Tagged Comics and Graphic Novels

Teen Reads for Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month! Did you know that Women’s History Month has its roots in the struggle for workers’ rights? In 1908, women garment workers protested the poor working conditions inside factories. This…

Manga 101: Manga and Beyond at the Free Library

In our Manga 101 series , we’ve covered a lot of manga-related topics. We looked at some commonly asked questions , explored demographic categories , reviewed several popular manga genres, and discussed related types of media . In…

Manga 101: Related Concepts

In our Manga 101 series, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions , defined some common manga terms , and looked at some of the most popular manga genres found at the Free Library. This time, we’ll take a look at other…

Faces of the Free Library: Meet Rasheem!

The Free Library has been expanding staffing efforts throughout the library system in recent months. With all the hiring excitement, there’s a mix of both new and familiar faces in all of the branches, and you might be wondering…

Manga 101: Horror

In our last Manga 101 installments, we touched on romance and LGBTQIA+ themes in manga. This time, we’ll take a look at a new genre:  horror . Though the roots of manga can be traced back through centuries of Japanese art,…

Comix Club Spotlight Review, Plus a Special Event This Month!

This month’s Review Round-up features two cartoonists who frequently work on their comics in the Art Department , plus a peek inside Reptile House Comix ’s latest summer issue. Smell ya later, summer!   Gecko by Nate…

Manga 101: BL, GL, and Beyond

In our previous Manga 101 installment, we covered romance manga. This time, we’ll take a look at two subgenres of romance manga (BL and GL), as well as some non-romantic LGBTQ+ manga.  BL BL is an abbreviation for Boys’…

Comix Club's New Titles Spotlight Review

With this month’s Comix Club drawing nigh (that’s Tuesday, August 29 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.  in the Art Department), here is a Review Spotlight of sparkly new additions to the Philadelphia Comics Collection .…

Manga 101: Romance

Previous Manga 101 installments took a look at isekai and sports manga; this time, we’ll explore another popular genre of manga: romance .  From poignant stories of high school love to doomed romances with supernatural…

Manga 101: Sports

In the previous Manga 101 installment, we took a look at the manga genre known as isekai . Now, we’ll continue with an exploration of another popular manga genre: sports! Sports manga as a genre is precisely what it sounds like…

Manga 101: Isekai

One way of classifying manga is by demographic categories like shonen and shojo (for more information, check out the previous Manga 101 blog post ). However, manga can also be divided into genres of similar subject matter. While…

Bryn Ziegler's Don’t Look Into The Abyss and Other Philadelphia Comics

The Art Department is thrilled to host the launch of  Don’t Look Into The Abyss , a new graphic novel illustrated and published by  Bryn Ziegler .  Ziegler is a book and comic artist specializing in intimate,…

Manga 101: Demographic Categories

Manga is often published chapter-by-chapter in anthology magazines which are marketed towards particular audiences. Some magazines focus on specific genres of manga (like fantasy, romance, etc.) while others publish stories in a variety…

Manga 101: Answering Common Questions

Some of the most popular titles at the Field Teen Center are manga, or Japanese graphic novels. Manga includes a wide range of genres and art styles with more than 100 titles in our collections. Navigating it all can be overwhelming,…

The Philadelphia Comics Collection Debuts in the Art Department

Are you an avid reader of comics, and of the age 18+? The Art Department is stoked to announce an exciting new collection for you to explore: The Philadelphia Comics Collection (PCC) is a living, growing, cutting-edge catalog made up of…

ComicsPlus is Here!

Like comics? You're going to love this! Our newest electronic resources from ComicsPlus   bring thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from a variety of library-friendly publishers for kids,…

Explore Creative Careers with Field Teen Center!

Throughout the month of July, Field Teen Center recorded interviews with a voice actor, four game designers, and a comic book writer. If you’re interested in creative jobs or if you just want to learn more about how your favorite…

Early Black Comic Book Writers, Illustrators, and Newspaper Cartoonists

Are you a fan of comic book characters such as Marvel Comics' Black Panther or DC Comics' Black Lighting ? These Black superhero comics gained renewed popularity in recent years as a result of blockbuster movies and TV series.…

21 Great Graphic Novels and Comics from 2021

Another year, another stack of superhero stories, fascinating biographies, funny books, and extraordinary illustrated tales that defy classification! While not necessarily a "Top 10" (especially since I selected 21!), and…

