Did you know we have a used graphic novel section?  Here’s a list of used graphic novels we’ve put out for sale in the last few days.  Wow!

USED CITIZEN NOCTURNE
USED COMICS JOURNAL WINTER 2002 SPECIAL
USED COMICS JOURNAL WINTER 2003 SPECIAL
USED CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS TP VOL 01
USED DAREDEVIL GUARDIAN DEVIL TP
USED DRAWN & QUARTERLY VOL 2 #6
USED FABLES TP VOL 04 MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS
USED FLASH EMERGENCY STOP TP
USED FLASH THE HUMAN RACE TP
USED GODLAND TP VOL 01 HELLO COSMIC
USED GODLAND TP VOL 02 ANOTHER SUNNY DELIGHT
USED HITMAN VOLUME 2 TP 10000 TEN THOUSAND BULLETS
USED IMMORTAL IRON FIST TP VOL 03 BOOK OF IRON FIST
USED JLA JSA VIRTUE & VICE HC
USED JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA TP VOL 01 THE NEXT AGE
USED KINGDOM TP
USED LAST HERO STANDING TP
USED LIFE IN HELL: CHILDHOOD IS HELL
USED LIFE IN HELL: SCHOOL IS HELL
USED LIFE IN HELL: WORK IS HELL
USED MADMAN COMICS YEARBOOK 95 TP
USED MARQUIS TP VOL 01 INFERNO
USED NEW TEEN TITANS JUDAS CONTRACT TP
USED NEW THUNDERBOLTS TP VOL 02 MODERN MARVELS
USED NEXUS TP VOL 1
USED NEXUS TP VOL 2
USED NOIR TP VOL 01
USED ORIGINAL NEXUS
USED PALESTINE: A NATION OCCUPIED
USED PULSE TP VOL 02 SECRET WAR
USED PULSE TP VOL 03 FEAR
USED PUNISHER MAX TP VOL 05 THE SLAVERS (MR)
USED PUNISHER MAX TP VOL 06 BARRACUDA (MR)
USED PUNISHER MAX TP VOL 07 MAN OF STONE (MR)
USED PUNISHER MAX TP VOL 08 WIDOWMAKER (MR)
USED PUNISHER MAX TP VOL 10 VALLEY FORGE
USED PUNISHER PRESENTS BARRACUDA MAX TP
USED RAW VOLUME 2
USED SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE TARANTULA TP
USED SHE-HULK TP VOL 03 TIME TRIALS
USED SIN CITY BOOZE BROADS & BULLETS TP
USED SPIDER-GIRL PRESENTS THE BUZZ & DARKDEVIL DIGEST TP
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 1 DIGEST TP
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 02 LIKE FATHER LIKE DAUGHTER DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 03 AVENGING ALLIES DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 04 TURNING POINT DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 05 ENDGAME DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 06 TOO MANY SPIDERS DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 07 BETRAYED DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 08 DUTY CALLS DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 09 SECRET LIVES DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 10 SEASON OF SERPENT DIGEST
USED SPIDER-GIRL TP VOL 11 MARKED FOR DEATH DIGEST
USED SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE TP VOL 02 NEW GIRL DIGEST
USED SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE TP VOL 03 MY SECRET LIFE DIGEST
USED SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE TP VOL 04 DIGEST
USED SUPERMAN UP UP AND AWAY TP
USED TED MCKEEVER LIBRARY HC VOL 01
USED TED MCKEEVER LIBRARY HC VOL 02 EDDY CURRENT
USED TED MCKEEVER LIBRARY HC VOL 03 METROPOL
USED THE DEATH OF GROO THE WANDERER
USED THE WORLD OF MC ESCHER
USED THUNDERBOLTS PRESENTS ZEMO BORN BETTER TP
USED THUNDERBOLTS WARREN ELLIS TP VOL 02 CAGED ANGELS
USED WORLD OF EDWARD GOREY TP
USED Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 03 ONE SMALL STEP
USED Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 04 SAFEWORD
USED Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 05 RING OF TRUTH
USED Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 06 GIRL ON GIRL
USED Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 07 PAPER DOLLS
USED Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 08 KIMONO DRAGONS
USED Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 09 MOTHERLAND
USED Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES

Thanks,
Andrew Neal
Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

We’re big fans of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series here at Chapel Hill Comics, so we’re very happy to say that Scott Pilgrim volume 6 is due in the store on Tuesday, July 20!

