Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Celebrate Independence Day with POWER's Independent Book List

This week we celebrate Independence Day in the United States. In recognition of the holiday, I am very excited, as a member of P.O.W.E.R. In Comics, to present you with a list of “independent” graphic novels that you can read and share with friends. Members of P.O.W.E.R. have recommended these “independent” books, created by women and minorities, because they have read and enjoyed them.

P.O.W.E.R. in Comics is a group of people who are working to promote: ownership of stores and publishing houses; writing & drawing of comics and graphic novels; editing of comics and reading of comics by more women and minorities. We have a web community, and promoting quality graphic novels created by women and minorities is just one of the many things we are doing in order to continually spread the good word about comics in our local communities.

Sharing this list of great “independent” comic books created by women and minorities with you is one way for us to achieve our goal of promoting those who are writing & drawing comics.

If you would like more information, you can contact me here or visit the P.O.W.E.R. in Comics website: http://powerincomics.ning.com.


  • 10, 20, and 30 Morim Kang
  • 12 Days June Kim
  • 12 Reasons Why I Love Her art by Joelle Jones (written by Jamie S. Rich)
  • A Distant Soil Colleen Doran
  • American Born Chinese Gene Luen Yang
  • Antique Bakery Fumi Yoshinaga
  • Aoi House Shiei and Adam Arnold
  • Aya Margureite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie
  • Banana Sunday Colleen Coover
  • Bizenghast Alice LeGrow
  • Blade for Barter Hai
  • Castle Waiting Linda Medley
  • Chicken with Plums Marjane Satrapi
  • Cloud Boy Rhode Montijo
  • Courageous Princess Rod Espinosa
  • Dokebi Bride Marley
  • East Coast Rising Becky Cloonan
  • Embroideries Marjane Satrapi
  • Emma Kaoru Mori
  • Fairies of Bladderwhack pond Debbie Bishop
  • Finder Carla Speed McNeil
  • Flower of Life Fumi Yoshinaga
  • Fun Home Alison Bechdel
  • Gloom Cookie Serena Valentine
  • Gray Horses Hope Larson
  • Hopeless Savages written by Jan Van Meter with art from Chynna Clugston-Major (and others)
  • Inu Yasha Rumiko Takahashi
  • Inverloch Sarah Ellerton
  • Kampung Boy Lat
  • Kat & Mouse Alex de Campi
  • Kekkaishi Yellow Tanabe
  • La Perdida Jessica Abel
  • Maison Ikkoku Rumiko Takahashi
  • Mark of the Succubus Irene Flores and Ashly Raiti
  • Mermaid Saga Rumiko Takahashi
  • Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip Tove Jansson
  • Neotopia Rod Espinosa
  • Off*Beat Jen Lee Quick
  • Our Cancer Year Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner
  • Persepolis / Persepolis 2 Marjane Satrapi
  • Ranma ½ Rumiko Takahashi
  • Red String Gina Biggs
  • Same Difference and Other Stories Derek Kirk Kim
  • Scary Godmother Jill Thompson
  • Snow Goddess Tales CLAMP
  • Sorcerers & Secretaries (vol. 1 and vol. 2) Amy Kim Ganter
  • The Dreaming Queenie Chan
  • The Girl Genius books Kaja and Phil Foglio
  • The House of Sugar Rebecca Kraatz
  • The Palomar collections Gilbert Hernandez
  • To Terra Keiko Takemiya
  • Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms Fumiyo Kuono
  • Vogelein: Clockwork Faerie Jane Irwin
  • We Are On Our Own Miriam Katin
  • When I'm Old and Other Stories Gabrielle Bell
  • Zapt! Shannon Denton, Keith Giffen, and Armand Villavert

4 comments:

Greg said...

I would add Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan, which just came out a few weeks ago. It's absolutely brilliant.

Interesting list. I've read a few, and don't agree with all the choices (Persepolis bores me), but it's a good list nevertheless.

Nenena said...

Oh no! Pride High didn't make the list?

turtlesoup said...

This list is a good start. I'd like to suggest adding Desert Peach and Stinz by Donna Barr. (A couple of collections of each are available through Amazon, Lulu.com, and her own website, stinz.com)

Lisa said...

Excellent additions everyone. If you haven't joined POWER in Comics yourself yet, you should go check it out.

We're discussing some fun things like a mass bra mailing and a book drive for either a charity or libraries. Anyone who wants to help us is welcome.