Links: ‘Avatar’ Anthology Announced

We already knew that Faith Erin Hicks is taking over as the writer of the Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels, as previous writer Gene Luen Yang moves on to other projects. Yesterday, publisher Dark Horse had another announcement: They will also publish a one-shot Avatar anthology, titled Avatar: The Last Airbender—Team Avatar Tales, featuring short stories (some new, some previously published) by Carla Speed McNeil, Dave Scheidt, and others. The anthology will go on sale in September, and the first volume of Hicks’s series, Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Imbalance, will be out in October. Here are the covers for both:

The Texas Library Association has released its 2018 Maverick Graphic Novel List, with plenty of good reading for grades 6 through 12, including some adult graphic novels for young adult readers.

I rounded up some other kids’ comics news at ICv2, including BOOM! Studios’ announcements of new Fraggle Rock and Over the Garden Wall titles; Action Lab’s graphic novel The Ghost, The Owl, by Franco (Tiny Titans) and Sara Richard (Kitty and Dino); and TOON Books’ 10th anniversary releases, including Snails Are Just My Speed!, a new science book by Kevin McCloskey, and The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin America, by indy-comics icon Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets).

Archie Comics co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit has created a new character, Scarlett, who is on the autism spectrum. Scarlett is the star of “Kindness Works,” a special one-shot story by Ray Felix and Archie veteran artist Fernando Ruiz. You won’t see Scarlett in a regular Archie comic, though; the story is available digitally directly from Silberkleit (who has 25 years’ experience as a teacher).

The brother-sister team of Jennifer and Matthew Holm, creators of Babymouse, Squish, and Sunny Side Up, are the recipients of the 2018 Kerlan Award, which is given by the the Friends of the Kerlan Collection of the University of Minnesota Libraries “in recognition of singular attainments in the creation of children’s literature.”

Paste Magazine interviews Jarrett Krosoczka, about his graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo. Krosczka’s mother was a drug addict (she died of a heroin overdose while he was working on the book) and he was raised by his grandparents, who encouraged his interest in art. Krosoczka, who is best known as the creator of the goofy Lunch Lady graphic novels, first discussed his upbringing and his mother’s addiction in a TED Talk in 2012. Now he often brings it up when he speaks at high schools. “And every time, there is at least one student who bashfully approaches the stage after the talk to say thank you,” he says. “Those teenagers have given me the motivation I have needed to write this book for them.”

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