This full-color graphic novel is an adaptation of the Greek myth of the hero half-god Perseus. A king demands that Perseus retrieve Medusa’s head. Thus the first trial of this hero begins. The goddess Athena helps him along the way. The graphic novel details his assistance from the nymphs and Hermes, Perseus’ trickery with the Gray Witches to gain Medusa’s address, and his ultimate fight with Medusa. His trip home fulfills a destiny that had been decreed before his birth—his grandfather dying by Perseus’ own hand.
As one of the four hero myth tales being retold by Stone Arch’s Graphic Revolve series, this adaptation succeeds fairly well. The story does not feel shortened drastically at any given point. The pacing flows nicely from one part of the adventure to the next. As with the others in the series, the text is written at a third grade level encouraging a wider audience for this title. The artwork has many memorable panels; in particular, Medusa’s stone garden was both horrific and wonderfully detailed. The character designs would be at home in a role playing fantasy video game. Upper elementary and junior high readers who enjoy mythology or the recent Percy Jackson and the Olympians series will eagerly grab this graphic novel.
—VOYA
June 10th, 2010 | Category: Graphic Novels, Retellings | Leave a comment
Recently had the script for my Carly’s Angles parody approved by the editor. It’s now off to the illustrator. Hopefully I’ll have illustrations to post soon.
Working Title: Swamp Sting
Summary: There’s been a rash of bee stings on the school playground, and Tina, Keely, and Gillian are out to scoop the story for The Elementary Angle. But has their search for the cause progresses, the mystery thickens. They discover that someone’s been dumping toxic goo in the pond next to the schoolyard, and it’s causing to bees to grow one-hundred times larger than normal.
June 2nd, 2010 | Category: Carly's Angels, Fiction, Graphic Novels | Leave a comment
My last event of the school year was in Rochester, MN, where I have been presenting for the past ten years.
The first couple of times I attended this conference my session was titled “Let’s Play Poetry” in which I likened working on your poetic abilities to practicing sports. To get better at sports, you do training exercises geared toward the skills you want to improve at. You can also do writing exercises to help increase your writing abilities.
Since writing my first graphic novel, Matthew Henson: Arctic Adventurer, I’ve been presenting on graphic novels. This go around, I had a surprise addition to my session.
I was assigned to the school’s Equine Science classroom, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use the big, black horse in my presentation. Above its head I placed a though bubble, “Can we horse around?”. And I’d reference the thought bubble has we discussed the parts of a graphic novel script.
May 21st, 2010 | Category: Events | Leave a comment
Just go back from presenting at the Young Author’s Conference in Winona, MN. It was my first time at this event and only my second time in Winona.
I have never signed so many autographs: books, notebooks, book bags, and t-shirts, at a conference or book signing before. It was nice that students were allotted time at the end of each day, before having to get their buses back to school, to go talk to the presenters and ask for autographs.
Signing Eek and Ack books for a fan
May 15th, 2010 | Category: Events | Leave a comment
The first draft of my graphic novel script parodying Charlie’s Angels is now complete. Let me introduce you to the cast.
- Originally born in Ishikawa, Japan, Tina Sakka moved to Spokane, Washington when she was two. She has kept a journal since moving, and while the early pages are mostly scribbles of noodles and worms, the diary is now 4,000 pages long and fills up half her closet., which is the reason why today she uses a digital notepad to keep her notes.
- Raised in Spokane, Washington, Gillian Faucet holds the state record for saying all the presidents’ names (first, last, and middle) in under a minute. Not only can she talk fast, she has the gift of persuasion. Gillian once convinced her parents to buy her a cell phone by asking them “Why can’t I have one?” continuously for three weeks straight.
- Keely Rubio was born in Juárez, Mexico. She moved to Spokane, Washington, shortly after her tae kwon do instructor mysteriously broke both his thumbs. Some say he mistakenly called “Kelly” instead of Keely. Since moving, Kelly, I mean Keely, has taken up a love of photography and supposedly packed in her black belt.
- A native Spokane, Washington, resident, some think Clarissa Frosty never got over her loss at the state spelling bee, accidentally spelling mackerel M-A-C-K-E-R-A-L. Since then, she’s taken over as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Elementary Angle. Clarissa has also taken budding journalist Tina, Gillian, and Keely under her wing, and disguised as the cool, mysterious Carly, she secretly gives them scoops on stories.
This is all preliminary, but hopefully my editor will like where things are going so far.
May 8th, 2010 | Category: Carly's Angels, Fiction, Graphic Novels | Leave a comment
I’m this week’s featured author on the Reading Minnesota Blog.
There’s a preview to my upcoming releases, and check out that hat! It’s from a picture taken in the Amana Colonies in Iowa. My dad, little brother, and I were having fun trying on the odd assortment of hats one of the gift shops had for sale.
May 1st, 2010 | Category: Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
Don’t forget to stop by your local Comic Book Store (that’s the Source Comics and Games for me) to get some free reads and celebrate <a href=”http://www.freecomicbookday.com”>Free Comic Book Day</a> this Saturday, May 1st. A couple gems you will find this year include the Mouse Guard/Fragile Rock flip book and Dreamworks’ Shrek & the Penguins of Madagascar offering. There’s also a new Owly story and The Tick comic.
April 26th, 2010 | Category: Events | Leave a comment
Recently I bought a house, and while there are many things with this big purchase to be excited about from my new compost bin (built specially for me by my dad), a backyard for my dog Zuki, an herb garden, a rain barrel, etc . . . the one thing that has me energized is a 7′ by 8′ room on the second floor, with a lone window overlooking the street in front of my house.
This room is big enough for my drawing table and a comfy chair, a bookshelf and a lots of ideas. I’ll also cover the walls with artwork from my books and by friends. The room is being dubbed “The Creative Room”, though I’m sure I’ll think of a more intriguing name once I start using the room. It will be my creative space area, where I grind away at my art. And I believe all artists should have a designate spot, a comfy and inspirational nook, to call their own.
Once I have the room set up, I will post pictures.
April 15th, 2010 | Category: Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
That’s me! Check it out. Probably an apt choice since I am a poet, and it’s National Poetry Month. Just don’t laugh about the hat — it’s the only one I could find in their prop room that fit my enormous noggin. Not sure if I was trying to do a comical shot or a serious, author-like one. Think the picture of me landed somewhere in between, like I was channeling the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies.
Still, a cool mention, and there’s even a link to some of my books published through Stone Arch.
April 6th, 2010 | Category: Miscellaneous, Poetry | Leave a comment
April is National Poetry Month, and since I’ve had this fascination with crows lately, I’d like to share a couple poems in one of my favorite forms, the cinquain.
Crows
Thick-billed.
Mocking songbirds.
Lumps of coal perched in trees.
Black brushstrokes on the horizon.
Corvids.
(Corvid is the the family of birds that includes crows, ravens, and jays.)
Even the Crows Know How to Recycle
Flying
off with candy
wrappers and pop can tabs
tucked in their beaks to build nest for
their young.
April 1st, 2010 | Category: Poetry | Leave a comment
