I’d choose the latter but if you can have both, why not go for it?! Like I said in the previous post, McCloud knows what he’s talking about and has created the “unofficial” bible for the industry. Trust that he’ll steer you in the right direction and give you great information that will help you in the longrun.
Here is the official synopsis: “Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character’s facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand-in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Both comic book devotees and the uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once-underappreciated art form.”
While this book isn’t strictly about the comics industry per se, it’s really important regardless. Creatives tend to overwork themselves as they try to break into and continue to work within the industry. When we’re young, it’s easy to wave off pains and sprains and bounce back quickly. But as you get older, it’s harder to ignore how we treat our bodies. This book gives you exercises to incorporate into your daily routine to keep you in peak condition throughout your artistic career.
Here is the official synopsis: “Finally, Draw Stronger is here You’re a cartoonist. You take care of yourself to prevent drawing injuries. You do your stretches, take regular breaks, and draw with perfect posture. What happens? You start experiencing pain when you draw anyway A perfect example of bad things happening to good people. What should you do? Go to the doctor if it’s serious. But, if it’s a minor injury, go to your bookshelf and start reading Draw Stronger. This little tome can be used to help reduce discomfort until you see a healthcare professional, or it can provide guidelines for managing mild drawing injuries that don’t require medical attention. Explore Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation Therapy (R.I.C.E. Therapy) from the perspective of a committed drawer, learn some tips for understanding your pain, avoid worsening your injuries, and more.”
If buying the book (see link below) isn’t in the cards for you, not to worry! Kriota Willberg has a series available for free over on The Comics Beat website. You can check out all the posts here.
There are lots of books out there on art, creating characters (like in the next post) and more but one of the most important aspects to that is understanding light. This book will help you process and master it for your own art!
Here is the official synopsis: “Mastery of light and shade – rendered with accuracy and expressive power – is the key to three-dimensional form in drawing and painting. Here is the first book on this essential subject, the product of years of study by one of the world’s great teachers of drawing and an artist of international renown, Burne Hogarth.”
Creating Characters for the Entertainment Industry by 3dtotal
I’m a writer and editor that likes to dabble in doodling from time to time. And the art books put out by 3dtotal Publishing are some of my faves to utilize! They break things down in a way that makes it easy for me (someone with ADHD and a lack of confidence when it comes to art) to process. Plus I love the style of the art and the advice that they give. I’ve been pining after this specific book for ages and the other one that I use from them is called Creating Stylized Characters which has been wonderful for me! Highly recommend them.
Here is the official synopsis: “Creating Professional Characters: Develop Spectacular Designs from Basic Concepts is an inspiring and informative exploration of how popular professional character designers take the basic concept of a character in a production brief and develop these ideas into an original, high-quality design. Suitable for student and professional character designers alike, this book focuses on how to approach your character designs in ways that ensure the target audience and production needs are met while still creating fun, imaginative characters. This visually appealing book includes twenty thorough tutorials guiding you through the design and decision making processes used to create awesome characters. Replicating the processes used in professional practice today, this book demonstrates the types of brief a professional designer might receive, the iterative design process used to explore the brief, the influence of production feedback on the final design, and how final designs are presented to clients. This detailed, enlightening book is an excellent guide to creating incredible imaginative characters suitable for your future professional projects.”
You can see the entire list over on Bookshop.org and pick up the ones that might help you out while also supporting indie bookstores.
What are some of your favourite books and resources for learning about comics and writing? Leave your recs below in the comments!
I had the absolute pleasure of joining the hosts of The Whatnauts: The Captain’s Log podcast to discuss a whole ton of things. Included in that is my former life as a co-host of Talking Comics, my current co-host duties for Caper Cast, and then of course writing and I bring up Pacific Rim: The Musical…JUST LET ME MAKE IT, GUILLERMO!
You can check it out on their website or on Spotify OR you can watch the video below:
Welcome to the second edition of my Reading Roundup here on my blog! If you read my TV roundup, you’ll know that I watched a lot last month and I also read a ton too. So let’s jump into my list and talk about it.
