The Blue Rider for iOS
14/01/12 11:22
Thanks to Michael Nimmo at 3millionyears for reviewing The Blue Rider:
“I’ve read and reviewed titles from Tabella before, and I’m always surprised in different ways!
This is a fun, twisted and above all enjoyable title. With some excellent art and storytelling made for the digital medium.
The thing that struck me straight out was the lettering – this is not something which I usually look at – but here it blew me away. Vibrant and exciting the lettering is what really adds to the excitement in The art.
This isn’t a quick read by any stretch – but it is well worth the read. If you want a story with classical origins and a modern twist, I suggest you start right here!”
Click here to visit 3millionyears.co.uk and read the review in full.
Great review of Hippy Jonny ...
16/12/11 20:38
Check out this ace review of Hippy Jonny at Alternative Magazine Online
“Hippy Jonny and the Banality of Life is dual national British/American graphic novelist Ryan Dodd’s debut graphic novel. It was published on the 31st of August 2011 by Tabella Publishing and has also been put onto iTunes as an app for the iPad. It tells the story of Jonny, a recently fired from his job and therefore unemployed hippy, who wishes to escape the banality of life in post credit-crunch Britain…
“Hippy Jonny and the Banality of Life is dual national British/American graphic novelist Ryan Dodd’s debut graphic novel. It was published on the 31st of August 2011 by Tabella Publishing and has also been put onto iTunes as an app for the iPad. It tells the story of Jonny, a recently fired from his job and therefore unemployed hippy, who wishes to escape the banality of life in post credit-crunch Britain…
The art style of Hippy Jonny and the Banality of Life immediately jumps out at you from the very first page. Ryan Dodd uses dark ink lavishly – whereas most comics and graphic novels separate panels with the white of the page itself, here it is as if white ink is being used on black paper. The result is unusual and eye-catching – perhaps even more impressive, the book manages to convey a light, humourous tone throughout despite being visually very dark ...
8 OUT OF 10”
Visit Alternative Magazine Online and read the rest of the review here.
Hippy Jonny reviewed
02/12/11 17:43
Thanks to PersianCatPress for this review of Hippy Jonny and the banality of life:
“Ryan Dodd’s Hippy Jonny and the Banality of Life is the whirlwind tale of a free spirit and his struggle to find his place in life. Tabella continue their streak of publishing graphic novels that not only entertain but also provide a lot of food for thought.
After resigning from his nine-to-five job, Jonny strives to find an escape from bland everyday life. Helped along by friends and love interest Nelly B, he begins to piece things back together and find his true purpose.
On the surface you may dismiss Hippy Jonny as a typical ‘stoner comedy’, content with making obvious jokes about the hypocrisy of the establishment. However, once you peel back the layers you discover there are much more interesting things going on.
Ryan Dodd’s writing simultaneously provides comedy, entertainment and a social message. This tale doesn’t take itself too seriously but beyond its farcical exterior there are some big issues that affect us all.
The dialogue, on the whole, feels natural and really flows from panel to panel and from page to page. There are some wonderfully crafted comedy moments and brilliant reversals that really deliver the laughs.
Hippy Jonny isn’t without its faults, however. Despite tackling some important issues it does feel a little lightweight at times.
In addition, the story is broken up into volumes and chapters but these don’t run on into each other. This means when finishing a chapter you have to go back out to a menu in order to select the next chapter. It creates unnatural hard stops that can be quite jarring, especially when all you want is to have the story continue.
That minor hiccup aside, Hippy Jonny is a cleverly crafted and entertaining graphic novel. Ryan Dodd has written something really special.”
Joshua Douglas-Walton
Visit PersianCatPress and read the review here.
“Ryan Dodd’s Hippy Jonny and the Banality of Life is the whirlwind tale of a free spirit and his struggle to find his place in life. Tabella continue their streak of publishing graphic novels that not only entertain but also provide a lot of food for thought.
