Selfmadehero

“It’s about what ordinary people do, because what we do... is quite extraordinary.”Protest matters, and never more so than today – and yet our rights around dissent have been eroded in law. Noisy Valley is a beautifully illustrated work of graphic non-fiction exploring the importance of protest, and what it can achieve, through the voices of one vibrant community. In every neighbourhood there are the activists, the ones who raise their voices. Myfanwy Tristram visited the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, inviting local people to recount their memories of the times they’d refused to take things lying down. Noisy Valley is the result: a graphic retelling of protests both past and present. The area is best known for the miners’ strikes of the 1980s (and their support from the LGBT movement as documented in the film Pride), but its spirit of righteous dissent continues to rise against injustice. These stories tell how communities and individuals pushed back on a landfill site that poisoned local streams, a waste processing plant that destroyed an area of natural beauty, sexism in the workplace, and the closure of the local hospital. We dip into the historic Aldermaston marches and the Greenham women’s peace camp too. Noisy Valley is a testament to protestors who – whatever the political climate – have believed in their power to get things changed.

In Comic Therapy, readers will find a range of comic strips that blend heartwarming messages and gentle wit, creating a space where readers can unwind, laugh, and feel inspired – all within a few panels. The charm of this collection of homely homilies lies in its ability to address real-life challenges with a sense of optimism, focusing on themes like self-compassion, resilience, and mindfulness. Each of its beautifully imagined sequences serves as a temporary retreat from the pressures and anxieties of daily life, with each page offering a blend of encouragement and humour. By using visual storytelling, Comic Therapy engages readers in a non-intrusive, yet impactful way, inviting them to pause, smile, and reconnect with their inner calm. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone looking for a momentary escape, a laugh in tough times, or a much-needed boost of positivity. Whether read all at once or savoured a little at a time, Comic Therapy builds into a toolkit of emotional wellness, and a perfect go-to for personal reflection, or to share with a friend in need of a cheerful lift. Into a world filled with noise, Comic Therapy sends a quiet voice of compelling reassurance, reminding us that it’s always okay to pause, reflect, and enjoy a light-hearted moment.

Meet the original Boy Who Fell to Earth. Stranded in the Sahara Desert, an aircraft pilot meets a strange little boy who tells him of his journey from another world. The Little Prince, by the French writer, illustrator, and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, was written and published during the Second World War, to immediate acclaim, and its classic status has been embraced ever since. Whether as a children's fairy tale or an existentialist fable, religious parable or political allegory, the "secret treasure" of its complex simplicity has only unfolded further truths over the years, like the petals of the precious flower of friendship it celebrates. Vividly realized here, for yet another new generation, by the award-winning graphic novelist Joann Sfar, this stunning adaptation celebrates the 80th anniversary of its French edition, and confirms its wisdom of ages: that life (and love) can be hard; that "grown-ups are very strange"; and that our precious planet is intrinsic with our universal Nature. De Saint-Exupéry's aircraft disappeared in the wartime skies over the Mediterranean in July 1944, and his death has remained a mystery ever since. "The only reason to speak in riddles," he wrote, in his prophetic masterpiece, "is to solve them."

Arrested with her family in the Netherlands, deported by the Nazis to Ravensbru¨ck and Bergen-Belsen, and orphaned – all by the age of seven – Emmie Arbel survived the camps, only to face a new ordeal of suffering in what should have been a place of refuge. Traumatized as a child by violence, abuse, and isolation, she has transformed her survival into an inspirational lifelong mission both to bear witness to the Holocaust, and to celebrate the enduring resilience of the human spirit. Working closely with Emmie herself, the acclaimed German graphic artist Barbara Yelin has created an unforgettable “visual biography” of this remarkable woman: her rebellious independence, her indomitable humour, the wisdom of her contemplation. Emmie Arbel: The Colour of Memory is at once a haunting portrayal of a historical atrocity, an inspiring account of a modern friendship, a beautiful work of art, and a meditation on memory itself. This graphic novel was developed as part of the Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives Project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

