Artist and writer Mark Crilley creates comic books and children's books that are "all about the possibility of the impossible," according to Jeff Dancer and David T. van Sweden, writing in LuxEsto. "The stories follow trails blazed by Alice through Wonderland and Dorothy through Oz. And they do so without violence or graphic scenes of gore. No muscular super-heroes in tights prowl these pages." Crilley instead opts for a fourth-grade girl named Akiko and her bizarre adventures on the mythical planet Smoo with her assortment of eccentric friends, including Mr. Beeba, Spuckler, Poog, and Gax. "The stories are intelligent, humorous, and written to appeal to adults as well as kids," according to Dancer and van Sweden. Crilley, in an interview with Authors and Artists for Young Adults (AAYA), reaffirmed that assessment: "I think of my audience as a true `all ages' audience. I'm trying to entertain in the...