Monthly Archives: July 2024

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Neil Fucking Gaiman

July 29, 2024 5:16 pm ,

Neil Gaiman has a storyteller’s voice, rich and deep it draws the listener in and lulls us into a sense of relaxation that still leaves us alert and hooked on every word he speaks – honestly I could listen to him reading a shopping list his voice is that good!

I have been a fan of his writing since I borrowed Good Omens from my library – I was a Terry Pratchett fan when I started that fantastic work but by the time it was finished I had become a fan of Neil as well.

Following on from Good Omens I found the first trade paperbacks for The Sandman, that series became one of my all-time comic favourites and is probably the series that I have read and reread most over the years. It was A Game of You that introduced me to a major transgender character, growing up in South Africa limited my (and many other people’s) exposure to the fact that trans people exist. After Sandman there was The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr Punch, Neverwhere (on videocassette – still the best way to watch that series), the two Death miniseries, his Death Talks About Life comic insert about safe sex practices formed part of my graphic novels in libraries thesis in library school.

When I moved to the UK in the early 2000s, I had opportunities to hear him speak in person (and get books and comics signed and personalized), fans would wait in life for hours to get something signed. As a member of the London branch of the Youth Libraries Group I championed The Graveyard Book as one of YLG London’s official nominations for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. I have purchased and still own many of his novels all of which have has signed.

Listening to his reading of Click Clack the Rattle Bag became one of my go-tos for Halloween library activities when I was a school librarian and All Hallows Read is a Halloween celebration that I have regularly participated in.

In 2017 as part of the CILIP Carnegie Medal celebrations I was selected to interview Neil live on Twitter, which was one of the most exhilarating times as a library worker and fan of his writing.  

His outspoken support of libraries and library workers gained him many more fans in the library world, when he spoke people sat up and took notice.

All this is to say that as a fan and aficionado of his work all I can say now is Fucking Neil Gaiman!

The four part podcast Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman from Tortoise Media is well-made and makes for compelling and difficult listening.

While commentators can and have been quibbling over the he said she said nature of the accusations, one thing is perfectly clear to me – what Neil is accused of, and has admitted to doing (even though he claims it was consensual and the text messages appear to bear this up) is wrong (if not illegal).

As a fairly vanilla person even I know that BDSM comes with strict rules to prevent abuse – the knowledge of safe words is in the mainstream. Plus you don’t try to (at best) seduce or (at worst) abuse people employed by you or your spouse (actually it is a fairly standard written rule that you do not sleep with employees) plus the 20-40 year age gap and massive power differential is just gross. Taking advantage of vulnerable young adults is something that happens all too frequently – and as someone who has worked with at risk young people I have seen the aftermath of this many times over the years.

Speaking personally as a library worker and human when the news broke I was gutted, Neil’s work had been part of my life for decades, I looked up to him as a phenomenal writer and staunch defender of human rights. However we cannot remain silent in the face of abuse no matter how much we may love or look up to the person accused! I unequivocally condemn his actions and stand firmly with his accusers. His behaviour has not only hurt those who he predated upon but also those who looked up to him and believed that he was an ally.

Links:

Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman Podcast

Exclusive: Neil Gaiman accused of sexual assault Tortoise Media

Tortoise Media

Bestselling author of The Sandman Neil Gaiman denies accusations of ‘sexual assault’ Bookseller article

Neil Gaiman Denies Sexual Assault Allegations Made by Two Women Rolling Stone article

A third women has come forward with allegations against Neil Gaiman:

When a dam starts leaking it is often not long before there are more cracks appearing and more leaks appear. Such is the curious case of Neil Gaiman with more accusations surfacing and a fifth part of the podcast from Tortoise. More links below:

Master episode 5: the NDAs

Tortoise Exclusive: Two more women accuse Neil Gaiman of sexual assault and abuse

Neil Gaiman denies new sexual assault and abuse allegations by two women Bookseller article

Posted in: Authors, Blogging, Podcasts

The Guantánamo Bay Library Association

July 19, 2024 5:37 pm ,

A few days ago in a fit of gallows humour after reading too much of the Project 2025 policy document I made a social media post referencing the Guantánamo Bay Library Association as one of the many threats contained within P2025 is the criminalization of library workers.

