Word on the Street Halifax

From CTV.ca Degrassi website:

Attention East Coast Degrassi fans! You can get up close and personal with one of the stars of the show this weekend.

Mike Lobel is headed to Halifax alongside the author and one of the illustrators of the Degrassi graphic novels for a literary festival.

Lobel, who plays "Jay Hogart," will be on hand to take questions this Sunday. Alongside him will be J. Torres, the author of the Degrassi graphic novels, and Ramon Perez, who illustrated Vol. 2 of the series, including the book "Suddenly Last Summer."

They will also be joined by Christopher Jackson, Director of Digital Media and Merchandising for Epitome Pictures.

"We're so happy to be a part of Word on The Street for the second year running; this time in Halifax," says Jackson.

"WOTS' mission of promoting a positive attitude towards literacy is one that we're 100 percent behind, and we hope that Degrassi's involvement will help shine just a little more light on such an important national literary festival."

The one day "Word on the Street" festival occurs at the end of September in Halifax, Toronto, Kitchener, Calgary and Vancouver.

This year is the 13th incarnation of the festival in Halifax, and will be held on the 23rd of September. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cunard Event Centre on the city's waterfront.

Lobel and co. will appear on the Graphic Novel and Young Adult Readers Stage, which is aimed at aspiring authors from age 12 and up. They'll take the stage at 1:15 p.m.

Later that day the crew will sign autographs at the Strange Adventures booth at 2:15 p.m.

Torres is a Toronto-based author and is best known for his work on "Teen Titans Go." His work has also earned him a nomination for an Eisner Award and a Harvey Award.

Perez is also the co-creator of "Butternutsquash," a popular web comic.

There is no charge for admission at the event, and it is intended to be a family affair.

Degrassi has only confirmed their appearance in Halifax. The remaining cities will hold their festivals on the 30th.

Degrassi launched their graphic novel series last year as a way to fill in the gaps of what goes on in the lives of the students after school and during summer break.

Series creator Linda Schuyler, with cast members Jake Goldsbie, Cassie Steele and Ryan Cooley, took part in the 2006 WOTS festival in Toronto.

He's trapped on the phone...

... and he can't shut up!

J. Torres spreads some more Degrassi: Extra Credit love in a phone converstaion with the fine ladies from degrassi-boards.com.

Click here to hear the podcast and find out how White Castle, stairmasters, and car washes all circle back to the coolest graphic novels around!

Author, out loud!

Wow, so much going on in the Degrassi universe that this one nearly slipped under our radar!

Degrassi: Extra Credit author J. Torres, along with Degrassi's Miriam McDonald and Daniel Clark, are guests on the current SimonSays podcasts!

Tune in to hear J. talk about the origins of the Degrassi graphic novels, and where the stories fit in to the timeline of the television show itself. Daniel and Miriam tell you why they love the books, and which scenes from the books they'd like to see translated to the small screen.

Get it all right here, from SimonSays.com!

How to Earn Extra Credit

Think you’ve got Degrassi down cold? You can now show off your skills in a new Degrassi.ctv.ca contest, and possibly win a few great prizes.

The grand prize includes:

1. An original artist’s page from “Degrassi: Extra Credit, Volume 4,” which would be perfect for framing. It’s he most limited of limited editions – number one of one! The artwork will be autographed by artist Steve Rolson, author J. Torres, and the depicted Degrassi cast members.

2. A sweet “Degrassi” t-shirt.

Five runners-up will win:

1. Four graphic novels in the “Degrassi: Extra Credit” series, autographed by author J. Torres. Each book willl also be autographed by the cast-member portrayed on the cover.

2. A sweet “Degrassi” t-shirt.

All you need to do is go here, fill out the froms and answer the quiz questions:

http://ctv1.ctv.ca/contests/degrassiextracred/

Need help finding the answers? Browse the "Degrassi: Extra Credit Preview Galleries."


(No purchase necessary. Contest starts at 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, April 30, 2007 and closes on Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Complete contest rules and regulations available at http://www.degrassi.ctv.ca. Open to legal residents of Canada thirteen (13) years of age or older. Must correctly answer, unaided, a mathematical skill testing question to be declared a winner. Approximate retail value of the Prize is Ninety-Five Dollars ($95.00) Cdn. The odds of winning a Prize will depend upon the total number of eligible entries received during the Contest Period.)

April Showers Bring...

In stores now:

DEGRASSI: EXTRA CREDIT #3
Written by J. Torres; Art by Eric Kim; Cover by Ed Northcott

Spinner has been dumped by Darcy for his cheating ways! With God as his witness, he promises to get her back no matter what it takes, but when his arch-nemesis Jay Hogart offers to help, Spinner finds himself torn between "good" and "evil." Meanwhile, Liberty's parents suspect post-partum depression, but something else is weighing on her mind. Could Liberty be planning a desperate move?


