#Nuking Alaska

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 6/14

Have you seen our LIMITED EDITION Fantom shirts yet??

Alora: Witch Princess GN -  Kayden Phoenix & Phineas Conrad

Alora is one of the five Possibles, a princess that may become the true princess of Citadel. These Possibles were found, trained in their magical energies, and took classes together in the palace; all in preparation for the Majo Majo Celebration. The Possibles completes tests in a magical carnival to see who the one true princess is.

At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender GN -  Shou Arai

At age 30, Shou Arai came to a realization; they had no gender. Now they were faced with a question they'd never really considered: how to age in a society where everything is so strongly segregated between two genders? This autobiographical manga explores Japanese culture surrounding gender, transgender issues, and the day to day obstacles faced by gender minorities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community with a lighthearted, comedic attitude.  

Bettie Page #1 -  Mirka Andolfo, Luca Blengino, Elisa Ferrari & Joseph Michael Linsner

It's la dolce vita for Bettie! Beautiful Bettie has been cast as the lead of a film shooting in Rome, but before she can experience the sights and sounds of Italy, shady-looking thugs try to kidnap her! Why? Well, Bettie happens to be the spitting image of another woman...a woman who's in BIG trouble with trouble-making types! Can Bettie negotiate her way through a madcap adventure of mistaken identity and star-crossed love, Italian-style?

Dead By Daylight #1 (of 4) - Nadia Shammas, Dilon Snook & Ivan Tao

PREQUEL COMIC BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING HORROR GAME, DEAD BY DAYLIGHT! When the rebellious FRANK crashes into the lives of JULIE, JOEY and SUSIE, together they'll unleash bloody chaos onto the sleepy, dead-end town of Ormond. Witness the terrifying origins of THE LEGION.

Death Drop: Drag Assassin #1 -  David Hazan & Alex Moore

Death Drop, a hitman turned drag queen, enters a race against time to find her missing drag sister as a mysterious rash of killings and disappearances spreads across the city. With the specter of her former mentor haunting her every step, Death Drop must decide how far she is willing to be pulled back into a life of violence in order to protect her community in this supernatural queer noir.

The Faint Of Heart GN -  Kerilynn Wilson

Not that long ago, the Scientist discovered that all sadness, anxiety, and anger disappeared when you removed your heart. And that's all it took. Soon enough, the hospital had lines out the door. June is an exceptional high schooler, though not in the way you'd expect. She is the only one in town who still has her heart. When she looks at her heartless family and friends, she knows she can't become one of them. But the pressure, loneliness, and heartache are mounting, and it's becoming harder and harder to be the only one with a heart. And then June comes across an abandoned heart in a jar. The heart in the jar intrigues her, it baffles her, and it brings her hope. June wonders if the heart can be used to revitalize her sister. But the heart also brings her Max, a classmate with a secret of his own: though he had his heart removed, he is starting to feel again-and it hurts. June will have to choose between a boy she barely knows-a boy who's in pain-and the sister she loves dearly-who feels nothing. But will her own heart rip in two in the process?

Family Style: Memories Of An American From Vietnam GN -  Thien Pham

Originally posted on Instagram, this young adult graphic novel details the author's childhood immigration to America with his family, through the lens of particularly meaningful food and meals. Thien's first memory isn't a sight or a sound. It's the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It's the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam. After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don't get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. Behind every cut of steak and inside every croissant lies a story. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search - for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream!

Frank Frazetta’s Mothman #1 (of 5) - Tim Hedrick, Luis Guaragna & Andrea Mutti

From 1966 to 1967 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, several witnesses reported seeing a man-sized, winged creature with glowing red eyes. Circa 1980, Frank Frazetta painted his iconic work "Mothman." Now you will learn the truth-and it's weird. Emmy nominee Tim Hedrick (Avatar: The Last Airbender) and artist Andrea Mutti (British Paranormal Society) bring you the next expansion of the FrazettaVerse!

Gnome & Rat GN -  Lauren Stohler

Gnome and Rat are best friends who live together in a charming forest. Rat enjoys drinking tea and finishing crossword puzzles. And Gnome... well, Gnome likes to polish his pointy red hat and eat delicious sausages. Join these funny friends on their various adventures, whether it's celebrating Hat Day, perfecting magic tricks, or tracking down a new signature hat for Gnome. Whatever their antic, these two know exactly how to have a good time: with each other.

Haunt You Til The End #1 -  Ryan Cady & Andrea Mutti

In a not-so-far future rife with climate disasters and worldwide instability, an eccentric billionaire and his crew-a disgraced journalist, a radical doctor, a TV demonologist, and a squad of hard-bitten military contractors-set out to prove the existence of life after death. But even if their mission is a success, the truth behind the "most haunted place on earth" may not be the comforting revelation the world is hoping for.

Intertwined: The Last Jewish Daughter Of Kaifeng #1 -  Fabrice Sapolsky,  Fei Chen, Ho Seng Hui & Fred Pham Chuong

In time for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as Jewish American Heritage Month, fan-favorite series INTERTWINED is back with a 64 page special dedicated to the only Asian Jewish character in comics: the new Spirit of Water! After the events of the original INTERTWINED series, Leah Ai Tian's life has changed drastically. She had been dragged in Juan Jin's adventures with the Spirits of WuXing against her will and Lady Xia passed on the mantle of Champion of the Water Element to her right before she was murdered. Now, Leah fights along the Spirits of the Earth, Wood, Fire and Metal to preserve the balance of the universe while fully living her Jewish faith. But her past has come back to haunt her. Why did she really leave Kaifeng and China? And what do Mob Lord Yuk-Long wants so much that he sent his goons all the way to Chinatown New York to find her?

INTERTWINED: THE LAST JEWISH DAUGHTER OF KAIFENG is a fast paced action adventure tale dealing with deep real life issues: the meaning of faith in a country that, at that time, doesn't recognize Judaism as a religion, the condition of women in the early 1970s and freedom of choice.

Klik Klik BOOM #1 -  Doug Wagner, Douglas Dabbs & Matt Wilson

Meet Sprout, a mute assassin who communicates exclusively through polaroid pictures. Being raised by her doomsday-prepping grandfather in the rolling hills of Idaho, Sprout has never been around other people, watched TV, or seen clothes outside of Army fatigues. Now she's headed to the big lights of New York City to avenge her grandfather's murder, but will the city's mesmerizing glitz and glam help her succeed-or be the death of her?

Legends Of The Pierced Veil: Izuna GN -  Saverio Tenuta & Carita Lupattelli

Since the dawn of time, the Izuna wolves have been entrusted as guardians against Japan's evil spirits, protecting the veil that keeps the spirit world of the Kami and the human world separate. One day, a dark force known as the Noggo appears, spreading infection throughout the spiritual plane. As the Izuna battle against the Noggo's invasion of their land, an Izuna cub is born in the form of a young human girl. Can the Izuna protect the Veil from the threat that could come from within?

Lizard Prince & Other South American Stories GN  -  Kate Ashwin & Kel McDonald

Cursed princes, doomsday prophecies, and a fateful nighttime visit from a legendary sorcerer-these are just a few of the ancient tales whispered in the forests of South America, retold in this beautifully drawn comics treasury! This anthology series features modern takes on folklore from across the continent, for a wide-ranging fireside collection of thrills and spooky chills. Featuring the work of Shadia Amin, Coni Yovaniniz, Verónica Alvarado, and more!

