Jon Chad

in this dynamic, nonfiction graphic novel, Jon Chad illustrates the little-known story of pinball—how it works and why it all matters in an age of special effects and on-screen gaming. In 1976, champion player Roger Sharpe stepped up to a pinball machine in a Manhattan courtroom. The New York City Council had convened to consider lifting the city’s ban on pinball—a game that had been outlawed since 1942 for its supposed connections to gambling and organized crime. Sharpe was there to prove that, unlike a slot machine, pinball wasn’t a game of chance designed to fleece its players—it was a game of skill that required a measure of patience, coordination, and control. To prove his point, he proclaimed that he would launch his ball into the center lane at the far end of the playfield—much like Babe Ruth famously pointing to the fences. Sharpe pulled back the plunger and released, and the fate of this industry and art form hung in the balance. Thus opens Jon Chad’s comprehensive graphic novel to the history of the captivating, capricious—and at times infuriating!—game of pinball. Tracing pinball’s roots back to the Court of King Louis XIV, through the immigrant experience of early 20th century America, the post-War boom and bust, right up to the present day, Chad charmingly ushers readers through the myriad facets of this most American of pursuits—capturing not just the history but also the artistry, cultural significance, and even the physics of the game.

A Graphic History of the Silver Ball

Pinball

Armed with scientific knowledge and a magic dagger, Leo is determined to outwit man-eating Quadclops giants and Malvisors and travel to the center of the earth.

Leo Geo and his miraculous journey through the center of the earth

Armed with his knowledge of science, Leo Geo becomes an astronaut and heads into space, where he encounters pirates and tries to stop a comet that is headed toward his brother's science laboratory on Earth.

Leo Geo and the Cosmic Crisis

Step out of your element with Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements, the latest volume of First Second's nonfiction graphic novel series! A book of fun chemistry experiments has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Mel can use her knowledge of the periodic table to put an end to a maniacal madman's evil schemes. The periodic table helps us quickly understand the 118 elements, those tiny substances that make up everything in the world. By using the periodic table, we can recognize how these building blocks behave, find trends and patterns in the universe, and make predictions about elements that haven’t been discovered yet. Join us in learning about the periodic table, and maybe the next big discovery will be yours!

Understanding the Building Blocks of Everything

Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements

An intrepid explorer climbs down, down, down the page as he voyages through the center of the earth in this unusually inventive comic adventure. Intrepid explorer Leo Geo is heading off on a mission into the unknown. With science as his sidekick, he intends to tunnel his way to the center of the earth. Of course, things never turn out quite the way you expect when you're burrowing your way through the earth's layers. Before long, Leo is forced to leave his tunneling machine behind, and he climbs, crawls, and falls to his destination while dodging giant centipedes, man-eating quadclops, and an evil army of subterranean malvisors bent on invading the surface. Kids will be drawn in by the unusual format of this inventive comic, following Leo as he climbs deeper and deeper into a very long and skinny book—and they may just learn a few things about geology as they go.

Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth

Andy Hirsch

Joe Flood

Dinosaurs, Volcanoes, and Rocks and Minerals

Science Comics Set

John Allison

Ngozi Ukazu

James Tynion IV

Carey Pietsch

Shannon Watters

ND Stevenson

Sina Grace

Jake Lawrence

Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

Becca Tobin

John Kovalic

Maddie Flores

Paul Mayberry

Eryk Donovan

Rian Sygh

The annual BOOM! Box Mix Tape is an eclectic collection of stories featuring beloved characters from established BOOM! Box series as well as original stories showcasing up-and-coming creators and brand-new content. With original stories featuring Lumberjanes, Giant Days, Cyanide & Happiness, Goldie Vance, The Backstagers, and many more! Collects the BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2014, 2015, and 2016.

BOOM! Box Mix Tape

We reached out to a bunch of our favorite creators with one mission in mind: to bring original, unconventional characters and stories to life. The Mix Tape is an eclectic collection of stories based on characters that are anything but your average lot. Narwhal Janitors and Urban Cowboys are just the tip of these stories that are best described as “off the beaten track.”

BOOM!

Jon Chad

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