View source for My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

{{Short description|2017 graphic novel by Emil Ferris}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox graphic novel
| title      = My Favorite Thing Is Monsters
| image      = My Favorite Thing Is Monsters cover.jpg
| alt        = A book cover featuring an illustration of a woman wearing lipstick and an emerald earring looking at the viewer, with an apartment building and full moon behind her.
| caption    = Cover of volume one
| publisher  = [[Fantagraphics]]
| date       = 
* February 14, 2017 (volume one)
* May 28, 2024 (volume two)
| creator    = [[Emil Ferris]]
}}

'''''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters''''' is a two-volume debut [[graphic novel]] by American writer [[Emil Ferris]]. It portrays a young girl named Karen Reyes investigating the death of her neighbor in 1960s [[Chicago]]. Ferris started working on the graphic novel after contracting [[West Nile virus]] and becoming paralyzed at age&nbsp;forty. She attended the [[School of the Art Institute of Chicago]] for writing and began the graphic novel to help her recover in 2010, taking six&nbsp;years to create 700&nbsp;pages. The work draws on Ferris's childhood growing up in Chicago, and her love of monsters and horror media. The process of creating the book was difficult, with Ferris working long hours, living frugally, and encountering publishing setbacks, such as a cancelation by one publisher and the temporary seizure of the first volume's printing at the [[Panama Canal]].

The first volume was published by [[Fantagraphics]] on February 14, 2017. The graphic novel won the 2017 [[Ignatz Award]] for Outstanding Graphic Novel and two 2018 [[Eisner Awards]],<!--only counting the awards for the work and not to Ferris here--> and was nominated for a 2018 [[Hugo Award]]. The French edition won the [[ACBD]]'s [[Prix de la critique]] and the [[Fauve D'Or]] at the 2019 [[Angoulême International Comics Festival]]. ''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' has received critical acclaim and is considered by many critics to be one of the best graphic novels of 2017.

A related comic that Ferris created for [[Free Comic Book Day]] won the 2020 Eisner Award for "[[Eisner Award for Best Single Issue/One-Shot|Best Single Issue/One-Shot]]".

The second volume was published in May 2024 by Fantagraphics.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grunenwald |first1=Joe |title=My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Book Two coming next year from Fantagraphics |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-book-two-fantagraphics-april-2024/ |website=Comics Beat |access-date=September 18, 2023 |date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> In April 2023, [[Pantheon Books]] acquired an upcoming prequel titled ''Records of the Damned''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chiu-Tabet |first1=Christopher |title=The Rundown: April 20, 2023 |url=http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/the-rundown-042023/ |website=Multiversity Comics |access-date=September 18, 2023 |date=April 20, 2023}}</ref>

==Plot==
{{No plot|date=November 2024}}

==Production==
[[File:More spiralage (2273648835).jpg|thumb|alt=A close-up of an empty wire-bound notebook|The graphic novel is presented as a personal diary in a lined [[spiral notebook]].]]