The Love Report GN -  Beka & Maya

BFFs Grace and Lola talk about everything related to romance-and have lots of questions: What about the mysterious allure of the popular girl at school? And the rebellious goth with the reputation? And boys. They don't quite understand what makes some school romances soar to legendary heights, while other flirtations fizzle. Lola has an idea-they'll observe, study, and analyze all the couples at their Junior High-and compile their findings as The Love Report. Surprises await them, and force them to learn to see beyond appearances in this fast-paced series opener. They'll also discover secrets between themselves.

LSBN GN -  Emma Jayne

A lesbian mech rom-com graphic novel by Ignatz and Prism Award-winning cartoonist Emma Jayne! After many grueling years of defending against colossal, violent creatures, the machine that will turn the conflict in humanity's favor is nearing completion... until the war unexpectedly comes to a sudden, peaceful resolution. The world rejoices. However, two women fall into crisis as their life's work becomes obsolete. Commander Sugimoto and her lead engineer Mischa Polyakov have spent nearly every waking moment together since the project's inception, but without the pretense of their careers and world-ending calamity, do they have a reason to stay in one another's lives?

MTG Planeswalkers: Noble #1 -  Stephanie Williams, Daniel Warren, Dave Rapoza, Alberto Locatelli, Lea Caballero, Arianna Consonni, Raúl Angulo & Jahnoy Lindsay

Planeswalkers Karn and Ral Zarek team up to navigate the lonely and often treacherous space between flesh and machine...Meanwhile, a romantic outing featuring Jace and Vraska? The circumstances are less than ideal, however, and even perilous!

Between fan-favorite pairings and unexpected, exciting alliances, the stellar creative team of Stephanie Williams (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons), Daniel Warren and Dave Rapoza (Steve Lichman), Alberto Locatelli, Lea Caballero, Arianna Consonni, and Raúl Angulo take readers to unforgettable realms in the Magic Multiverse!

Mexica: Aztec Princess GN  -  Kayden Phoenix & Fernanda Lozada 

Mexica's princess initiation has begun. She's given three riddles and ventures out of Aztlán with her pet ocelot, Elote, to find the prizes. Unbeknownst to her, she fights a neighboring tribe thinking they're apart of the princess initiation. Mexica unknowingly saving the kingdom and ultimately returning as Aztlán's crowned princess.

Mighty Marvel Team-Up Spider-Man: Animals Assemble! GN - Mike Maihack

When the Avengers are assembled to contain a super threat in New York City, Spider-Man is given the most important job of all: to make sure all the Avengers' super pets are safe! Spider-Man wants in on the bad guy fighting action, but with great power comes great pet sitting. Featuring fan favorite Avengers like Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Black Panther, this fun and funny original graphic novel sees the mighty web-slinger teaming up with the most unlikely of heroes to save the day!  

My Dear Curse-Casting Vampiress GN Vol 1 -  Chisaki Kanai

The world is full of vampires. Supernatural creatures who drain the blood from humans without mercy-fighting such beings is the foundation of Isuzu Osaka's life. But humanity is losing the war, and so desperate times call for desperate measures...And so, Isuzu sets out to strike a deal with a powerful vampiress whose beauty drives all who gaze upon her insane in the hopes of protecting his friends...

Night Fever GN -  Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips & Jacob Phillips 

Who are you, really? Are you the things you do, or are you the person inside your mind? In Europe on a business trip, Jonathan Webb can't sleep. Instead, he finds himself wandering the night in a strange foreign city with his new friend, the mysterious and violent Rainer, as his guide. Rainer shows Jonathan the hidden world of the night, a world without rules or limits. But when the fun turns dangerous, Jonathan may find himself trapped in the dark-the question is, what will he do to get home? NIGHT FEVER is a pulse-pounding Jekyll-and-Hyde noir thriller about a man facing the darkness inside himself.

Nuking Alaska GN -  Peter Dunlap-Shohl

Nuking Alaska is an unnervingly funny tale of life in Alaska during the tensest times of the Cold War. It recounts the surprising and tragicomic details of the nuclear threats faced by Alaskans, including Project Chariot in the late 1950s and early 60s, the near-nuclear disaster caused by the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, and the 1971 test of a nuclear warhead on the island of Amchitka. Alaskan resident Peter Dunlap-Shohl shares the terrible consequences that these events and others had for humans and animals alike, all in the service of "atoms for peace."

Parallel TP -  Matthias Lehmann

Karl Kling's story is one of revelations, and these he has addressed in a letter to his daughter, Hella, who had disowned Karl many years ago. Karl's letter is a cri de coeur from a father to a daughter he never really got to know, and he comes clean to her about his failed marriages, his fractured family relations--and his love for men.

Taking place between the end of World War II and the 1980s, Parallel chronicles Karl's efforts to comply with social norms in order to keep his sexuality a secret. It also paints a picture of a life torn between conformity and rebellion, and the cruel realities of twentieth-century German society, where homosexuality was proscribed and punishable until 1994. Matthias Lehmann poignantly depicts the story of a decades-long yearning to live an open and free life, and the price Karl and those he loves must pay for it. It is also a story of finding the courage to finally tell the truth no matter the obstacles...or the cost.

Prophecy Complete Edition GN -  Ran Kuze

The mind twisting thriller series that was adapted into a life action film, is now in a new complete omnibus format! A newspaper-masked vigilante who broadcasts his acts of vengeance before committing them. A newly-formed police division tackling the new frontier of internet-based crime. As the sun rises on the Era of Information, can a group of people who found themselves at the bottom of the food chain rattle society through the web and avenge a fallen friend?

Barbaric: Queen Of Swords #1 -  Michael Moreci, Corin Howell & K.J. Diaz

Spinning out of the pages of BARBARIC comes an all-new, standalone, rip-roaring fantasy adventure, filled with mayhem, humor, and a bloodthirsty weapon that just won't stop talking! Serra is a witch with a checkered past; Ka is an assassin with an agenda all her own, and Deadheart is a barbarian who wants to bash everyone in her path. They'll have to unite their unique skills to track down a powerful foe who's tied their lives together. Get ready to meet your new favorite instrument of death-the evil Ga'Bar, whose spirit is now trapped in Deadheart's sword!

Discover the origin of the dark magic that turned Soren into the tattooed witch she is today, in this totally new story, the perfect place to step into the world of BARBARIC for the first time!

Reggie: Kid Penguin GN -  Jen de Oliveira

Fans of Babymouse and Owly will love this early graphic novel series about the everyday adventures and high jinks of Reginald "Reggie" Guinn, a little kid penguin with a big personality! Reggie is just like any other kid: always looking for fun and adventure! But Reggie's curious, playful side sometimes gets him into trouble. Like when he tries to give himself a haircut before picture day...and ends up gluing his feathers back on his head! Or when he sneaks a mouthful of cookie dough from the kitchen... then feels the sun baking cookies in his tummy! Or when his babysitter puts him on a kid leash while they walk to the park... and he rebels by acting like a dog!