Also now in stores in Canada (in stores in the US starting May 8th):

DEGRASSI: EXTRA CREDIT #4
Written by J. Torres; Art by Steve Rolston; Cover by Ed Northcott

As Marco and Dylan rekindle their romance, Marco is reluctant to make their relationship as public as Dylan wants. This puts a strain on the couple and prevents the two from taking things to the next level. After being away from home for year, Ashley has trouble reconnecting with boyfriend Jimmy and step-brother Toby. But is it the air of superiority she picked up while in England that's getting in the way or that big, ugly hat that's keeping them at a distance?

This Week's Sneak Peek

Comic Book Resources recently posted a five-page preview from Degrassi: Extra Credit #4 here:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9997

DEC #4 (a.k.a. "Safety Dance") is illustrated by Eisner Award winner Steve Rolston and features Marco, Dylan, Jimmy, Ashley, and Toby with cameos by Ellie and Paige.

And in case you missed it, The N posted a two-page preview from Degrassi: Extra Credit #3 here:

http://www.the-n.com/checkit/article.php?id=6151
http://www.the-n.com/checkit/article.php?id=6152

DEC #3 (a.k.a. "Missing You") is illustrated by Eric Kim of the Shuster Award winning Love as a Foreign Language and features Spinner, Liberty, and Jay with cameos by Darcy, Danny and... well, I don't want to spoil everything.

More previews to come! Please stay tuned!

Vote for Torres! Vote for Pérez!

Hey fans, our very own J. Torres has been nominated in the 'Best Canadian Comic Book Writer' category for the 2007 Joe Shuster Awards! With a 2006 body of published work that included Cartoon Network's Block Party 22, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi 3, Teen Titans Go! 27-38, and three installments of the charming Love As A Foreign Language, how in the world did he find the time to script two installments of Degrassi: Extra Credit?? Well I, for one, have no idea, but Degrassi fans everywhere are awfully glad he did...

And speaking of the Shuster Awards and Degrassi: Extra Credit, who's that nominated in the 'Outstanding Canadian Web Comic Creative Team' category? Why it's DEC2 (Suddenly Last Summer) artist Ramón Pérez, along with his buddy Rob Coughler! Rob and Ramón are being recognized for their most excellent web comic, ButternutSquash.

If you enjoyed the first two Degrassi graphic novels, why not show J. and Ramón some love by voting for them online at www.joeshusterawards.com?

The Countdown Begins!

They're almost here, fans... Degrassi: Extra Credit Volumes 3 and 4 are about to hit the shelves!

MISSING YOU — Degrassi: Extra Credit, Volume 3

Spinner has been dumped by Darcy for his cheating ways! But with God as his witness, he promises to get her back no matter what it takes — including resisting all manner of temptation, all summer long. When arch-nemesis Jay Hogart offers to help, Spinner finds himself torn between “good” and “evil.” Which one will win out?

Considering what Liberty’s been through recently, it’s no wonder she’s spending her summer vacation moping about. Her parents suspect post-partum depression, but something else is weighing on her mind. Could Liberty be planning a desperate move?

SNEAK PEEK: Check out an exclusive preview of Missing You on The-N.com, here and here!

Canada - from Fenn Publishing, in stores April 23, 2007
United States - from Pocket Books / Simon & Schuster, in stores April 24, 2007

SAFETY DANCE — Degrassi: Extra Credit, Volume 4

When Marco witnesses Dylan get into a fight with a homophobic hockey player, he’s suddenly super self-conscious about the way the world looks at him. Dylan wants to take their relationship to the next level, but Marco is holding them back. What will it take for Marco to move forward?

Ashley is back from merry ol’ England but she’s finding it hard to reconnect with her stepbrother Toby and to rekindle the romance with ex-boyfriend Jimmy. Is her talk of all things British keeping them at a distance...? Or is it her hideous hat?

Canada - from Fenn Publishing, in stores April 23, 2007
United States - from Pocket Books / Simon & Schuster, in stores May 8, 2007

Toon In

Those of you who live in Canada can now view "Confusionville" the first Degrassi animated mini (a.k.a. mangasode) on CTV Broadband:

http://primetime.ctvdigital.com/primetime/?name=degrassi&id=531

And yes, that's really Lauren Collins, Stacey Farber, and Adamo Ruggiero providing the voices!

"Confusionville" is an adaptation (if you will) of a scene from Degrassi: Extra Credit, Volume 1 (a.k.a. "Turning Japanese") so if you've read that you will recognize the dialogue... but now you can hear the characters speaking the lines and see them in animated form for the first time!

I'm really excited about this and I'd love to hear what you guys think...

Lady Liberty in New York!

Brace yourselves, Degrassi fans... Liberty is about to hit New York City!

Come on out to the New York Comic Con on Saturday, February 25th at Noon for the Degrassi Spotlight. Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, Degrassi's Liberty, will join Degrassi: Extra Credit author J. Torres, and artist Ramón Pérez in a panel discussion of all things Degrassi, including Liberty's comic book premiere in the third Extra Credit graphic novel. (For an exclusive sneak peek of Liberty in the upcoming book, keep your eye on www.the-n.com!)

