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Crafts

Young Rembrandts: Power of Drawing - The Mandala

Saturday September 26, 2015: 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Grades 1–5

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Crafts

Young Rembrandts: Power of Drawing – Cartooning

Saturday September 19, 2015: 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Grades 1–5

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Blog Post

Surrealism At Its Most Hilarious!

by evelyn

OH MAN. You guys have to read this book! It’s so weird and beautiful and hilarious. I first discovered the author, Lisa Hanawalt, through her Maximum Fun podcast with comedian Emily Heller, Baby Geniuses. Since I started listening to the podcast, I’ve been trying to convince everyone else I know to listen to it too, and I am so thrilled to do the same with Hanawalt’s book!

My Dirty Dumb Eyes, by Lisa Hanawalt, is an adult graphic novel with a series of comics on strange subjects. Topics range from “What do Dogs Want??” (one answer: a tennis-ball bride) to “The Secret Lives of Chefs” (“Christina Tosi employs a child think tank to come up with recipes for Milk Bar”) to “North American Wildlife and Hats,” which features images such as an elk in a “New Jersey turnpike hat”, and a desert hare sporting a “lazy susan hat with hotdog and pancake condiments.”

The drawings in this book are just as surreal and gorgeous as you could hope for. The book is full of bright, bold colors and meticulous details. It contains very mature themes and drawings, so it is not for young folks. But all you grown ups out there, check out My Dirty Dumb Eyes now!

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Blog Post

Kids Read Comics is This Weekend!

by anned

Meet Faith Erin Hicks, Raina Telgemeier, Kean Soo, Tory Woollcott, and over 40 more of your favorite cartoonists at Kids Read Comics this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

More than just a convention, Kids Read Comics offers over 50 free workshops and demos where you can learn more about making comics from the pros. The events are happening at the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch, 826 Michigan Robot Supply & Repair Store, The Ann Arbor Art Center, and The Vault of Midnight. You can check out the full schedule of events (and download a printable PDF) here.

Friday, June 19 through Sunday, June 21, 2015 AADL is hosting the seventh annual Kids Read Comics festival, featuring 50 of your favorite cartoonists from across the continent who have come to lead free hands-on workshops and games designed to boost your creativity!

Friday, June 19

The festival starts at the University of Michigan's Duderstadt Center on North Campus with a Pre-Conference for Librarians, Educators, and Cartoonists. Register here to attend a workshop on how to make your own comics workshop, a talk on the history of comics with acclaimed comics scholar Carol Tilley, a panel discussion on comics in the classroom moderated by Colby Sharp, and a tour of the University of Michigan's Video Game Library.

Friday evening from 5:00 to 8:00 pm we'll all converge on The Vault of Midnight at 219 South Main Street for a Comics Jam Party where cartoonists, parents, and kids will be invited to contribute to a giant drawing wall facing Main Street!

Saturday, June 20

The main event kicks off at 11:00 am in the Multi-Purpose Room at AADL's Downtown Branch. Special Guests Kean Soo and Tory Woollcott will lead a presentation on making graphic novels.
Artist Alley opens at noon on the 1st floor of the Downtown Library and runs until 6:00 pm and workshops will be happening throughout the day at the Library, the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Robot Supply & Repair Store, and the Vault of Midnight!

Sunday, June 21

Artist Alley opens at 12:30 pm and runs through 6:00 pm. Get ready for another fun filled day of workshops at the Library, the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Robot Supply & Repair Store, and the Vault of Midnight!

You can check out the full events list here

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Public Event

Everyone Has A Story: National Touring Stand-Up Comedian Ziggy Klett Shares the Stories of His Life

Thursday October 1, 2015: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

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Blog Post

New Marvel Graphic Novels @ AADL

by zurenkot

For fans of comic books, graphic novels, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe this weekend is sure to delight. Avengers: Age of Ultron debuts at theaters nationwide this Friday and Saturday is Free Comic Book Day at local comic book shops across the country. Before immersing yourself in this weekend’s festivities, take a second to check out these new Marvel books at AADL -- because once Ultron is over and your free comics have been read, you’ll need something to fill the void.

Avengers & X-Men: AXIS: When the Red Skull hijacks the brain of Professor Charles Xavier he is transformed into the Red Onslaught and World War Hate begins. Personalities, allegiances, and motivations become skewed and twisted and the Marvel Universe looks like nothing you’ve seen before.