My joke (& fear) is that we will be rounded up in one of the purges following the expulsion of undocumented immigrants and, at best, locked up in Gitmo. The thought that there will eventually be a Guantánamo Bay Library Association (because library folk love organizing) came from that musing as did a belief that we can do something to sway people to avoid this path that looms before us. SO I have created this post where people can find resources to help push back against this possibility and (possibly) gain inspiration to educate our library patrons about this very real threat.

These are some resources that may be useful:

Unite Against Book Bans
ACLU Supports Bill to Block Book Bans
Defend Your Right to Learn: Join In The Fight Against Classroom Censorship

EveryLibrary helps public, school, and college libraries win funding at the ballot box, ensuring stable funding and access to libraries for generations to come. We also support grassroots groups across the country defend and support their local library against book banning, illicit political interference, and threats of closure. https://www.everylibrary.org

Banning Books and the Law: https://www.findlaw.com/education/student-rights/banning-books-and-the-law.html

Kelly Jensen of BookRiot has been sounding the alarm about the threat to libraries for years: https://bookriot.com/category/literary-activism

Penguin Random House How We’re Fighting Censorship: Legal Action: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/what-were-doing-legal-action

Lawsuits Against Book Bans Begin to Gain Traction https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2024-01-11/from-iowa-to-florida-lawsuits-against-book-bans-begin-to-gain-traction

https://pen.org/issue/free-the-books

A tip sheep for library workers facing harassment https://pen.org/librarian-tip-sheet-harassment

Illinois’ new anti-book ban legislation is an initiative of Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias, who was sworn into office as the state’s 38th Secretary of State in January 2023. https://www.banbookbans.com

17 States Are Considering Laws That Would Imprison Librarians https://www.vanityfair.com/news/17-states-are-considering-laws-that-would-imprison-librarians

The School Board Project https://www.schoolboardproject.com

A while ago I put together a basic intro to Project 2025 booklist providing a visual representation of some of the changes that will be enacted if the aims of Project 2025 are put into practice, as well as links to the relevant chapter of The Mandate for Leadership that details how this will happen: https://jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1412410137_jclmatti/2561987729_project_2025

Columnist Molly Jong-Fast and historian Thomas Zimmer about Project 2025—a controversial roadmap unveiled by the conservative Heritage Foundation outlining a radical vision for a second Trump administration. They discussthe projects plans to reshape the U.S. government, ranging from increased presidential control to dismantling protections for minorities and marginalized groups. Zimmer provides insights into the four pillars of Project 2025, the implications for American democracy, and the potential broader impacts on society:

Posted in: Advice, Advocacy, Libraries

Are you ready for some Monster Fun?

July 18, 2024 9:05 pm ,

JULY 2024 – “Everyone’s gearing up for big superhero moments in the cinema, but Deadpool and Wolverine isn’t for all comic book fans – but our graphic novels are! With super cool heroes that can rival those big screen characters.” says Monster Fun Editor Keith Richardson, as Monster Fun launches it’s first two graphic novels in The Monster Fun Collection this summer. This new range of graphic novels for children aged 7-12 collects up exciting stories from the epic Monster Fun comic, giving children a whole new range of books to love!

In fact, our new graphic novels will keep kids entertained throughout the summer holidays. Keith continues, The movie’s age rating prevents so many young comic book fans from experiencing it. But The Monster Fun Collection won’t be doing that. We have brilliant books with stories suitable for all ages, and definitely a great alternative for those who won’t be allowed in to see the movie!

The Monster Fun Collection aims to undoubtedly be the highlight of this year’s school summer holidays. After all, it’s not every day that a brand new line of children’s graphic novels launches!

The Children’s Book market shows children are devouring graphic novels like never before, with 425% volume growth in the category since 2019 (Source: The Bookseller), providing a more fun reading experience over traditional novels. The heroes of our graphic novels may have graced just the pages of the Monster Fun comic rather than the silver screen, but will provide the same amount of joy and entertainment to those who read them – as well as the main hero of each book having been around years longer than Marvel’s big screen characters!

