Giant Days

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Giant Days
Publication information
PublisherBoom! Studios
ScheduleMonthly
FormatLimited series
GenreVarsity comedy
Publication date2011 (webcomic)
2015–2019 (comic book)[1]
No. of issues54
+3 webcomics
+4 specials
Creative team
Created byJohn Allison
Written byJohn Allison
Artist(s)John Allison (webcomic, issue 48)
Lissa Treiman (issues 1–6)
Max Sarin (issues 7–37, 40–47, 49–54)
Julia Madrigal (issues 38–39)
Inker(s)Liz Fleming (issues 13–35)
Letterer(s)Jim Campbell (Boom)
Colorist(s)Whitney Cogar (Boom)

Giant Days is a comedic comic book written by John Allison, with art by Max Sarin and Lissa Treiman. The series follows three young women – Esther de Groot, Susan Ptolemy and Daisy Wooton – who share a hall of residence at university. Originally created as a webcomic spin-off from his previous series Scary Go Round, and then self-published as a series of small press comics, Giant Days was subsequently picked up by Boom! Studios first as a six-issue miniseries and then as a monthly ongoing series. In 2016 Giant Days was nominated for two Eisner Awards and four Harvey Awards.[2][3] In 2019, it won two Eisner awards, for Best Continuing Series and Best Humor Publication.[4]

Creation[edit]

Webcomic[edit]

Giant Days is part of the same universe as Allison's previous series Bobbins and Scary Go Round. When Scary Go Round came to an end in 2009, Allison followed it with the series Bad Machinery. However, Bad Machinery – a mystery series about school-aged sleuths – was a departure from Scary Go Round, which had focused on a group of twenty-somethings, and Allison worried that the new series might alienate his audience. In case Bad Machinery failed, Allison began planning a second series based on the character of Esther de Groot from Scary Go Round.[5] Although Bad Machinery ultimately proved to be a success, he produced three short Giant Days stories between chapters of Bad Machinery. These were subsequently printed and sold by Allison.[6]

Ongoing series[edit]

In 2013, Boom! Studios launched "Boom! Box", an imprint for experimental comics from established artists outside the comics industry.[7] Allison, who was friends with Boom! editor Shannon Watters after catching her when she fell at a convention, saw Boom! The box is a good fit for continuing the Giant Days story and pitched it.[6] The series was initially picked up as a six-issue limited series with pencilling by Disney animator Lissa Treiman (who had previously written a guest comic for Scary Go Round). This was Allison's first time writing a comic but not drawing it.[6] Giant Days was a success, and after the final issue of the miniseries was picked up as an ongoing series, with Max Sarin replacing Treiman (although Treiman remained the cover artist until issue 24).[8] Allison announced the end of the series at issue 55.[9] Later this was clarified as ending at issue #54, with a special over-sized issue As Time Goes By wrapping up the series.[10]

Setting[edit]

Giant Days is set at the University of Sheffield and has a more realistic, less paranormal atmosphere than Allison's other comics, which take place in the fictional town of Tackleford.[6] The series begins with Scary Go Round character Esther de Groot, a melodramatic goth, moving into her hall of residence and befriending her new neighbours: the cheerful homeschooled Daisy Wooton and the prickly but grounded Susan Ptolemy. The three webcomic storylines focus on Esther, as she is targeted by a gang of private school head girls, breaks up with her school boyfriend, and joins a black metal society. In the comic book series, Susan initially was the viewpoint character although the series remains an ensemble.[6]

Characters[edit]

Main[edit]

Esther de Groot[edit]

Esther is tall, slim, pale, and goth. She is an English Literature student who loves black metal. She is proficient in boxing and is often seen falling in and out of love with various young men. Her friends consider her to be a drama queen, but she is also a very loyal and protective friend.

Susan Ptolemy[edit]

Susan is shorter and more of a tomboy than the other girls. She grew up in Northampton, smokes a lot and adopts a tough attitude but is secretly very sensitive. Though she is a medical student, Susan also has a reputation for being very careless and her roommates are constantly trying to get her to clean her filthy room and laptop. At the beginning of the series, she is secretly in love with her childhood friend McGraw, whom she later dates. She is very caring for her friend.

Daisy Wooton[edit]

Daisy is biracial and tall with curly/frizzy orangish hair and glasses, studying Archaeology. She is an orphan whose parents died in a plane crash, after which she was raised and homeschooled by her grandmother, whom she struggles to come out to but eventually does. Daisy struggles with her sexuality and eventually finds a steady female partner. Her friends see her as an innocent, wide-eyed optimist. She is very sweet and always tries to see the best in people, but has a violent side (especially when drunk).

