Holiday Graphic Novels and Books Gift List

Now is the time of year when we start scrambling to find that perfect holiday gift to give to someone special.

To help narrow your search and discover some truly inspiring presents, True North Country Comics presents the 2024 Holiday Graphic Novels and Books Gift list. So to get you in the gift giving mood, here is a list of the graphic novels and books from Canadian creators from this year, in no particular order, for your perusal. You can purchase these presents from your local or online bookstore.

Cauldron: Forbidden Appetites is a deluxe high quality archival hardcover anthology from a variety of Canadian creators that’s described as ‘arthouse meets grindhouse’. Published by RAID Press as an homage to the Creepy and Eerie magazines of the past, this anthology collects the edgy contemporary supernatural tales found in Cauldron Magazine into one complete offering for mature readers. Listen to just some of the creators Sam Agro, Jonathan Kociuba and Casey Parsons as they discuss more about the anthology.

The Racc Pack, written by Stephanie Cooke and illustrated by Whitney Gardner, from Simon & Schuster, is a story of “the Bin family, a trio of raccoons in the risky business of dumpster diving for all their needs. With Dusty’s brains, ReRe’s muscle, and Scraps’s gadgets (please don’t tell him he’s almost definitely an opossum), the Binses are determined to leave no garbage bin unturned in their pursuit of the tastiest, most delicious trash they can find. When the family discovers a new upscale grocery store that’s throwing away their perfectly good food at the end of each day, the Binses hatch a heist so daring it’ll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. But a critter-despising CEO, Jeff Beans, and the high-tech defense system he’s installed means liberating that trash is going to take all the skills the Racc Pack have…and maybe some help from a cat burglar with a mysterious past.” Listen to Stephanie Cooke discuss the book.

Forest Folk, created by Dax Gordine, follows the tales of Filburt the Fox and Thomas the Sketching Elf and has been described as the ‘Sunday funnies crashing headlong into Looney Tunes’. Now available in collected paperback volumes. Listen to creator Dax Gordine talk more about the book and his inspirations for the ongoing series.

In ThunderBoom written by Jack Briglio and illustrated by Claudia Dávila, from Kids Can Press, Logan is thrilled when his parents tell him they’re all taking the train to see the Santa Claus parade. But Logan isn’t like most 11-year-olds – he can’t speak, and he mostly lives in his head. On this adventure, Logan must face some of his greatest fears: masks, dogs and the unknown. When he’s separated from his parents at the parade, Logan goes where he’s the bravest version of himself – his imagination. Transforming into superhero ThunderBoom, Logan is determined to stomp his way through any challenges.

Dead Romans, written by Fred Kennedy and illustrated by Nick Marinkovich, from Image Comics, is the story of Arminius, a Germanic prince raised in Rome, has sworn vengeance against the Empire that butchers his people. He wants to make a queen of the woman he loves, Honoria, a fellow slave. Now fifty thousand Romans will die to give her a throne she never asked for…or wanted.  Lush, beautiful illustrations bring to life a brutal tale of love and war from the birth of the Roman Empire. Listen to Fred Kennedy and Nick Marinkovich talk more about the book.

The Jellyfish, by Boum, from Pow Pow Press, is the story of “Odette is a twenty-something year old with their own place, a steady job at a local bookstore, an adorable pet rabbit, and a budding crush on one of their customers. But Odette is haunted by something only they can see: a jellyfish that’s floating in their eye, blocking their vision. It’s a seemingly minor annoyance…until the jellyfish starts multiplying.” The Jellyfish is described as “a tour-de-force of graphic storytelling, a powerful, occasionally terrifying story of facing the thing that we fear the most and finding a light to guide us through the darkness.” Listen to Boum talk about the making of her book.

Degrees of Separation, by Alison McCreesh, published by Conundrum Press,  is described as “an intimate and understated glimpse of the North as Alison experienced it through a combination of autobiographical stories, drawings and sketches. From frigid days spent killing time while stranded in the High Arctic, to the challenges of raising a baby in a small shack with no running water, it is one young woman’s personal experience of both passing through and of setting down roots.” And “while the backdrop may seem foreign to many, this collection is also a universal exploration of those transformative years from young-adulthood to motherhood. It’s a graphic novel navigating themes of connection and disconnect, between the north and the south, but also between different norths and between our different selves.” Listen to Alison McCreesh discuss her book.

Botanica Drama, by Thom, published by Pow Pow Press, features a story that goes like this: “After rising day after day for billions of years, the Sun — recovering from a bit too much celestial partying the night before — makes a fateful decision to stay in bed. With the Earth plunged into darkness, everyone from Philomène the flower to Death itself face dire consequences, trapped in an everlasting winter and surrounded by mysterious creatures that have emerged from the shadows. Can anything make the Sun shine again?” Listen to Thom chat more about his book and his insight behind the creation.