Santa Latina Superhero GN -  Kayden Phoenix & Eva Cabrera 

Santa lives in Wexo, a made-up bordertown in Texas. With elections coming up, the tension rises as the conservative frontrunner, Illena Chavez-Estevez, AKA ICE, wants to start a race war in the town. On the Domino side, we have La Politica running. Comadre, the mentor and veteran, ends up recruiting Santa for La Politica's campaign and as the racial tensions rise in the town, Santa learns what it means to be patriotic while harnessing her Mom's military past. When civilians start getting stolen, Santa finds her voice and strength to raid the detention camps and take down ICE.

Spider-Man: Fake Red GN -  Yusuke Osawa

Yu's new high school is kind of awful. He's failing his classes and striking out socially. Everything changes when he finds one of Spider-Man's costumes abandoned in an alleyway. At first, it's fun to put on the costume and play hero, but when powerful enemies start to appear, Yu quickly realizes he's out of his element. Still, with Spider-Man nowhere to be found, the city needs someone to save it...

The Prophet GN -  A. David Lewis, Kahlil Gibran & Justin Renteria

First published in 1923, Khalil Gibran's The Prophet is unquestionably the most popular work of free verse published in the English language during the 20th century. The slender book tells the story of exiled Almustafa, leaving his refugee home of Orphalese after twelve years of banishment. Before he goes, however, he has words of wisdom for the people who took him in. This graphic adaptation features a faithful rendering of the original text with a flashback sequence that explains the prehistory of Almustafa and an afterword by A. David Lewis.

This Is Not My Story HC -  Ryan Uytdewilligen & David Huyck

The brave captain of a tiny spaceship is surrounded by flying saucers. Though the situation appears dire, he knows just what to do... um, wait! The brave captain-ahem, boy-tells the author to stop the action: He's got it all wrong. This is not the boy's story. He belongs in a different story. The author considers this. Then he begins again, with a story about Cattle King Carl, the quickest cattle wrangler in the West... No! Still not the boy's story? Hmm. Is he a dragon-slaying knight? No! A vampire's next victim? No! A boy going on a date? No! Will the author ever come up with the right story?

Twisted Tales: Part Of Your World GN -  Stephanie Kate Strohm, Liz Braswell, Kelly Matthews & Nichole Matthews

Discover a new side of The Little Mermaid in this darkly romantic reimagining of the classic Disney film! It's been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid... and took King Triton's life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric's kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world-and a prince-she never imagined she would see again. Ursula has been making the most of her role as princess: With the kingdom-and Prince Eric-under her spell, the sea witch has been plotting, scheming, and waging war. And after the disguised sea witch catches wind that Ariel has resurfaced, her thirst for power threatens both land and sea. It's up to Ariel to overthrow the murderous villain before Ursula can destroy her home, her prince, and the world she once longed to be a part of.

Void Rivals #1 -  Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici & Matheus Lopes 

War rages around the Sacred Ring, where the last remnants of two worlds have collapsed around a black hole in a never-ending war.  However, when pilot Darak and his rival Solila both crash on a desolate planet, these two enemies must find a way to escape together. But are they alone on this strange planet? And what dark forces await that threaten the entire universe? 

Why I Adopted My Husband GN -  Yuta Yagi

As a gay couple living in Japan (where gay marriage is not yet legal), Yuta and Kyota have found a unique loophole in order to live together and support one another financially, legally and medically; Kyota adopted Yuta. This nonfiction manga depicts how they met, living together, discussions with their parents, and their future anxieties and determination as they strive for independence and equal rights under Japanese law.

Xino #1 -  Chris Condon, Nick Cagnetti & Matt Lesniewski

Because the future is getting weirder everyday, we give you XINO #001-the first of three OVERSIZED, 40-PAGE intra-ocular lozenges of subversive, surrealist science-fiction to cure your awful awareness of it all. Try not to worry-the insertion process will be guided by the megawatt brilliance of Oni's brightest talents (past, present, and future) as they slowly tune your hopes, dreams, desires, paranoia, alienation, anxiety, and adrenaline to produce the desired results. In our first exploratory outing: Rising stars Melissa Flores (The Dead Lucky, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) & Daniel Irizarri (Judge Dredd) surgically activate the hidden dimensions of the human senses; cult phenoms Christopher Condon (That Texas Blood) and Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade) debut the world's first intravenous video game system; Underground radicals Jordan Thomas (Weird Work) and Shaky Kane (Bulletproof Coffin) surveil the suburbs for signs of covert infiltration, and master cartoonist and foundational Oni creator Phil Hester (Gotham City: Year One, The Coffin) returns to the fold to leave his deepest mark yet!

Whatcha picking up this week, Fantom Fam?

[smashpages]

Out this week: Nuking Alaska (Graphic Mundi, $19.95):

Alaskan resident Peter Dunlap-Shohl recounts what life was like for the state during the Cold War and the constant threat of nuclear war. 

See what else is arriving at your local comic shop this week.

[graphicpolicy]

Nuking Alaska is an interesting bit of Alaskan history during the Cold War

Nuking Alaska is an interesting bit of Alaskan history during the Cold War #comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel #ncbd

Peter Dunlap-Shohl grew up on the front lines of the Cold War in the 1950s and ’60s, where Alaska residents lived in the shadow of a nuclear arsenal nine times the size of the Soviet Union’s. This graphic novel recounts the surprising and tragicomic details of the nuclear threats faced by Alaskans, including Project Chariot, championed by Edward Teller and his “firecracker boys” in the late 1950s…

[directdogman]

What kind of class would the cast of Dialtown be in DnD? (Ie, Druid, Rouge, Paladin… etc)

Oh, I did a whole DnD Dialtown thing ages ago that conveniently mentions some classes in it with some rewritten backstories for the characters in this new universe. I'll paste it below (preamble is important for the character descriptions, so sorry for the lore:)

The story is set in a fictional landmass, with parts of it based on a fucked up Alaska, parts resembling the Swiss Alps, a desert zone and nuked carnival wastes. In the present era, an evil empire rules over the whole map, ran by an evil necromancer, Callum Crown. Him and his partner, Milton, took over the entire continent in a bloody conquest together that ended with Crown dropping an arcane nuke on the clown territory, ending the war, but turning Milt against him, leading to a civil war, in which Crown destroyed Milt.

Crown has a phone head made from scraps of the metals of the heroes who've failed to vanquish him, and has a lich body, which he reinforces with the same metal he used to build his head, gaining a gradual suit of armor in order to stop himself from physically falling apart. He has a powerful arcane gauntlet which he uses to cast devastating spells. His undead empire sells death to people with a snazzy sales pitch. Basically, you sign a waiver that gives you benefits within his empire while you're alive, but once you die, your corpse is resurrected to serve Crown until your remains degrade beyond use.

The plot of the game is that Crown is trying to unravel reality to remove an ancient arcane law of magic from the fabric of reality as old as life itself: necromancy cannot resurrect a life that has taken itself. Crown, despite presiding over the whole world and everything in it, cannot bear the loss of his friend, Milt, who he beat in the civil war, which ended with Milt drinking poison before Crown could reach his throne room in the final assault of milt's base.

