Level Up, by Gene Luen Yang and Thien Pham, uses the iconography of classic video games to tell a unique and touching coming-of-age story. When talented gamer Dennis' father dies, he is haunted by the late man's request for his son to become a doctor. Dennis trades his joysticks for medical textbooks, ironically attempting to overcome his own delicate stomach on the road to becoming a gastroenterologist.

Assisting Dennis on this journey are four angels (who appear as though they were designed by Sanrio). When the identity of this quartet of incorporate beings is discovered, it brings the whole video game metaphor together in a most ingenious fashion. Further, while it seems as if the story is going to end in one particular way, close to the end it completely changes direction; it is that non-cliched resolution that I think makes Level Up stand out. Read more...

Tags First Second, Graphic Novel

"Unwanted Carnival", the latest graphic novel project by Molly Crabapple and John Leavitt, has been acquired by First Second Books, the award-winning graphic novel division of Macmillan. Crabapple and Leavitt are the co-creators of "Scarlett Takes Manhattan" (Fugu Press), "Puppet Makers" (DC Digital), and "The Dr. Sketchy's Official Rainy Day Colouring Book".

Crabapple -- who has illustrated for Marvel Comics, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journalin addition to creating Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art Show -- told MTV Geek that she was ecstatic about the sale of "Unwanted Carnival" --

"When I found out I got the book deal from First Second, I was drinking scotch in the Groucho Club in London. I did a little glee dance, and bought more scotch for friends, because, goddamn, First Second...To see that it sold, to a publisher that put out the first comic ever to be a finalist for a National Book award, that published beautifully done books I deeply admired -- well, there was squeeing to be had!" Read more...

Tags First Second Books, Molly Crabapple, Unwanted Carnival

Since today is Human Rights Day -- marking the anniversary of the UN General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 -- I thought it might be appropriate to take a look at First Second's webcomic "Zahra's Paradise." Set in Iran after the last election and the mass protests -- and violent government reprisals -- that followed, it is the work of Amir, an Iranian-American human rights activist, journalist and documentary filmmaker, and Khalil, a cartoonist and fine artist. Both names are pseudonyms, necessary for "obvious political reasons."

"Zahra's Paradise" is the fictional story of the strong-as-nails mother and blogger brother of a young protester, Mehdi, who has vanished in the Islamic Republic’s gulags. Mehdi's brother keeps his presence and spirit alive through the use of his blog -- using the Internet to help create social justice much the way the webcomic itself does. Read more...

Tags First Second, Webcomics, Zahra's Paradise