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Graphic Novels for Girls (ages 18 and above)

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Graphic novels girls will want to read!

Looking for graphic novels for girls? Your search ends here! I know how it is to feel alienated by graphic novels written for a male-dominated market so I made a list of graphic novels for female readers, all of which I've personally read and enjoyed and in my opinon will easily convert any girl into an instant comic book fan.

Please take note that most of the books I mentioned deal with relationship-centric topics and adult issues. Recommended for girls from ages 18 and above.

Featured illustration is a detail from Adrian Tomine's November 2004 cover for The New Yorker.

A question for the ladies: Do you read graphic novels?

Let's see a show of hands.

Since the majority of comic books and graphic novels are geared towards a male audience, I'd like to know how many of you ladies read (or have read) graphic novels. (Archie comics don't count!)

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A girl's guide to graphic novels

Feautring a list of my favorite female-friendly graphic novels.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

An eye-opening and inspiring life story. Not to be missed, please.

Wise, often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, Persepolis tells the story of Marjane Satrapi's life in Tehran from the ages of six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. In its depiction of the universal trials of adolescent life and growing into adulthood - here compounded by being an outsider both abroad and at home, and by living in a state where you have no right to show your hair, wear make-up, run in public, date, or question authority - it's raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating.

The Complete Persepolis

by: Marjane Satrapi

Amazon Price: $9.85 (as of 02/14/2012)

Trailer of Persepolis, the animated film

The comic book in motion.

Persepolis was adapted into an animated film of the same name which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2007 and shared a Special Jury Prize with Silent Light (Luz Silenciosa) by Carlos Reygadas. Co-written and co-directed by Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, the French-language picture stars the voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, and Simon Abkarian. The English version, starring the voices of Gena Rowlands, Sean Penn, and Iggy Pop, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in January 2008.

PERSEPOLIS trailer: by SonyPicturesClassics | video info

1,264 ratings | 703,074 views

curated content from YouTube

Other notable works by Marjane Satrapi

Gemma Bovery by Posy Simmonds

A tragicomic story that draws many parallels to Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary, told with wit, humor, and a lot of pretty pictures.

Gemma is the bored, pretty second wife of Charlie Bovery, the reluctant stepmother of his children and the bete-noire of his ex-wife. A sudden windfall takes them across the Channel to France. Is it a coincidence that Gemma has a name like Flaubert's notorious heroine, that she is bored and adulterous? Is she inevitably doomed? Gemma Bovery is a graphic novel written by Posy Simmonds. Originally published as a serial in The Guardian, it was published in book form in 1999.

Gemma Bovery

by: Posy Simmonds

Amazon Price: $35.07 (as of 02/14/2012)

Blankets by Craig Thompson

A touching, sincere and honest coming-of-age story about the loss of innocence, falling in love, and the discovery of faith.

An autobiographical graphic novel by Craig Thompson, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith. A profound and utterly beautiful work from Craig Thompson. Time magazine named Blankets as one of the Top Ten Graphic Novels of All Time.

Blankets

by: Craig Thompson

Amazon Price: $15.00 (as of 02/14/2012)

Goodbye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson

A heartbreakingly sweet and beautiful tale about leaving a perfect world you've come to known in exchange for the uncertainty of life somewhere else.

Good-bye, Chunky Rice tells the story of Chunky Rice, a small turtle who has to come to terms with life after his mouse best friend Dandel leaves her familiar surroundings, him included, to enter the next phase of her life. Other side characters in the novel also experience similar losses of friendship through tragedy or their own choice. As his debut picture novella, Good-bye, Chunky Rice helped win Craig Thompson the 2000 Harvey Award for Best New Talent.

Good-bye, Chunky Rice

by: Craig Thompson

Amazon Price: $7.32 (as of 02/14/2012)

Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson

An in-depth personal look into the lives of a group of friends, lovers and room mates - it feels so real you might just be able to recognize yourself or someone you know.

Box Office Poison details the life and trials of a group of young people in New York City. Alex Robinson's completely natural and inspiring knack for dialogue has made his story of dreary jobs, comic books, love, sex, messy apartments, girlfriends (and the lack thereof), undisclosed pasts, and crusty old professionals one of the most delightful and whimsical graphic novels to hit the stands in years. The 608 page volume of the series was nominated for the Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2002, and an Eisner Award, Ignatz Award and a Firecracker Award in 2001 and 2002. The French version of Box Office Poison, called De Mal En Pis, won the Prix Du Premier Album at Angouleme, France in 2005.