The Leopard From Lime Street is the UK’s answer to Spider-man, and was published for over a decade before Marvel’s merc with the mouth even graced a comic book page. Meanwhile, whilst Wolverine made his first appearance in 1974, our very own metal-plated soldier Steel Commando has been kicking around since 1970! Whilst the versions found in The Monster Fun Collection are rebooted for a new generation of readers, the admirable qualities and fun stories that made these characters endure the test of time are present in the new graphic novels.

So what are the new books all about? Steel Commando: No Time To Lose sees World War II robot hero Steel Commando travel across past, present, and future to defeat the forces of evil on an epic time-travel adventure, whilst The Leopard From Lime Street: Birthright sees young Billy Farmer unlock his powers after being bitten by a radioactive leopard (these things happen, right?), uncover family secrets, and just maybe save his home town from destruction from dastardly super villains.

The brand new Monster Fun Collection graphic novels, Steel Commando: No Time To Lose and The Leopard From Lime Street: Birthright can be purchased now on Amazon or in the Monster Fun webstore; where individual issues, international orders, and subscriptions to the monthly Monster Fun comic can also be purchased.

Posted in: comics, News

Read MISTY for Me

July 15, 2024 8:02 pm ,

First published in 1978, Misty was the brainchild of legendary writer and editor Pat Mills, offering thrills and chills for a generation of young women in the UK and featuring stories from creators including Shirley Bellwood, Jesus Redondo, Jordi Badía Romero, and Mills. Running for over 100 issues in total, each issue was hosted by Misty, who acted as a guiding voice for her young readers – and in this new anthology we’ll be telling stories featuring Misty herself for the first time!

This anthology features three brand-new chilling stories written by Simone, with art by Carola Borelli (The Deadliest Bouquet, Spider-Woman), Aly Fell (A Trick of the Light) and Marianna Ignazzi (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), alongside a fourth story written and drawn by rising star Letty Wilson (Owl People). Completing this spectacularly spooky package is a cover from Eisner-winning artist Tula Lotay (Barnstormers)!

I first encountered Misty after it had ceased publication, this was back in the early 1980’s and my family was visiting some family friends (a friend of my mother’s from her school days). I ended up perusing their bookshelf and discovered a pile of comics belonging to their daughters. It was largely back issues of Bunty, but nestled amongst them, like a spider just waiting to pounce were a couple of back issues of Misty.

This comic was special, even though I had only read a few of the issues memories of how I felt when reading them settled into the back of my brain and made a dark, cobwebby nest where they live to this day. I have tracked my love of mystery and the macabre to several formative experiences of my youth, one of the major ones being discovering that amazing comic.

My love for Misty was resurrected back in 2019 when I picked up a copy of Gothic for Girls: Misty and British Comics by Julia Round. Published by the University Press of Mississippi it delved into the history of girls comics in general and specifically the dark gem that was Misty. This review is not about that scholarly tome although if you can get your hands on a copy it is well worth a read.

I have said it in another review and will reiterate it here, 2000AD has hitting it out of the park lately when it comes to getting top flight talent writing for them. This trend continues with Gail Simone writing three of the stories for the Misty special. I have loved Gail’s work for years – from her Red Sonja stories to Batgirl, Secret Six and Deadpool, her horror comic Clean Room and a ton of other titles I cannot recall off the top of my head. There is also her god-tier trolling on social media – microwaving tea being something that got me before I realized who it was.

Gail is at the top of her game, and has been for a long time now, her work on this special is is no exception. Three gripping tales narrated by Misty, our guide into this land of horror. From her encounter with a true crime podcaster, through a stint in a grimy pub to a secluded nursing home where the death rate is just a tad too high… Each story is gripping and unnerving and completely different to the others. For my money it was the fourth tale, The Cracked Glass by Letty Wilson that left me with the greatest sense of disquiet. It may be because I have two young daughters but I had a sense of unease that I can still feel as I am writing this sentence.