Sarah, J., and Ramón will hang around after the panel to sign autographs at the Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster booth, from 1:30 to 2:30 PM.

Don't miss this incredible chance to meet Sarah, and to check out some of the other awesome events that the New York Comic Con has to offer!

Degrassi Spotlight @ New York Comic Con
Noon, Sunday, February 25th
Jacob Javits Convention Center
Room 1E16
More info at: www.nycomiccon.com

The Finished Line

On the last day of the first month of 2007, I turned in the last act for the fouth book of Degrassi: Extra Credit.

That's right, I'm done.

Whew.

It was about a year and a half ago that I was first recruited for this assignment by art director Jennifer Lum. And boy, the last eighteen or so months have been... something else. There definitely have been some ups and downs, but mostly it's been a memorable, positive learning experience and period of growth for me.

The best part of it all has been the chance to meet and work with some incredible people including my hero Linda Schuyler. Although there were times when it hardly seemed like I was working at all and I felt like I was an uber-fan being paid to write fanfic and given a backstage pass to boot! But there were also some days when it felt like this was one of the most challenging writing assignments I've had to date. However, like said, overall I feel fortunate, privileged, and happy about my little contribution to the Degrassi universe.

And I certainly didn't do it on my own! There are so many people to thank for helping me get to this point. Too many to mention here, so I'll just make my rounds later and show them all my appreciation somehow. One shout out here, though: to the Degrassi fans out there who have been so supportive and encouraging to me during this whole process - you really inspired me to keep writing by letting me know that you were out there reading!

I guess it's not quite right to say "I'm done." There could be re-writes to do, and I still have to help proof the lettering before the last two books go to press, plus of course there are upcoming signings, convention appearances, and other promotional events... but the hardest part is behind me.

I am extremly relieved and, yes, even a teeny bit sad that I've finally crossed the finish line but I also want someone to hand me a Gatorade, a towel, and a chair and just let me sit and rest a minute :)

J.

Les bandes dessinées Degrassi maintenant en français!

Bonne nouvelle à tous les fans de Degrassi! L’attente est terminée, maintenant que les éditions en français des deux premières bandes dessinées Degrassi seront bientôt disponibles!

« Un job d’enfer pour Ellie », le premier d’une série de quatre livres, sera disponible chez les libraires en France, en Belgique et en Suisse le 7 février. Le deuxième livre, « Pour l’amour d’Emma », suivra en avril. Vous pouvez commander ces deux livres à l’avance en ligne à fnac.com et amazon.fr.

Les fans québécois de Degrassi n’auront pas à attendre beaucoup plus longtemps pour obtenir leur copie de leurs bandes dessinées favorites. Les Messageries ADP livreront les mangas aux libraires québécois à la mi-mars (Ellie) et à la mi-avril (Emma).

Publiés par PEPS Albin-Michel Jeunesse, ces mangas originaux contribueront à combler le vide entre les épisodes de Degrassi : nouvelle génération.

Days to 'confusionville'

The rumours are true!

'confusionville', the first Degrassi: Extra Credit mangasode is about to make its premiere on CTV Broadband!

On February 8, 2007, fans will get their first look at the cartoony Ellie, Paige, and Marco in this animated short penned by none other than J. Torres!

Hit up the Degrassi Video Index page after the 8th and watch the alternate universe unfold...

(And speaking of the universe, 'confusionville' will bow in Canada first, and will make a US debut on The-N.com sometime later in February. Stay tuned.)

Maintenant en français - Degrassi: Extra Credit!

Degrassi graphic novels, now in French!

Great news for French-speaking Degrassi fans! Your wait is just about over, as French-language editions of the first two Degrassi graphic novels will hit the shelves soon!

<Un job d'enfer pour Ellie>, the first in this four-book series, will be available at bookstores in France, Belguim and Switzerland beginning February 7. Book two, <Pour l'amour d'Emma>, follows with an April release date. Both books can be pre-ordered online at fnac.com and amazon.fr.

Degrassi fans in Québec won't have to wait too much longer get their hands on these graphic novels, either. Les Messageries ADP will bring these mangas to Québec booksellers in mid-March (Ellie) and mid-April (Emma).

No Reviews is Good Reviews?

For some reason we're not seeing a lot of reviews for Degrassi: Extra Credit, but a friend just sent me the following link to a review by the Winnipeg Sun. Here's an excerpt followed by the link to the full review:

"All in all, the graphic novels are great. It is a fantastic innovation to now allow fans into scenes and breaks they were never aware of while still maintaining the Degrassi standards for realistic drama.

Newcomers to the Degrassi world do not have to shy away from Extra Credit, each novel gives a brief recap before it begins, allowing everyone to be comfortable with the plot."

Link: Winnipeg Sun

And here's an excerpt and link to a review posted earlier this month on One80, a website "by youth for youth":

"The book is treated exactly as a TV episode. Before this literary episode begins, readers get a recap of the previous episode. For me this is already starting to feel like I’m watching the show, which isn’t a bad thing."

Link: One80

If you come across any other DEC reviews, drop us a line and share the link!