Frank Miller’s Daredevil & Daredevil Vols. 1 and 2: Within eleven days of its Netflix release, Daredevil became the company’s most-watched original series. AADL has recently added the first two volumes of Marvel NOW’s Daredevil, and a three-volume set written by Frank Miller (300, Batman: Year One, Sin City). Drop in and spend some time with the defender of Hell's Kitchen.

Silver Surfer: Marvel relaunched this title in early 2014 with writer Dan Slott (Superior Spider-man) and artist Mike Allred bringing the cosmic traveler vividly to life. Allred’s art is the main attraction here; Allred’s pop-art style fits perfectly with the characters and landscape.

Ms. Marvel Vol. 2: Keep up with Kamala Khan as she navigates being both a teen and a superhero. Super-cute, super-fun, super-Marvelous!

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Writing & Publishing

Kids Read Comics Pre-Conference

Friday June 19, 2015: 10:00am to 5:00pm
University of Michigan Duderstadt Center (2281 Bonisteel Boulevard)
Information Professionals, Educators, And Cartoonists

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Blog Post

Boredom Busters to the Rescue!

by krayla

Need something fun to do on spring break? Never fear, AADL has it covered with brand new youth nonfiction books!

Monstergami by David Mitchell gives even the most experienced origami artists a new challenge! Make the Fangster, a fierce dragon with pointy teeth; a Sky Sprite with feathered wings; or even a monster Totem with multiple stacked heads! Other new origami books include Folding Origami and Origami X: Paper Folding for Secret Agents.

Comics: Investigate the History and Technology of American Cartooning by Sam Carbaugh is perfect for fans of graphic novels and aspiring artists! Travel through the history of how comics started with ancient civilizations, design your own unique characters, and investigate various comic styles like manga and webcomics.

Totally Washi: More than 45 Super Cute Washi Tape Crafts for Kids by Ashley Ann Laz will inspire you to get decorating right away! Washi tape is patterned tape that is actually made of paper. Maybe you already knew that you could make beautiful cards and bracelets, but did you know that you can also make cool "feather" earrings, a color-coded keyboard, or temporary wallpaper? For more washi tape fun, check out the free Crafting with Washi Tape book from Cherry Lake Publishing!

Magic Mike's Miraculous Magic Tricks by Mike Lane will keep the boredom away this spring! Astound your friends and baffle your parents with these amazing illusions, including the Coin Flip, Floating on Air, The Chosen One, and Money Morph!

For even more spring break fun, check out all of the upcoming events for kids at AADL!

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Crafts

Optical Illusions: Make a Flipbook!

Saturday July 18, 2015: 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Traverwood Branch: Program Room
Grades K-5

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Blog Post

New MARVEL Graphic Novels @ AADL!

by zurenkot

By most accounts 2014 was a great year for comics giant Marvel. The release and successes of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and this summer’s blockbuster hit Guardians of the Galaxy were buoyed by amazing -- and groundbreaking -- additions to their print catalog. And now you can get your hands on these collections here at AADL!

Age of Ultron - This summer’s Avengers: Age of Ultron film was preceded by a 2013 comic event by the same name. In an alternate timeline, the artificial intelligence known as Ultron has finally succeeded in destroying most of humanity and those that are left are in hiding. It is up to a cadre of beaten, but not broken, super-humans to destroy Ultron and rebuild humanity.

Ms. Marvel - In February of 2014 Marvel introduced the world to Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenage girl who would become the next Ms. Marvel. Aside from having the distinction of being the first Muslim character to headline her own book, Kamala is a regular teenager dealing with issues of family, faith, and her newly-discovered super powers. Ms. Marvel #1 has gone into its seventh printing, putting Ms. Kamala Khan in very elite company.

Captain Marvel - Carol Danvers had held the title of Ms. Marvel before becoming the first woman to be called Captain Marvel. Whether defending planet Earth as a member of the Avengers, or adventuring in the far reaches of the galaxy, Captain Marvel will delight old and new readers alike.

Avengers: Endless Wartime - This stand-alone original graphic novel pits the Avengers' "Big Three" -- Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man -- in a battle against an awakened foe. In order to conquer their latest obstacle the Avengers must not only understand their enemy, but each other also. Well written and beautifully drawn this volume addresses one of the most unnerving questions in human history: with so much progress, why does war seem to be so inevitable and endless?