Does Your Mother Know? by Don Sparrow, is set in the nostalgia-laden landscape of the Canadian prairie in the 1990s. This is a coming-of-age tale that follows the journey of an awkward teenager navigating the complexities of personal identity, poverty, first dates, and the bittersweet nuances of love and loss. With a poignant yet sweetly sarcastic narrative tone, the story captures the unintended comedy of adolescent wonder and confusion. Readers will find themselves transported to a world where dial-up internet, mixtapes, and corded telephones reign supreme, evoking a sense of familiarity and nostalgia for the late 1990s era. Listen to Don Sparrow chat more about his book.

Shout Kill Revel by Jarret Hartnell, published by Renegade Arts Entertainment, feature a story like this: “The Undrowned Order rules the land. Their horrific plans dance to the whims of ancient cosmic entities, fuelled by the fears forced upon every soul in sight. It is believed that the young woman Helmina is their messiah, that the darkness lurking within her will one day unleash an unimaginable horror upon the earth. As that day approaches, Helmina, after a lifetime of wrestling with her cosmic affliction, must do more than run and hide from the cultists, her own mind, and the world itself to put an end to the madness.” Listen to Jarret Hartnell talk about his book.

Food School by Jade Armstrong, from Conundrum Press, is the story of about “Olive and that post-secondary education isn’t what they’d planned. Instead of college, they spend five days a week, eight hours a day at a full-time outpatient program for eating disorder recovery where they learn, talk, and cry about eating disorders as part of a survivor support group.” Listen to Jade Armstrong in conversation about the creation of the book.

Pillow Talk, written by Stephanie Cooke and illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas, published by Harper Collins, is the story of “Grace Mendes a.k.a. Cinderhella is a fierce competitor in the PFF, a pillow fight federation that’s part roller derby, part professional wrestling. But in this fresh, coming-of-age YA graphic novel, Grace needs to learn to overcome her biggest enemy: herself”. Listen to Stephanie Cooke discuss her insight into making her book and the secrets of the pillow fight federation.

Walsy: The Red Glove, written by Sarah Kourkejian and illustrated by Louay Daoust, is the first volume in the series — a project close to Sarah’s heart and made possible with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Through her work, Sarah is on a transformative journey to inspire change by creating narratives that redefine perspectives and champion inclusivity for all. Listen to Sarah Kourkejian talk about her book and how it came to be made.

Quid Pro Crow, from Bill Slavin and published by Renegade Arts Entertainment is the story of Mordecai Crow as he continues to search for his long-lost family. With his young friend Podd, Crow follows the trail deep into dangerous Luddite territory. There, new allies offer hope for Crow’s quest, but that hope is accompanied by grave risks. Not only are their lives in constant danger from Luddite attacks and the deadly dystopian landscape they must traverse, but their friendship will be strained to its breaking point. Listen to Bill Slavin talk about his book.

Dead Kingdom, by Etienne Derepentigny and published by Red 5 Premium, is the tale of a mysterious plague that is haunting the kingdom. With the help of a peacekeeper, a group of soldiers investigate a village that may hold the answers to what is happening. But the truth is far worse that everyone could ever imagine. Dead Kingdom is a five-part, multi layered saga that will explore a world where sorcery, brotherhood, and love collide with the rising nightmare of the living dead. Listen to Etienne Derepentigny chat about his book.

Griz Grobus, by Simon Roy, tells two parallel, intertwined tales from the far-off colony world. High in a sleepy mountain village, the overzealous academic ambitions of a young scribe lead to the resurrection of the town’s ancient colonial-era priest-bot. This long-defunct pastor finds himself in a world that has passed him by, but refuses to simply accept his obsolescence, much to the chagrin of the scribe and the local townsfolk. The second story, a mise-en-abyme, is Altamira’s most famous novel (being avidly read by the characters of the first story). It is a fantasy tale about a war-god who gets trapped in the body of a goose, and the efforts of one pacifist cook to delay the war-god’s bloody return to the battlefield. Listen to Simon Roy chat discuss his graphic novel.

The graphic novel, Barb: Bloodbath & Beyond, by Jonathan Burrello, is the saga of a young barbarian girl named Barb as she traverses a dangerous world full of monsters, skelemen, and a disturbing deficit of grog. Barb is the last of her clan — a wandering barbarian with no home, she stumbles from one adventure to the next, picking up friends and enemies along the way. Listen to Jonathan Burrell discuss the his Barb series including the book Barb: Bloodbath & Beyond.