Secondary[edit]

Graham McGraw[edit]

A fellow student and childhood friend/enemy of Susan's from Northampton who eventually dates her. He is very serious, mature, and an excellent handyman who often helps the girls do odd jobs around their apartment when they move off-campus.

Ed Gemmell[edit]

A fellow student who harbours an unrequited crush on Esther. He is also a friend and roommate of McGraw's.

Reception[edit]

Giant Days was well received, with reviewers especially positive about its depiction of women. Oliver Sava of The A.V. Club noted that "College-aged women are a demographic woefully underserved in the world of monthly comics, so when a new title caters to this group, it immediately stands out"[11] and that "Women make up a large portion of Disney fandom, and hiring a Disney animator for Giant Days gives the book a visual sensibility that will appeal to those fans while presenting a story they don’t get to see in the Disney house style."[12] Janelle Asselin writing for ComicsAlliance praised its depiction of online shaming[13] while Comic Bastards singled out the depth of the characters, in particular the sympathetic treatment of Daisy's homeschooling and the nuance of her coming-out arc.[8] David Nieves, reviewing the first issue for Comics Beat, described Treiman's art as having the "emotional grandiose [sic] of Scott Pilgrim" and the writing as having "the feminine voice of HBO’s GIRLS", both with a newspaper comic strip influence, but noted that "a slice of life story needs a little more emotional stakes".[14]

Awards[edit]

  • 2016 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Limited Series
  • 2016 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Writer/Artist (John Allison)[2]
  • 2016 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Best New Series
  • 2016 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Most Promising New Talent (Lissa Treiman)
  • 2016 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers
  • 2016 Harvey Awards: Nominated for Best Continuing or Limited Series[3]
  • 2018 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Continuing Series[15]
  • 2019 Eisner Awards: Best Continuing Series[16]
  • 2019 Eisner Awards: Best Humor Publication[16]
  • 2019 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Lettering[16]

Issues[edit]

Issue Publication date Pencils Inks Cover
Webcomics
#1 2011 John Allison
(including colors)
#2 2013
#3 2013
Boom! Box
#1 18 March 2015 Lissa Treiman
#2 5 April 2015
#3 13 May 2015
#4 17 June 2015
#5 15 July 2015
#6 19 August 2015
#7 21 October 2015 Max Sarin Lissa Treiman
#8 18 November 2015
#9 9 December 2015
#10 6 January 2016
#11 3 February 2016
#12 2 March 2016
#13 6 April 2016 Max Sarin Liz Fleming
#14 4 May 2016
#15 1 June 2016
#16 6 July 2016
#17 3 August 2016
#18 7 September 2016
#19 5 October 2016
2016
Holiday
Special 		26 October 2016 Lissa Treiman
"How the Fishman Despoiled Christmas"
Caanan Grall
Colors: Jeremy Lawson
#20 2 November 2016 Max Sarin Liz Fleming
#21 7 December 2016
#22 4 January 2017
#23 1 February 2017
#24 1 March 2017
#25 5 April 2017 Max Sarin
#26 3 May 2017
#27 7 June 2017
#28 5 July 2017
#29 2 August 2017
#30 6 September 2017
#31 4 October 2017
#32 1 November 2017
2017
Holiday
Special 		22 November 2017 Jenn St-Onge
Colors: Sarah Stern
#33 6 December 2017 Max Sarin Liz Fleming Max Sarin
#34 3 January 2018
#35 7 February 2018
#36 7 March 2018 Max Sarin
#37 4 April 2018
#38 2 May 2018 Julia Madrigal Max Sarin
#39 6 June 2018
#40 4 July 2018 Max Sarin
#41 1 August 2018
#42 5 September 2018
#43 3 October 2018
#44 7 November 2018
2018
Holiday
Special 		5 December 2018 "Where Women Glow and Men Plunder"
John Allison
#45 12 December 2018 Max Sarin
#46 2 January 2019
#47 6 February 2019
#48 6 March 2019 John Allison Max Sarin
#49 3 April 2019 Max Sarin
#50 1 May 2019
#51 5 June 2019
#52 3 July 2019
#53 7 August 2019
#54 4 September 2019
As Time
Goes By 		30 October 2019
Giant Days 4 October 2023 John Allison Special Limited Run

Collected editions[edit]

The series has so far been assembled into the following collections:

Trade paperbacks[edit]