Needle & Thread by David Pinckney and Ennun Ana Iurov — Young people are so often pushed to be something that they don’t want to be. Whether it’s to follow in the footsteps of a family member or to choose a “career with a future” or whatever. It’s hard to be young, especially when you feel like you don’t have any control over your own future. Needle & Thread tackles exactly that as two completely different teens try to navigate high school, their futures, and family that wants them to be someone they’re not.Young people will find a lot of relatable themes in this story and certainly be able to see bits of themselves in it. A solid YA graphic novel worth checking out.
The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Picturesby Noelle Stevenson — I’ve been a fan of Noelle Stevenson pretty much since where this book starts off. I remember the days of her Tumblr account and webcomics and those stories got me through some hard times by making me smile. Reliving that and reading about Noelle’s honest journey along the way was like visiting and catching up with an old friend. And getting context for things that you didn’t know were going on makes you appreciate them even more.Noelle was one of the first creators that introduced me to webcomics and showed me that we didn’t need publishers to validate us as creators; we just needed to have stories we wanted to tell. So this book was a heartfelt warm hug that reads as a reminder to our younger selves that things do get better.
My Hero Academia Vol. 1by Kohei Horikoshi — I honestly expected to enjoy this more than I did. It’s not that it’s bad or anything but I think it’s a victim of the overhype train and my expectations for this book were extremely high. It felt like a twist on the Shazam story but with superheroes being far more prevalent and normalized. Again, not a bad thing to put a new twist on an older story but I expected a lot. It was enjoyable though!
A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft — Entrancing and compelling; A Far Wilder Magic is a gothic fantasy with a slow-burn romance. It follows the dual POV of Margaret and Wes—two young people who have had hard lives and decide to change their fates by entering a dangerous hunt for a mystical creature. Allison Saft does a wonderful job with her characters in making them rich and complex while making them enjoyable to read about. A YA book for fans of stories like The Hazel Wood and The River Has Teeth.
Dani and Ramen: A Nomad’s Tale Vol. 1 by Jake Morrison — After Dani and Ramen’s home is destroyed, they head out to find the culprit behind it. It leads them on an epic journey where they must have each other’s backs and be there for one another. Jake Morrison tells an engaging and wonderful story with intriguing protagonists. Filled with action, adventure, heart, and humour! For fans of Adventure Time, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Amphibia, and Over the Garden Wall.
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle — If you’re hangering for a good werewolf story, take a bite out of Squad. New girl starts school and manages to fall in with the popular crowd. She doesn’t quite feel like one of them until one night when her new acquaintances decide to officially make her a part of the squad. Except that means becoming a werewolf and preying on the worst men they come across.An easy way to summarize Squad would be to say that it’s Heathers x Mean Girls x Ginger Snaps with a bit of Bring It On mixed in too. All of which are things that I love and really enjoyed seeing them melded together here in this story.Overall I enjoyed this graphic novel a lot. The story is super fun, loooove the empowering werewolf killers concept and I will forever be a fan of Lisa Sterle’s incredible art and colours.
Almost American Girlby Robin Ha — An incredible memoir on being an immigrant and just how alienating and daunting being somewhere entirely new can be. A must-read for young people; especially for teaching empathy and kindness.
Catherine’s Warby Julia Billet and Claire Fauvel — Beautiful and heartbreaking. A WWII story like this with a protagonist who is all about a visual medium was begging to be adapted to a graphic novel and works brilliantly here. A really wonderful marriage of the story with the art. I wish there was a little more about what happened to Catherine in the end but that’s just a personal preference and what was included was incredible.
Odessaby Jonathan Hill — I don’t know that I loved this story, I definitely enjoyed the concept and the art was really interesting but I didn’t really connect with any of the characters on their journey. Still, it was a good read and a great study in doing a graphic novel in black and white.
A Magic Steeped in Poisonby Judy I. Lin — As an avid tea drinker, I was immediately drawn into this story with a magic system built entirely around the art of tea making. It was such a refreshing take and I really enjoyed everything about it! The protagonist is likable with solid motivations and I felt myself rooting for her the whole way through. Even though parts of the story were a little predictable, because of the originality of the concept, I let myself just enjoy the ride and not overthink it.Excellent worldbuilding and characterizations. An incredibly solid debut by Judy I. Lin.