Prior to working in comics, Ferris was a freelance illustrator and toy designer.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web|last1=Thielman|first1=Sam|title=Emil Ferris: 'I didn't want to be a woman – being a monster was the best solution'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/feb/20/emil-ferris-my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-graphic-novel|date=February 20, 2017|website=The Guardian|accessdate=January 4, 2018}}</ref> After contracting [[West Nile virus]] at age&nbsp;forty in 2002, Ferris became paralyzed from the waist down and lost the use of her right hand, preventing her from drawing and doing freelance work. The origin for ''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' was a screenplay Ferris wrote of "a [[werewolf]] lesbian girl being enfolded into the protective arms of a [[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein]] [[transgender|trans]] kid". The theme of two outsiders was then carried over to a short story she wrote in 2004.<ref name="tcj-2"/> While attending the [[School of the Art Institute of Chicago]] for an [[Master of Fine Arts|M.F.A.]] in creative writing, Ferris taught herself drawing again and began work on ''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' to recover. Starting in 2010, it took Ferris six&nbsp;years to complete the manuscript. Her thesis formed the first 24&nbsp;pages of the graphic novel and secured her a publisher. Ferris often worked sixteen-hour days and lived very frugally while working on the graphic novel. She averaged a rate of around a page every two&nbsp;days.<ref name="tcj-2"/> Ferris has said that the process required effort to manipulate her drawing hand properly, which, even after recovery, did not regain the same dexterity.<ref name="NYT">{{cite web|last1=Jennings|first1=Dana|title=First, Emil Ferris Was Paralyzed. Then Her Book Got Lost at Sea.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/arts/design/first-emil-ferris-was-paralyzed-then-her-book-got-lost-at-sea.html|website=The New York Times|date=February 17, 2017|accessdate=January 4, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219065758/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/arts/design/first-emil-ferris-was-paralyzed-then-her-book-got-lost-at-sea.html|archivedate=February 19, 2017|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name="tcj-2">{{cite web|last1=Tumey|first1=Paul|title=The Emil Ferris Interview: Monsters, Art and Stories (Part 2)|url=http://www.tcj.com/the-emil-ferris-interview-monsters-art-and-stories-part-2/|website=The Comics Journal|date=February 22, 2017|accessdate=January 4, 2018}}</ref>

''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' was mainly drawn using a [[Bic pen|Bic ballpoint pen]] and the text was written with [[Paper Mate]]'s [[felt tip]] Flair pen.<ref name="NYT"/> As drawing directly on notebook paper made corrections difficult, Ferris used a drawing layer over a notebook layer.<ref name="Paste">{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Hillary|title=The Holocaust, Art, Chicago & Sickness: A 3,500-Word Interview with ''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' Mastermind Emil Ferris|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/02/the-holocaust-art-chicago-sickness-a-3500-word-int.html|website=Paste|date=February 23, 2017|accessdate=January 4, 2018}}</ref> Ferris did not use outlines while drawing, instead letting images that were evoked collect visually in her head. The presentation of the graphic novel as a spiral-bound diary was an autobiographical aspect, with Ferris's classmates always passing around her notebooks.<ref name="tcj-2"/><ref name="Paste"/> Ferris eschewed [[Panel (comics)|panels]] because she felt that she needed creative freedom and that readers needed a visually dense experience.<ref name="Paste"/>

==Influences==
{{quote box|quote=This was the '60s. I watched protests being broken up by the police. I saw bigotry. It made me think about our own inner monstrousness.<ref name="NYT"/><!--Quote sets historical backdrop and author's POV as a child-->|source=– Emil Ferris|width=25%|salign=right}}

Many aspects of the graphic novel are inspired by Ferris's childhood. The author was obsessed with monsters as a child, eagerly looking forward to ''[[Creature Features]]'' on Saturday nights, which had monsters she would weep for.<ref name=tcj-1>{{cite web|last1=Tumey|first1=Paul|title=The Emil Ferris Interview: Monsters, Art and Stories (Part 1)|url=http://www.tcj.com/the-emil-ferris-interview-monsters-stories-and-art-part-1/|website=The Comics Journal|date=February 16, 2017|accessdate=January 4, 2018}}</ref> Ferris had [[scoliosis]], and to get attention on the playground, she told horror stories. The protagonist, Karen's, portrayal as a werewolf reflects how Ferris saw herself as a child—observing the oppressive social role her beautiful mother, as well as other humans, had to play.<ref name="Guardian"/>  The graphic novel is set in Chicago during the late 1960s, and Ferris grew up in Chicago's [[Uptown, Chicago|Uptown]] neighborhood.<ref name="NYT"/> Her parents were both artists, and she would often visit the [[Art Institute of Chicago]], which is featured in the graphic novel, with them.<ref name="Guardian"/> As a child, Ferris was part of a theatrical troupe near the [[Graceland Cemetery]]—which she visited, hoping to find monsters or a ghost—and the graphic novel includes the ''[[Eternal Silence (sculpture)|Eternal Silence]]'' sculpture from the cemetery.<ref name=tcj-1/> Ferris gained an understanding of [[World War II]] by talking to Holocaust survivors who lived in the neighborhood of [[Rogers Park, Chicago|Rogers Park]], which she had moved to.<ref name="Paste"/> She would visit the owner of a gallery who had an [[Identification in Nazi camps|identification number tattoo]], as well as to elderly survivors, forming a connection between their experiences and monsters.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dueben|first1=Alex|title=My Favorite Thing is Monsters Author Talks 2017's Buzziest Graphic Novel|url=https://www.cbr.com/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-emil-ferris-interview/|website=Comic Book Resources|date=April 25, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes - The sleep of reason produces monsters (No. 43), from Los Caprichos - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A person sleeps at a table, as imagined winged creatures swarm around him|[[Francisco Goya]] was a childhood influence on Ferris.<ref name="Paste"/> Pictured is his etching, ''[[The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters]]''.]]