The story of Kalipso volume 2, by Marie Blanchet, goes like this: “There are now two new prisoners on board the Kalipso, and it is not the allies that Lucretia and Pier-Paul would have hoped for. Machiavelvel is a vampire with psychic powers that can influence the emotions of others. Mirfak is her husband, and also a former vampire hunter. Neither is trustworthy. As the tension rises between the prisoners, the Kalipso pilot is on the verge of disaster, and some crew members begin to question the true purpose of their mission…”. Listen to Marie Blanchet talk about her Kapilso graphic novel series.

The story of The Secret of the Ravens, by Joanna Cacao, goes like this: “Twin siblings Elliot and Liza only have each other. Their parents are gone. Their home was taken, and to survive on their own, they’re forced to scrounge up plastic and metal to trade for coin within an abandoned garbage heap. Desperate to escape the vagabond cycle that they’re trapped in, the answer to their plight seemingly appears when they stumble upon a Raven Quest—magical tasks offered by mysterious message-carrying ravens that when successfully completed, promise the victors coin and untold riches.” Listen to Joanna Cacao talk about the graphic novel.

Created for 6 to 9 year old readers, Fluffle Bunnies: Buns Gone Bad, by Anna Humphrey, is the story of three bunnies left without their mother when she goes off to Brazil to learn jiujitsu. The bunnies, Flop, Biggie and Boingie, learn some hard truths about life pretty quick. With quick thinking, ingenuity and maybe a little bit of raccoon manipulation, these three buns will take on all comers to be the rulers of the park. Will they win? Listen to Anna Humphrey talk about her book and more.

Inspired by Cassandra Calin’s own immigration experience The New Girl is the story of Lia and her family who board a flight across the Atlantic, leaving behind family, friends, and Romania — the only home Lia has ever known. Now Lia is thrust into a world where everything is different: her home, her language, and even her body. With so many changes happening at once, Lia struggles with schoolwork, has trouble communicating with classmates, and has no idea how to manage her unpleasant periods. Will she ever feel like herself again? Listen to Cassandra Calin talk about her book.

The story of Gamerville, by Johnnie Christmas, goes likes this: “Max Lightning has finally qualified for Gamerville, a championship where players compete to be top dog in the multiplayer video game Lone Wolf of Calamity Bay. But his dreams of domination are doomed when his parents send him to Camp Refresh. Gone are the long nights of downing energy drinks and getting copious amounts of screen time. They’ve been replaced with fresh air and group activities under the hot sun—a shock to the system for a lone wolf like Max. Can Max escape Camp Refresh and level up at Gamerville, or has he finally played his last match?” Listen to Johnnie Christmas discuss his graphic novel.

The Rather Unusual Adventures of Ice Cream Girl and Mr. Licorice, by Clive Smith, is described “a dark drama, telling the story of Stretch, a brilliant young man with a rare disorder that causes him to see the world as a cartoon. The condition gradually intensifies as he becomes more determined to understand it and find a cure before he becomes enveloped in his own vision.” Listen to Clive Smith talk about his graphic novel and more.

The story of Undergrowth, by Ricky Lima, goes like this: “The world is being ravaged by four terrifying robotic monsters. One fateful night, four friends venture out to watch a meteor shower and come face-to-face with doom…only to find that their story is just beginning. Returned to life by a mysterious natural power, these young adults are chosen to bear the only weapons that might turn the tide against the invaders: ancient, towering forest entities which they can pilot from within! They’re enormously powerful… but when you’re struggling with the trauma of your own death, is that really the best time to become a living weapon of mass destruction?” Listen to Ricky Lima talk about his graphic novel and more.

The story of The Cosmic Con, by Ron Kasman, goes like this: “Toronto, 1968. Herbie Weingarten, a teenager in his last year of high school, finds that his uncle Jeffrey, a holocaust survivor, has been taken in by a new religious movement called, “Exalted Consciousness”. The young man tries to extricate his uncle from the group even while his uncle tries to pull him into it. Visit Toronto’s downtown core when Yorkville was a hippy haven, Rochdale College was a centre of the illicit drug trade and bands had names like Intercontinental Ballistic Grapefruit. Watch as personalities are broken down and moulded in the pursuit of power and money by the mysterious Baron Gerhard Von Albrecht. Take a walk along “cult row” from Davenport and Avenue Road through to Yorkville, as pernicious gurus create ugly alternatives within the Age of Aquarius.” Listen to Ron Kasman talk about his book.

The story of Cradle’s End, by Lovern Kindzierski, goes like this: “Hope and Merritt fight their way deeper into Cradle to heal the wound that could allow  the demons of hell to spew their terror into the world. Shame, trapped and broken into pieces, puts her plans to recover her powers and free herself and her sorcerous allies into action. Will Hope and Merritt stop Shame in time or will the queen of the darkest powers vanquish them all?” Listen to Lovern Kindzierski chat about his book.

