Most Popular Books by John Allison

Take a trip through the past in these rare Giant Days stories, to learn the origin of Daisy, Esther and Susan’s friendship, and see them embark on orientation, getting-to-know-you-exercises, and collisions with a secret society devoted to Black Metal, among other exploits! Collecting creator John Allison’s (Bad Machinery, Scary Go Round) original self-published Giant Days stories, Giant Days: Early Registration takes us back to our favorite characters’ first quarter of university for their initial misadventures for the first time!

Ed Gemmel returns to Sheffield after a summer spent healing bones and also his heart. Esther does her best to welcome him back, but neither of them have forgotten his drunken confession.

It’s time to uncover the truth of what really happened to old Chet Charles, how the Eidolon was created ...and what it has to do with Jane’s parents.

Nominated for a 2018 Eisner Award! With the air still clouded with weirdness in Esther and Ed’s shared house, Esther contemplates what it is that’s still standing between them and making everything feel...icky. The question is, does Esther want to kiss, or just to make up?

It''s springtime at Sheffield University - the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and fast-pals Susan, Esther, and Daisy continue to survive their freshman year of university. Susan is barely dealing with her recent breakup with McGraw, Esther is considering dropping out of school, and Daisy is trying to keep everyone and everything from falling apart! Combined with house- hunting, indie film festivals, and online dating, can the girls make it to second year? Collects issues #13-16.

We usually think of imagination as a fanciful, whimsical faculty that has little to do with reality and truth. This beautifully written book by the Australian poet John Allison shows how ordinary imagination can be intensified to become an organ of cognition--a path of development to real knowing. Allison shows how poetry--poetic knowing and seeing--can reveal aspects of the world invisible to science. Three lucid chapters describe the path to true imagination, where attention is the key. First we must practice it, then we must become aware of the processes involved in it. Learning to experience "poise," we must come to terms with the shadow--or all that says "No" in us. The combination of attention, equanimity, and assent opens the world in a new way. Allison then examines how poets have actually developed and practiced the kind of "deep seeing" that "image work" involves. For this he draws on William Shakespeare, William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Novalis, John Ruskin, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Octavio Paz. The author concludes with a sequence of his own poems that exemplify the philosophy and practice he has developed. Contents: Preface: "A Way of Seeing" One: "Developing Imagination" Attending to Attentiveness Experiencing Poise Developing Imagination Owning the Shadow Getting It Two: "Poets and Imagination" Freeing Imagination from Fancy Negative Capability Deep Seeing Instress and Inscape Heartwork Three: "The Poetic Image" Another Way of Seeing Things Four: "Seeing Things" Living in the World Connections Three Portals of Imagination Otanerito Triptych: Crossings Indwelling the Overlap Catlins Gateway Reflected Light Seeing Things II

When Freshers'' Flu strikes the dorm, no one gets off easy. Daisy enters a one-sided relationship with an off-brand Polish cold cure given to her by Ed Gemmell, Susan is forced into nicotine withdrawal, and Esther becomes incapable of distinguishing fever dreams from reality. Death stalks the dorm halls by night!

Final exams, final friendship times, and some final goodbyes for Daisy, Esther, and Susan before the summer term wraps up, and it’s suddenly time to say goodbye to Sheffield!

Home to high school best friends Jane Langstaff and Heather Meadows, Spectrum is a boomtown that’s long since stopped booming, with nothing to show for its former glory but the abandoned Charleswood Estate, its dwindling sprocket millions, and the story of the disappeared industrialist who founded the place... But deep within Charleswood, unbeknownst to anyone, there is a device called the Eidolon, which can open up a doorway to an otherworldly dimension. And Heather and Jane are about to go knocking. Eisner Award nominee John Allison (Giant Days, Scary Go Round), and artist Christine Larsen (Adventure Time) invite you beyond the Eidolon, to a world of bizarre creatures and fantastical, hilarious adventure.

It’s moving day, and each girl has their own set of challenge to face! Not least of which is McGraw’s... unique idea of what a lovely home should be.

In times of a disastrous norovirus outbreak in McGraw’s for-fun cricket team, Susan, Esther, and Daisy are called upon to defend McGraw’s sportly honor. Taking up the bats of his fallen mates and donning their cricket whites, it’s a sporting adventure the girls had literally never anticipated! Can Susan be genteel and sportsmanlike? Can Esther stop goofing off? Will Daisy prove the greatest cricketer of all time?

