Spinning (comics)

Last updated

Contents

Spinning
Cover of Spinning, graphic novel by Tillie Walden.jpg
The front cover of the graphic novel
DateSeptember 12, 2017
Page count400 pages
Publisher
Creative team
Writers Tillie Walden
ArtistsTillie Walden
ISBN 978-1-62672-772-4

Spinning is a graphic novel memoir by cartoonist Tillie Walden that was first published by First Second Books on September 12, 2017. The memoir chronicles Walden's years coming-of-age as a competitive figure skater, as she navigates romance, bullying and various traumas. [1] It won the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work.

Synopsis

At the start of Spinning, Walden is ten and her family has just moved to Texas from New Jersey. Walden, a competitive figure skater, finds herself having to adjust to the new environment and figure skating culture. [2] As Walden becomes more disenchanted with the culture around the competitive sport, she discovers her talent as an artist. Having known she was gay since she was five, Walden also struggles with the alienation and pressure she faces as she embarks on her first romance with another girl. [3] The novel also recounts Walden's sexual assault by her SAT tutor. [4] [5]

Development

The idea for Spinning first came to Tillie Walden when she attempted to make a short comic about ice skating at the end of her first year at the Center for Cartoon Studies. Walden realized that she had "too much baggage with skating to even make a small comic about it," and began working on the book that summer before her second year. [6] Spinning was initially Walden's school thesis and upon graduating, she worked with First Second Books to turn her thesis into the final graphic novel. [7]

Having published three fictional graphic novels before Spinning, Walden noted that it was a lot harder, but far more rewarding, to write the memoir than works of fiction. According to Walden, revisiting the trauma she faced was difficult and "there were scenes in Spinning where [she] just cried the entire time [she] drew it." [6]

Reception

In her review, Rachel Cooke of The Guardian wrote: "Intimate and charming, Spinning already has the feeling of a coming-of-age classic – and yet, amazingly, its talented author has only just hit 21." [2] The New York Times 's Douglas Wolk described the novel as "engrossing, gorgeously quiet", [5] while The Austin Chronicle 's Wayne Alan Brenner called it a "powerful work of real-life storytelling". [8] Publishers Weekly noted that the memoir is "a haunting and resonant coming-of-age story," [9] while Booklist 's Sarah Hunter called it "a stirring, gorgeously illustrated story of finding the strength to follow one's own path." [10]

The Daily Dot 's Gavia Baker-Whitelaw concluded that: "Spinning is a raw and intimate memoir, and likely to appear on many “best-of” lists for 2017. It's honest and sensitive, holding a different appeal for a wide range of viewpoints. As a coming-out story, it's painful and therapeutic. To figure skaters, the depictions of the sport and its culture will doubtless ring true. And for childhood overachievers, it's a firsthand observation by someone who grew up and escaped through an unexpected avenue." [11]

The A.V. Club 's Oliver Sava named Spinning as one of the best comics of 2017, [12] and it was tied for third place in Publishers Weekly 2017 Graphic Novel Critics Poll. [13] The novel won the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work, making Walden one of the youngest Eisner Award winners ever at 22. [14]

Challenges

In August 2022, 62% of voters in Jamestown Charter Township voted to defund their public library system after librarians refused to remove three books from the library's shelves: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Kiss Number 8 by Colleen A. F. Venable, and Spinning by Tillie Walden. [15] Community activists claimed that the presence of these books in the library's young adult and adult sections meant the library was trying to "groom" young children. [16] According to Library Board President Larry Walton, without fund renewal, "the library will run out of money in 2023, jeopardizing its existence." [15] Despite not wanting to close the library, Walton has stated that the board refuses to ban the books. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Hale</span> American author (born 1974)

Shannon Hale is an American author primarily of young adult fantasy, including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy and The Goose Girl. Her first novel for adults, Austenland, was adapted into a film in 2013. She is a graduate of the University of Utah and the University of Montana. She has also co-written with her husband, Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope Larson</span> American cartoonist

Hope Raue Larson is an American illustrator and cartoonist. Her main field is comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jillian Tamaki</span> Canadian American illustrator and comic artist

Jillian Tamaki is a Canadian American illustrator and comic artist known for her work in The New York Times and The New Yorker in addition to the graphic novels Boundless, as well as Skim, This One Summer and Roaming written by her cousin Mariko Tamaki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwame Alexander</span> American writer of poetry and childrens fiction (born 1968)

Kwame Alexander is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction.

<i>El Deafo</i> 2014 graphic novel by Cece Bell

El Deafo is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Cece Bell. The book is a loose autobiographical account of Bell's childhood and life with her deafness. The characters in the book are all anthropomorphic bunnies. Cece Bell, in an interview with the Horn Book Magazine, states "What are bunnies known for? Big ears; excellent hearing," rendering her choice of characters and their deafness ironic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Thomas</span> American author (born 1988)

Angie Thomas is an American young adult author, best known for writing The Hate U Give (2017). Her second young adult novel, On the Come Up, was released on February 25, 2019.

<i>My Favorite Thing Is Monsters</i> 2017 graphic novel by Emil Ferris

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is a two-volume debut graphic novel by American writer Emil Ferris. It portrays a young girl named Karen Reyes investigating the death of her neighbor in 1960s Chicago. Ferris started working on the graphic novel after contracting West Nile virus and becoming paralyzed at age forty. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for writing and began the graphic novel to help her recover in 2010, taking six years to create 700 pages. The work draws on Ferris's childhood growing up in Chicago, and her love of monsters and horror media. The process of creating the book was difficult, with Ferris working long hours, living frugally, and encountering publishing setbacks, such as a cancelation by one publisher and the temporary seizure of the first volume's printing at the Panama Canal.

