Thomas Girtin: The Forgotten Painter by Oscar Zarate review – enriching tale of the power of art
Using two time frames, this engrossing book flits between three modern admirers of the groundbreaking artist and the man himself wandering Europe
Dictatorship? How Hitler, Stalin and Trump show it’s easier than you think
Andrea Chalupa discusses her graphic novel, co-authored with Sarah Kendzior, about authoritarianism and its dangers
John Romita Sr: the Spider-Man artist was a titan of the comic-book world
The man who helped to bring an iconic character to life shaped the look of the Marvel Universe for decades
John Romita Sr, Spider-Man artist and co-creator of Wolverine, dead at 93
The celebrated artist began drawing for The Amazing Spider-Man in 1966, and served as an art director at Marvel for two decades. He died of natural causes
Blood of the Virgin by Sammy Harkham review – to live and cry in LA
The cartoonist’s singular book, 14 years in the making, imbues the tale of a harried 1970s B-movie editor with panoramic scope
The Faber/Observer/Comica graphic short story prize 2023 – enter now!
The annual award for aspiring cartoonists offers the chance to be published in the Observer and win £1,000, with past winners going on to land film deals
On my radar: Ari Aster’s cultural highlights
The Hereditary and Midsommar film-maker on the genius of Daniel Clowes’s Eightball, a haunting Iranian drama and the revelatory writing of Édouard Levé
Work-Life Balance by Aisha Franz review – richly comic takedown of the wellness industry
This well-aimed tale of a self-obsessed therapist and her angsty clients nails the neuroticism of the digital age and its snake-oil remedies
Al Jaffee, legendary Mad magazine cartoonist, dies aged 102
The artist behind the magazine’s famous “fold-in” drawing, Jaffee was Mad’s longest-tenured contributor and only retired when he was 99
Rachel Pollack, trans activist and comic book writer, dies aged 77
Pollack, who created the first mainstream transgender superhero, Kate Godwin, had been fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Superman review – Christopher Reeve’s superhero origin movie still looks swell
Richard Donner’s 1978 event movie brought Hollywood grandeur, a great John Williams score and a gentlemanly hero quite unlike any other
Alice Oseman reveals plans for sixth volume of Heartstopper graphic novels
Forthcoming fifth volume of the hit series was planned to be the last but writer says a sixth book will give characters ‘their final moment to shine’
Manga-nifique! How France became obsessed with Japanese anime
In the 1970s, giant robot cartoons sparked a love affair with French fans (including Emmanuel Macron) – now the country is the world’s largest manga importer, and home to a new Murakami film
Spa by Erik Svetoft review – how the other half dies
An oozing discharge in the corridors of a five-star hotel symbolises the corruption of the rich in the Swedish artist’s mordant gothic debut
We’re All Just Fine by Ana Penyas review – home truths in a tyrant’s reign
Rich in detail, this award-winning debut explores the evolution of Spanish womanhood through drudgery, dictatorship and liberation