Box Office Poison

by: Alex Robinson

Amazon Price: $11.91 (as of 02/14/2012)

More by Alex Robinson

If you liked the sharp wit and brilliant writing of Box Office Poison, you will love these as well.

Alex Robinson (born August 8, 1969) is an award-winning American comic book writer and artist, best known for his book Box Office Poison which was nominated for 2001 Harvey, Eisners, Firecracker, and Ignatz Awards. Although the book itself didn't win, Robinson won the Eisner Award for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition. In addition, the French translation of the book (titled De Mal en Pis) won the Prix Du Premier Album award in Angouleme, France. Tricked was nominated for an Eisner Award, and won both the 2006 Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Novel and the 2006 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel. Robinson was also nominated in the Best Writer category for the Harvey Award. Too Cool to be Forgotten won the 2009 Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Album. Do yourselves a favor and read the rest of his equally absorbing works, listed below.

Breakfast After Noon by Andi Watson

A beautifully drawn touching, funny and uplifting story that focuses on the too-real ups and downs of everyday life.

Rob Grafton and Louise Bright are in love and engaged to be married. When they unexpectedly find themselves unemployed, marriage plans are derailed and they are forced to rethink the direction of their lives. While Louise turns to school, Rob maintains a stubborn desire to regain his old job, but when the company is itself shut down and hope is lost, Rob's depression not only keeps him from finding another job but ends up repelling Louise as well. Set in contemporary England, Andi Watson's Breakfast After Noon is a unique comic-book treat, choosing to focus on the twists and turns of real life rather than convoluted plots or the smoke-and-mirrors of the fantastic.

Breakfast After Noon

by: Andi Watson, Jamie S. Rich

Amazon Price: $56.00 (as of 02/14/2012)

Dumped by Andi Watson

A dramatic little romance comic about finding value in the discarded (in more ways than one) with tons of heart and absolutely no pretensions.

Dumped is a one-shot graphic novel by Andi Watson, the Eisner-nominated creator of Breakfast After Noon. A girl who collects vintage closes and a boy who loves old books attend the same party. When he catches her throwing out a box of her possessions, he discovers she is discarding a book that was one of his favorites as a child. It becomes a catalyst for them to start talking, but will true love ensue? Andi Watson brings us a poignant story about things abandoned, feelings rejected, and what we just can't leave behind. (Fans of Breakfast After Noon will be pleased to see cameos by Rob & Louise somewhere in the book.)

Dumped

by: Andi Watson

Amazon Price: $1.89 (as of 02/14/2012)

Slow News Day by Andi Watson

A pleasant little slice-of-life chick-lit-ish comic drawn in Watson's distinct artfully minimalist style.

Slow News Day revolves around Californian Katharine Washington who comes to England to work on a newspaper. Here she enters the world of office politics, the bottom line, personal and professional strife and lost hamsters. Will it be enough to lure her away from the bright lights and opportunities of home?

Slow News Day

by: Andi Watson

Amazon Price: $8.00 (as of 02/14/2012)

More graphic novels by Andi Watson

Treat yourself with some more books by this brilliant graphic novelist.

Andi Watson is a British cartoonist and illustrator best known for the graphic novels Breakfast After Noon, Slow News Day and his series Love Fights. He has been working in the comics industry for more than 15 years and his work spans a range of genres, from sci-fi, fantasy, and romantic comedy to straight drama. As you may have noticed I am a big fan of Andi Watson, his honest, non-pretentious writing and especially his beautiful, minimalist art style that manages to capture human interaction and emotion genuinely with the simplest of brush strokes. The rest of his work, listed below, are highly recommended as well.

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

A darkly realistic, sometimes awkwardly accurate look into the twilight years of every girl's teenage life.

Daniel Clowes' Ghost World follows the day-to-day lives of best friends Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Doppelmeyer, two cynical, pseudo-intellectual and intermittently witty teenage girls recently graduated from high school in the early 1990s. They spend their days wandering aimlessly around their unnamed American town, criticizing popular culture and the people they encounter while wondering what they will do for the rest of their days. As the comic progresses and Enid and Rebecca make the transition into adulthood, the two develop tensions and drift apart. A darkly comic, intermittently sombre exploration of friendship and modern life, Ghost World has become renowned for its frank treatment of adolescence. The comic's success led to a movie adaptation of the same name, released in 2001 to critical acclaim and numerous nominations, including an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay, written by Clowes.