A supernatural tale of friendship, the devil, and moral gray areas. Two women with wildly different worldviews become unlikely friends as they navigate the supernatural happenings in a sleepy coastal parish--and soon find themselves forced to choose sides in the war between good and evil, facing demons, curses, and a miniature Rapture! The latest graphic novel from John Allison, author of Giant Days! Collects issues #1-#5 of Dark Horse Comics series Steeple.

Jane Langstaff and Heather Meadows have been to the other side...and now it’s just a question of how to bring proof back home with them. And then there’s the question of how the portal got there in the first place...and whether or not the town of Spectrum, South Dakota is safe, or monsters are about to start pouring through to our world. Not to mention, with Gardt facing the consequences for Jane and Heather’s invasion, have the girls actually been the monsters all along? From Eisner Award nominee John Allison (Giant Days, Scary Go Round), and artist Christine Larsen (Adventure Time), join Jane and Heather as they journey into Eidolon and a mystical world of adventure and laughs!

It’s the end of second year, and everything is happening so fast! Moving out, breaking up, breaking hearts, breaking...bones? Best-Mates-for-Life Esther, Daisy, and Susan had better hold on tight if they want to make it to their third year, never mind in one piece! John Allison (Bad Machinery, Scary Go Round) and illustrators Max Sarin and Liz Fleming shepherd us through another action-packed semester in Giant Days Volume 9, which collects Issues #33-36 of the Eisner Award-nominated series.

The final year of university is about to start for best mates Daisy, Esther, and Susan, and everything is going completely off the rails. From finding somewhere to live at the last minute, to broken bones, to the looming terror of the adult world, this semester is one you won’t want to miss. John Allison (Bad Machinery, Scary Go Round) and illustrators Max Sarin and Julia Madrigal are our “resident advisors” for this action-packed fall term, which collects Issues #37-40 of the Eisner Award-nominated series.

Shauna. Charlotte. Mildred. Three schoolgirl sleuths. Jack. Linton. Sonny. Three schoolboy investigators. Tackleford. One mid-sized city with a history of countless mysteries. Is there enough room at Griswalds Grammar School for two groups of kid detectives? There better be, because once these kids have set their sights on solving a mystery there''s nothing that can derail them. Nothing, except maybe gossip, classwork, new football player cards, torment from siblings, or any number of childhood distractions.

The third (and final!) year of university is finally here, and BFFs Daisy, Esther, and Susan are in for some surprising upsets in their first semester. Between Halloween run-ins with Daisy’s dreaded (dreadful) ex, part-time gigs at a shady pop-up Christmas market, Esther dating a tech-bro, and Susan attempting to be...romantic, there’s still plenty to learn and more than enough misadventure to squeeze in before it’s time to don caps and gowns! Written by John Allison (Scary Go Round, By Night) and illustrated by the incredible Max Sarin, Giant Days volume 11 kicks off third year with a bang, collecting issues #41-44 of the Eisner Award winning series.

GIANT DAYS ARE THE BEST DAYS OF ALL. Esther, Susan, and Daisy aren’t just BFFs, or the stars of the hit graphic novel series Giant Days which chronicles their humorous, tragic, adorable, and always memorable adventures as they survive the greatest challenge of all--life. This iconic trio is also the source of some of the greatest wisdom and insights you could ever ask for--and you did, so we have a whole book full of their advice for you, so you don’t have to take our word for it. (But, uh, this is also marketing copy on the back of a book we want you to buy so just remember you’re making a choice, which is also a lesson contained within these pages) Award-winning Giant Days creators John Allison, Lissa Treiman & Max Sarin present the unforgettable guide to getting through the day when every moment is bursting with feelings, collecting some of the most beloved moments from the Eisner Award-winning series and featuring all-new art!

A supernatural tale of friendship, the devil, and moral gray areas. The start of autumn brings more than changing leaves: it also brings Witchfest, where the coastal parish Tredregyn is beset by a horde of festive witches celebrating the equinox—and local curate Billie finds herself accidentally volunteering!

From the bestselling author of Giant Days comes the latest pocket-sized volume in his beloved Bad Machinery series! It''s that classic feud: mods versus rockers! As the boys get caught up in the allure of mod culture (the scooters! the hair! the fashion!), Shauna is testing her mettle as the queen of metal. But when the new King of the Mods is crowned, he sparks an all-out war between the musical factions, with the mystery team caught in the mix! The Case of the Modern Men, the eighth book in John Allison''s award-winning Bad Machinery series, finds our intrepid mystery-solvers at an age-old crossroads. How does a person become cool? Why can''t we all just get along? And could that shiny new scooter be... cursed?

