BAM! It’s a Picture Book!

Artwork from four of the most popular artists in the graphic novel genre will go on display this fall in downtown Abilene.

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature is pleased to showcase the art behind graphic novels this fall in our exhibition, “BAM!! It’s A Picture Book.” Graphic novels have become a popular genre among young readers and are known for their comic format. They are generally described as “sequential art,” where a series of illustrations tell the story, but, unlike newspaper comics, they are the length of a novel and include narrative development.

The exhibition will open in November and includes art from Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Mark Crilley, Matt Holm and Lincoln Peirce.

Krosoczka is the author and illustrator of both picture books and graphic novels. His signature graphic novel series, “Lunch Lady,” are about a school cafeteria worker who’s secretly a crime fighter, taking on rogue librarians and evil cyborg substitute teachers. The young readers who pick the Children’s Choices Book Awards have twice voted the “Lunch Lady” series the best third- and fourth-grade books.

Crilley is an award-winning author and illustrator who was voted one of the “100 Most Creative People in Entertainment” by Entertainment Weekly. He is known for his graphic novel series “Akiko,” “Brody’s Ghost” and “Miki Falls.” These series are all comics in the style of Japanese cartoons called anime or manga. In addition to his books, Crilley is known for his How to Draw YouTube videos where he demonstrates how to draw in various styles.

Holm is the co-creator, with his sister Jennifer, of two award-winning graphic novel series, “Babymouse” and “Squish.” The illustrations of the popular “Babymouse” series stand out due to their hot pink highlights incorporated with heavy black lines and hand-drawn panels on white paper. In July of 2013, the pair’s book, “Babymouse for President,” won the prestigious Eisner Award, which is given for creative achievement in American comic books.

Peirce is the cartoonist and author responsible for bringing us “Big Nate,” a cartoon that appears in more than 200 newspapers. After the success of the comic strip, Peirce was able to create the New York Times bestselling “Big Nate” book series that also stars the high-energy sixth-grader and his friends. The exhibition will feature a variety of drawings from the first five “Big Nate” books.

Look for more information on the exhibit and its opening at www.nccil.org.