Crown would tell you that he wishes to resurrect Milt so he can finally have Milt answer for his betrayal, but in reality, he just really misses Milt. To revive Milt, because he specifically took his own life, would require the fabric of reality be altered... something that could potentially end the world. Gingi is a non-human monster (not considered a person, starts the game as a low level enemy) who gets caught up in a complex socioeconomic conflict/conspiracy by being in the wrong place at the wrong time and has to travel with a band of companions in order to resolve the conflict and eventually, once powerful entities begin to take notice of you, in order to survive.

The plot involves Crown's pursuit of the final piece of the puzzle: gaining the ability to rewrite universal law, and eventually, Gingi either has to choose to help him achieve this power, prevent the power from being accessed by anyone, or taking it and using it however they decide to. Basically, Crown wants to rewrite universal law because he can't accept that he owns everything, is all powerful, but cannot revive one specific person.

Now onto the companions with classes mentioned:

Randy Jade: You meet him in one of the cities in Crown's empire. He approaches you to ask you for a cigarette, and if you give him one, he then asks you for a lighter too. He explains that he had a string of jobs in Crown's empire, but kept screwing them up and getting fired, and at this point, he's stealing to eat.

If you recruit him, Randy will fight for you. Randy's a rogue, uses small blades (starting item are some house keys he found poking out through his knuckle), he's a glass cannon (good DPS, low health) and is politically neutral.

Oliver Swift: He's a traveling bard/performer who's going on a journey to raise enough money so his old mentor, Mr Dickens, can gift a sword to a young hero in his village and order him to go forth and vanquish Callum Crown (a yearly tradition for the village that always ends with crown getting another scrap of metal for his head/armor)

If you agree to give him a share of the loot to send home, he will join the party. He attacks with blunt weapons (metal lute, wrench). Ironically, despite Randy being the rogue, Oliver has the better lockpicking skill. Politically, he dislikes Crown, and without a high speech skill, will leave the party if you align with Crown.

Karen Dunn: A bureaucrat in Crown's empire. A talented mage, she works in Crown's deathdealers headquarters. She's the person at the line for mages looking to sell their souls to Crown. She really doesn't care for this job, allowing the player to convince her to ditch it + join the party. Karen uses fire magic offensively but starts with a few healing spells too.

Karen is politically neutral, though she has a personal distaste for Crown's empire as an employer.

Bigfoot: Can be admitted into the party. He's a melee tank, but has a few forest magic spells that buff himself and other party members, giving him support capabilities. Bigfoot will become frightened and leave the party during some cutscenes when loud noises/conflict occurs, if you do not equip earmuffs onto him.

Norm Allen: A former sheriff (now fugitive) in the annexed desert territory. Formerly an avid supporter of the order that Crown brought, and one of Crown's enforcers in his home town of [desert zone], Norm is hellbent on putting a bullet in Crown's head and dismantling his empire.

If you become friendly with Norm, you find out that the thing that Norm specifically bolted from Crown over... was the overreach of justice, and selling tyranny to his people as justice. Norm's a tank. His defense stat is middling, but his attack accuracy is locked at 100%, which is valuable in bad weather conditions or if the team gets blinded.

Norm will turn on the player if they do anything BUT prevent universal power from entering anyone's hands.

Mingus: Mingus is Crown's key enforcer/assassin. At the start of the game, she's trying to track down and execute Norm for betraying Crown, and as the plot progresses, eventually targets the player.

A stealthy cat woman, she strikes from the shadows, always, and usually after wetting the tips of her claws with a devastating poison. The poison she uses has no known antidote.

Politically, she's a fanatic, found abandoned as a kitten by Callum Crown many cycles ago. While Crown is cold with her, speaking to her like a tool, he keeps her in his service with his false promise to rewrite reality so other people like Mingus and to erase her abandonment from the timeline. Mingus secretly pines for his approval/kindness above all else, believing that helping Crown achieve her goals is the only way she'll ever feel loved. She's a potential late-game companion, being recruitable during the lategame, if you're doing Crown's ending.

There's more, but that's the gist of it. Hope this was interesting!

[media-illiterate]

FOTV'S PLOT MAKES NO SENSE

So since this is going to have MASSIVE spoilers for the new show, I'll put most of it behind a readmore. But, TL/DR: Destroying Shady Sands would not bring down the NCR, because they have at least seven other major cities that could and would take over!

So, lets start with a map:

This is map (made by me) very roughly represents the NCR as it exist circa 2277. All major settlements are labelled, but do note that there are dozens of minor settlements scattered around the whole of California, and into Oregon, Nevada, and Mexico.

Nuking Shady Sands, even if you used the largest nuclear bomb ever made, (The Tsar bomb: coming in at 100 megatons, it is the upper limit of practicality for a bomb, because any larger and the explosion would've vented into the upper atmosphere and reduced the bomb's effect), it would still only destroy Shady Sands. Maybe vaults 13 and 15, the closest settlements to it (given their nature as vaults, however, I think they'd survive).

Notice all the other settlements? WHERE DID THEY GO, TODD?

Now, exploding Shady Sands would still be really fucking bad for the republic, but I think it would be fully survivable. We don't have hard numbers for the population of the NCR, but in New Vegas it is explicitly in the hundreds of thousands, (and rising). So we can substitute the demographics of, say, Alaska (710,000 people). The largest city in Alaska, Anchorage, has ~290,000 people living in it, as of the 2020 census. That's a large chunk of the state's population, but its not even half.

I think Shady Sands would probably be a lot smaller than the Hub or Boneyard (not to mention San Francisco, Vault City, or New Reno) because it started out as a small farming village when the others were already major settlements. So, at most, nuking Shady Sands would only disrupt the NCR, not kill it. Even if the NCR broke up in the aftermath, Lucy's vault should still be smack in the middle of the Boneyard, probably one of California's largest settlements.

But! That's not all! Not only does this show contradict established canon at every turn, it doesn't even do it well, because there is an argument to be made that a few well placed nukes could bring down the NCR!

And its already part of the damn game:

This handsome, gravelly-voiced genius already mathed out how to, as he calls it, "cut the bear's throat": bomb the NCR's trade routes to the outside world, and watch them wither away on their own. His plan is a thousand times more interesting, and more feasible, than how the show brought down the NCR (blowing up one (1) city and acting like that would destroy an entire nation).

In fact, if they really wanted to get rid of the NCR, they could've easily just made that ending to Lonesome Road canon. But, lets face it, this show cannot be bothered to even look at the games for inspiration.

I like almost nothing I see coming out of the show. Its a thin veneer of fallout painted onto a story that bulldozes the very series it claims to be part of. The zombification of ghouls, the centering of the Brotherhood, the badly written raiders playground of a wasteland: its all of Bethesda's worst writing choices, just transmitted to a new medium.

I hate it here.

[mostly-mundane-atla]

Inupiaq Books

This post was inspired by learning about and daydreaming about visiting Birchbark Books, a Native-owned bookstore in Minneapolis, so there will be some links to buy the books they have on this list.

