The Beat is a proud sponsor of Comix Experience’s Graphic Novel of the Month Clubs, which bring comics fans a curated mix of the best of new release graphic novels and conversations with the creators who make them. Each month, the staff of Comix Experience votes on two sets of upcoming books they are most excited—one gets presented to adults and another to middle readers. Each club provides schwag like original signed custom bookplates for adults or buttons and magnets for the kids.
Most excitingly, the Graphic Novel Clubs bring in the creators of selected books to talk exclusively to GNC members in interviews conducted by Comix Experience owner Brian Hibbs, who brings thirty years of experience in comics to the table. These talks are livestreamed to members all over the country and are a fun and informative mix of conversation on craft and form, as well as on the business of making comics. The Graphic Novel Clubs make a point of being inclusive, inviting creators from a wide variety of age, race, sex, and cultural perspectives to speak to members.
Membership is what propels these conversations, so if you like what you see, please support these discussions of comics, and the creators who make them, by joining the club.
This Week: Though perhaps most widely known as a production designer and producer of the hit Netflix show BoJack Horseman, Lisa Hanawalt’s first love is comics. A former member of the Pizza Island studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Hanawalt worked alongside cartoonists including Kate Beaton and Meredith Gran. Her comics collections, such as My Dirty, Dumb Eyes and Hot Dog Taste Test, often strike a surreal and absurdly humorous tone.
Her latest comic, Coyote Doggirl, published by Drawn & Quarterly, continues that surreal trend. The titular character, a chimeric coyote/dog hybrid, finds herself wandering through the vast landscape of the Wild West with a pack of outlaws at her heels and new misadventures waiting around every corner. Recently named as one of the best comics of the year by The Beat’s contributors, we are proud to bring you this conversation between Brian Hibbs and Hanawalt, conducted around the time of release of the book.