David Bowie's legendary time in West Berlin as he searches for inspiration and records his 1977 album Low LOW traces the aftermath of David Bowie's groundbreaking tour of America and the iconic "Berlin years" that followed. Hot on the platform heels of Starman: Bowie's Stardust Years (SelfMadeHero, 2023), Reinhard Kleist masterfully concludes his two-part biography of David Bowie. In 1976, Bowie escaped the frantic madness and substance abuse of his life in Los Angeles for the Wall of the divided city of Berlin. With his friend Iggy Pop in tow, Bowie quit drugs and created LOW, the first album of his "Berlin Trilogy." But even here, in some of the happiest days of his life, Ziggy Stardust would not let him go . . . LOW follows Bowie's forays through West Berlin's revolutionary music scene and wild club life, and takes us deep into his recording sessions at Hansa Studios. The friendship between Bowie and Iggy drives both artists to new creative heights, while Bowie's relationship with the cabaret artist and drag icon Romy Haag illuminates his fascination with Berlin as a city on the brink. Kleist's LOW is both a retelling of Bowie's Berlin years and a vibrant portrait of the city itself. [This publication has not been prepared, approved, authorized, or licensed by the David Bowie estate or any related entity.]

A vivid portrayal of the life of Yayoi Kusama-Queen of Polka Dots, creator of infinity-from her unusual childhood to international artistic acclaim From her days in 1960s New York as a proponent of free love and peace to her current position as internationally recognized Queen of Polka Dots and creator of infinity, Yayoi Kusama's life is an extraordinary story of triumph over adversity through art. This graphic novel vividly portrays Kusama's unusual youth and family troubles, her discovery of a new style of painting, her struggles with mental illness, and her rise to international art stardom. For those seeking an introduction to this incredible artist or seeking a fresh take on her story-this is Yayoi Kusama's life as you've never seen it before. "The only method I have found that relieves my illness is to keep creating art. I followed the thread of art and somehow discovered a path that would allow me to live."

George Orwell's most celebrated work, 1984, and the prescient vision it contains of a society governed by Big Brother predates the constant monitoring of people and data we are familiar with today by almost 70 years. But his life was every bit as fascinating and forward-looking as his books. Orwell studied at Eton, joined the police in Burma, fought in the Spanish Civil War, fiercely opposed Stalinism, and lived in London's slums while working as a journalist. With extra illustrations by a team of artists including Annie Goetzinger, Juanjo Guarnido, Enki Bilal, Manu Larcenet, Blutch, and Andre Juillard, Pierre Christin and Sebastian Verdier's Orwell offers readers an intimate yet definitive portrait of our greatest political writer.

In 1909, while on a fundraising lecture tour in America, Sigmund Freud met Horace Frink, an early disciple of his theories of psychoanalysis, whose traumatic childhood and complicated personal life came to cast a dark shadow over Freud's professional career. Inspired by this little-known and tragic true story, artist Lionel Richerand and philosopher Pierre Peju have woven a spellbinding and thought-provoking fable of two divorces, three deaths, and a menage a quatre.

Bunuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles depicts a decisive moment in the life of the great Spanish filmmaker Luis Bunuel: the moment when he doubted surrealism and contemplated embracing a more social type of cinema. At this crucial turning point in his career, he wanted to change the world by showing the hidden heart of reality. Bunuel was deeply affected by the harshness of Las Hurdes and the extreme misery of the people who live in this remote region, so with his friend, the movie producer Ramon Acin, he began work on the pseudo-documentary Land Without Bread. But in the mind of the great surrealist, reality inevitably clashed with dreams and childhood memories, threatening both the film and his friendship with Acin. It is at this moment that the Bunuel of the future was born.

Providence, Rhode Island, 1928. A dangerous inmate disappears from a private hospital for the insane, his method of escape baffling the authorities. Only the patient's final visitor, family physician Dr. Marinus Bicknell Willett-himself a piece of the puzzle-holds the key to unlocking The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. A macabre mixture of historical investigation, grave-robbing, and bone-chilling revelation, this newly reissued adaptation (in a smaller format, with a foreword by Jeff Lemire and a new cover) artfully lays bare one of H.P. Lovecraft's most horrifying creations. "This is really the best way to enjoy Lovecraft." Boing Boing

Miskatonic University, Arkham, 1908. Professor Nathaniel Peaslee collapses in front of a class of students, only coming to his senses five years later. Horrified to discover that his body has been far from inactive during the intervening period-and plagued by unsettling and outlandish nightmares-Peaslee attempts to piece together the truth behind the missing years of his life. A chilling journey through time, space, and the recesses of the mind, this newly reissued adaptation (in a smaller format, with a foreword by Jeff Lemire and a new cover) gives terrifying form to one of H.P Lovecraft's final tales.