Starting Things Off with Two Inupiaq Poets

Joan Naviyuk Kane, whose available collections include:

Hyperboreal

Black Milk Carbon

The Cormorant Hunter's Wife

She also wrote Dark Traffic, but this site doesn't seem to carry any copies

Dg Nanouk Okpik, whose available collections include

Blood Snow

Corpse Whale

Fictionalized Accounts of Historical Events

A Line of Driftwood: the Ada Blackjack Story by Diane Glancy, also available at Birchwood Books, is a fictionalized account of Ada Blackjack's experience surviving the explorers she was working with on Wrangel Island, based on historical records and Blackjack's own diary.

Goodbye, My Island by Rie Muñoz is a historical fiction aimed at younger readers with little knowledge of the Inupiat about a little girl living on King Island. Reads a lot like an American Girl book in case anyone wants to relive that nostalgia

Blessing's Bead by Debby Dahl Edwardson is a Young Adult historical fiction novel about hardships faced by two generations of girls in the same family, 70 years apart. One reviewer pointed out that the second part of the book, set in the 1980s, is written in Village English, so that might be a new experience for some of you

Photography

Menadelook: and Inupiaq Teacher's Photographs of Alaska Village Life, 1907-1932 edited by Eileen Norbert is, exactly as the title suggests, a collection of documentary photographs depicting village life in early 20th century Alaska.

Nuvuk, the Northernmost: Altered Land, Altered Lives in Barrow, Alaska by David James Inulak Lume is another collection of documentary photographs published in 2013, with a focus on the wildlife and negative effects of climate change

Guidebooks (i only found one specifically Inupiaq)

Plants That We Eat/Nauriat Niģiñaqtuat: from the Traditional Wisdom of Iñupiat Elders of Northwest Alaska by Anore Jones is a guide to Alaskan vegetation that in Inupiat have subsisted on for generations upon generations with info on how to identify them and how they were traditionally used.

Anthropology

Kuuvangmiut Subsistence: Traditional Eskimo Life in the Latter Twentieth Century by Douglas B. Anderson et al details traditional lifestyles and subsistance customs of the Kobuk River Inupiat

Life at the Swift Water Place: Northwest Alaska at the Threshold of European Contact by Douglas D. Anderson and Wanni W. Anderson: a multidisciplinary study of a specific Kobuk River group, the Amilgaqtau Yaagmiut, at the very beginning of European and Asian trade.

Upside Down: Seasons Among the Nunamiut by Margaret B. Blackman is a collection of essays reflecting on almost 20 years of anthropological fieldwork focused on the Nunamiut of Anuktuvuk Pass: the traditional culture and the adaption to new technology.

Nonfiction

Firecracker Boys: H-Bombs, Inupiat Eskimos, and the Roots of the Environmental Movement by Dan O'Neill is about Project Chariot. In an attempt to find peaceful uses of wartime technology, Edward Teller planned to drop six nukes on the Inupiaq village of Point Hope, officially to build a harbor but it can't be ignored that the US government wanted to know the effects radiation had on humans and animals. The scope is wider than the Inupiat people involved and their resistance to the project, but as it is no small part of this lesser discussed moment of history, it only feels right to include this

Fifty Miles From Tomorrow: a Memoir of Alaska and the Real People by William L. Iģģiaģruk Hensley is an autobiography following the author's tradition upbringing, pursuit of an education, and his part in the Alaska Native Settlement Claims Act, where he and other Alaska Native activists had to teach themselves United States Law to best lobby the government for land and financial compensation as reparations for colonization.

Sadie Bower Neakok: An Iñupiaq Woman by Margaret B. Blackman is a biography of the titular Sadie Bower Neakok, a beloved public figure of Utqiagvik, former Barrow. Neakok grew up one of ten children of an Inupiaq woman named Asianggataq, and the first white settler to live in Utqiagvik/Barrow, Charles Bower. She used the out-of-state college education she received to aid her community as a teacher, a wellfare worker, and advocate who won the right for Native languages to be used in court when defendants couldn't speak English, and more.

Folktales and Oral Histories

Folktales of the Riverine and Costal Iñupiat/Unipchallu Uqaqtuallu Kuungmiuñļu Taģiuģmiuñļu edited by Wanni W. Anderson and Ruth Tatqaviñ Sampson, transcribed by Angeline Ipiiļik Newlin and translated by Michael Qakiq Atorak is a collection of eleven Inupiaq folktales in English and the original Inupiaq.

The Dall Sheep Dinner Guest: Iñupiaq Narratives of Northwest Alaska by Wanni W. Anderson is a collection of Kobuk River Inupiaq folktales and oral histories collected from Inupiat storytellers and accompanied by Anderson's own essays explaining cultural context. Unlike the other two collections of traditional stories mentioned on this list, this one is only written in English.

Ugiuvangmiut Quliapyuit/King Island Tales: Eskimo Historu and Legends from Bering Strait compiled and edited by Lawrence D. Kaplan, collected by Gertrude Analoak, Margaret Seeganna, and Mary Alexander, and translated and transcribed by Gertrude Analoak and Margaret Seeganna is another collection of folktales and oral history. Focusing on the Ugiuvangmiut, this one also contains introductions to provide cultural context and stories written in both english and the original Inupiaq.

The Winter Walk by Loretta Outwater Cox is an oral history about a pregnant widow journeying home with her two children having to survive the harsh winter the entire way. This is often recommended with a similar book detailing Athabascan survival called Two Old Women.

Dictionaries and Language Books

Iñupiat Eskimo Dictionary by Donald H. Webster and Wilfred Zibell, with illustrations by Thelma A. Webster, is an older Inupiaq to English dictionary. It predates the standardization of Inupiaq spelling, uses some outdated and even offensive language that was considered correct at the time of its publication, and the free pdf provided by UAF seems to be missing some pages. In spite of this it is still a useful resource. The words are organized by subject matter rather than alphabetically, each entry indicating if it's specific to any one dialect, and the illustrations are quite charming.

Let's Learn Eskimo by Donald H. Webster with illustrations by Thelma A. Webster makes a great companion to the Iñupiat Eskimo Dictionary, going over grammar and sentence structure rather than translations. The tables of pronouns are especially helpful in my opinion.

Ilisaqativut.org also has some helpful tools and materials and recommendations for learning the Inupiat language with links to buy physical books, download free pdfs, and look through searchable online versions

[makilight]

♥️🥀MICKY JACKSON🥀♥️

Name: Micky Jackson

nickname(s): “mick” “M” “auntie” (only by Abby)

“Ariel” (By Woods)

Height: 5.10 (she’s so tiny like her aunt)

Age: 29

Pronouns: She/her

Date of birth: 09/25/1992

Nationality: 🇺🇸🇲🇽

Languages: English🇺🇸 Spanish🇲🇽 (native), Japanese🇯🇵 (learning)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Body reference:

(NSFW!)

Family:

Ariana Jackson (mother - 🇺🇸) *missing*

 Diego Àngel (Father - 🇲🇽) *deceased*

Farid - (boyfriend -)

*alive*)

Aleksandra Clarke R. - (adoptive mother) @alypink ‘s OC

member of SEAL Team Six, and the Commander of all JSOC Strike Force missions from the U.S.S. Barack Obama.

Personality:

For as long as Micky could remember, everybody loved her. she never knew exactly what it was, she just knew she has something special. Something elegant, something immature, and it gave her the confidence that she has.

Biography:

Micky was born in Fairbanks, Alaska and had a happy childhood full of love from her family. Until one day when she was 10 years old, there was a nuke accident Both parents died leaving Micky without anybody willing to take care of her.