We will have plenty of copies of the book, but if you’d like to reserve a copy, give us a call at 919-967-4439 or click here to send us an email! Give us your name, number, and how many copies of the book you’d like!

Last year, Scott Pilgrim volumes one and five were in our top ten selling books. Let’s see if we can make volume six the number-one selling book this year at Chapel Hill Comics!

Stay tuned for more news regarding the Scott Pilgrim launch!

Thanks,
Andrew Neal
Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

We are very proud to announce that Peter Kuper, one of the modern giants of comics and illustration, will be appearing at Chapel Hill Comics on Thursday, March 18, from 7pm until 8:30pm!  Check it out:

Peter Kuper Is the co-founder of the political zine World War 3 illustrated and has been drawing Spy vs Spy for Mad magazine since 1997. He has produced over twenty books including The System and an adaptaion of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. His latest book Diario de Oaxaca is a sketchbook journal of two years he spent in Oaxaca, Mexico. He has just completed illustrating a Spanish language version of Alice in Wonderland. More of his work can be found at www.peterkuper.com

We’ll have copies of Diario de Oaxaca and Spy vs Spy: The Joke and Dagger Files on hand for folks to purchase and have signed.

Peter will also be appearing earlier that evening at the Nasher Museum at Duke University (click here to learn about the event) and is appearing at Chapel Hill Comics with their cooperation!

Self Portrait by Peter Kuper

Thanks,
Andrew Neal
Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Hey there,

This is a reminder that Ben Towle will be signing his new book, Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, this Sunday from 2pm until 4pm! It’s a graphic novel aimed at young readers, which was written by Sarah Stewart Taylor and drawn by Mr. Towle.

Mr. Towle will also be giving a talk and slideshow presentation about the creation of the book.  We’ll be starting that fairly close to 2pm, so get here early for that!  He’s a great presenter, so I highly recommend the talk for kids who want to see how their new favorite comic was made, aspiring comic creators, and comic fans of all types!

We’ll have copies of Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean for sale at the event, as well as his earlier comics.  See below for information on them!

MIDNIGHT SUN

by Ben Towle

In 1928, an Italian airship expedition to the North Pole mysteriously disappears. As the stranded crew of the airship prepares for an extended stay on the drifting icepack where they’ve crashed, a dispassionate American newspaper reporter is dispatched to cover the event from aboard a Russian rescue ship.

FAREWELL GEORGIA

by Ben Towle

A raccoon-hunting monkey, Ches “Goatman” McCartney, and an aging and cantankerous Ty Cobb are only a few of the oddball characters you’ll encounter in “Farewell, Georgia,” an anthology of four authentic folk legends and tall tales from the American South.

Thanks,
Andrew Neal
Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Jellaby In the City (Jellaby v.2) - Kean Soo

The cutest monster of all time returns with his friends Portia and Jason! I love Kean Soo’s art, which is cheerful and engaging in addition to being SUPER ADORABLE. The threesome continues on their quest to return Jellaby to his mysterious home, this time exploring the streets of Toronto and meeting some rather suspicious characters. I can’t wait to see where this series ends up!

Tales From Outer Suburbia - Shaun Tan

This new book from Shaun Tan is just as awesome as The Arrival, which I’ve discussed before. Here, he showcases even more amazing artwork in a variety of styles. There’s the gorgeous pencil work from his previous books, plus pen & ink, collage, colored pencil, and paints. Tan’s
strange-but-almost-real stories keep pace with his clever, skillful art, and make this book great on the first or the fiftieth read.