Nat Enoughby Maria Scrivan — A deeply relatable graphic novel that explores growing up, finding yourself, and learning to value what you bring to the table. For fans of Raina Telgemeier, Lucy Knisley, and Svetlana Chmakova.
Monster Friendsby Kaeti Vandorn — A GOSH DANG DELIGHT! Very big Studio Ghibli art vibes mixed with such a sweet story about friendship and acceptance.
The Girl from the Seaby Molly Knox Ostertag — A graphic novel exploring queer love through SELKIES? AKA a thing that I am obsessed with? YES PLEASE. I loved this whole story from start to finish. Everything about it was so beautiful and despite the fantastical elements, was so deeply relatable and down-to-earth. Truly special and wonderful.
What’s Up, Beanie?by Alina Tysoe — This wonderful slice-of-life comic is guaranteed to make you smile. There’s something in this book for everyone and there’s at least ONE story that will be painfully relatable to you.The What’s Up, Beanie? comics on IG have long brought joy into my feed regularly and I’m so happy to have this book on my shelves to bring me that joy whenever I might need a little pick-me-up.
Jonna and the Unpossible Monstersby Chris Samnee, Laura Samnee, and Matthew Wilson — Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters was such a delight. Like The Flintstones x Kipo with a dash of Runaways—Jonna reminded me of Molly meets Pebbles, basically. The story, the art, the letters, the colours are all beautifully done here and marry together so well. They are all given their space to shine and flourish and it’s such an incredible story to take in.Chris Samnee is an absolute masterclass artist when it comes to action. He’s fantastic all-around but I think the thing that comes to mind when I think of Samnee is the dynamic panels that so beautifully illustrate a scene, especially when it comes to someone kicking butt. It feels cinematic and fluid and there are few people at the same level as him there.My only complaint is that I wanted more story right away, it was over so quick! But I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.
Rising Sandby Ty Dunitz and Jenn Lee — An amazing first volume in the series!
The Chancellor and the Citadelby Maria Capelle Frantz — A stunning story by Maria Capelle Frantz. We’re dropped into the world and given the freedom to fill in the blanks on the before and after to the story. We focus on the now as the Chancellor tries to discover whether or not they’re “good” or “bad” and we explore what that really means.Beautiful art paired with atmospheric colours and hand lettering that makes the story seem even more personal somehow.
Fence Vol. 1by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana LaFuente, and Jim Campbell — Thoroughly enjoyed this story! I was completely drawn into it immediately and couldn’t put it down. Even though I went in knowing nothing about fencing, I came out of it knowing some basics; enough to understand what was going on throughout. It’s a tough thing in serialized comics to balance that exposition while keeping the main story moving forward and this does it skillfully, keeping you engaged!The story, the art, and the colours marry well and come together to make a really cohesive book. Definitely recommend it and I’ll be looking for the next volumes ASAP.
Brave Chef Briannaby Sam Sykes and Selina Espiritu — Cute story and art! Didn’t love the motivation behind Brianna and why she chooses to open a restaurant? But the rest of the story was sweet.
Check, Please! Year Twoby Ngozi Ukazu — It would literally be a Canadian crime if I didn’t love this delightful story about hockey, baking, and trying to fit in while staying true to yourself. Mostly of course because of the hockey. The rest happens to be a bonus that adds to this wonderful book.
Clashby Kayla Miller — The Click books are so wonderful and so incredibly relatable! I can see how and why young people flock to these books and feel seen by the story here. We’ve all gone through the same or similar situations growing up and Clash paints a picture of how most of us probably wish we could’ve handled it. I love Olive’s approach to these tricky situations and trying to use empathy and kindness to see her through it. It’s such an important lesson for young people to learn and I enjoyed Clash immensely for it.