The art accompanying each tale fits the stories perfectly, Carola Borelli, Aly Fell and Marianna Ignazzi each illustrated one of Gail’s pieces and Letty Wilson illustrated her own chilling work.

If you need something to cool off during the long hot days of summer then pick up the Misty 2024 Special – it will send an ice-cold chill down your spine!

Misty is published by 2000AD and will be available from July 17 in the UK and August 21 in the US.

Posted in: comics, Reviews

Project 2025 Threatens Library Workers

July 12, 2024 8:38 pm ,

This screenshot is taken from page five of the forward to the Heritage Foundations Mandate for Leadership.

The text reads:

Pornography should be outlawed. The people who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned. Educators and public librarians who purvey it should be classed as registered sex offenders. And telecommunications and technology firms that facilitate its spread should be shuttered.

The definition of pornography is deliberately vague and appears to label anything not heteronormative as porn. Basically anything that appears to vaguely condone LGBTQ+ lives or exploring gender and sexuality.

The attacks on libraries with the addition of Project 2025 take on a more sinister, coordinated appearance. Any organization or individual that threatens the “innocence” and “purity” of children gets labeled as groomers.

Of course it is predominantly white children that are deserving of protection, but it is ever thus.

You can read the Mandate for Leadership here:

https://www.project2025.org/policy/

I will share resources examining this as they become available.

Posted in: Libraries, News

The anatomy of an attack on a book & library

July 6, 2024 8:56 pm ,

One of the things I do to keep track of what is happening in right-wing ecosystems with regard to libraries and books is peek at the Facebook pages of some of the right-wing reactionary folk that live in the same general geographic location as me from time to time.

During one of my check-ins I noticed that the person who runs the fb page had shared a post by a county commissioner for a large and populous county in Kansas. The post was a web cartoon by a local conservative cartoonist attacking the library for having a book called You Know, Sex by Cory Silverberg & Fiona Smith in its collection.

Truth Toons cartoon copyright Tim McCabe

I visited the commissioner’s fb page and noted that prior to posting the cartoon she attempted to do an end run around official library procedure by making a post encouraging followers to contact the county librarian as well as the board of county commissioners to complain about the book.

This particular library is incredibly well-resourced and has a comprehensive, publicly available collection development policy as well as a request for reconsideration procedure that is also available for any patrons that wish to have materials moved or withdrawn.

Like some other attempts to fan the flames of indignation online, these posts are light on factual information, using trigger words to cause a negative response in whoever reads them.

Does this book contain information about porn, rape, anal and all of it? Yes it does but it is not gratuitous, it is a guide to being safe and aware. Pornography this book is most definitely not!

Break for a quick book review:

Being an inquisitive sort, I put a request in for a copy of You Know, Sex and what I found may astound you. Yes it is a graphic (as in graphic novel) non-fiction guide to sex, sexuality and gender. It is thoughtfully written and illustrated, with nothing that can be considered prurient, titillating or pornographic. The illustrations of human bodies are presented in all their unique, imperfect glory.

In short this book is about as far from porn as you can get, it introduces concepts and ideas in a way that does not talk down to the reader – whatever their age may be. It is frank, open and honest and contains a LOT of information that can be digested at whatever speed the reader is happiest with. The author addresses the reader in the opening Letter to the Reader acknowledging that sex is a complex subject to learn about, and suggests ways in which to cope with using this book.

It also contains a glossary which is important for fostering better understanding of the subject and an index and resources and organizations that can further understanding of the subject. Another thing I found particularly useful are the tips on searching for information online and URLs for trusted web resources.

If you are a parent, or educator looking for a book about sex for readers of all ages then I highly recommend You Know, Sex for your family or/and library collection.

I will say that you as an adult should also read it – you will definitely learn something and will also be able to discuss it with the young people in your life, if they trust you enough (or, are not too embarrassed) to broach the subject.