Locke & Key Vol. 2 Head Games - Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Locke & Key continues to be one of my favorite current series, and the second volume is more spooky & tension-filled than the first! Here we learn more about the Locke kids and their father’s mysterious ancestral house. Strange things keep happening, there’s a new kid in town who seems eerily familiar, and the discovery of another magic key reveals
some…interesting family abilities. I really started to get attached to the characters in this story arc, and I had that
“LOOK-OUT-IT’S-RIGHT-BEHIND-YOU!” feeling from start to finish. When a horror comic can make your palms sweat & your heart pound without an ounce of gore, it’s got to be good!

Wednesday Comics - various writers & illustrators

As a Paul Pope fangirl, I expected to like the 12-week run of Wednesday Comics over the summer, but there were some pleasant surprises within its newspaper-sized pages! The new “Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth” story was even more engaging than Pope’s “Strange Adventures”. Kyle Baker’s “Hawkman” was epic and I loved the bright, sixties-style art for “Deadman” and “Green Lantern.” I just loved the whole idea and its execution. It was interesting to see how different writers & artists handled the page
size and serial format. You can pick up a full 12 issue set in the store right now, or if you–like me–aren’t sure how to store the newsprint without wrinkling it, you can wait for the upcoming hardcover collection, which I’m sure will be beautiful.

The Fart Party Volume 2 - Julia Wertz

Fart Party 2 is a little bit more serious than the first volume, but no less hilarious. There are still plenty of jokes about bikes, beer, and cheese. I’m super picky about humor, but I think this is one of the funniest series we carry in the store, plus it’s written by a lady, which is awesome!

Heavy Liquid and 100% - Paul Pope

Yes, yes I have a bit of a Paul Pope obsession, but his art is so great! Let me convince you. 2009 saw reissues of two Pope books: Heavy Liquid, a story from early in his career, and 100%, which mysteriously went out of print about 18 months after its release. Heavy Liquid is terrific because it’s much simpler work in terms of both line and color. Comparing it to post-Batman-Year-100 Pope shows just how his style has evolved over the years. It’s a great noir-ish story about a boy and a girl and a drug deal gone wrong–in The Future. Who doesn’t love The Future?

100% is a brief tale about six lives in a familiar-looking Future New York. The story and characters and imagery are filled with the energy and grit and hope of the city. That’s why Pope’s comics are great–no one else captures that movement and anticipation in every inch of ink.

Oishinbo - Tetsu Kariya

2009 is the year that Oishinbo made its way to the US, and it was worth the wait! This food-themed manga is very popular in Japan, for good reason. Each volume discusses a different element of basic Japanese cuisine. My personal favorite in the series, which makes me hungry every time I read it, is Ramen & Gyoza. The story follows a newspaper crew as they learn about the cultural history, ingredients, and preparation of traditional noodles & dumplings. Did you know that if you boil noodles at
too high a temperature, it roughens their surface and alters the flavor? Yeah, that’s how intense these books are. If you love any kind of food, you’ll love the details and the precision in Oishinbo. You may want to put your favorite Japanese restaurant on speed dial before you sit down to read, though. Just writing this review made me hungry!

Sweet Tooth - Jeff Lemire

Sweet Tooth is hands down my best new series of 2009. The setting is the post-apocalyptic United States. The apocalypse has come in the form of some kind of sickness that has killed off most of the population and produced a new generation of children with various animal mutations. The eponymous main character, for example, sports an impressive pair of antlers, as well as the almond-shaped eyes and broad nose of a deer (though to be honest, the nose may just be a trademark of Lemire’s–see Essex County). The story begins deep in the woods, where Sweet Tooth and his ailing father live in seclusion, in order to protect the boy from
sinister forces that remain in the real world. Once his father is gone, Sweet Tooth is forced out of the forest and towards… well, we’re not quite sure yet, but it’s going to be really fun finding out. Jeff Lemire is an equally talented artist & storyteller so this comic has been a joy to read and look at month after month.

I also have to endorse three of Andy’s picks on my Best of ’09 list:

Asterios Polyp - Totally worthy of the list just for the story or art alone. Both together make this a book that will definitely become a classic of the genre.

DMC - I have never before experienced the sensation of cringing uncomfortably and laughing at the same time, but I’m willing to brave it for this series. So offensive it’s hard to endorse, but so funny I can’t put it down! You’ve been warned.