In terms of artistic influences, Ferris was exposed to the works of [[Francisco Goya]] and [[Honoré Daumier]] as a child, as well as ''[[Collier's]]'' illustrated [[Dickens]]. The latter's "articulated and atmospheric" drawings were an experience that Ferris wanted to replicate.<ref name="Guardian"/> Cartoonists who were inspirations for her include [[Robert Crumb]], [[Alison Bechdel]], and [[Art Spiegelman]]. She has also cited horror film posters and stories from [[EC Comics]] as ideas for the mock covers.<ref name="NYT"/>

==Publication==
While halfway through work on ''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'', Ferris had to find a new publisher when the first one, [[Other Press]], said the book was too long<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine|last1=Serrao|first1=Nivea|title=Emil Ferris' My Favorite Thing Is Monsters: Hanjin shipping crisis affects graphic novel|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/10/24/emil-ferris-my-favorite-thing-monsters-hanjin/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=October 24, 2016|accessdate=March 2, 2019}}</ref> and that they could not properly market it. After receiving 48 rejections for 50 submissions, the graphic novel was picked up by [[Fantagraphics]].<ref name="tcj-2"/> The work was originally over 700&nbsp;pages, but Fantagraphics split it into two volumes to keep the price reasonable.<ref name="PW-reprint"/> Publication was set for October 31, 2016, to coincide with Halloween.<ref name="tcj-2"/> In October,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Reid|first1=Calvin|title=Bankrupt Shipping Company Causing Woes for Publishers|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/71781-bankrupt-shipping-company-causing-woes-for-publishers.html|website=Publishers Weekly|date=October 18, 2016|accessdate=October 14, 2018}}</ref> the ship containing the print run of the graphic novel—10,000&nbsp;copies—was seized at the [[Panama Canal]] due to the freight company, [[Hanjin Shipping]], having gone bankrupt. While the ship was released by the Panamanian government later that month,<ref name="EW"/> publication was still delayed due to the media campaign being pushed to February 2017, in anticipation of a required reprint.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Levitt|first1=Aimee|title=''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' lost at sea—literally [Updated]|url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/10/27/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-lost-at-sealiterally|website=Chicago Reader|date=October 27, 2016|accessdate=January 4, 2018|archive-date=July 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717070807/https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/10/27/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-lost-at-sealiterally|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first volume was published by Fantagraphics on February 14, 2017.<ref>{{cite book|title=My Favorite Thing Is Monsters|isbn=978-1606999592|last1=Ferris|first1=Emil|date=February 15, 2017|publisher=Fantagraphics Books }}</ref><ref name="TCJ-review"/> In March 2017, the graphic novel received a second print run of 30,000&nbsp;copies, the largest second printing Fantagraphics had ever done.<ref name="PW-reprint">{{cite web|last1=Reid|first1=Calvin|title=Fantagraphics Has Surprise Hit in Debut 'My Favorite Thing is Monsters'|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/73037-fantagraphics-has-surprise-hit-in-debut-my-favorite-thing-is-monsters.html|website=Publishers Weekly|date=March 13, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref> In March 2017, [[Sony Pictures]] won an auction for the [[film rights]] to the work, with Amasia Entertainment's Bradley Gallo and Michael Helfant producing.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike Jr.|title=Graphic Novel 'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' Sells to Sony|url=https://deadline.com/2017/03/graphic-novel-my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-sony-1202056456/|website=Deadline|date=March 30, 2017|accessdate=March 2, 2019}}</ref> [[Sam Mendes]] was in early talks to possibly direct.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kroll|first1=Justin|title=Sam Mendes Circling 'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' at Sony|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/sam-mendes-director-my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-1202022814/|website=Variety|date=April 4, 2017|accessdate=January 4, 2018}}</ref>