At 11 years old Aleksandra Clarke took her in and erased her as her very own child. It made Micky feel a kind of love that she never felt before.

At about 17 years old she wanted to go into the military so she can be strong enough to protect her home town. But when frank woods told her about the Menendez incident, She desperately wanted to help David. and David made a promise to her that after they take down Menendez would help her bring her home to him back to the way it was.

At 20 years old her and Abby played a lot when she was younger. She promised David to make sure Abby is safe at all cost.

OCs canon in Micky’s timeline:

Aleks Clarke R. @alypink

Abby mason @revnah1406

Old design:

Moodboard:

Tagging: @alypink @revnah1406 @rosebarry16 @adlerboi @imagoddamnonionmason @adlersoldspice @adlers-glasses @sparklight1242 @bi-ta @scumbagg @pricescigar

[irregularincidents]

In 1957, as part of the worldwide Atoms for Peace program, the United States launched Project Ploughshare, an intiative designed to try and find a peaceful, constructive use for the ever expanding amount of nuclear warhead that America was accumulating as the Cold War pressed on.

These ideas included,

1958's Project Chariot, a proposed plan where six hydrogen bombs would be detonated near Cape Thompson in Alaska to create an artificial deep water harbour.

1963's Project Carryall, where United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) proposal to use 23 nuclear explosives to excavate a path for Interstate 40 (I-40) and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) through the Bristol Mountains of southern California.

And a 1963 memo from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory would have used 520 2-megaton nuclear explosions to excavate a canal through the Negev Desert in Israel to create a US-owned alternate route to the Suez Canal.

Obviously none of these plans ever actually made it to completion (to the annoyance of Edward Teller, the scientist who proposed Project Chariot), although the irony of partially nuking sections of Israel and Palestine in the name of peace and capitalism while thinking there would be no repercussions was apparently lost on them.

However, as a result of the testing of nuclear weapons in New Mexico under Ploughshare, as part of a 1961 experiment named Project Gnome, seeing, among other things, whether the steam created from an atomic explosion could be used to generate electricity, did have some real world side-effects, such as surrounding towns being subject to fallout and irradiated drinking water, which, naturally lead to public outcry.

Project Ploughshare was eventually discontinued in 1977, following the detonation of 35 different nuclear weapons in 27 different tests, with the Soviet Union's equivalent program, Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy, which detonated bombs in 124 tests until its end in 1989.

[sparrowsarus]

When I am World President I am going to absolutely carve up Canada and the US to be more sensibly laid out. Great Lakes region? Its own country. Hawaii? Have some self governance, lads.

There is a reason the assorted Indigenous populations had it set up the way they did, and it would behoove us if we stopped being fucking clowns. But what about Alaska, I hear you cry. How can you allow the weird janky bit? The weird janky bit will also be annexed, and through negotiation and some serious balancing of the budget, the Arctic Circle will become its own self-sustaining country.

We will also be breaking up Russia; Chechnya can be its own thing, give Ukraine back their land, and so forth.

Nobody gets any fucking nukes. Nobody.

I will be banning road salt, and fireworks. Scotland gets to be independent and we aren't allowed to go to space; you can explore the ocean instead. No one gets a superyacht unless it's a sailboat. You people can have tall ships instead.

Bank accounts in tax havens will be used as funding for ocean cleanup initiatives.

[mrsterlingeverything]

Whenever I see the US flag, I get a little nauseous. I know you’re American but I just want to apologise. I had a dream the USA collapsed and I was super excited. Again sorry. If you want to know, you guys had a second civil war and nuked yourselves but for some reason Alaska just joined Canada and they were all happy with universal healthcare.

Understandable i wish things were different but ive kinda just made my peace with it so i wouldnt explode. I wanted to leave for a while its just not really feasible. The most frustrating part about being american for me is how few americans understand the differences between this way of life and others around the world. Its just so hard to get anywhere else and see it. I think it makes it easy to control what people think is normal and acceptable, people dont know what was taken from us...

[asquirrelinspace]

I got bored an decided to give my stereotypes for all the states

Alabama - number fifty in everything is good, right? Alaska - canada but with shitty healthcare Arizona - desert but people actually live there (see new mexico) Arkansas - can't think of anything, ar-kansas California - hunted their own bear to extinction Colorado - haha weed (also skiing) Connecticut - clark. rhode island but slightly more relevant Delaware - the river is more relevant Florida - the america of america, electric boogaloo (see texas) Georgia - "no, I'm from the country not the state" (peaches) Hawaii - you're crippled with living expenses but at least it's pretty Idaho - I-da-ho lol Illinois - all of their neighbors hate them (including themselves) Indiana - i got nothin Iowa - head of the chef Kansas - only known from wizard of oz Kentucky - fried Louisiana - only relevant for new orleans Maine - north Maryland - lit ass flag, crabs, DC, baltimore, or annapolis suburbs Massachusetts - only know the vowel a Michigan - cut in half, lakes are pretty in the winter Minnesota - obsessed with norway Mississippi - alabama lite, name used to count seconds Missouri - sounds like misery Montana - literally nothing. like actually there is nothing there (glacier Nebraska - 1 (one) tall building Nevada - vegas New Hampshire - aren't you just vermont? New Jersey - hates new york with all their soul New Mexico - desert and nobody lives there. cool flag tho New York - people know the city better than the state North Carolina - air force almost nuked it 'accidentally' North Dakota - they all moved to minnesota Ohio - higher population than 80% of states, still known as empty Oklahoma - pan handle (don't look up why) Oregon - cannibalism Pennsylvania - two cities and a lot of rednecks Rhode Island - might be cool if it was actually an island South Carolina - georgia but north, started civil war South Dakota - i saw some cool art and got addicted to the style Tennessee - "you're the only ten I see," north carolina extended Texas - america of america. only republican state that makes money Utah - mormons Vermont - aren't you just new hampshire? Virginia - used to own west virginia, kentucky. skill issue Washington - rain West Virginia - shithole Wisconsin - "I swear I'm totally different from minnesota" Wyoming - yellowstone is cool

[survive-object-poll-island]

I’m doing to much research on this

!!warning!!

Long ask ahead!

(Also quick note to the creator, I’m genuinely sorry I’m digging deeper into this then you ever thought someone would. I’m a highschool student and don’t have much to do this summer and I was really interested in this. You’re story is amazing, and I hope you’re doing well!)

I did more research and I found the timeframe of when parking meters came to Cuba, I couldn’t find Dominican Republic. 1950s. Latest year was 1962, making you closer to 60-70.

If you can remember (at all), do you not know about any of these events?

Korean War (Cold War between communist and non communist Korea) - 1950-1953

First hydrogen bomb is detonated (eniwetok) - 1952

Racial segregation is declared unconstitutional - 1954

First American satellite - 1958

Alaska becoming a US state -1959

‘Bay of pigs’ Cuban invasion fails (basically a US regime with Cuban exiles to overthrow the communist gov there) - 1961

US Naval blockade of Cuba due to missile storage - 1962

That’s events from the general timeline of existence (probably), here’s some after that range in case

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon - 1969

26th amendment - 1971

(If any of this is the wrong info I’m genuinely sorry, I went off of a timeline and hoped it was right.)