Title Material collected Publication date ISBN
Giant Days – Volume One
  • Giant Days #1–4
 18 November 2015 9781608867899
Giant Days – Volume Two
  • Giant Days #5–8
 30 March 2016 9781608868049
Giant Days – Volume Three
  • Giant Days #9–12
 28 September 2016 9781608868513
Giant Days – Volume Four
  • Giant Days #13–16
 1 March 2017 9781608869381
Giant Days – Volume Five
  • Giant Days #17–20
 7 June 2017 9781608869824
Giant Days – Volume Six
  • Giant Days #21–24
 11 October 2017 9781684150281
Giant Days – Volume Seven
  • Giant Days #25–28
 14 March 2018 9781684151318
Giant Days:
Extra Credit – Volume One
  • Giant Days: 2016 Holiday Special
  • Giant Days: 2017 Holiday Special
  • "Fridge Raider" (BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2015 short story)
  • "Music Is Important" (BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2016 short story)
  • Destroy History (webcomic strips)
 13 June 2018 9781684152223
Giant Days – Volume Eight
  • Giant Days #29–32
 15 August 2018 9781684152070
Giant Days:
Early Registration
  • Giant Days #1–3 (webcomic)
 December, 2018[17] 9781684152650
Giant Days – Volume Nine
  • Giant Days #33–36
 6 February 2019 9781684153107
Giant Days – Volume Ten
  • Giant Days #37–40
 12 June 2019 9781684153718
Giant Days – Volume Eleven
  • Giant Days #41–44
  • Giant Days: 2018 Holiday Special
 25 September 2019 9781684154371
Giant Days – Volume Twelve
  • Giant Days #45–48
 29 January 2020 9781684154845
Giant Days – Volume Thirteen
  • Giant Days #49–52
 3 June 2020 9781684155422
Giant Days – Volume Fourteen
  • Giant Days #53–54
  • Giant Days: As Time Goes By
 14 October 2020 9781684156054

Hardcovers[edit]

Title Material collected Publication date ISBN
Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 1 ("Fall Semester, First Year")
  • Giant Days #1–8
  • Giant Days #1 (webcomic)
  • "Fridge Raider" (BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2015 short story)
 5 September 2023 9781684159598
Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 2 ("Winter Semester, First Year")
  • Giant Days #9–16
  • Giant Days #2 (webcomic)
  • "Music Is Important" (BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2016 short story)
 19 September 2023 9781684159604
Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 3 ("Spring Semester, First Year")
  • Giant Days #17–24
  • Giant Days #3 (webcomic)
 17 October 2023 9781684159611
Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 4 ("Fall Semester, Second Year")
  • Giant Days #25–32
  • "What Would Have Happened If Esther, Daisy, and Susan Hadn't Become Friends (And It Was Christmas)?"
  • "How the Fishman Despoiled Christmas"
 7 November 2023 9781684159628
Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 5 ("Spring Semester, Second Year")
  • Giant Days #33–40
  • "Love? Ack, Shelly!"
 12 December 2023 9781684159635
Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 6 ("Fall Semester, Third Year")
  • Giant Days #41–48
  • "Where Women Glow and Men Plunder"
 9 January 2024 9781684159642
Giant Days: Library Edition - Volume 7 ("Spring Semester, Third Year")
  • Giant Days #49–54
  • Giant Days: As Time Goes By
  • "Destroy History"
 13 February 2024 9781684159659

References[edit]

  1. ^ John Allison. "New Reader's Guide". Scary Go Round. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b "2016 Eisner Award Nominees". Comic Con. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b "2016 HARVEY AWARDS Nominees Announced". Newsarama. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Eisner Awards current info". ComicCon International San Diego. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  5. ^ Christine Marie (3 May 2016). ""Giant Days Had A Long Genesis" An Interview With Writer John Allison". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d e Steve Foxe (18 March 2015). "Giant Days Creator John Allison On Collaboration, Continuity and Quantum Leap". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Boom! Studios announces new imprint Boom! Box, an experimental line of titles created just 'for the love of it'". Boom! Studios. 22 November 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Giant Days: How John Allison's Wonderful Series Avoids the Pitfalls of YA Literature". Comic Bastards. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  9. ^ Lune, Matt (30 April 2019). "That's The Issue Podcast: Taking the Joke Seriously, with Steve Morris and John Allison". Multiversity Comics. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  10. ^ "GIANT DAYS Heading for GIANT End with AS TIME GOES BY". Newsarama. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  11. ^ Oliver Sava (24 March 2015). "Howard The Duck is overstuffed; Giant Days and Sleepwalking captivate". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  12. ^ Oliver Sava (21 August 2015). "Boom! targets female readers with the delightful Giant Days and Power Up". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  13. ^ Janelle Asselin (15 May 2015). "Thumbnail: In Praise of 'Giant Days' Approach to Internetting". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016.
  14. ^ David Nieves (18 March 2015). "Review: Giant Days "Boy Drama Will Be On The Test"". The Beat. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  15. ^ "2018 Eisner Awards Nominations". Newsarama. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  16. ^ a b c "2019 Eisner Awards Nominations". Newsarama. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  17. ^ Mega, Al. "Giant Days Signs Up for Early Registration". Comic Crusaders. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
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