LGBTQ History Told Through Comics and Graphic Novels

A panel from Hazel Newlevant's exposé of queer uprisings found within Be Gay, Do Comics!. All October we'll be talking about LGBTQ History on the Free Library's blog! Last week we discussed LGBTQ Historical Young…

Comix Club

We typically gather every third Thursday, in the Art Department , on Parkway Central Library's 2nd floor,  from 5:30-7:30 p.m.  to read, talk and draw comics.If you're new to the club: simply stop by…

Comix Club

We typically gather every third Thursday, in the Art Department , on Parkway Central Library's 2nd floor,  from 5:30-7:30 p.m.  to read, talk and draw comics.If you're new to the club: simply stop by…

Comix Club

We typically gather every third Thursday, in the Art Department , on Parkway Central Library's 2nd floor,  from 5:30-7:30 p.m.  to read, talk and draw comics.If you're new to the club: simply stop by…

Queer Comics Club

Join us for a biweekly comic book club for young adults aged 14-24. We'll meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month to explore and discuss graphic novels and manga that center queer stories and voices.

Book Paper Scissors

Book Paper Scissors is an artists’ book fair, free and open to the public. 2024 marks the 15th year of the fair held at the library in collaboration with the Philadelphia Center for the Book . This festive event features…

Queer Comics Club

Join us for a biweekly comic book club for young adults aged 14-24. We'll meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month to explore and discuss graphic novels and manga that center queer stories and voices.

Teen Tuesdays: Friends. Food. Fun.

Calling all 7th through 12th graders! Dive into new worlds with our exciting new video game collection, unleash your creativity in our DIY craft sessions, and connect with friends over anime/manga, movies, and snacks. Bring a friend and…

Comix Club

This month we'll gather in Room 108 instead, on the Parkway Central Library's first floor , to read, talk and draw comics.If you're new to the club: simply stop by and bring your comics project to work on or…

Ghastly Graphic Novels

Illustrated horror full of eerie images and scary stories.

Anime and Manga - Manga for You and Me

Learn the techniques behind the creation of anime.

Anime and Manga - Hot Manga

Get your hands on the newest manga we have.

Graphic Novels - Teen Manga

Classic teen manga favorites.

Graphic Novels - Realistic stories for Teens

Graphic novels that reflect real life.

Graphic Novels - Non-violent Stories for Tweens

Suitable for middle schoolers.

Graphic Novels - for Tweens

For the younger set.

Graphic Novels - Beginning Readers

A first experience with comic books.

Graphic Novels - Girl Power

Graphic novels that appeal to girls and women.

Graphic Novels - Books to Screen

From graphic novels into movies.

Graphic Novels - Bestsellers

Not sure where to start? How about with the most popular graphic novels?

Graphic Novels - Award Winners

Find out more about the popular world of graphic novels.

Award Winning Graphic Novels

Graphic novels which have won notable awards.

Roz Chast | I Must be Dreaming

Watch the video here . Renowned for her “extraordinarily honest, searing and hilarious” ( San Francisco Chronicle ) takes on modern life, Roz Chast has published more than 1,000 cartoons in The New Yorker since 1978. She has written or…

Christian Cooper | Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World

In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6abc Action News morning edition Central Park birder Christian Cooper is the host and consulting producer on the National Geographic channel’s Extraordinary Birder and is on the board of…

Eoin Colfer | Highfire

In conversation with Jon McGoran, author of Splintered Eoin Colfer is the internationally acclaimed author of the Artemis Fowl series, which chronicles the “magical” ( Washington Post ) adventures of a young antihero criminal…

Patricia Marx and Roz Chast | Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It?: A Mother's Suggestions

A 30-year contributor to The New Yorker , Patricia Marx is the author of several books including Starting From Happy and Him Her Him Again the End of Him , both of which were Thurber Prize finalists. A former writer for Saturday Night…

Roz Chast | Going into Town: A Love Letter to New York

Watch the video here . “By turns grim and absurd, deeply poignant and laugh-out-loud funny” ( New York Times ), Roz Chast has published more than 800 cartoons in The New Yorker since 1978. Chast has written or illustrated more than a…

Graphic Novels

Graphic novels are, simply defined, book-length comics. Sometimes they tell a single, continous narrative from first page to last; sometimes they are collections of shorter stories or individual comic strips. Comics are sequential visual…