Ghost World: The Special Edition

by: Daniel Clowes

Amazon Price: $15.90 (as of 02/14/2012)

Ghost World, the movie.

If you haven't seen the film, watch the trailer here.

Daniel Clowes' cult classic was made into a 2001 movie of the same title, directed by Terry Zwigoff (also known for his award-winning documentary about underground cartoonist Robert Crumb). Thora Birch played Enid, Scarlett Johansson played Rebecca, Steve Buscemi played Seymour (a composite character, based on elements from the comic characters of Bob Skeetes, Bearded Windbreaker), and Josh was played by Brad Renfro.

Ghost World Trailer: by donttouchmetodd | video info

805 ratings | 393,540 views

curated content from YouTube

Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware

A moving story of an everyman who goes on a retrospective journey of his life within the confines of his imagination, drawn in Chris Ware's stunningly graphic iconic style.

Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth is a widely-acclaimed graphic novel by Chris Ware published in 2000. The story revolves around Jimmy Corrigan who is provided, at age 36, the opportunity to meet his father for the first time. An improvisatory romance which gingerly deports itself between 1890's Chicago and 1980's small town Michigan, the reader is helped along by thousands of colored illustrations and diagrams, which, when read rapidly in sequence, provide a convincing illusion of life and movement. The bulk of the work is supported by fold-out instructions, an index, paper cut-outs, and a brief apology, all of which concrete to form a rich portrait of a man stunted by a paralyzing fear of being disliked.

The Adventures of Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth

by: Chris Ware

Amazon Price: $18.14 (as of 02/14/2012)

Graphic Novels for Girls (ages 18 and above)

Graphic novels girls will want to read!

A question for the ladies: Do you read graphic novels?

Let's see a show of hands.

Thanks for voting! Now invite your friends to vote.

A girl's guide to graphic novels

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

An eye-opening and inspiring life story. Not to be missed, please.

Trailer of Persepolis, the animated film

The comic book in motion.

Other notable works by Marjane Satrapi

Read more of her outstanding work.

Gemma Bovery by Posy Simmonds

A tragicomic story that draws many parallels to Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary, told with wit, humor, and a lot of pretty pictures.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

A touching, sincere and honest coming-of-age story about the loss of innocence, falling in love, and the discovery of faith.

Goodbye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson

A heartbreakingly sweet and beautiful tale about leaving a perfect world you've come to known in exchange for the uncertainty of life somewhere else.

Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson

An in-depth personal look into the lives of a group of friends, lovers and room mates - it feels so real you might just be able to recognize yourself or someone you know.

More by Alex Robinson

If you liked the sharp wit and brilliant writing of Box Office Poison, you will love these as well.

Breakfast After Noon by Andi Watson

A beautifully drawn touching, funny and uplifting story that focuses on the too-real ups and downs of everyday life.

Dumped by Andi Watson

A dramatic little romance comic about finding value in the discarded (in more ways than one) with tons of heart and absolutely no pretensions.

Slow News Day by Andi Watson

A pleasant little slice-of-life chick-lit-ish comic drawn in Watson's distinct artfully minimalist style.

More graphic novels by Andi Watson

Treat yourself with some more books by this brilliant graphic novelist.

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

A darkly realistic, sometimes awkwardly accurate look into the twilight years of every girl's teenage life.

Ghost World, the movie.

If you haven't seen the film, watch the trailer here.

Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware

A moving story of an everyman who goes on a retrospective journey of his life within the confines of his imagination, drawn in Chris Ware's stunningly graphic iconic style.

More female-friendly graphic novels to consider.

You're free to add some of your picks to this list in case you feel I've missed something.

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Graphic Novels vs. Comic Books

Is there really a difference?

Blog updates that feature graphic novels

Let's find out what people are saying about them.

How I got into graphic novels

An Archie reader's confession.

The twitter buzz on graphic novels

Let's see which graphic novel title is trending these days.

Graphic novels and comic book websites and resources

Where to find more info about the graphic novel medium.

Any more graphic novels for girls I should be aware of?

Do let me know!

Do you like this list of graphic novels for females?

Your opinion matters to me.

Hungry for more sequential art?

Enhance your graphic novel repertoire.

by arncyn

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