Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 *
2 (+1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
3 (+1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
4 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
5 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
6 (-1). The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb
7 (+2). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
8 (-). Watchmen
9 (-7). The Walking Dead Volume 11: Fear The Hunters
10 (+2). The Complete Persepolis
11 (+25). Batman: The Killing Joke
12 (-1). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
13 (+6). Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
14 (-4). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
15 (-1). Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead *
16 (-3). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
17 (-1). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
18 (-3). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
19 (+22). Batman: Year One
20 (R). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
21 (+10). The Walking Dead Book 5 *
22 (N). Naruto, Vol. 47 *
23 (-1). American Born Chinese
24 (+18). Fables Vol. 13: The Great Fables Crossover *
25 (-7). Asterios Polyp
26 (N). AOZORA Finder Rock
27 (-1). Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Volume 6: Retreat *
28 (-4). Stitches: A Memoir
29 (-6). Stephen King's The Stand Vol. 2: American Nightmares
30 (+16). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
31 (N). Bone Handbook *
32 (N). Vampire Knight, Vol. 9 *
33 (-6). Thor, Vol. 3 *
34 (R). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
35 (N). Tsubasa 25
36 (N). Black Bird, Vol. 3 *
37 (-7). Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 5)
38 (R). Dark Tower: Treachery
39 (-6). V for Vendetta
40 (N). Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Volume 8 - Destroyer
41 (R). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
42 (-21). The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks
43 (R). Dilbert 2.0: 20 Years of Dilbert
44 (-15). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
45 (-13). The Cartoon Introduction to Economics: Volume One: Microeconomics
46 (+1). Stephen King's The Stand Vol. 1: Captain Trips
47 (R). Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 3: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness
48 (-8). The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 1)
49 (R). Simon's Cat


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:

* Twilight: The Graphic Novel as a pre-order has slipped to #21 on the overall chart, but that's still good enough for it to rule the roost on the comics chart.

* Last week's Walking Dead euphoria—anchored by a tv series green-lighting and a rave review of vol. 11 on BoingBoing—has slipped off somewhat, but vol. 11 remains in the top ten.

* A relatively big week for manga: Naruto pops in as the highest debut, and a kindle manga, AOZORA Finder Rock, debuts just a couple of slots lower. Three other manga titles debut on the list as well.

Challenges of the Musically Challenged

Bizarro is brought to you today by Educational Literature.

I have a good friend back in Texas who has run a recording studio for decades. Every now and then he'll share some of the more "noteworthy" music that he has recorded for clients there and I often wonder how he survives. As we know from the popular TV show, "American Idol," (which I am proud to say I've never watched a moment of, the commercials are plenty) not everyone who thinks they can be a rock star has a single iota of talent.

For reasons unclear to me, I'm particularly sensitive to music. I literally cannot tolerate listening to music that I don't like. I become instantly irritable, my heart rate rises, my teeth turn into fangs and I am not satisfied until someone is dead. I don't mean to say that I'm a public *sshole about it, but I will quietly leave a store or restaurant if the music is offensive to me, whether I've finished my business there or not. This is perhaps the biggest reason I dislike the Xmas season so much, the offensive music is ubiquitous.

It wouldn't be such a curse if I liked most popular music, but I don't. I'm very picky. Any single song from any recording of such popular bands as Eagles, Steely Dan, Steve Miller Band, Abba, Billy Joel, Metallica, Rush, all hip hop (yes, I know that is a very general statement, but I can't stand 'rhyme talking' of any kind,) drives me over a cliff. And that's just a fraction of the bands I can't stand. I wish I wasn't this way, but there's nothing I can do about it.

That being said, I've been learning to play the guitar and have been writing songs and recording them on my computer. One day I'm going to record them in a "real" studio and sell a CD through my website and this blog. So I may be the guy behind the glass in the cartoon above soon enough (though it's a cinch my music will ever be popular enough to drive shoppers from stores.)

Until tomorrow, be well, earth travelers.

CONTEST UPDATE

The Mysterious anonymous winner of Contest #16 did, in fact, write back to me in the comments and successfully claim his/her submission. But he/she did not leave his/her email address once again, this time saying that because he/she (tired of this lack of an appropriate non-gender specific pronoun for this situation?) did not enter correctly, the prize should go to the second place winner.

Okay, that's fine but I just want to say that not leaving your email address does not disqualify you from winning. I'm happy to send you some cards. If you want to leave your email in the comments section, I'll write it down and delete the comment immediately. If you're not comfortable with it, no problem, I understand. I promise not to use your info against you, or even keep it on file if it worries you.

"Nuff said," as the sit-com characters say.