We thank Changing Hands Book Store in Tempe, Arizona for their support. All members receive a 10% discount on our book club selections. Please patron them for your graphic novel book club purchases. :)


We aim to discuss the art and writing of each selection as well as the literary value and political message, if any. We also put the publication into historical context as to what was happening at the time of publication. We also place the selection into the context of sequential art as a genre and evaluate it as such.



We would also like to encourage the Graphic Novel and Comic Book reading and creating community here in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. We have both in our group and would love to have more. We hope to serve as a place for friends of the Genre to meet and socialize in the context of reading great comics.



The club had its first meeting June 12th, 2005 and has been going strong since. See the "Intrests" section for a complete list of titles read to date.



Why you won't find manga: While we do not disregard Manga entirely we have chosen not to include it in our selections for several reasons. First, our group is an over-21 crowd and in creating the book club, we wanted the discussions to be able to be adult and without concern over what young ears should hear (note that we meet in a brewery past 8pm on a school night). We are not here to be anyone’s parents. We are here to discuss Graphic Novels, Trade Paperbacks, and comic books in general. What does this have to do with Manga, you ask? Well, back in the beginning, we had several pre-Teens asking to join and asking to “read Anime.” Once the ban was in place the situation was taken care of, plain and simple.



Now, we are educated people and while that may have been the most visceral reason, it was not the only one. In choosing selections, we are always careful to not choose a book that is too meta-plot heavy or can’t be grasped in the first two trades or so. We are not millionaires, therefore limited in time and money, so buying more than two books a month seemed a bit excessive. Most of the Manga titles have plots that cover books into the teens. We simply could not accommodate such prolific work and we would never find out what happens in the end. Now, while it is most definitely connected, we (most of us anyway) believe that Manga is a Genre into itself. What I mean by that is that there is so much of every possible topic, theme, style, and genre that we would do Manga injustice by reading only a few titles. We would be reading out of context of the Genre and therefore depriving ourselves of discussion at the level of depth that we desire.



Finally, we wanted to read Graphic Novels (note our name being the Graphic Novel Book Club). While we encourage others who enjoy Anime and Manga to read it to their hearts’ content, we will not be doing that here. In addition we wish you all the best in finding or starting your own club, specifically for the Anime/Manga crowd.



Note: This site is maintained by the Graphic Novel Book Club Moderator, Rosa. I am not an employee of Changing Hands Book Store, nor affiliated with them in any way. I simply moderate this book club, which is graciously sponsored by the Changing Hands Book Store with their 10% discount on selections. Thx-R

I suppose Danny Elfman. He does write most of the soundtracks, after all., Secret Future Plans:, September 10th, 2006 Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware, September 23-24, 2006: Phoenix Cactus Comicon, October 8th, 2006 The Crow by James O'Barr, November 12th, 2006 Vertigo Month 2 Preacher: Volume 1 - Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis and Sandman: Volume 3 - Dream Country by Neil Gaiman

Official Club Movie:Deep Rising!

Usually cartoon over live-action adaptation.

With pictures., This month, Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware!!!