Whether you’re after a gift for your book-devouring bestie or want a graphic novel to bury your head in during the family Christmas, comic store Modern Graphics has got you covered. Its three shops (in Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg and Prenzlauer Berg) are Berlin’s go-to for comics, illustrated books, children’s literature and magazines. To help you pick, we’ve rounded up five picture-filled publications. First up, a legend: Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist and Gropius Bau hit whose 93-year life Italian cartoonist Elisa Macellari explores through illustrations and texts in her graphic novel. Speaking of Gropius: Bauhaus is at the center of another book of illustrations – Bauhaus: A Graphic Novel – that reflects on one of the most influential periods in the history of design.
If it’s your own life you want to contemplate (New Year’s resolutions, anyone?), Resilienz from New Zealand-born author Matthew Johnstone is full of useful life-enhancing prompts. Wit-filled texts and cute illustrations help you find ways to overcome crises and achieve that all-important personal growth. Next up is Solar Plexy, a book of illustrated poetry about the realities and pitfalls of sex. Austrian comic artist Nicolas Mahler accompanies his verses with 30 watercolors that offer a humorous, distant take on intimacy. And finally: the holiday season wouldn’t be complete without a shift or two in the kitchen, and if you want to serve up some alchemy the Harry Potter Baking Book is full of magic meals straight from the dining rooms of Hogwarts. Inspired by the films, the 40 recipes are suitable for young and old fans alike. The books can be ordered for pickup at Modern Graphics’ three Berlin stores, with some titles also available on the online shop on eBay if you want to avoid the pre-Christmas crowds or shop after closing time. You can check the full selection here.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Robyn Steffen & Arundhati Shenoy
Modern Graphics Buchhandel Berlin, Oranienstr.22, 10999 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Mon–Sat 11–19h
Modern Graphics Buchhandel Berlin, Tauentzienstr.9-11, 10789 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Mon–Sat 10–20h
Modern Graphics Buchhandel Berlin, Kastanienallee 79, 10435 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map
Mon–Sat 11–19h
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