A large format book might, at first, seem like a surprising choice for a graphic novel aimed at adults. Bathed in turquoise, the cardboard cover of Shirley Hughes' Bye, Bye Birdie recalls nothing so much as a Doctor Seuss fantasy. The similarities end there. While Hughes, the celebrated children's book author and illustrator, draws on her past graphic work in terms of style, Bye, Bye Birdie is a radical departure, thematically speaking, from her Alfie days. The cartoon, advancing frame by frame in black and white line, recalls the shapes and curves of Hughes' earlier work. But Alfie and Dogger lovers should prepare themselves for a revelatory experience: these lines have claws. If Hughes' children's work addresses the everyday concerns of the very young, Bye, Bye Birdie addresses the double standards encountered in adulthood and how, contrary to our expectations, they may be countered in unanticipated, sometimes horrific, ways. It's a wildly experimental work that, in i ...

It's a time of uncertainty for the Republican party's old guard when a Senator like Arlen Specter, one of the its oldest members, chooses to become a Democrat. Specter dealt the GOP an unexpected blow on April 28 when, free from the iron grip of strictly enforced Bush-Cheney loyalty, he decided that switching sides was preferable to adopting a maverick Republican or Independent stance. For Democrats—and American liberals, in general—this is an exciting development, even if the prospect of Specter's company is not as thrilling as that of, say, new union-friendly labor laws, health care reform, or a dramatically improved economy. There are four key developments to note surrounding the longtime Republican Pennsylvania senator’s announcement, facts which mark shifts in the conservative approach to politics and signs of a reversal in the Bush-era growth of far-right politicking. First, Lieberman-style party switches are not just for the conservatives who linger in liberal circles. ...