Daughters of a Dead Empireby Carolyn Tara O’Neill — An incredible, captivating, and compelling debut.I absolutely DEVOURED this book and couldn’t put it down. I have been fascinated and obsessed with the Romanov’s for most of my life and this historical fiction is a perfect intersection of so many of my interests. How could you not be enthralled by the idea of a long lost princess escaping a death sentence? This book does such a great job in imagining Anastasia’s life immediately after the death of her family and one man who will stop at nothing to finish the job.I fully intended to continue reading this over the next few days but I was entirely unable to stop reading.
Mel the Chosenby Rachele Aragno — A beautifully illustrated story with a wonderful message for kiddos about trying to grow up too quickly.
On a Sunbeamby Tillie Walden — Rich, complex, and breathtaking.
Ghost Squadby Claribel A. Ortega — Charming and wonderful! I adored this magical adventure so much and flew through it. It’s like a warm hug from someone special.
That’s 25 freaking books?! I have no clue where I found the energy to consume that much last month but here we are. I think since it’s nice and cool out, I enjoy getting snuggly in my reading chair with a big sweater on and a cat for company. You know? Such a nice reprieve from the heat of the summer. But regardless, it’s still a lot of reading.
I am once again back to shout about all the things I watched in September! It was surprisingly a lot? Even for me???? Like, I looked at this list and was like, ‘Did I accidentally mash-up months?’ but nope, I just spent a lot of time on my couch for the start of cozy season.
If you’re interested in the films I watched too, you can visit my Letterboxd account here. And I’ll be recording all my spooky watches for 31 Days of Horror starting today…but yeah!
Great British Bake-Off S2-3
RuPaul All-Stars S6
The Great North S1
Legends of Tomorrow S6
Stumptown S1
Nailed It S6
LuLaRich
American Ninja Warrior S13
The Circle S2
Brooklyn Nine-Nine S8
Star vs. the Forces of Evil S2
Heist
Lupin Part 2
Nine Perfect Strangers
Squid Game
Taskmaster S9
Midnight Mass
Honestly, LOOK AT THIS. How did I watch all of this?! To be fair, Legends of Tomorrow, American Ninja Warrior, and Nine Perfect Strangers were all shows I watched serially so probably over the course of the last couple of months? But still.
I once again have a pretty big section of reality TV and I don’t have much to say about it except I’ll lump a limited docu-series into the mix here which was LuLaRich on Amazon Prime. This was wild and I really enjoyed the ride that was this MLM/cult/pyramid scheme feature on the company LuLaRoe. I highly recommend it.
As you may have guessed from my love of the heist movie genre, Lupin continues to be incredible. You always worry that as a show continues, it’ll lose its quality but it was just as good in the second part.
Squid Game was also really excellent! I devoured the entire thing in a little over a day. I saw on TikTok though that the translations in the English subtitles are really inaccurate though, or rather that they really mess up on a lot of the nuance. But regardless, I had a great time with it. I know there’s going to be more but I kind of wish it was just a limited series.
Nine Perfect Strangers was a bit of a letdown. There was all this build-up to a pretty anti-climactic end so I was kind of bummed by that one. It had a lot of potential and I was recommending it to friends as I watched it.
And finally, Midnight Mass was another thing I binged. And most recently too! It just came out on Netflix from Mike Flanagan aka the guy who did The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor series’ there. It’s different and we explore more supernatural things but this time tackling something else entirely. I don’t want to give anything away since it’s new but I really enjoyed it. Spooky but not too spooky.
What did you watch last month? Let me know if there’s anything else I should check out!
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Words for Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis
Essential Guide to Comic Book Lettering by Nate Piekos
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud
Draw Stronger by Kriota Willberg
Dynamic Light and Shade by Burne Hogarth
Creating Characters for the Entertainment Industry by 3dtotal
Welcome to the second edition of my Reading Roundup here on my blog! If you read my TV roundup, you’ll know that I watched a lot last month and I also read a ton too. So let’s jump into my list and talk about it.
I am once again back to shout about all the things I watched in September! It was surprisingly a lot? Even for me???? Like, I looked at this list and was like, ‘Did I accidentally mash-up months?’ but nope, I just spent a lot of time on my couch for the start of cozy season.