<i>Sisters</i> (graphic novel) List of characters

Sisters is an autobiographical graphic novel written by Raina Telgemeier as a follow-up to her earlier graphic memoir Smile. It details a long summer road trip taken from San Francisco to Colorado by her family and explores the relationship between Raina and her younger sister, Amara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tillie Walden</span> American cartoonist and author

Tillie Walden is an American cartoonist who has published five graphic novels and a webcomic. Walden won the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work for her graphic novel Spinning, making her one of the youngest Eisner Award winners ever. She was named Vermont's Cartoonist Laureate for the years 2023 - 2026, making her the state's youngest-ever Cartoonist Laureate.

<i>On a Sunbeam</i> Science fiction webcomic and graphic novel

On a Sunbeam is a science fiction webcomic, by American cartoonist Tillie Walden. It was later released as a graphic novel. Set in a spacefaring science fiction world, the plot follows the development of the protagonist Mia, who joins the crew of the maintenance ship Aktis and attempts to reconnect with a lost love. It was nominated for the 2017 Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic and the graphic novel won the 2018 Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

<i>A Different Pond</i> 2017 picture book by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui

A Different Pond is a 2017 children's picture book by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui. The book tells the story of a boy and his father going fishing. Phi created the book because of his desire to have books about people like himself to read to his daughter. Bui's detailed illustrations allowed Phi to remove elements of the prose. Bui, who had never illustrated a traditional picture book before, won praise for her use of colors and was recognized with a 2018 Caldecott Honor. The book received positive reviews and appeared on best of 2017 book lists.

<i>Long Way Down</i> (book) 2017 novel by Jason Reynolds

Long Way Down is a young adult novel in verse by Jason Reynolds, published October 24, 2017, by Atheneum Books. The book was longlisted for the National Book Award and was named a Printz Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and Newbery Medal Honor Book, alongside other awards and positive reviews.

<i>They Called Us Enemy</i> 2019 graphic novel

They Called Us Enemy is a 2019 graphic novel that is a collaboration by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker. It is about his experiences during the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. It is published by Top Shelf Productions.

<i>Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir</i> 2014 autobiographical graphic novel by Liz Prince

Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir is an autobiographical graphic novel by Liz Prince, published September 2, 2014 by Zest Books.

<i>The Tea Dragon Society</i> 2016 webcomic by Kay ONeill

The Tea Dragon Society is a webcomic and graphic novel written and illustrated by Kay O'Neill which debuted late 2016. The story focuses on Greta, an apprentice blacksmith who becomes fascinated by "tea dragons" after rescuing one.

Shaun David Hutchinson is an American author of young adult texts. His novels often "combine speculative elements with LGBT characters and themes."

<i>Kiss Number 8</i> Graphic novel by Colleen A. F. Venable

Kiss Number 8 is a 2019 graphic novel written by Colleen A. F. Venable, illustrated by Ellen T. Crenshaw, and published by First Second Books. In 2019, the novel was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. The following year, it was a finalist for an Eisner Award and Prism Award.

Huda Fahmy is an American graphic novelist. Her novel Huda F Cares? was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

<i>Huda F Are You?</i> 2021 graphic novel by Huda Fahmy

Huda F Are You? is a 2021 young adult graphic novel by American author Huda Fahmy. Considered a fictionalized memoir, the novel follows Huda through her first year of high school in a new town, where she must re-examine her identity.

References

  1. 1 2 "Spinning - Kirkus Review". Kirkus Reviews . July 17, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Cooke, Rachel (December 12, 2017). "Spinning by Tillie Walden review – portrait of adolescence on ice". The Guardian .
  3. ↑ Sava, Oliver (September 22, 2017). "Spinning is a heart-wrenching memoir from a brilliant young cartoonist". The A.V. Club .
  4. ↑ Flax, Shoshana (December 20, 2017). "Review of Spinning". The Horn Book Magazine .
  5. 1 2 Wolk, Douglas (November 30, 2017). "The Latest in Graphic Novels". The New York Times .
  6. 1 2 Orsini, Lauren (October 3, 2017). "How LGBT Ice Skating Graphic Novel 'Spinning' Defies Definition". Forbes .
  7. ↑ Brown, Hillary (September 26, 2017). "Spinning's Tillie Walden on the Power of Pursuing and Ending Childhood Dreams". Paste .
  8. ↑ Brenner, Wayne Alan (November 3, 2017). "Review: Spinning". The Austin Chronicle .
  9. ↑ "Spinning". Publishers Weekly . July 17, 2017.
  10. ↑ Hunter, Sarah (July 2017). Booklist Review: Spinning – via Booklist.
  11. ↑ Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (October 21, 2017). "'Spinning' is a heartfelt graphic novel about figure skating and teen life". The Daily Dot .
  12. ↑ Sava, Oliver; Rosberg, Caitlin; Hennum, Shea (December 5, 2017). "The best comics of 2017". The A.V. Club .
  13. ↑ "'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' Tops Annual 'PW' Graphic Novel Critics Poll". Publishers Weekly . December 20, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  14. ↑ Cavna, Michael (July 23, 2018). "Women make history, and receive overdue recognition, at 2018 Eisner Awards". The Washington Post . Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 Schaub, Michael (August 5, 2022). "Michigan Library Is Defunded Over LGBTQ+ Books". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  16. ↑ French, Ron (August 3, 2022). "Upset over LGBTQ books, a Michigan town defunds its library in tax vote | Bridge Michigan". Bridge Michigan. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.