Audubon: On the Wings of the World — written by Fabien Grolleau and illustrated by Jérémie Royer — is a handsome historical hardcover that gives a stunning portrait of the American wilderness in the early 1800s. It also reminds us what artists may suffer when driven by creativity, as well as the sacrifices of those around them. John James Audubon is still known today for his gorgeous paintings of the birds of North America. Instead of the stiff scientific art […]

The New Ghost by Robert Hunter is another in Nobrow’s line of single-issue author spotlights. It’s been out for more than five years, but I only found out about it recently through, of all things, a well-targeted Amazon recommendation. (Sometimes the computers get it right.) And since it’s a stand-alone, it doesn’t matter when you read it. Our unnamed protagonist is the new ghost of the title, following his companions through pages of deep blue night populated by faceless, formless […]

Nightlights is a gorgeous parable by Lorena Alvarez. Although I’m not entirely sure I grasped the meaning of everything that happens in it, it is absolutely beautiful. (And a work that leaves you thinking isn’t a bad thing, either.) Sandy is a young artist, drawing constantly. At night, she sees sparkles of light that fire her imagination, leading to luscious, expansive spreads of collaged images, all richly colored in fuchsias and purples and blues. At school, she meets a ghostly […]

Corinne Maier writes and Anne Simon illustrates these three graphic biographies of notable figures whose thinking changed the world. They’re handsome European-style hardcovers, allowing for pages packed with detail, putting readers in the day-to-day moments as well as capturing the major discoveries. Those accomplishments become part of the flow, which is more realistic, as people rarely realize the significance of a discovery when it happens. Maier gives as much space to domestic concerns, providing a full portrait of the subject’s […]

Nobrow Press has a line they call 17×23, made up of short single-issue stories by promising UK creators. They’re beautifully designed, as is typical of Nobrow publications, giving them more heft and encouraging the readers to interact more deeply with them. A lovely package welcomes more time spent, and this one has French flaps and heavy white paper. The only one I’ve seen in person is Lost Property by Andy Poyiadgi. The remembrance-based story particularly appealed to me, as did […]