Emilia Packard

The Contradictions, Sophie Yanow's Eisner-winning webcomic, now a full-length graphic novel, chronicles a youthful examination of conscience through the story of a young woman trying to live her convictions in a complicated world. Here, Yanow shares her influences and the process of creating this sharply observed, precisely penned work.

With Making Comics, Lynda Barry brings four decades of cartooning experience to her delightfully unorthodox pedagogy. In a recent phone interview with LJ, the ­newly minted MacArthur Fellow revealed a few of the secrets of her creative recipes. Here’s what she had to say. 

The explosion of artistic expression and the breadth of subject matter in the current comics scene are astounding, so libraries can reflect their patron mix, emphasize diverse experiences, and provide popular works alongside those ripe for discovery. These 27 titles are the tip of the graphic iceberg.