20th Century Boys - Urasawa is a master of raising the hairs on the back of your neck. Without being overtly scary or gory, without any of the usual horror tropes, he manages to create the pervasive feeling that SOMETHING IS VERY, VERY WRONG HERE. I look forward to every volume!

–Erin Gumbel

Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

These are my favorite comics of 2009. While it would have been cool to get this out right at the end of the year, I wanted to make sure I’d had a chance to read everything in my stack so that I didn’t miss anything!

Are these the most critically acclaimed books of the year, or our best-selling? Some of them are, and some of them aren’t. They’re my favorites, so they may not be yours, so let us know what you think! I’ve included series which had at least one entry out in 2009, in any format. On with it: Here are my ten favorite comics of 2009, and because it was such a good year, some runners-up!

1: Asterios Polyp
by David Mazzuchelli
Hardcover, $29.95

This one deserves all the critical acclaim it has gotten. Mazzucchelli’s masterpiece is one of the few comics I’ve read which takes full advantage of all the possibilities offered by the comic medium. It’s a love story about how people affect and change each other over time, which he shows visually, with words, and with symbolism. I love this book!

2. Umbrella Academy 2: Dallas
by Gerard Way, Gabriel Ba, and Dave Stewart
Paperback, $17.95

The first volume was was great, and the second one is even better. It’s about an extremely twisted (visually and mentally) family of superheroes who come back into each others’ lives when their father figure dies. It really develops the characters who were introduced in the first one, taking them to even weirder extremes. The art and colors are gorgeous. Read it!

3. Detroit Metal City
by Kiminori Wakasugi
3 paperback volumes so far, $12.99 each

Here’s a wild card for you: Humor manga about the lead singer of a metal band who secretly yearns to be a twee pop singer. He’s funny, but the band manager is one of the funniest characters I’ve ever encountered in a comic. I would not recommend this to people who are offended by… anything, I guess. It’s dark, twisted, and funny as hell!

4. Boys Club
by Matt Furie
3 issues so far, $4.95 each

Boys Club #3 was my favorite single-issue comic of the year. It’s about drugs and poop. Don’t think drugs and poop are funny? Don’t read it. Do think drugs and poop are funny? Read it, and then read it again. You don’t have to live the lifestyle to think it’s hilarious; I’m as square as it gets, I mean, I try to avoid caffeine, and I still think it’s hilarious.

5. Incognito
by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips
Paperback, $18.99

Brubaker and Phillips are the strongest creative team in “mainstream” comics right now. I put mainstream in quotes because while this is a Marvel-published book, it’s very different from their usual fare. This is a pulp noir story which stars a supervillain in witness protection. When he starts taking recreational drugs which counteract the drugs given to him by the government to suppress his superpowers, things get very fun. If you like crime comics, check this out, then go back and read their previous collaborations, Sleeper and Criminal!

6. A Drifting Life
by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Paperback, $29.95

This is a memoir by the creator of The Push Man, Abandon the Old in Tokyo, Good Bye. It’s about his life as a young manga artist, which takes you just up to the point before the release of the comics which are now collected in The Push Man. He’s a great storyteller, which means that everything in this memoir, from the exiting stuff in his life to the day-to-day grind is very compelling. I highly recommend this to fans of grown-up memoir comics like Fun Home or Epileptic.

7. Pluto
by Naoki Urasawa
7 paperback volumes so far, $12.99 each

Naoki Urasawa’s adaptation of an old Astro Boy story is great. It’s a robot murder mystery! Do I have to say more than that? I do? Oh, okay. It’s a very compelling robot murder mystery. Different parts of the story are funny, creepy, and touching. I can’t wait for volume eight to ship; it’s the last book in the series, and I’m dying to see the end of the story.

8. Dungeon: The Early Years
by Lewis Trondheim and Christophe Blaine
2 paperback volumes so far, $12.95 each

I love all the Dungeon books (so far, we have English translations of maybe 10 or 11 Dungeon books, with more on the way). They’re kind of a cross between funny animal comics and Dungeons and Dragons. They’re somewhere in between completely serious and parodies, and the art and colors are always great. At this point, the Early Years volumes are my favorites, due to the art of Christophe Blaine, the artist of Isaac the Pirate and Gus and his Gang. The adventures of the dungeon master as a young man can be read before the other books in the series or after, but either way, they’re a lot of fun!