After resigning from his nine-to-five job, Jonny strives to find an escape from bland everyday life. Helped along by friends and love interest Nelly B, he begins to piece things back together and find his true purpose.
On the surface you may dismiss Hippy Jonny as a typical ‘stoner comedy’, content with making obvious jokes about the hypocrisy of the establishment. However, once you peel back the layers you discover there are much more interesting things going on.
Ryan Dodd’s writing simultaneously provides comedy, entertainment and a social message. This tale doesn’t take itself too seriously but beyond its farcical exterior there are some big issues that affect us all.
The dialogue, on the whole, feels natural and really flows from panel to panel and from page to page. There are some wonderfully crafted comedy moments and brilliant reversals that really deliver the laughs.
Hippy Jonny isn’t without its faults, however. Despite tackling some important issues it does feel a little lightweight at times.
In addition, the story is broken up into volumes and chapters but these don’t run on into each other. This means when finishing a chapter you have to go back out to a menu in order to select the next chapter. It creates unnatural hard stops that can be quite jarring, especially when all you want is to have the story continue.
That minor hiccup aside, Hippy Jonny is a cleverly crafted and entertaining graphic novel. Ryan Dodd has written something really special.”
Joshua Douglas-Walton
Visit PersianCatPress and read the review here.
10 out of 10 for Thomas Wogan is dead!
10/10/11 18:15
Thanks to Persian Cat Press for this ace review of Thomas Wogan:
Thomas Wogan is Dead
Tabella Publishing (Age 9+) Rated ten out of ten
Brought to you by the fine folks at Tabella Publishing, Thomas Wogan is Dead is a fantastic, thought provoking graphic novel.
Written by David Hughes, this is the story of Thomas Wogan who wakes up naked in a sparsely furnished white room. With the help of a bat, a fish, a cuckoo and an assortment of similar talking animals, he tries to piece together the sequence of events that led him to this place.
You’re thrown feet first into the world of Thomas and his unusual but lovable foibles and habits. The story deals with some pretty profound themes of life, death and loneliness, but it never feels too forced and author David Hughes approaches some very serious moments with sensitivity and appropriate humour.
The simplistic visual style of Thomas Wogan is Dead helps bring the world to life without ever getting in the way of the story or the sublime writing. This graphic novel is all about quality over quantity and that is entirely as it should be.
Across the 86 pages of Thomas Wogan is Dead, you’ll find absolutely hilarious moments, some typically dry British wit and many bizarre asides and musings from the titular character. Thomas’ infatuation and mild obsession with noted TV chef and Norwich City fan Delia Smith is perhaps the most idiosyncratic of Thomas’ foibles.
Overall, Thomas Wogan is Dead hits all the right notes. It’s sweet and touching when it needs to be, smart and witty in other places, and profoundly entertaining throughout.
While there’s a danger that readers outside of the UK might miss some of the more obscure British references, its brilliantly written dialogue and fantastic central character make Thomas Wogan is Dead a sublime reading experience that’s easy to pick up and read time and time again.
Joshua Douglas-Walton
Visit Persian Cat Press here.
Thomas Wogan is Dead
Tabella Publishing (Age 9+) Rated ten out of ten
Brought to you by the fine folks at Tabella Publishing, Thomas Wogan is Dead is a fantastic, thought provoking graphic novel.
Written by David Hughes, this is the story of Thomas Wogan who wakes up naked in a sparsely furnished white room. With the help of a bat, a fish, a cuckoo and an assortment of similar talking animals, he tries to piece together the sequence of events that led him to this place.
You’re thrown feet first into the world of Thomas and his unusual but lovable foibles and habits. The story deals with some pretty profound themes of life, death and loneliness, but it never feels too forced and author David Hughes approaches some very serious moments with sensitivity and appropriate humour.
The simplistic visual style of Thomas Wogan is Dead helps bring the world to life without ever getting in the way of the story or the sublime writing. This graphic novel is all about quality over quantity and that is entirely as it should be.