Even then, parking meters boomed in the 1980s, so you could’ve been made then. However, due to the Nukes. I’m assuming you were made earlier due to war-time efforts, however this can’t be right due to ww2 happening between 1939 - 1945.

ASSUMING you were made in 1950-1962, you would’ve been made during the Cuban revolution. Not many minerals would’ve been available due to more important things at the time (not that you aren’t important we <3 you hosty!!!!). This means you are more likely from the Dominican Republic, as no major events happened there until the US broke off with them in 1960, meaning you were more likely made in the 50s.

Tl;dr: Cuba gained parking meters in the 1950s to early 60s. Many events happened in that time, if you could tell us which events you do and don’t remember (if you can) that would be great. You were probably made post ww2, maybe by Cuba but more likely by the Dominican Republic as they would’ve had more materials at Cuba at that time and the general biggest event that happened to them in 1950s to early 60s was US breaking off.

You were probably made in the 50s, making you at least 73.

If any info is wrong please let me know.

The horrors await (doing all this in 30 minutes) but I remain silly (I’m gonna go take a bath).

These are a lot of INCREDIBLE fast facts from a dearly beloved anti-science cohost!!

I have POOR MEMORY on account of EXISTING FOR A VERY LONG TIME and having RADIATION, but I think that I might be able to help.

The two things I know for sure is that I was PROBABLY stationed in the US. I ate US currency, after all!

Additionally, I remember WWII.

I hope this helps!!!!!!!

[zmediaoutlet]

My weird uninteresting super power is throwing parties nobody comes to. Birthday parties, Christmas parties, doesn’t seem to matter. They’ve been nuked by everything from local sports events to Omicron to just a sunny summer Saturday (a big deal when you live in Juneau, where it’s rainy/cloudy 300 days of the year). Maybe there’s some trick to it I haven’t figured out (God knows social cues aren’t my strength) but it’s happened enough times in my life that i’m past feeling sorry for myself about it, now it’s just funny.

I did get reflexive oh nooooo from a party I remember as a little kid -- inviting 20 and getting 1 person to show is miserable :/ -- but as long as you've moved to the funny stage I guess it's okay, lol. Cursed by the party-planning gods! Perhaps you need to make an offering to Bacchus...

(The Alaska detail is pretty funny, though. 'We would've come to your party but it was frankly too nice out' is a wild excuse.)

[bookclub4m]

Episode 192 - Non-Fiction Graphic Novels & Comics

This episode we’re discussing the format of Non-Fiction Graphic Novels & Comics! We talk about what we even mean when we say “non-fiction,” comics vs. graphic novels, art vs. writing, memoirs vs. other stuff, and more. Plus: It’s been over 365 days since our last gorilla attack!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Join our Discord Server!

Things We Read (or tried to…)

Moi aussi je voulais l'emporter by Julie Delporte

This Woman's Work by Julie Delporte, translated by Helge Dascher and Aleshia Jensen

Sông by Hài-Anh and Pauline Guitton

Kimiko Does Cancer by Kimiko Tobimatsu and Keet Geniza

Why I Adopted by Husband by Yuta Yagi

The Art and Life of Hilma af Klint by Ylva Hillström, translated by Karin Eklund

Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood by Lucy Knisley

Nuking Alaska: Notes of an Atomic Fugitive by Peter Dunlap-Shohl

My Brain is Different: Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders by Monzusu, translated by Ben Trethewey

The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-by-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone by Joseph Tychonievich and Liz Kozik

Other Media We Mentioned

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Fun Home (musical) (Wikipedia)

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, translated by Mattias Ripa

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel

Displacement by Lucy Knisley

Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned and Judd Winick

Melody: Story of a Nude Dancer by Sylvie Rancourt, translated by Helge Dascher

Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley

The Mental Load by Emma

The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel

What Is Obscenity?: The Story of a Good for Nothing Artist and Her Pussy by Rokudenashiko

Homestar Runner

Button Pusher by Tyler Page

Last of the Sandwalkers by Jay Hosler

Clan Apis by Jay Hosler

Ping-pong by Zviane

Dumb: Living Without a Voice by Georgia Webber

When David Lost His Voice by Judith Vanistendael

Blankets by Craig Thompson

Smile by Raina Telegmeier

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Sensible Footwear: A Girl's Guide by Kate Charlesworth

Links, Articles, and Things

Harvey Pekar (Wikipedia)

Joe Sacco (Wikipedia)

Japanese adult adoption (Wikipedia)

In the name of the queer: Sailor Moon's LGBTQ legacy

The Spectre of Orientalism in Craig Thompson’s Habibi

Cultural Appropriation in Craig Thompson’s Graphic Novel Habibi

35 Non-fiction Graphic Novels by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

This Place: 150 Years Retold

Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir by Ai Weiwei with Elettra Stamboulis & Gianluca Costantini

Nat Turner by Kyle Baker

The Talk by Darrin Bell

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

I’m a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De la Cruz

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American by Laura Gao

Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America by Joel Christian Gill and Ibram X. Kendi

Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall and Hugo Martinez

The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book by Gord Hill

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob

The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Man, and the Perfect Breakfast Burrito: a Graphic Memoir by Shing Yin Khor

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada, and Ko Hyung-Ju

In Limbo by Deb J.J. Lee

This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America by Navied Mahdavian

Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martín

Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer

Steady Rollin': Preacher Kid, Black Punk and Pedaling Papa by Fred Noland

Citizen 13660 by Mine Okubo

Your Black Friend and Other Strangers by Ben Passmore

Kwändǖr by Cole Pauls

Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey by Edel Rodriguez

Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine by Mohammad Sabaaneh

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

Grandmothers, Our Grandmothers: Remembering the "Comfort Women" of World War II by Han Seong-Won

Death Threat by Vivek Shraya and Ness Lee

Palimpsest: Documents From A Korean Adoption by Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom

Big Black: Stand at Attica by Frank "Big Black" Smith, Jared Reinmuth, and Améziane

Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Dawud Anyabwile, and Derrick Barnes

The High Desert by James Spooner

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker

Feelings by Manjit Thapp

The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson

Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly and Braham Revel

Bonus list: 21 Non-Fiction Manga

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Join our Discord Server!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

[i-am-the-doctor]

RED TIDES A ROLLIN PROLOGUE! //TW: Violence, Wartime, Nukes (Feel free to add more TWs, i suck at writing TWs

    When Russian Miners came upon a lot of stones in the old rickety mines of Siberia, they did not know what to think. They held the white stones in their gloved hands, and noticed a faint glow emitting from their core, as if a cluster of fireflies were stuck within. After showing their higher ups their discoveries, They sent these seemingly useless stones to the Kremlin, where scientists studied the stones' properties, until one day on May 7, 2005, these scientists would make the discovery of the century, and possibly the millennia.

As it turns out, these stones had potent chemicals throughout their structure that, when burned, could be used as a source of power, potentially replacing coal due to how slow it burned, and how no toxic fumes were produced as they burned, and they also had a value to them that rivaled silver, gold, even platnium. After their vigorous testing, they named these stones Korsakovium-348, after the then-President, Alexander K. Korsakov. However, they would be given a shorter nickname that could roll off of the tongue more easily-- "Korsa".