It’s never a quiet day at the University of Sheffield as best friends Esther, Susan and Daisy try do regular things like solving comic book shop capers, attending McGraw’s brother’s wedding, and Daisy learning to drive OH MY GOD WE’RE ALL DOOMED. The Eisner Award nominated team of John Allison (By Night) and Max Sarin are back with new unforgettable stories about the best BFFs ever, including a special issue both written and illustrated by Allison himself. Collects issues #45-48.

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.

In an effort to lift the spirits of her dear friends, Daisy takes the girls camping.

The Eisner Award-winning team of John Allison (Scary Go-Round) and Max Sarin return to Sheffield for heartbreak, muscle aches, the very special pain of going corporate...and why the love of good friends is the secret to getting through it all. Collects issues #49-52.

Daisy has to draw on new reserves of inner strength after she loses control of a party of prospective students on an open day, while the "lonely, unlovable spinster" Susan tries dating again with disastrous results.

Eisner-Award winning author John Allison (Giant Days) and artist Christine Larsen (Adventure Time) join forces for a story about coming home, discovering identity, and accidently smashing a hole to another dimension. Aspiring documentarian (and actual Chemistry major) Jane has recently reunited with her former best friend Heather, amateur urban explorer. When a trip into an abandoned industrial building leads them to another world, their plan begins to unfold—create a documentary about the world and become filthy, filthy rich. The other side of the portal is filled with monsters, magic and a chance for a whole new life. All they have to do is step through...

An Agatha Christie-style murder mystery set in the world of English competitive baking from Giant Days'' John Allison and Max Sarin. Breakthroughs occur in the case of the mysterious UK Bakery Tent poisoning as Shauna gets closer to solving the mystery while hoping not to get battered in the process. Can she unlock the conspiracy and trap the poisoner in time, or will they slip through her buttery fingers?

At the Savoy Hotel, in the aftermath of an attack on legendary detective Kendo Miyamoto, Lottie Grote finds herself the number one suspect in a potential muder investigation. There might be a way out, though, but only if she’s willing to make a deal with the devil... Scotland Yard!

It’s the end of second year for best mates Susan, Daisy, and Esther, and cracks are appearing in the foundation of this unshakeable trio. Between (irritating) new loves, (secretive) old loves, (unlikely) new friendships and (terrible) old houses, they’ll be lucky to make it to third year alive! Collects issues #29-32.

THE SECRETS OF THE OTHERWORLD ARE REVEALED. It’s time to uncover the truth of what really happened to old Chet Charles, how the Eidolon was created...and what it has to do with Jane’s parents. But as Heather, Jane, and their increasingly improbable team come face to face with the terrible truth of Spectrum, they’ll be forced to make choices that will forever change their futures—or totally, literally blow up in their faces and ensure they have no futures. No pressure or anything. Collects issues #8-12

Back in the real world, Jane has to choose between exposing the Otherworld, and not showing her film...after all the blood, sweat, and tears she’s poured into it. Her future, or a whole world?

BREAD OF THE DEAD! An Agatha Christie-style murder mystery set in the world of English competitive baking from Giant Daysu0019 John Allison and Max Sarin. When she enters her countryu0019s most beloved baking competition, Shauna Wickle''s goal is to delight the judges, charm the nation, and make a few friends along the way. But when a fellow contestant is poisoned, it falls to her to apprehend the culprit while avoiding premature elimination from the UK Bakery Tent . . . and being the poisoner''s next victim!

When wildcat arson hits her new employer right where she lives, Shauna Wickle is drawn into the brutal and vindictive world of quilting, as sisterhood and community needlecraft deteriorate into internecine strife. With the promise of an end to all her financial worries, Shauna must cross enemy lines and infiltrate a cadre of “monsters in human skin”. But they seem… so nice? • Four issue series.

Esther gets caught up in the influence of a "super-woke" colleague, and Susan grows frustrated with Ingrid''s presence in their home.

The next-door neighbor calls the police on what may be the most sedate dinner party of all time, causing Susan to deliver a furious and extremely unkind - but totally justified - opinion on the matter.

This collection of short stories for young children introduces a small fluffy Shih Tzu called Max, who is searching for love and a forever home. One day a kind lady called Sally takes him to her heart, and his journey through life begins. The book contains a number of stories, and each one focuses on friendship, compassion, and the importance of friends, family and having fun. Bursting with illustrations that help to fire the imagination, this book will keep your child interested. Each story has a positive and uplifting message, using relatable characters and simple language that is easy for young children to understand and enjoy.