On November 3, 2016, in order to raise funds for the second volume of the graphic novel and a new computer, Ferris ran a [[crowdfunding]] campaign on [[GoFundMe]], raising $11,000.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ferris|first1=Emil|title=You Can Be in My Graphic Novel!|url=https://www.gofundme.com/beinagraphicnovel|website=GoFundMe|date=November 3, 2016|accessdate=January 4, 2018}}</ref> The second volume was originally slated for an October&nbsp;2017 release.<ref name="PW-reprint"/> The novel has also been published in France by Monsieur Toussaint Louverture,<ref>{{cite web|title=Moi, ce que j'aime, c'est les monstres|url=http://www.monsieurtoussaintlouverture.net/Livres/Emil_Ferris/Moicequejaimecestlesmonstres_Livreun_index.html|website=Monsieur Toussaint Louverture|accessdate=May 7, 2018|language=French}}</ref> in Canada by Éditions Alto,<ref>{{cite web|title=Moi, ce que j'aime, c'est les monstres|url=https://editionsalto.com/catalogue/moi-jaime-cest-monstres-emil-ferris/|website=Éditions Alto|accessdate=September 12, 2018|language=fr-CA|archive-date=September 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912064723/http://editionsalto.com/catalogue/moi-jaime-cest-monstres-emil-ferris/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in Italy by Bao Publishing,<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Fantoni|first1=Lorenzo|title=La mia cosa preferita sono i mostri, un fumetto tra cultura pop e dramma storico|url=https://www.wired.it/play/fumetti/2018/04/18/la-mia-cosa-preferita-sono-i-mostri-recensione/|magazine=Wired|date=April 18, 2018|accessdate=May 7, 2018|language=Italian}}</ref> in Spain by Reservoir Books,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jiménez|first1=Jesús|title='Lo que más me gusta son los monstruos', la novela gráfica del año|url=https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20180503/mas-gusta-son-monstruos-novela-grafica-del-ano/1725021.shtml|website=rtve|date=March 5, 2018|accessdate=July 6, 2020|language=Spanish}}</ref> and in Germany by [[Panini Group|Panini]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Am liebsten mag ich Monster|url=https://www.paninishop.de/?s=artikel&g_artikel_id=125026|website=Panini|accessdate=June 25, 2018|language=German|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625105533/https://www.paninishop.de/?s=artikel&g_artikel_id=125026|archive-date=June 25, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> The French version received a limited print run as a hardcover edition by its original publisher.<ref>{{cite web |title=Moi, ce que j'aime, c'est les monstres (Édition limitée Créature) |url=https://jt.lv/en/portfolio/moi-ce-que-jaime-cest-les-monstres/ |website=Jelgavas Tipogrāfija |access-date=May 20, 2024}}</ref>

For [[Free Comic Book Day]] on May 5, 2019, Ferris created ''Our Favorite Thing Is My Favorite Thing Is Monsters''. It contained an original sixteen-page monster story as well as the autobiographical "The Bite That Changed My Life" and "How to Draw a Monster".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kade |first1=Leigh |title=BC FCBD Roundup: Our Favorite Thing Is My Favorite Things Is Monsters |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/bc-fcbd-roundup-our-favorite-thing-is-my-favorite-things-is-monsters/ |website=Bleeding Cool |date=May 5, 2019 |accessdate=July 2, 2020}}</ref>