Emil Zatopek is arguably the greatest Olympic champion of all time. The Czech runner's three gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics, for the 5,000 meter, 10,000 meter, and marathon is an achievement that has never been matched. His success as a runner made him a national hero, but as a public figure, outspoken and unafraid to take a stand, he was equally impressive. Even before the Helsinki Games, Zatopek had scored a remarkable victory, successfully pressuring the Communist regime to allow his colleague Stanislav Jungwirth, who until then had been excluded on political grounds, to compete. In Zatopek, Jan Novak and Jaromir 99 trace the extraordinary life and times of the great Olympian, from his first meeting with Dana, the love of his life, to the victories that would ensure his lasting legacy.

Some heavy reading on the ecological and climate emergency leads Cedric, a forty-something painter living in Paris, to question his life choices. In a state of vulnerability, racked with eco-anxiety, he is contacted by the spirit of Henry David Thoreau: writer, environmentalist and the author of Walden. Two centuries separate Cedric from the author who, depressed by the narrow materialism of industrialised America, retreated to a single-room cabin in the woods by Walden Pond. But as their Socratic dialogue continues, Cedric notices striking parallels between the suffocating commercialism of mid-19th-century America and the unsustainable, alienating, tech-driven consumerism of today. Both societies are shaped by a single priority - economic growth - that not only squanders the earth's resources but separates human beings from nature. Inspired by Thoreau's return to nature, Cedric begins dreaming of his own retreat from urban life: his own self-sufficient cabin in the woods. In Thoreau and Me, Cedric Taling explores the causes and consequences of today's climate emergency. Blending humour, philosophy and fiction, Taling asks how, at a time of unprecedented ecological and climate breakdown, we can learn to live with and respond to eco-anxiety.

The history of wine is the history of civilisation. It is the religious drink par excellence. In Greek mythology, references to wine abound. In the Bible, after the Flood, Noah plants a vineyard. In the Middle Ages, it was in the monasteries and churches that the syrupy drink of antiquity, unpalatable if not diluted, was transformed into the wine we know today. Wine expert Benoist Simmat and artist Daniel Casanave trace the story of wine from its origins in the Mediterranean to the globalised industry of the 21st century. Taking in the innovations that have punctuated wine's long history, from oak barrel aging to the invention of the bottle, Wine: A Graphic History will leave readers with a fresh view of our own drinking culture.

In the Middle Ages, surgery was performed by barbers, owing to their skill with sharp instruments. In the mid-19th century, a "grand exhibition" of the effects of laughing gas inadvertently led to the discovery of anaesthesia. Three decades later, Louis Pasteur enjoyed a crucial breakthrough in his search for vaccinations because his assistant decided, against his orders, to take a vacation. In Medicine: A Graphic History, surgeon and professor of medical history Jean-Noel Fabiani stitches together the most significant and intriguing episodes from the history of medicine, from chance breakthroughs to hard-fought scientific discoveries. Spanning centuries and crossing continents, this fast-paced and yet rigorously detailed graphic novel guides us through one of the most wondrous strands of human history, covering everything from blood-letting to organ donation, x-rays to prosthetics.

Hans Holbein's 16th-century masterpiece, The Dance of Death, reminds its readers that no one, no matter their rank or position, can escape the great leveller, Death. In a foreboding series of woodcuts, Death, depicted as a skeleton, intrudes on the lives of people from every level of society, from the sailor to the judge, the ploughman to the king. By highlighting our common fate, Holbein exposes the folly of greed and ambition, and in doing so brings a corrupt and callous elite crashing back down to earth. In this darkly satirical update, Guardian cartoonist Martin Rowson sharpens and reshapes Holbein's vision for the 21st century. Death seizes the City banker by his braces and offers a light to the oligarch; it joins the surgeon in theatre and the Hollywood star on the red carpet. Filled with wit and doom-laden drama, Martin Rowson's The Dance of Death is a masterful reimagining of a book which, in its uncompromising treatment of the rich and powerful, paved the way for the great, levelling craft of political cartooning.