Featured Projects
Action Philosophers
by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey, colored by Adam Guzowski
Published by Rocketship Entertainment, 2023-present
Action Philosophers details the lives and thoughts of history's greatest thinkers in a hip and humorous way that proves that philosophy can be for everyone! Co-created by writer Fred Van Lente and artist Ryan Dunlavey in 2003, Action Philosophers has become become their flagship comic book project, blending low-brow humor with the comic medium's power to educate and entertain. The series was honored with a 2004 Xeric Grant and a 2007 American Library Association award and has enjoyed an evergreen popularity remaining in print ever since its 2005 debut. Action Philosophers has been translated into 10 languages (and counting), was adapted for the stage by Crystal Skillman and is used as an educational text in universities and secondary schools around the globe. Initially a self-published project, the series was collected into a deluxe hardcover edition by Dark Horse Comics in 2014. In 2023 we partnered with Rocketship Entertainment to re-publish the series in full-color for the first time with new stories in each collected volume.
Free to read at actionphilosophers.com
Action Activists
by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey, coloring support by Alice Ito
Published by The Civics For All Comics Group, 2020-present
Evil Twin Comics collaborated directly with The New York City Department of Education to create the Action Activists comic series for their middle school social studies core curriculum, using the creative duo's acclaimed "real facts, fake jokes" approach to non-fiction comic book storytelling.
Action Activists teaches readers what civics is, how it works (and how it doesn't!) and how citizens can become civically engaged through activism, protest and even running for political office. The series also tells the story of significant moments in the activist history of New York City, profiles several famous immigrant activists throughout US History and even gives a look at what history might have been like without specific moments in civic action. A spin-off title How To Be An Action Activist is a special introduction to civic action for early readers starring the series' popular squirrel and pigeon narrators.
Action Activists was the launch title of the New York City Department of Education's original comics publishing initiative. 100,000 printed copies of each issue have been distributed for free to New York City middle school students as part of their Social Studies core curriculum, and digital downloads are available as a free teaching resource (or to read just for fun - they're pretty funny).
The Comic Book History of Comics
by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey, colored by Adam Guzowski
Published by IDW / Penguin Random House, 2018
Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey's irreverent-but-accurate take on the inspiring, infuriating, and utterly insane history of comics, graphic novels, and manga - as a comic book! Most texts about the history of comics have a tendency to center around the author's personal favorite sub-category (comic strips, super heros, etc.) while ignoring other, equally significant forms. Fred and Ryan tried to avoid that pitfall by making The Comic Book History of Comics a gateway history that focuses on the breakthrough cultural moments and creative inventions that advanced the comics art form as a whole (rather than just talk about the stuff they like) using their signature "make as many jokes as possible as fast as possible" style.
Action Presidents (4 book series)
by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey, coloring support by
Alice Ito (v.1 & 4), Stephen Meyer (v.2) and Aaron Polk (v.3)
Published by HarperCollins, 2020
WINNER: Theodore Roosevelt Association Children’s Book Award, 2021 (v.3)
FINALIST: Excellence in Graphic Literature Award (non-fiction) (v.1 & v.4)
Real History! Fake Jokes! Action Presidents is a four volume middle-grade graphic novel biographies of some of the United States's greatest leaders. As described by our publisher: “Historically accurate and highly entertaining, Action Presidents’ bold and hilarious comic style will keep curious readers learning until the last page.”
The Comic Book History of Animation
by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey
colored by Ryan Dunlavey and Adam Guzowski
Published by IDW / Penguin Random House, 2021
FINALIST: 2022 'Ringo Awards "Best Non-Fiction Comics Work"
From Aardman to Zoetrope, Disney to Miyazaki, Hanna-Barbera to Pixar, and everything in between! The Comic Book History of Animation is a comprehensive graphic novel history of the filmmakers and beloved characters of animated film from the past century and a half, and is essential for fans of the medium and “toon newbies” alike. A passion project by two lifelong film and animation fans, Fred and Ryan funded the production of the book through a Kickstarter campaign and then wrote and drew it during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns before bringing it to IDW/Penguin for mass-market publication.
Evil Twin Comics is not a publisher. We do not accept creative submissions of any kind - all samples will be deleted immediately.