—

This is not the first time that the commissioner in question has used her position to attack the library over books for young readers. In 2023 she weighed in on the YALSA Teens Top 10 program that the library was involved with that had upset a parent, from The Heartlander News: Library in suburban Kansas City offers free books to youths, perhaps unnoticed by parents, that portray whites as racists, colonizers

From Free State News comes a slightly reworded piece, similar to the one in The Heartlander News: Johnson County Library distributes pornographic gore to developing teen minds in their Summer Reading Program

Although the change from the Heartlander piece saying “Williams doesn’t accuse the Gardner library, or even the Johnson County library system, of propagating leftist propaganda, but adds, “I do believe 100% that it’s pushed intentionally from a larger agenda, maybe even outside of our state.”

to: “I would like to know what staff created this list, and I would like those people arrested for distributing murder-fetish porn to my child. This should be a criminal offense, punishable by jail time.

In Luke 17:1-2 the Bible states, “Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.”

I’ll take millstones for 1,000, Alex. These people need to be punished to the full extent of the law for warping and destroying the minds of our youth with their selfish, morbid agendas.” in the Free State news piece is quite a change in tone.

and Could Public and School Libraries be Guilty of Felony Distribution of Obscene Materials to Children per KSA 21-6401?

We are in an election year and it remains to be seen if culture war topics, particularly an attack on a large and popular library over books will be a vote-getter in a county that has been consistently trending purple over the past few years.

Posted in: Blogging, Libraries, News

Rogue Trooper: Blighty Valley

July 1, 2024 9:50 pm ,

Nu Earth: a whole planet sacrificed to war. A chemical and nuclear nightmare, fit only for the endless battle between Nort and Souther forces – and for the Rogue Trooper, sole survivor of the Genetic Infantry, hunting the traitor who sold out his regiment. Together with the bio-chipped “ghosts” of his dead comrades, Rogue walks the wasted lands in search of their killer, determined to see justice done.

But a war world on the edge of an unstable black hole holds terrors beyond the bounds of sanity, and now the last GI finds himself wrenched away from his bloody quest. Hurled across reality to another world – another war – Rogue is marooned in an ancient conflict no less terrible than his own. With no way home and unknown dangers at every turn, the lone warrior must do what he was bred to do: and fight like hell for his very survival. 

I had no idea that my favourite comic of 2024 would be the latest edition of the long-running future war serial Rogue Trooper but there you go! I mean I have been a fan of Garth Ennis’ work for decades now, in fact it was in 2000 AD that I first encountered his writing – Judge Dredd: Emerald Isle if memory serves. I will not deny that as much as I love his work, sometimes his writing sometimes veers a bit to closely to edgelord territory, but without fail his war stories are written with a depth of knowledge, love and respect that is impossible to ignore.

When I first picked up Blighty Valley I was expecting Rogue to go to town on scores of Norts with a lot of wise-cracking back and forth between him and his biochipped comrades and “Stak! Genetik Infantryman! Naaaaain!” and to be fair there was some of that but what I did not expect was a powerful antiwar story that ranged from the toxic atmosphere of far future Nu Earth to the Great War that heralded the beginning of mechanized slaughter that wars have since become. It is a beautiful, heart-breakingly brutal story of lost soldiers trying to find their way home through impossible odds, stunningly illustrated in black and white by Patrick Goddard.

This is science fiction war (& history) with soul and stands up to multiple rereads and gave me a deeper appreciation of the Genetic Infantryman and his comrades. I have been seriously impressed with 2000AD’s output lately – look I am a long-time fan but the past few years have been truly amazing, and as I said, this story is my top one for 2024 and I highly recommend it to all readers!

Rogue Trooper: Blight Valley by Garth Ennis and Patrick Goddard is published by 2000 AD and will be available from all good comic and bookstores from July 2nd.

Blighty Valley was the name given by the Army to the lower part of the deep valley running down South-Westward through Authuile Wood to join the river between Authuile and Aveluy; a railway was carried along it soon after July, 1916, and it was for some time an important (though inevitably a dangerous) route. The upper part of the valley was called Nab Valley. Blighty Valley Cemetery is almost at the mouth of the valley, a little way up its northern bank.

Source: https://www.ww1cemeteries.com/blighty-valley-cemetery.html

Posted in: Books, comics, Reviews