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Hosler, Jay – Sandwalk Adventures
If this guy keeps this up (“this” meaning putting out a great all-ages graphic novel every couple of years) he might end up being the first famous educational cartoonist in the world. Both of the books he’s done so far should be taught in classrooms and there are very few people I can say that about. Anyway, the collected version of this book is much better than its parts. The cover is from #5 as I just read all of the issues in a row and there’s no image up for the cover yet on Amazon, if anybody cares. I think he did a much better job with this series of really making things entertaining for everybody too. I felt with Clan Apis that he was leaning towards writing for kids mostly, or maybe he was just getting the hang of things, but this is a much better effort all around. The appendix in the back of the book is invaluable too. It’s good to see that pile of books that I can show to absolutely everyone who’s interested in comics growing by leaps and bounds. It’s $14 on Amazon right now and well worth a look. The art has gotten crisper, the writing is downright adorable (I mean that in a scholarly, educational way, of course) and it just comes together really well.
Hosler, Jay – Sandwalk Adventures #2
Sandwalk Adventures #2
Why is it that the comics that are published on a regular basis don’t suck? I say that mostly for the books that are obviously going to be put into graphic novel form in a year or so anyway. I’m trying to give up on getting books until they’re released in a complete form and this makes it just about impossible. Or maybe I’m too impatient. Anyway, isn’t there a comic here somewhere? This series (projected at 5 issues) has Darwin telling some mites living in his eyebrow about his history. It’s fascinating, mostly because I don’t know much about his formative years. This one, like Clan Apis, is told in an all ages kind of format and will probably be in classrooms shortly too. It’s good to see stuff like this, comics done well for everybody. Assuming that I have children somewhere along the line, it’s encouraging to see that there will actually be a pretty decent pile of stuff that I can show them before they’re in high school. Anyway, this series is getting better and better, although it’ll probably be easier to find when the whole thing is put out, there’s a very informative notebook at the back of each issue that might not be reprinted again. More than worth a look, if you’re curious. Send $3 plus shipping (I’m guessing here, but that’s the price of the comic) to Active Synapse Comics, 4258 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43214-3048. You should probably e-mail him before you send money just t make sure though…