Across the 86 pages of Thomas Wogan is Dead, you’ll find absolutely hilarious moments, some typically dry British wit and many bizarre asides and musings from the titular character. Thomas’ infatuation and mild obsession with noted TV chef and Norwich City fan Delia Smith is perhaps the most idiosyncratic of Thomas’ foibles.
Overall, Thomas Wogan is Dead hits all the right notes. It’s sweet and touching when it needs to be, smart and witty in other places, and profoundly entertaining throughout.
While there’s a danger that readers outside of the UK might miss some of the more obscure British references, its brilliantly written dialogue and fantastic central character make Thomas Wogan is Dead a sublime reading experience that’s easy to pick up and read time and time again.
Joshua Douglas-Walton
Visit Persian Cat Press here.
Dreams and everyday life for iPad reviewed by PersianCatPress
16/09/11 19:07
Dreams and Everyday Life is a graphic novel written by Aviv Ratzin, who seems to have poured his heart and soul into this 128-page masterpiece.
The app is a series of interconnected stories that all share similar themes and revolve around the unnamed protagonist, a portly top hat wearing gentleman.
This graphic novel doesn’t feature grandiose earth shattering narratives but instead it chooses to keep things (mostly) grounded and focus on the simple, important things in life. While it may touch on careers, money and health, the raison d'être of this app is to explore the day-to-day things that make us who we are.
Aviv Ratzin has created a world filled with incredibly detailed and true-to-life situations and some genuine laugh out loud moments. Through the portly protagonist and his idle thoughts and dreams we’re taken to other worlds and fantastical side stories. Whether it’s a suicidal cacti or a futuristic world where everyone literally lives in their own personal bubble, Aviv has expertly brought it to life.
Dreams and Everyday Life may have a simple visual style - although occasionally detailed illustrations are thrown into the mix - but a little goes a very long way. This helps keep the focus on what’s really important – Ratzin’s story.
For all intents and purposes, this is simply a straight port of the graphic novel that appeared in book form. With this in mind there’s little in the way of interaction and surprisingly no bookmark feature. And despite its low age rating, there is some strong language.
But minor gripes aside, this is a truly brilliant app.
Dreams and Everyday Life carries humour, intellect and wit by the bucket load. Aviv Ratzin has captured all the little moments that make up modern life and they all ring true. It’s a simply spellbinding read that deserves more than a single read through.
10/10
Visit PersianCarPress here.
The app is a series of interconnected stories that all share similar themes and revolve around the unnamed protagonist, a portly top hat wearing gentleman.
This graphic novel doesn’t feature grandiose earth shattering narratives but instead it chooses to keep things (mostly) grounded and focus on the simple, important things in life. While it may touch on careers, money and health, the raison d'être of this app is to explore the day-to-day things that make us who we are.
Aviv Ratzin has created a world filled with incredibly detailed and true-to-life situations and some genuine laugh out loud moments. Through the portly protagonist and his idle thoughts and dreams we’re taken to other worlds and fantastical side stories. Whether it’s a suicidal cacti or a futuristic world where everyone literally lives in their own personal bubble, Aviv has expertly brought it to life.
Dreams and Everyday Life may have a simple visual style - although occasionally detailed illustrations are thrown into the mix - but a little goes a very long way. This helps keep the focus on what’s really important – Ratzin’s story.
For all intents and purposes, this is simply a straight port of the graphic novel that appeared in book form. With this in mind there’s little in the way of interaction and surprisingly no bookmark feature. And despite its low age rating, there is some strong language.
But minor gripes aside, this is a truly brilliant app.
Dreams and Everyday Life carries humour, intellect and wit by the bucket load. Aviv Ratzin has captured all the little moments that make up modern life and they all ring true. It’s a simply spellbinding read that deserves more than a single read through.
10/10
Visit PersianCarPress here.