==Reception==
[[File:Paris - Salon du livre 2012 - Art Spiegelman - 001.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Photograph|[[Art Spiegelman]], author of ''[[Maus]]'', has praised the graphic novel. When Spiegelman—whom Ferris has cited as an influence—told Ferris that he loved it, she "started crying like a big dumb baby".<ref name="Guardian"/>]]

''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' has been critically acclaimed. Reviewers for the graphic novel have noted the quality of Ferris's artwork and writing compared to her inexperience in comics publishing.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Mouly|first1=Françoise|last2=Bormes|first2=Genevieve|title=A Graphic Novel About a Young Girl, a Murder, and the Allure of Monsters|url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/a-graphic-novel-about-a-young-girl-a-murder-and-the-allure-of-monsters|magazine=The New Yorker|date=February 10, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210222023/https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/a-graphic-novel-about-a-young-girl-a-murder-and-the-allure-of-monsters|archivedate=February 10, 2017|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name="TCJ-review"/> [[Douglas Wolk]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said that Ferris has a "portraitist's skill with tiny subtleties of expression and lighting and a [[New Objectivity|New Objectivist]]'s eye for the raw grotesquerie of bodies and their surroundings".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wolk|first1=Douglas|title=New Graphic Novels Detail Personal Journeys and Twists of Fate|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/books/review/summer-reading-new-graphic-novels.html|website=The New York Times|date=May 31, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601055519/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/books/review/summer-reading-new-graphic-novels.html|archivedate=June 1, 2017|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}</ref> The graphic novel has also been received positively by other notable comics artists. [[Art Spiegelman]] told ''The New York Times'' that Ferris is "one of the most important comics artists of our time" and that she "uses the sketchbook idea as a way to change the grammar and syntax of the comics page".<ref name="NYT"/> The cover of the novel features praise from [[Chris Ware]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hoang|first1=Lily|title=Monster, Monster, On the Wall|url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/monster-on-the-wall/#!|website=Los Angeles Review of Books|date=April 9, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref> and [[Alison Bechdel]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cavna|first1=Michael|title=How Emil Ferris became the breakout graphic novelist of the year|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/09/16/how-emil-ferris-became-the-breakout-graphic-novelist-of-the-year/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 16, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121184429/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/09/16/how-emil-ferris-became-the-breakout-graphic-novelist-of-the-year/|archivedate=January 21, 2018|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}</ref>

Paul Tumey of ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' compared the [[cross-hatching]] used to "both vividly delineate detailed forms and evoke a wide palette of emotion" to the work of [[Robert Crumb]] and likened the graphic novel to a [[patchwork quilt]] he owns, calling it "weird, unique, [and] lovingly crafted from caring and devotion".<ref name="TCJ-review">{{cite web|last1=Tumey|first1=Paul|title=My Favorite Thing Is Monsters|url=http://www.tcj.com/reviews/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters/|website=The Comics Journal|date=October 28, 2016|accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref> Oliver Sava of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' called it a masterpiece, saying that it stands out against contemporary graphic novels with its "visual splendor, narrative ingenuity, and emotional impact", concluding that "Ferris immediately establishes herself as one of the most exciting, provocative talents in the comics industry".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sava|first1=Oliver|title=''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' is a brilliant, eye-opening graphic novel debut|url=https://www.avclub.com/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-is-a-brilliant-eye-openi-1798258797|website=The A.V. Club|date=February 24, 2017|access-date=January 5, 2018}}</ref> John Powers of [[NPR]] said that "for all its stylistic tour-de-forciness, ''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' is filled with emotion", finding that "every page feels like it's been secreted from the very core of [Ferris's] being".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Powers|first1=John|title='My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' Is a Dazzling, Graphic Novel Tour-De-Force|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/02/22/516643494/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-is-a-dazzling-graphic-novel-tour-de-force|website=NPR|date=February 22, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref>