9. King City
by Brandon Graham
4 issues so far, $2.99 each

Brandon Graham’s art and stories are both lots of fun. There are lots of whimsical and offbeat characters in King City, but the main dude is a cat master, who is kind of a martial artist who uses a cat as his weapon. What can he do with the cat? I’ll just give one example, which should be the exact amount to tell you if you want to read these comics without spoiling too much. He uses the cat as a periscope by looking through its butt and seeing out its mouth. Also, the cat’s name is Earthling J. J. Catingsworth the Third. This comic is awesome. I even have fan mail in the second issue!

10. 20th Century Boys
by Naoki Urasawa
8 paperback volumes so far, $12.99 each

While I kind of wanted to give the number ten spot on my list to something else rather than giving another spot to Naoki Urasawa, just to highlight a wider range of reading materials, I couldn’t do it. Why? Because this series is one of my favorites too! It’s a science fiction story in which some everyday guys are trying to stop the end of the world, which is playing out exactly the same way they imagined it would when they played together as kids! Every volume seems to pull you so close to the end of the story, but then Urasawa throws in yet another twist. It’s great!

This was such a great year for comics, I couldn’t just let the list end at ten. Here are some runners-up:

Beasts of Burden
by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
4 issues out, $2.99 each ($19.99 hardcover coming soon)

Horror comics about dogs which protect the world from ghosts and monsters. Both adorable and terrifying!

Black Jack
by Osamu Tezuka
9 paperback volumes out so far, $16.95 each.

This series about the world’s best surgeon, who operates outside the law, is still going strong. Every time I start one of these volumes, I can’t stop. These are so much fun.

Scott Pilgrim
by Bryan Lee O’Malley
5 paperback volumes out so far, $11.95 each

The story of the twenty-something year old hipster dude who has to fight his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes continues, and is still lots and lots of fun!

Gogo Monster
by Taiyo Matsumoto
Hardcover, $27.99

Everything this dude does is beautiful. Gogo Monster is a surreal story about growing up, with lovely art and packaging.

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter
by Darwyn Cooke
Hardcover, $24.99

You know that a year when a perfect adaptation of a Richard Stark novel by Darwyn Cooke doesn’t make my top ten is a year that a lot of good comics came out. I still can’t get over how effortless and graceful Cooke’s art is.

Eden
by Hiroki Endo
12 paperback volumes so farm $12.95 each

A long ongoing soap opera about robots, viruses, prostitution, gang violence, and dudes getting chopped into perfect cylinders by robots in the midst of gang warfare. It’s like Akira, but a lot more violent and a lot dirtier.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service
by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki
9 paperback volumes so far, $10.95 each

I think of these as humor comics, but some other folks primarily think of them as horror. Either way, they’re great. These are lighthearted but spooky stories about a group of students at a Buddhist university who help the spirits of the dead find their final resting places.

So, what do you think of my picks? And what did you like in 2009?

Andrew Neal
Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Looking for a last minute Valentine’s Day present? Chapel Hill Comics can help you out! Come on in and we’ll hook you up with the right rgift for that special someone:

Valentine picks for lovers!

To maximize your coolness, pick up one of our signed copies of Jim Rugg’s new book Afrodisiac! He kicks butt and woos the ladies. We even have a few deluxe special edition copies which come with a fancy dust jacket and exclusive, signed and numbered print. Far out! We also have signed copies of Rugg’s other comic masterpiece, Street Angel. It’s got a holiday-appropriate pink cover, and plenty of ninja-fighting, skateboarding, girl hero action.

Does your Valentine rock? Then Scott Pilgrim 5 would make a perfect gift! Indie rock, video games, and robot battles for the hand of a beautiful lady are the major plot points of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s latest book. Plus, the book’s cover is MEGA SHINY. Everyone loves something shiny for Valentine’s Day!