The story of Boy vs Shark, by Paul Gilligan, goes like this: “In the summer of 1975, 10-year-old Paul Gilligan doesn’t have a whole lot to worry about other than keeping his comic books untarnished, getting tennis balls off roofs and keeping up with the increasingly bold stunts of his best friend, David. And then Jaws comes to town. Suddenly everyone is obsessing over this movie about a shark ripping people to pieces. And if you haven’t seen it, not only are you missing out, you’re also kind of a wimp. Needless to say, Jaws leaves young Paul a cowering mess, and underlines the growing gap between him and David as well as the distance between where he stands and the world’s expectations of a boy’s ‘manliness’. And when Jaws himself becomes a kind of macho Jiminy Cricket for Paul, what is a scared and overwhelmed boy to do?” Listen to Paul Gilligan talk about his book.

ROTH Book 1 – Wheetago War, by Richard Van Camp, noted by CBC as one of the 23 comics to check out this fall, is the story of: “The revered hero known as the Child Finder who is fighting to cling to his humanity after a Wheetago attack, a mother, her young son, and a desperate band of convicts, form an uneasy alliance to survive the Wheetago horrors now awakened.” Listen to Richard Van Camp talk about his new horror graphic novel and a lot more.

Seven years in the making, American Youth, by Nicholas Friesen,  is a full-colour, 152 page graphic novel touching on mental health, Svengali figures in the music industry, friendship, being Canadian in America, and sad robots (you have to have sad robots). The book follows Olivia Sea, a fictional Winnipeg musician who breaks up with her girlfriend and travels to Portland to join her friend Kacy’s band, only to find herself in a game of cat-and-mouse with singer/influencer _sincerity_. Listen to Nicholas Friesen talk about his graphic novel.

Squire & Knight: Wayward Travelers, by Scott Chantler,  is the second volume of this middle-grade graphic novel series. The story goes like this: “Squire and Sir Kelton have promised to get Cade to the school of wizardry. Strangely though, the path they’ve taken has brought them into a bewildering, misty forest, rife with fearsome gnolls and a boisterous rival knight. To get them out, Squire tries every trick in the book, but books don’t hold all the answers. Can he muster up his confidence, remember his duties, and find a way to escape the forest?” Listen to Scott Chantler talk about this new book in his series.

Where the Poppies Blow, by Michael Wyatt, follows John McCrae on his remarkable journey, from humble beginnings in small-town Ontario to some of the toughest battle zones of the First World War. Although he never made it back home, John McCrae’s poem and the red poppy became an enduring symbol of remembrance, honouring the countless soldiers who sacrificed their lives in conflict. Listen to Michael Wyatt talk about the book and illustrating wartime Canada.

Be Yourself! Oh, not like that… , by Emilia Strilchuk, is described as “an exploration of Emilia’s journey from childhood to the present day, navigating the world through the lens of autism. From the challenges of an adult diagnosis to the struggle of fitting into society’s molds, always being told to be more genuine and to “be myself”, but being told the way she did it was never right. This is a narrative self-discovery of being an “alien” in a world that often seems foreign, in a society that has not been built for my brain. Emilia shares the highs, lows, and the extraordinary moments that define her own experience. Listen to Emilia Strilchuk talk about her new autobio graphic novel.

She is Hope for Wildlife, by Wanda Baxter, tells the incredible real-life story of a young girl growing up in rural Argyle, Nova Scotia, who dreamed of one day helping animals. With charming full-colour illustrations from Cape Breton artist Leah Boudreau, this early reader follows Hope’s journey as she builds Hope for Wildlife from the ground up, overcoming many obstacles?and saving many animals?along the way, From Zorro the skunk to Bobbi the robin to Gretel the pine marten, and so many more! The book is described as “an entertaining and educational story that celebrates wildlife rehabilitation, female entrepreneurship, and community-building, She is Hope for Wildlife is the perfect read for the young animal lovers in your life.” Listen to Wanda Baxter talk about the book and more.

The story of Teleportation And Other Luxuries goes like this: “In a cutthroat scientific competition, an oddball quartet—featuring an internet-famous teen heartthrob, a rebellious anarchist, a shy genius, and a small-town jack-of-all-trades—vie for victory while their clash of personalities and hidden agendas threatens to sabotage their chances to win, making them realize maybe victory isn’t what they truly seek.” Listen to Mary Verhoeven talk about the book and more.

Additional books for gift giving:
Survival of the Goodest by Marianne Boucher
we only see stars at night by Cole Pauls
When The Lake Burns by Geneviève Bigué
Just Happy To See You by Shea Proulx
Cheryl by Jillian Fleck
The Field by Dave Lapp
Hulk Not Smash by Jason Loo
Conan The Barbarian: Bound In Stone vol. 1 by Jim Zub

That’s just a small list of the many graphic novels and books created by Canadians this year and plenty of choices for your gift giving requirements. Wishing you happy shopping and very happy reading.