''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' has charted on the ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' graphic novel bestseller list.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Macdonald|first1=Heidi|title=My Favorite Thing Is Monsters gets 30,000 second printing|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-gets-30000-second-printing/|website=Comics Beat|date=March 14, 2017|accessdate=March 2, 2019}}</ref> The work garnered three&nbsp;nominations at the 2017 [[Ignatz Award]]s—Outstanding Artist, Outstanding Graphic Novel, and Outstanding Story<ref>{{cite web|last1=Macdonald|first1=Heidi|title=2017 Ignatz Nominations include a new category; three noms for Ferris|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/2017-ignatz-nominations-include-a-new-award-three-noms-for-ferris/|website=Comics Beat|date=August 17, 2017|accessdate=March 2, 2019}}</ref>—winning Outstanding Artist and Outstanding Graphic Novel.<ref>{{cite web|author=Newsarama Staff|title=2017 Ignatz Awards Winners (Full List)|url=https://www.newsarama.com/36432-2017-ignatz-awards-winners-full-list.html|website=Newsarama|date=September 18, 2017|accessdate=January 4, 2018}}</ref> The novel was nominated for five 2018 [[Eisner Award]]s: Best Graphic Album–New, Best Writer/Artist, Best Coloring, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design.<ref>{{cite web|author=Newsarama Staff|title=2018 Eisner Awards Nominations|url=https://www.newsarama.com/39672-2018-eisner-awards-nominations.html|website=Newsarama|date=April 26, 2018|accessdate=June 17, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Tracy|title='My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' and 'Monstress' lead 2018 Eisner Awards nominations|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-eisner-awards-2018-nominations-20180426-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|date=April 26, 2018|accessdate=March 2, 2019}}</ref> It won Best Graphic Album–New, Best Writer/Artist, and Best Coloring.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McMillan|first1=Graeme|title=Eisner Awards: The Complete Winners List|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/2018-eisner-awards-complete-winners-list-1128983|website=Hollywood Reporter|date=July 21, 2018|accessdate=July 21, 2018}}</ref> It was also nominated for a [[Hugo Award]] for [[Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story|Best Graphic Story]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cavna|first1=Michael|title=Hugo Award nomination bodes well for breakout 'Monsters' author Emil Ferris|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2018/04/02/hugo-award-nomination-bodes-well-for-breakout-monsters-author-emil-ferris/|newspaper=Washington Post|date=April 2, 2018|accessdate=April 17, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427193048/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2018/04/02/hugo-award-nomination-bodes-well-for-breakout-monsters-author-emil-ferris/|archivedate=April 27, 2018|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}</ref> The work won a [[National Cartoonists Society Division Awards|Division Award]] from the [[National Cartoonists Society]] for Graphic Novels.<ref>{{cite web |last1=MacDonald |first1=Heidi |title=Reuben Award Winners: Glenn Keane wins The Reuben |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/reuben-award-winners-glean-keane-wins-the-reuben/ |website=Comics Beat |accessdate=April 23, 2019 |date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> It also won in the category LGBTQ Graphic Novel at the [[30th Lambda Literary Awards]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=30th Annual Lambda Literary Award Winners Announced |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief/index.html?record=1865 |website=Publishers Weekly |accessdate=April 7, 2019 |date=June 5, 2018}}</ref> The French edition won the [[ACBD]]'s [[Prix de la critique]] 2019<ref>{{cite web |last1=Delcroix |first1=Olivier |title=''Moi, ce que j'aime c'est les monstres'' d'Emil Ferris, prix de la critique ACBD 2019 |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/bd/2018/12/10/03014-20181210ARTFIG00252--moi-ce-que-j-aime-c-est-les-monstres-d-emil-ferris-prix-de-la-critique-acbd-2019.php |website=Le Figaro |accessdate=April 23, 2019 |language=French |date=October 12, 2018}}</ref> as well as the [[Fauve D'Or]] at the 2019 [[Angoulême International Comics Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=MacDonald |first1=Heidi |title=Emil Ferris wins the Fauve D'Or for My Favorite thing is Monsters |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/emil-ferris-wins-the-fauve-dor-for-my-favorite-thing-is-monsters/ |website=Comics Beat |accessdate=April 7, 2019 |date=January 27, 2019}}</ref> The graphic novel has been considered by many critics as one of the best of 2017, including at ''The New York Times'',<ref>{{cite web|last1=Garner|first1=Dwight|last2=Senior|first2=Jennifer|last3=Sehgal|first3=Parul|last4=Maslin|first4=Janet|title=Times Critics' Top Books of 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/books/critics-favorite-books-2017.html|website=The New York Times|date=December 7, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105180348/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/books/critics-favorite-books-2017.html|archivedate=January 5, 2018|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}</ref> ''Publishers Weekly'',<ref>{{cite web|author=PW Staff|title='My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' Tops Annual 'PW' Graphic Novel Critics Poll|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/75675-my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-tops-annual-pw-graphic-novel-critics-poll.html|website=Publishers Weekly|date=December 20, 2017 |accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref> [[Comic Book Resources]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dueben|first1=Alex|title=Best Comics of 2017: My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Already a Classic|url=https://www.cbr.com/my-favorite-thing-is-monsters-best-comics-2017/|website=Comic Book Resources|date=December 31, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref> ''The A.V. Club'',<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sava|first1=Oliver|last2=Rosberg|first2=Caitlin|last3=Hennum|first3=Shea|title=The best comics of 2017|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-best-comics-of-2017-1820879242|website=The A.V. Club|date=December 5, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref> and ''The Comics Journal''.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Best Comics of 2017|url=http://www.tcj.com/the-best-comics-of-2017/|website=The Comics Journal|date=January 2, 2018|accessdate=January 5, 2018}}</ref> In a tabulation of 136 "Best Comics of 2017" lists, ''My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'' received the most mentions.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnston|first1=Rich|title=My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris, the Best Reviewed Comic of 2017|url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/02/10/favorite-thing-monsters-emil-ferris-best-reviewed-comic-2017/|newspaper=Bleeding Cool News and Rumors|date=February 10, 2018|accessdate=February 14, 2018}}</ref>