Do you want to sink your teeth into a great love story? Look no further than Fables, one of our most popular ongoing series. Volumes 1-8 in particular chronicle the epic tale of Snow White and Bigby Wolf. The romance is woven in among tales of war, treachery, and intrigue. Fall in love with a new series on Valentine’s Day!

If you have a long-distance love, check out XOXO, James Jean’s amazing collection of postcard art. Jean is one of the most talented illustrators working in comics today, and his previous art collections have become pretty valuable. Don’t miss out! (We also have Jean’s latest sketchbook, PR3, as well as a large but affordable book of prints–Kindling).

Another great gift for art lovers is The Art of Romance, a collection of awesome old-school romance novel covers. The kitschy titles and extra-dramatic artwork are sure to bring a beautiful smile to your Valentine’s face.

If your idea of romance is leaping into your lover’s arms in fear, then Locke & Key is perfect for you. Volume 1 introduces you to the Locke family, their tragic past, and the creepy ancestral home that is their present. Volume 2 continues the tension & sense of impending doom–a familiar-looking stranger has moved into town and befriended the Lockes, but he seems to have sinister motives. We’re two issues in to the third series, where the Locke children begin to discover traces of their father’s past in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. This is one of the best comic series right now, so check it out!

Equally scary (and therefore a perfect excuse for some snugglin’) isThe Walking Dead series. Volume 1 is a great place to start, as main character Rick tries to navigate the zombie-plagued streets to find his wife & son. True love conquers the undead.

Gus & His Gang is a cowboy love story with universal appeal. While Gus can’t seem to catch a break with the ladies, his fellow outlaw Clem has fallen head-over-heels for a captivating red-haired photographer. Will Clem’s passionate affair get in the way of the gang’s heist plans? Will Gus ever find a girl willing to put up with his enormous nose?

How to Love is an interesting anthology with a holiday-appropriate theme. The variety of artistic styles keeps you reading, and the different interpretations of “love” are food for thought. Check this book out if your Facebook relationship status is “It’s Complicated.”

If you want to impress your date with a locally-made gift, pick up Jason Strutz’s The ABCs of Animal Love. He uses people to illustrate the courtship & mating behaviors of a variety of animals, making you wonder if we humans are missing out on something.

Of course we have plenty of Uglydolls in all shapes and sizes. Each one has its own story, and there’s bound to be one that suits your Valentine perfectly. A fuzzy soft monster is a great way to get the lovin’ started!

Valentine picks for fighters!

We have a fresh infestation of Gigantic Microbes, which make disgustingly cute throw pillows, as well as the slightly smaller but no less virulent Giant Microbes. They make perfect gifts for your anti-love, or your cute biology lab partner!

Did you miss your “Missed Connection” this year? Live vicariously through I Saw You, a compilation of illustrated “Missed Connections” from Craigslist, edited by the always-hilarious Julia Wertz. This book has all the romance, and none of the creepy dudes who smell like dirty socks! You win.

Are you totally grossed-out by love? Then Uzumaki is the perfect Valentine’s Day diversion for you. The three-volume series follows Kirie and her boyfriend Shuichi as their town is destroyed by a mysterious spiral pattern. “Wait,” you say, “that doesn’t sound gross!” Believe me, there’s no time to concentrate on love when spirals are drilling through the foreheads of Kirie’s schoolmates and tying her parents’ tongues in slobbery knots.

Also gross, and totally bizarre, is Lisa Hanawalt’s appropriately titled I Want You. Strange & icky humor in the vein of the Boys Club series, or Johnny Ryan’s work, this little book would make a perfect gift for that person you love to hate. The art is great, but the content is definitely adults-only.

If your idea of Valentine fun is moping around & listening to J. Geils Band’s “Love Stinks” on repeat, check out local artist Adam Meuse’s Sad Animals. It’s full of well-drawn, cute animals lamenting their lots in life. Commiserate or maybe laugh yourself silly with this little book.

Valentine picks for kids!

Do you love the retro stylings of Archie & his friends in Riverdale? We have the perfect Valentine gift for you! The six-issue series of Archie marrying his high school sweetheart finished up last month, so you can pick up the whole thing in the store and find out who he chooses–Betty or Veronica!

