Cold War Correspondent: A Korean War Tale by Nathan Hale

 

Last night, I finished reading Cold War Correspondent: A Korean War Tale by Nathan Hale. This graphic nonfiction book is about Marguerite Higgins, a journalist who became the Far East bureau chief for the New York Herald Tribune in 1950. After North Korea, with weapons from the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea and captured Seoul because they were unhappy with where the border was drawn after World War II, Marguerite was trapped in enemy territory when the bridges over the Han River were blown up. Although she was constantly told that women weren't supposed to be on the frontlines, she risked her life and fought for her right to record what was happening. She even appealed to General Douglas MacArthur who reversed the ban on female war correspondents. Covering some of the key moments of the first year of the Korean War, she was the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for outstanding international reporting in American journalism.

This was such a fantastic graphic nonfiction book! I had never heard of Marguerite Higgins before, so it was especially compelling reading her story about being a female war correspondent during the Korean War. It also particularly piqued my interest because both of my grandfathers had fought during the Korean War and I don't know much about the experience (nor can I ask because they have both passed away in the time since). Her story was incredibly action-packed and it was enlightening that she faced both life-threatening situations and men challenging her authority to report on the war. I thought it was amazing that she ended up having the complete support of General MacArthur. Additionally, I enjoyed the humor of the narrators, Nathan Hale, E. Pluribus Hangman, Bill Richmond, the Provost, and a fictionalized version of Marguerite Higgins herself. The illustrations were so detailed and it felt fitting that they were in black, white, and shades of yellow. In the back of the book, readers can find a bibliography, photos of Marguerite Higgins, and statistics. I'd recommend Cold War Correspondent to anyone who has an interest in war history and/or women's history.

The Mighty Bite by Nathan Hale

 

Yesterday I read The Mighty Bite by Nathan Hale. This humorous graphic novel is about Trilobite and Amber, two prehistoric creatures who dream of being rich and famous. After they meet paleo-newscaster, Tiffany Timber, they go looking for a tablet in order to go into show business. Instead of finding a tablet, they end up in the trap of Opabinia. When Tiffany comes looking for them, she and Amber get booted out while Opabinia lets Trilobite go. Trying to catch up to Amber and Tiffany, Trilobite meets Tiny Spinosaur and Radcliff, an ape god, who help him reach the other two on a houseboat, despite nearly sinking it. After Trilobite plugs the power back in, they learn that Opabinia has framed Tiffany, making her look like she is an evil meanie who murdered Trilobite. Although they try making video rebuttals to clear her name, it doesn't work and they challenge Opabinia and his accomplices to a video battle.

This graphic novel was delightful and absolutely hilarious. I definitely laughed several times throughout the story. Even though they got off on the wrong foot, I enjoyed how Trilobite, Amber, Tiffany, and Tiny Spinosaur made a great team once they were in the later stages of the video battle. I also loved to hate Opabinia, who was somehow both funny and nefarious. Additionally, the hand-drawn images are chaotically amazing. I really liked looking at the details throughout the book, especially the shadowing during the lighting round of the video battle. Overall, my favorite part was the climax when both of the teams had to create a final video in under an hour. The theme was the supernatural and I had no idea what would happen. It was fantastic. The Mighty Bite is a wild and wacky ride, and anyone who likes paleontology or humor should read it.