Ferris's freebie for Free Comic Book Day, ''Our Favorite Thing Is My Favorite Thing Is Monsters'', won the 2020 Eisner Award for "[[Eisner Award for Best Single Issue/One-Shot|Best Single Issue/One-Shot]]".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grunenwald |first1=Joe |title=SDCC '20: The 2020 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award winners |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-20-eisner-award-winners-2020/ |website=Comics Beat |access-date=July 1, 2022 |date=July 24, 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/February-2017/Emil-Ferris-The-Bite-That-Changed-My-Life/ "The Bite That Changed My Life"], a short comic by Emil Ferris telling her story for ''[[Chicago Magazine]]'', also utilizing the art style of the graphic novel.
* [https://www.vaultofculture.com/vault/oncomics/ferrismonsters "On Comics: Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (2017)"], a reading of Ferris's use of fine art in the graphic novel.

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American graphic novels]]
[[Category:2017 graphic novels]]
[[Category:2017 LGBTQ-related literary works]]
[[Category:Fantagraphics titles]]
[[Category:Ignatz Award winners for Graphic Novel]]
[[Category:Eisner Award winners for Best Graphic Album: New]]
[[Category:Eisner Award winners for Best Coloring]]
[[Category:Lambda Literary Award–winning works]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related graphic novels]]
[[Category:2010s LGBTQ novels]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ novels]]
[[Category:Lesbian-related comics]]
[[Category:Novels with lesbian themes]]
[[Category:Graphic novels set in the 1960s]]
[[Category:Graphic novels set in Chicago]]
[[Category:2024 LGBTQ-related literary works]]