If you aim to please your Valentine, nothing could be better than the final volume in the very popular Bone series: Crown of Horns. What will happen to the Bones? Will the rat creatures finally get them in a quiche? Or will they help Thorn save the day? Will Fone Bone finally admit he has a crush on Thorn?

If you’ve already snatched up Bone vol. 9, check out our other Bone-related books: Rose; Jeff Smith: Bone and Beyond; and Bone prints signed by Jeff Smith!

The pink-and-black art of the Babymouse series is perfect for Valentine’s Day! There are 12 books about Babymouse & her adventures, including Heartbreaker, which is all about February 14th!

The samurai series Usagi Yojimbo usually focuses more on battle than love, but try Vol. 22, Tomoe’s Story, for a little bit of romance. Usagi and Tomoe have been friends & partners in battle for a long time, but this book explores some of the quieter moments in their friendship. (Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of sword fighting to be had!)

If none of these work for you, come on in and we’ll help you find something else!

Erin!
Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Yay, rings! People were so happy with the Black Lantern rings (which came free with copies of Blackest Night #1) that DC Comics has created promotional rings in all the colors of the spectrum! Awesome! Come into Chapel Hill Comics and reserve the titles and rings you want. Pick and choose, or just tell us you want them all! It works like this: each ring is tied to a comic which ties in with the Blackest Night Crossover. If you want the ring, you buy the comic. It’s that simple, and of course, it’s while supplies last.

BUY DOOM PATROL #4, GET A FREE YELLOW RING!
In store November 4!

BUY BOOSTER GOLD #26, GET A FREE ORANGE RING!
In Store November 18!

BUY JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #39, GET A FREE RED RING!
In store December 2!

BUY BLACKEST NIGHT #5, GET A FREE GREEN RING!
In store December 16!

BUY ADVENTURE COMICS #4 , GET A FREE BLUE RING!
In store December 30!

BUY R.E.B.E.L.S #10, GET A FREE INDIGO RING!
In store January 13!

BUY OUTSIDERS #24, GET A FREE VIOLET RING!
In stores January 27!

As of this writing, we still have a very small number of Black Rings which you can get by buying a copy of Blackest Night #1!

Thanks,
Andrew Neal
Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Halloween Weekend is upon us, and as we have done in the past, we’re offering free comics for anyone who shows up at the store in the costume this weekend!

It’s simple, here’s all you have to do:

1. Dress up for Halloween!

2. Wear your costume into Chapel Hill Comics on Friday, October 30, Saturday October 31 (*we will close early at 6pm*), or even Sunday, November 1 (assuming we still have free Halloween comics left; you might want to call).

3. Let us take your picture for our website!

4. Get Free Comics! These are comics printed and ordered specifically for Halloween. They include Popeye, Betty, Star Wars, Casper, and Little Lulu.

We hope to see you this weekend for free comics!  Again, we will close three hours early on Halloween (at 6pm instead of 9pm) as the town starts closing off street traffic shortly after this time.

Want to see some of the great costumes we’ve seen  at the store in the past?  Check it out:
HALLOWEEN 2008
HALLOWEEN 2007
HALLOWEEN 2006

You might also want to check out the pictures from our grand opening party last year after we moved down the street. It was a week or so ahead of Halloween, so we saw a lot of great costumes there, too:
GRAND OPENING PARTY

Thanks,
Andrew Neal
Chapel Hill Comics
316 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Chapel Hill Comics is proud to present one of the fine comics created at our third annual 24 Hour Comic Day event on October 18, 2008!

Doctor Rational and Muldoon the Mystic in… FIGHT SCENE
by Eric Knisley

Eric completed the 24 pages of his comic in under 20 hours. For those of you who are interested in the technique of a 24 Hour Cartoonist, he pencilled all the pages first, then went back and inked them. The result was impressive, to say the least! Astute readers may notice that there are only 23 image files, but that’s because pages 12 and 13 are a double page spread! Enjoy!

Thanks,
Andrew Neal
Chapel Hill Comics