As a result of Korsa's Discovery, many more mines were opened in Russia, and many other countries followed suit, finding more and more Korsa as time passed. Many cities across the world made the switch from Coal and other power sources to this powerful stone. Everything was well until 2 weeks later on May 21st, when the United States discovered an island between Russia and Alaska that belonged to no nation and no tribe, which after 5 days of mining, they came upon the biggest lot of Korsa to date. Unfortunately, this discovery would start a long conflict between Russia and the United States, as Russia claimed the island belonged to them because they had discovered Korsa first, while America insisted that it was theirs because of how close the land was to Alaska. As a result, the U.S President at the time, Gerald P. Gomez, eliminated power bills and gave big Korsa rocks to cities and towns, which helped garner support from his followers while losing support from power companies, while Korsakov used the rocks he had to upgrade the tanks and other machienery, which Gomez did immediately after. this tennis match of display of power would go on for 3 years, until that fateful summer day, when Korsakov had finally had enough.

On August 12th, 2008, Korsakov would invite Gomez to Moscow to discuss a deal in which they would divide the korsa on the island amongst themselves, one half for Russia, the other half for the United States. Gomez agreed to the deal and signed it in front of national television, believing that the bickering amongst themselves was finally over.

It was a fake document. No legitimate deal was made. it was a ploy to lure the rabbit Gomez from his safe little enclosure in Washington, D.C., and out into Korsakov's den in Moscow.

After Gomez signed the "deal", he and Korsakov sat in the Russian President's office to share a drink of liquor, only for Gomez' glass to be laced with finely ground hemlock. 3 days later, on August 15th, 2008, Gomez would arrange a speech in front of millions of supporters and officials to celebrate the agreement, when during the middle of the speech, Gomez would drop to the floor unconscious, leaving attendees to faint and scream for their President while secret service and guards rushed him to the nearby hospital. Unfortunately, neither the doctors nor the surgeons could save him, and Gerald Gomez would be pronounced dead at 4:35 PM. The cause of death? Assassination by poisoning. all flags throughout the country would be lowered to half-mast, and Gomez's Vice President, Christopher J. Morales, would be sworn in that very night. After the Oath of Office was taken, the first action Morales would take as President was declare war on Russia during an address to the nation, a war that would last decades.

But with this war, came scientific discoveries. newly invented chemicals, soundwave manipulation, wonder-pills that could replace meals, all of these brilliant findings were discovered within the labs scattered about the U.S in places like Dallas, Jackson, Raleigh, D.C, Halifax, but one lab hosted one project that could help the Military tremendously, and that was the Lab in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Project was codenamed Project Prometheus, lead by America's leading man in Robotics and Cybernetics, Fredrick Dell Johanneson. This project sought to upgrade soldiers with cybernetic arms, legs, eyes, whatever needed to be replaced in order to make them better after America's horrific defeat in the Battle of Baja in 2024, also known more accurately as the Slaughter of Baja, as more then 2,000 American Soldiers, 1,245 Civillians, and 986 Japanese Soldiers, whom were allied with America after a deal that they would support them, were brutally slaughtered by Russian soldiers, led by a man named General Ivan Sergei Malankov, known more commonly to civillians as the Russian Devil.

Project Prometheus would prove to be a success, as Americans would win the battle of Siberia by a landslide after these cybernetic upgrades were instated, helping the men both on and off of the battlefield. for the first time since the beginning of the war, things finally seemed to be looking up for the Americans as they won more and more operations to come, but what they did not know was that Russia was cooking up something within their own labs that would help them take out the rest of the soldiers and would-be's..

Spikers.

Spikers, named after the lead researcher Boris "Spike" Ivanov, were a horrific amalgamation of Jackal, Bear, and Mantis DNA, with fur as black as pitch or an oil slick, long pointy ears, piercing white eyes that glowed dimly along the treelines, pointed blood-stained teeth that could split an entire pig in half with one snap of its jaws, and claws as sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, spliced and bred for one purpose and one purpose only: To maim, maul, Mutilate, and k1ll Americans and her allies, and on December 31th, 2031, these creatures would do just that.

They teared apart soldier and civillian alike where ever they were released, from the sandy beaches in California, the dry deserts in Arizona, the swampy wetlands in Louisiana, the snowy terrain of Wisconsin, to the snow-blanketed Washington D.C. No man, woman, or child was spared from the wrath and havoc that these horrors caused unless they hid and made not a sound. the Capital was hit the most by them, however, as they charged headfirst into the White House to eat its inhabitants. The Russians, seeing the carnage, were satisfied and confident that they had won the war, and that the island's precious resources were theirs for the taking. But no one would win, as in the moments before President Edward Wookfork and the First Lady Emilia Woodfork were eaten alive by the beasts, Edward would press the button that would launch the nukes towards Moscow and the other cities. Korsakov would attempt to retaliate, but to no avail, as the silos were inactive due to neglect. all that Korsakov could do now was to rush to his Fallout shelter and wait it out. 

The blast would destroy everything in its path. Windows were broken, buildings that could not withstand the nuclear fire were swept away along with their foundations or atleast broken in half, and anyone caught outside were either vaporized or burned, at the very least, poisoned by the radiation.

Two days would pass, and Korsakov would emerge from his shelter wearing a heavy radiation suit, making way to the town of Zelenograd to see if anyone had survived. When he finally arrived, he found that there were indeed people living there. He took the helmet from his suit off, expecting to be greeted with open arms by the survivors, but instead, he was grabbed by the strongest men, stripped of his radiation suit, and tied to two streetlamps, one wrist tied to each pole. the survivors screamed in pain and agony and rage at the man while children, with arms, legs, and even eyes covered in bloodied bandages walked up to the man, asking "Why?". Korsakov did not have an answer for these poor souls, and remained silent. the teens and younger adults, however, threw rocks at Korsakov, and kicked, punched, slapped, scratched, and beat whatever part of him they could hurt, while taking pocket knifes and tearing Korsakov's lavish deep blue suit apart for bandages for them and their young. after 7 hours, he would succumb to his injuries, and on January 2st, 2032, Alexander Korsakov would pass away, still tied to those streetlamps as a warning.

Two once powerful nations died as quickly as 2032 was born, and the world was forever changed. it would take 7 years for America to get back up and wipe the gravel from its face, but by then, no one was interested in becoming the united states once more, and instead, cities and communities governed themselves. in the end, all that the survivors wanted was a sense of normalcy, to have children, a stable job, food on the table. Fredrick Johanneson and the rest of the scientists were no stranger for this longing. In fact, after the war, he settled down in the town of New Arabi, Louisiana to take care of his 8 year old adopted daughter Olivia and to rest in retirement. For the first time since the spiker invasion, life seemed to finally be looking up for the man.

...at least, thats what he thought.

[mr-democracy-manifest]

As a Fallout fan I agree that it doesn't matter who fired the first nuke. There is no moral high ground in the end of the world.

But it was 100% china.

The PRC had been pushed out of Alaska, and U.S forces were carving through the mainland with no signs of stopping. They were losing the war with their backs against the wall and took the only option they had left. To bring the U.S down with them. It's the only option that makes any sense.